The most common mistakes made when buying gloves - How to avoid them?
Purchase boxing gloves this is only a seemingly simple task, the large saturation of the market with different models of gloves from different manufacturers makes it counterintuitive to make the right decision at all. The problem with the purchase of gloves has mainly people who are beginning their adventure with combat sports, they often ask themselves then questions: what boxing gloves to choose, what company, what model, how to choose the size?
These and other questions will be answered in today's guide focusing mainly on common mistakes made during the purchase.
Error No. 1 - wrong size.
How to size boxing gloves?
This is by far the most common question from beginners and the answer is not obvious. Virtually no manufacturer provides a size chart for boxing gloves, instead using the glove weight designation in ounces (Oz)
1 Oz is 28.4 grams so, for example, a 10 OZ glove weighs 284 grams and a 12 OZ glove weighs 340.8 grams.
So much theory, the question is how it relates to size?
Whether size of boxing gloves is directly proportional to its weight?
To understand this you need to analyze the design of the gloves in Fig. 1
Fig. 1 - Diagram of DBX BUSHIDO boxing gloves
As you can see from the diagram below, the main element of the gloves that gives them their shape, size and at the same time affects the weight is the mechanically shaped foam. The weight of the gloves is increased by increasing just this layer. The thicker the foam, the heavier the weight of the gloves and the more effective the impact absorption. The key point, however, is that hanging the thickness of the foam does not necessarily affect its shape inside the gloves.
The weight will affect the volume of the boxing gloves but will not necessarily affect their internal size.
Another issue is the quality of the foam used to fill the gloves - depending on the manufacturer, its density may vary and this in turn affects the total volume of the gloves.
The external multiplicity of gloves from different manufacturers may differ despite the same weight.
Another feature that further complicates matters is the use of additional sponges/padding on the inside of the glove. In the assumption of the manufacturers, such a solution is intended to increase the comfort of training, however, it often causes a feeling of pressure - especially before breaking the gloves in training conditions (this padding compacts adapting to the shape of the hand).
The outer size of boxing gloves is not always proportional to their inner size.
So how, taking the above into account the right size of boxing gloves for yourself?
Fortunately, most manufacturers use a certain standard which is worth following. Of course, depending on the model, there may be minor deviations from this rule, but they will not be so significant as to have a major impact on the comfort of the gloves.
We suggest sizing based on the table below.
Weight of boxing gloves | For whom? | Destination |
4- 6 oz | Children aged 5 to 10 years | Technical training, training on instruments (bag, discs, etc.).) |
8 oz | Young people up to 15 years, women | Technical training, training on instruments (bag, discs, etc.).), sparring |
10 oz | Adult men, women | Technical training, training on instruments (bag, discs, etc.).) |
12 oz | Adult men | Sparring, instrument training, technical training, |
above 14 oz | Adult men | Sparring, technical training |
Of course, the above table is only a suggestion and nothing will happen if we train on instruments in 16 oz gloves, however, usually lighter gloves are used for training on instruments and heavier gloves (providing better cushioning and partner safety) for sparring.
The inner size of gloves from 10 oz upwards is very similar in most manufacturers, it provides space to put on boxing wraps or inner gloves, practically any of these weights will be suitable for an adult male.
Mistake No. 2 - failure to match glove weight to intended use.
Which boxing gloves for sparring?
A common mistake made especially by beginners is choosing the wrong glove weight for the application.
It should be remembered that if the gloves are to be used for sparring then, guided by the safety of the partner, we should purchase gloves of at least 12 oz on the other hand, in the case of training on instruments (boxing bag, discs, trowels etc.) lighter and even instrument gloves will be more comfortable.
Boxing gloves or MuayThai gloves?
The main difference between boxing gloves and d MuayThai gloves is the profile of the glove.
The ones for Muay Thai are slightly more flattened than boxing ones which is supposed to make it easier to grab when fighting in a clinch. However, the differences are so subtle that it won't matter much to a beginner.
Mistake No. 3 - failure to match the quality of gloves with the needs.
Which boxing gloves for beginners?
Many people starting out in combat sports have a dilemma in what price/quality range to buy gloves.
Some people choose to buy the cheapest models they come across on the assumption that they are just starting out with others buying immediately expensive models of well-known foreign brands on the assumption that since something is expensive it must be better than the others.
Neither approach is appropriate. Buying the cheapest gloves risks tearing them quickly and needing to buy them again.
It should also be borne in mind that the cheapest models often have poor-quality foam cushioning, which inadequately absorbs impacts, increasing the risk of injury.
The second common disadvantage of the cheapest boxing gloves is improper contouring which makes it difficult to train the habit of properly clenching the fists, and poor wrist stiffening which often leads to painful injuries.
On the other hand, buying the most expensive gloves of foreign brands already at the start, we definitely overpay (about 50% of the value of such gloves is the cost of intermediaries). It is definitely a better idea to spend these funds on additional tooling and protectors. Despite appearances, well-known global brands do not always offer better quality and the price of their equipment is often dictated by logistical and marketing costs.
So how much to spend on boxing gloves?
It depends on whether you want to buy natural leather or plastic gloves. Contrary to appearances, gloves made of synthetic leather do not always mean inferior quality. It should be remembered that defects most often relate to the tearing of seams and these, regardless of whether we are dealing with gloves made of natural leather or PU, are usually the same. Statistically, gloves made of natural leather are less likely to be damaged for many are also more pleasant however their price is usually twice as high as those made of plastic. So if you don't have a lot of money, choose synthetic leather boxing gloves, you can buy good quality PU gloves for up to 100 zł. If you can afford to spend more, choose those made of natural leather their cost should fit up to 200 PLN.
Mistake No. 4 - Inadequate ventilation
Boxing gloves with or without a net?
When buying gloves, many people do not pay attention to whether the gloves have a proper ventilation system. While this does not have a major impact on the durability of the gloves, it has a major impact on the comfort of use. It should be remembered that boxing gloves, due to their thickness, make the hand sweat a lot during training. A good solution to this problem is to use a ventilation system on the inside of the gloves. These systems, depending on the manufacturer, have different names but their common feature is to provide proper ventilation by improving airflow.
photo1: ActivClima system for improved glove ventilation
Error No. 5 - Wrong type of gloves
Bound or Velcro boxing gloves?
Tied gloves are often used by professionals and mainly during professional fights, during daily training even they mostly use gloves with Velcro because it is much faster to put on and take off without the help of another person. If you are a beginner or intermediate you should definitely choose Velcro gloves. However, it is worth paying attention to ensure that it is wide enough to provide better stiffening of the wrists and slower wear of the velcro.
Mistake No. 6 - No box wraps
Are boxing wraps necessary?
A final but very common mistake, especially among beginners, is to buy the gloves themselves without boxing wraps. It should be remembered that the wraps are not only intended to provide extra stiffness to the hand, but also to keep the gloves from getting sweaty!
Remember that the hand during training sweats a lot, the purpose of boxing wraps is to absorb sweat minimizing its absorption into the gloves. Boxing wraps unlike gloves, can be washed regularly to ensure proper hygiene during training. An alternative to the time-consuming to put on boxing wraps are inner gloves.
Planning to buy gloves? Check out our range of boxing gloves>>.
See also:
How to choose gloves for training on a punching bag >>.
How to take care of training gloves? What to do to get rid of unpleasant odor?>>
Boxing gloves - what size to choose?>>