To many people a pair of boxing gloves is simply a pair of boxing gloves, however, boxers see it very differently. It is not uncommon for an avid boxer to have several different pairs of boxing gloves in their boxing equipment bag. This is not just to change them out from session to session. Each of these different pairs of gloves has a completely different use for a completely different type of training.
In this article, we will detail the numerous different types of boxing gloves that you will see and also why they are tailored for those specific uses. The information within this article will then help you to decide which gloves are best for you.
Why Are There Different Types Of Boxing Gloves?
While boxing can be a very violent sport at times, boxing training is all about safety. Whether you are simply doing it for fun or a full-blown professional fighter, safety is hugely important during training.
That is why boxers tend to have several pairs of gloves. The gloves that you use for bag and mitt sessions cannot be the gloves that are used for hard sparring. This is because the constant repetition of hitting pads and hitting heavy bags can quickly wear down the foam padding within the gloves. This means that these gloves can inflict more damage and are thus very dangerous for sparring sessions.
In addition to this, having numerous pairs of gloves can help to protect a fighter's biggest asses, their hands. Hand injuries are widespread in boxing, which is why fighters do everything that they can to protect them.
With constant wear and tear during training, the extra padding of gloves can start to get more compact and less protective very quickly. This can then begin to compromise the protection and safety of your hands. Therefore, having multiple pairs allows you to ensure that your hands are always sufficiently protected.
Boxing Gloves For Sparring
Sparring is undoubtedly the type of training that requires the strictest rules when it comes to boxing gloves. This is because the form of training comes with the greatest risk of injuries due to the competitive simulation of a fight scenario. Fighters must have the correct gloves to avoid unnecessary damage such as cuts, scrapes and knockouts.
Sparring gloves typically range from 12oz - 20oz. They are also typically heavier than normal training gloves as they are designed to protect your opponent. This is because sparring is less about hurting your sparring partner and more about simulating the feeling of a fight, practising defensive movements and throwing shots.
Most boxing gyms will not allow you to spar unless you have the correct gloves. Therefore avid boxers need to have the correct sparring gloves if they want to take part in sparring sessions. However, sparring gloves are only necessary for experienced fighters. More beginner fighters will not be participating in any competitive sparring sessions.
Below you can find a sizing guide for sparring gloves.
Sparring Glove Sizes
10oz - 12oz - Under 46kg
12oz - 14oz - 46kg - 80kg
14oz - 16oz - 69kg - 80kg
16oz - 20oz - 80kg+
We stock a huge range of high-quality gloves such as velcro straps and lace-up gloves. Our boxing sparring gloves come in sizes ranging from 12oz - 20 oz gloves.
Boxing Gloves For Bag Sessions
Believe it or not, one of the most common causes of wrist injuries in boxing is through boxing bag workouts. That is because there is a huge amount of force that goes through your fist and the punch bag during intense bag sessions.
As there is a huge amount of force during this activity, gloves that are not specially designed for bag work will likely begin to break down and become less protective. This breakdown of the glove's protection can lead to wrist and hand injuries that can hugely affect your ability to train until the injuries have been properly rehabbed.
Boxing bag gloves are designed specifically for punch bags and therefore offer the ideal amount of protection needed for this type of training session. They often feature much more compact and robust padding such as gels or more of a mitt shape.
Bag Gloves Sizes
6oz - 8oz - Up to 45kg
10oz - 12oz - 46kg - 68kg
14oz - 69kg - 80kg
16oz - 18oz - 80kg+
We have a huge number of the highest-quality boxing bag gloves available from the biggest brands in the sport. All of the gloves that we stock come in a range of sizes from 8oz to 18oz.
Professional Fight Gloves
Another completely different style of boxing glove is a professional fight glove. These gloves that fighters wear on fight night are often designed using the highest quality materials with less padding. These gloves must also be approved by the boxing commission that the fighter's bout is sanctioned by.
Professional fight gloves are much lighter and feature less protection than training gloves. This is because they are designed to make sure that your opponent feels the full force of every shot you land. At the end of the day, your main goal when it comes to a professional fight is to stop your opponent.
Professional Fight Glove Sizes
- 8oz - up to 66kg
- 10oz - 67kg - 91kg
- 10oz XL - 91kg+ (With Large Hands)
The Different Styles Of Professional Fight Gloves
While all professional fight gloves are designed very similarly, each different pair and different brand has its benefits. Some fight gloves are designed for big punchers who are looking to inflict as much damage on their opponent as possible. Whereas some are designed with more structure and more protection for the hands of the fighters.
Gloves that are traditionally worn by big punchers will be designed using much softer padding such as horsehair, moulded polyurethane or other softer materials. Gloves such as the Cleto Reyes Professional Fight Glove, Adidas AdiStar and Everlast Powerlock are all gloves that big punchers notoriously choose.
However, the most famous and controversial puncher's glove is of course the Everlast MX. These are the gloves that Floyd Mayweather banned Maidana from wearing in their 2014 welterweight bout. This is because he believed there was too little padding in the glove. However, boxers such as Canelo Alvarez, Deontay Wilder, and so many more have worn these numerous times over their careers.
You can shop our huge range of the best professional fight gloves from the sports leading brands. All of the professional fight gloves we sell are fully approved by the BBBC.
