What characteristics should good boxing gloves or kickboxing gloves have? We asked a large number of experienced boxers, kickboxers and Muay Thai fighters this question.
The answers they gave us were largely the same. We have listed the characteristics of high-quality gloves for you.
Key characteristics of good boxing gloves
Fit of good boxing gloves
The best way to determine whether a glove’s fit is suitable for you is to try it on and, if possible, test it out. When trying on the glove, make sure you have enough room to move your fingers.
Thumb stability
When you make a fist, the glove should keep your thumb stable in its natural position. If it does not, you risk breaking your thumb when throwing a hard punch.
Closure: hook-and-loop or laces?
With boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing gloves, you can choose between a hook-and-loop closure or a lace-up closure.
A lace-up closure provides more wrist stability, and when fastening the glove, you can make it fit the shape of your hand more closely. The disadvantage of laces is that someone else must always fasten and unfasten your gloves.
Gloves with lace-up closures are therefore generally used only in competitions, because you do not take your gloves off during a bout.
During training, it is useful to be able to do this yourself. That is why the gloves most commonly worn during training have a hook-and-loop closure.
With hook-and-loop closures, make sure the glove can be fastened tightly enough around your wrist. This is important for comfort and wrist stability.
The hook-and-loop fastening itself should have a contact area that is large and strong enough to keep the glove securely closed.
Padding on the striking surface
The padding on the striking surface must be thick and firm enough to prevent your fist from pushing through it. Foam padding is extremely suitable for this.
The padding should absorb part of your punch, reducing the risk of knuckle injuries. It also reduces the risk of injuring your training partners by taking the sharpness out of your fists.
Striking someone with bare fists can seriously injure them; the same applies to gloves with poor padding.
Palm padding
Not every boxing, Muay Thai or kickboxing glove has padding on the inside of the glove. This is additional padding or reinforcement on the palm side of the glove.
This padding gives you extra grip when making a fist. It is also ideal for training combinations with a partner.
The padding on the inside of your glove partially absorbs your training partner’s punches and kicks when you block them with your gloves. It can also be beneficial during sparren.
100% leather, microfiber or synthetic leather
You can choose a synthetic leather or genuine leather glove. Leather gloves last longer. They are significantly less likely to tear, particularly at the seams.
However, maintaining leather gloves is very important. Apply leather grease to the gloves once a month; otherwise, leather gloves will soon start showing small cracks due to drying out. There can also be significant differences in leather quality.
The leather used most commonly is cowhide; this leather is extremely suitable for a high-quality glove. Nowadays, there are also microfiber and synthetic leather boxing gloves that are at least as strong as, if not stronger than, genuine natural leather.
Stitching, double stitching and inspection
For the gloves’ durability, it is important that the stitching at critical points is double-stitched. In other words, this applies to areas where the leather and fabric are under a lot of stress.
This prevents the gloves from coming apart at the seams, which is generally where most gloves first become damaged.
Lining
The lining generally consists of fabric in all gloves. Check carefully that the lining has no uneven areas or loose threads.
The lining should follow the shape of the glove neatly, so that it does not wear out quickly and does not cause irritation when worn.
Weight
Gloves are available in different weight classes (8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and even 18 and 20 ounces). The heavier the glove, the harder it is to keep your arms raised.
Training with a heavier glove will not make you punch harder. You do not train that with gravity.
It can, however, help you keep your arms raised for longer during a bout, because you generally fight with lighter gloves during competitions.
An increase in glove weight can also mean an increase in the gloves’ size or volume. Is the glove somewhat larger? Then it also has a larger striking surface.
A larger striking surface means a reduction in the impact of a punch (an exaggerated example is the difference between a strike with the tip of a knife and a punch with your fist).
This is often the reason heavyweight fighters are advised to use a heavier glove.
Normally, children train with 6, 8 or 10 oz gloves, women with 10, 12 or 14 oz, and men with 14 or 16 oz.
Heavyweights generally use 16 or 18 oz gloves, and some exceptions even use 20 oz gloves. The best boxing gloves based on value for money are the XPRT boxing gloves.
Tips for using and maintaining boxing gloves
- Never leave your gloves in your bag or car after use. The gloves remain damp in your bag, while in your car they are exposed to extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations. Let the gloves dry at room temperature as soon as possible. Preferably use a deodorizer to help them dry better.
- After use, it is best to fill your boxing gloves with a deodorizer (from, for example, Hayabusa, No-Stink or Rival) and leave them to dry in a place with a constant room temperature.
- Once a month, apply a thin but thorough layer of leather grease to leather gloves (note: dried sweat causes the leather to dry out, and the leather must be kept supple at all times to prevent cracking). Good leather grease contains no acids that damage the leather. Pay close attention to this!
- Make sure your nails are short when using the gloves. Long nails can damage the lining and eventually tear it.
- Preferably do not use your gloves on the punching bag. This causes the gloves to wear out very quickly. Special bag gloves are also available.
If you choose a glove with the quality characteristics listed above and use and maintain the gloves according to these tips, the gloves will last approximately six months to a year if you train two to three times a week.
Whether the gloves can last somewhat longer, or perhaps wear out somewhat sooner, depends on your punching power and training intensity.
