Our Top 5 Boxing Gloves for Training
- Everlast ProTex3 Hook & Loop Training Gloves
- Ringside Omega Sparring Gloves (rated Best Value for Money)
- Title Boxing Gel Suspense Training Gloves
- Ring to Cage Japanese-Style Training Gloves 2.0 (rated Premium Choice)
- Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves (rated our Favorite)
Introduction
If you are looking for a pair of boxing gloves that will take you to the next level then we have five great gloves to recommend to you. Our Top Five Boxing Gloves for Training are ideal if you want gloves that can meet the full range of your training needs.
Whether sparring with a partner, hitting focus pads / mitt work, or mixing in some heavy bag work we think these gloves will stand up to the challenge.
Note, if you are looking for a less expensive pair of gloves to get you started or as back up see our article on Best Gloves for Beginners. If you are looking for gloves for continuous heavy bag work have a look at Best Gloves for Heavy Bags.
What to expect from your gloves
If you have been using boxing gloves for a long time it is still a good idea to revisit your requirements before purchasing a new set of gloves. Your requirements may be exactly the same as when you bought your last pair. Or your requirements may have evolved with your training. Deciding on what new gloves to purchase is a personal thing for certain.
However, there are some common criteria to be considered:
The first thing to expect from these better quality gloves is better protection for your hands and wrists. Particularly if you put them through frequent and demanding training sessions. The design of the glove becomes more important. So does the padding technology which should be good quality.
The second thing to reasonably expect from these gloves is for them to work well with your hands. You will want them to feel as if they are part of you and to provide ‘feedback’ every time you strike. You will sense the difference between a good hit and a poor hit.
Finally, having found a glove that protects you and performs well when training you will want them to last. All gloves wear out sooner or later. But better quality gloves like these will last longer.
If you are training 4 – 5 times a week or more and if you intend on working your gloves hard then don’t waste time and money with lower quality gloves. You will want to be confident that the gloves you purchase will not let you down.
Our Top Five gloves are suitable for men and women. Most have a range of colours to allow you to make a personal statement.
Purchasing the correct size
The following is a recap on selecting the right size gloves:
The appropriate size of gloves is not dependent on the size of your hand. You can completely ignore any size charts with hand measurements. In fact, you can ignore most size charts altogether as they are misleading.
If you will be sparring then you will need a larger glove to protect your sparring partner. Especially if your partner is smaller than you. Larger gloves have more padding.
Sparring gloves are typically 12, 14 or 16 ounces depending on your body size. But there is no hard rule here. Manufacturers’ size charts vary on recommendations (just to make it more confusing).
As a general rule if you are 170-180 lbs (77-82 kg) or more you should be using 16 oz. gloves. If you are 140-150 lbs (68-64 kg) or less than 12 oz gloves will be fine.
It is worth finding out if your club has rules on glove sizes. For example, some clubs may require anyone over 170 lbs (77 kg) to spar with 16 oz gloves.
If you will be using your gloves for non-contact activities then you can use smaller gloves. Size and padding become less of a concern. For pad and bag work smaller gloves will be more comfortable. But larger gloves provide a better workout because they are heavier. If you use heavier gloves and make the transition to smaller gloves later on you will feel faster.
Some clubs allow light sparring, meaning you may ‘tap’ someone without any force. This would fall under ‘general fitness’. Assuming it will stay that way a smaller size glove (10-12 oz), regardless of your size, is usually acceptable.
Some boxers prefer to use heavier gloves for pad work and sparring with a partner, and to use a lighter glove specifically for bag work. If this is your preference then have a look at Best Gloves for Bags.
Once you know the glove size you want the next thing is to make sure your hand fits comfortably in the hand compartment. Good quality gloves make this more likely. However, everyone is different and what fits well for one person may not fit well for another. Good online providers know this and will be helpful. This includes accepting returns with no fuss.
Don’t be tempted to change sizes (in ounces) just to get a better fit on your hand. If you know what size glove is appropriate for you then stick with that size and try a different manufacturer. They are all a little different.
Small hands?
If you have small hands and find it difficult to find gloves with small enough hand compartments then try a brand made in Thailand. They will often be called Muay Thai gloves. Muay Thai gloves do have some differences from standard boxing gloves. Brands such as Fairtex gloves are a good example. They are known for being smaller than American brands. Or have a look at our Best Gloves for Muay Thai.
Making the final Choice
Chances are you have a pretty good idea of what you want to get out of your new gloves. It is now just a matter of selecting a pair of gloves that are likely to meet your expectations. We really think our Top Five Boxing Gloves for Training is a good place to start.
Additional Information
For more help on selecting a pair of boxing gloves see our article on How to Select a Pair of Boxing Gloves.
Our Top 5 Boxing Gloves for Training
- Everlast ProTex3 Hook & Loop Training Gloves
- Ringside Omega Sparring Gloves (rated Best Value for Money)
- Title Boxing Gel Suspense Training Gloves
- Ring to Cage Japanese-Style Training Gloves 2.0 (rated Premium Choice)
- Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves (rated our Favorite)
Product Reviews
Everlast ProTex3 Hook & Loop Training Gloves
Although Everlast is a well established brand it is fair to say that not all of their gloves are equal. If you want a quality Everlast glove at a reasonable price then this is the one.
These gloves are well padded and durable enough for your heavy bag work. The ProTex3 has a multi-layer foam that provides really good hand protection. The trade off is they are a little bulkier than other similar gloves. Not excessively so, but enough to notice.
If you are prepared to spend a little more there is a ProTex3 version with Gel. These gloves have a layer of gel between the foam layers for increased comfort and safety.
These are comfortable gloves to wear. Not only do they feel good on the hand but the wrist security feels pretty good too. The hook & loop system seems to work. We really like the foam padding that circles all around the wrist to provide extra impact protection.
Another thing to point out is the two seams that run circular around the wrist to divide the wrist padding. This makes the gloves feel more flexible without compromising wrist support.
Like other Everlast models we wish the wrist straps were longer and more robust. There is also the temptation to over stretch the synthetic wrist strap. (Interestingly the ProTex3 version with Gel does have a more robust wrist strap.) But in fairness it seems to work well enough.
These gloves come with an elastic sheath that you slide over the wrist. This seems to protect the velcro end from getting caught and your sparring partner will appreciate it
ProTex3 appears to be made of good quality leather. Some of the parts are PU (polyurethane) but not the part that will be taking the most stress.
All in all this is a stylish glove from top to bottom that offers good protection and durability.
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Ringside Omega Sparring Boxing Gloves
For a Ringside product this is a real step up over all of their other models of gloves. They are comfortable to wear and the padding offers excellent hand protection. You can use these for heavy bag work. There are two grip bars inside that are slightly spaced apart. This seems to enhance the grip.
The Ringside Omega Sparring Gloves have a great wrist support system. Much better than the lower cost Ringside gloves, and many others for that matter. The wide strap wraps around the wrist to give a firm hold. In fact, this is what we like most about these gloves.
The Ringside Omega sparring gloves feel like quality leather that can take a beating. It gives confidence that it is durable against continuous heavy training sessions.
For some reason these gloves do not breath as well as some other gloves. Even though it has a large inner mesh. This could be a consequence of such a large strap that wraps around the wrist to provide such good stability.
The first thing you notice with these gloves is the four color patterns to choose from. They all have two colors plus black. It’s a personal thing. Some like it, some don’t.
One thing to be aware of is the hand compartments are smaller than average. If you have beeffy, man sized hands you will most likely find these gloves are too snug. The same applies if you have medium sized hands (or large hands for a women) and intend to wear wraps.
However, if are looking for a snug fit then these gloves have a lot to offer.
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Title Boxing Gel Suspense Training Glove
If you plan to mix a lot of heavy bag work in with your training and sparring then this could be the glove for you. The comfort even after pounding a heavy bag suggests that the gel design really works. These gloves really do protect your hands.
We like the wrist support. The long wrap-around strap seems to be one of the better designs we have seen (Everlast, take note!). We also like the gel padding around the wrist. It adds additional protection without adding bulkiness.
The Title Boxing Gel Suspense Training Gloves have a reasonably good ventilation system. The strap is designed for minimal interference. The mesh system seems to help and there is even ventilation for the thumb.
The leather and stitching is good quality.. These gloves are durable.
One thing to note is that these gloves are heavy for their sizes. Perhaps the weighting around the hands matches the size category, eg 14, 16, 18 oz,, but there is more weight distributed through the gloves. For example, a 16 oz glove is more like 20 oz. This is fine if you are looking to strengthen your arms.
Likewise if you want to train with heavier gloves so that when you put on lighter gloves you will be lightning fast. This is something to consider for normal sparring. Your sparring partner is likely to be happier with the extra padding.
The weight of the glove does seem to be distributed much better than the lower cost Title Gel gloves that are available.
Another consideration is that the hand compartments are large enough for medium to large hands with wraps. You will likely find that these gloves fit better with wraps, especially if you have small hands.
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Ring to Cage Japanese-Style Training Boxing Gloves 2.0
The first thing to notice about these gloves is that they look an awful lot like Winnings. Some might even suggest they were cloned. The question then became, are these nearly as good as Winnings for a fraction of the cost? We certainly think so.
To start with these gloves are beautiful. No matter which of the 22 colors you choose. They have a good look about them and the leather and stitching of the gloves is excellent quality. And it is excellent quality from top to bottom. These gloves are just as durable as more expensive brands.
Ring to Cage Japanese-Style training gloves have a nice feel when you put them on. It is easy to make a good fist with your hand feeling like it is in a natural position.
Next is the padding. The layered foam seems to really work and makes these gloves stand apart from others. Your hands are protected with hard punches on the bag. The foam padding also protects your sparring partner from your hard, well placed, punches.
Because of the foam structure they are a little bulkier. This is good for providing a defensive wall when sparring. But it can also be frustrating in that you need to find a larger opening in your sparring partner’s defense to land a well placed punch.
The hand compartment sizes feel a little snug for a medium-large size hand with wraps. But this is a good thing because the natural leather will stretch once they have been used several times. You just might need some helping putting them on until they do stretch.
The wrist support meets the same quality standard. The leather is thick around the sleeve that tapers past the wrist joint. The strap is long enough to wrap around your wrist and provide good security. (You can also get the same glove with lace ups.)
The gloves are ideal for a full range of training activities. They are ideal for sparring and pad work, and they are more than capable of taking on continuous heavy bag work.
I have heard some good things about Ring to Cage’s customer service. This is good to know if there are any issues.
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Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves
If you are looking for gloves that offer really good wrist support then these are the ones. This is one of the best features of these gloves. Hayabusa claims they have a lace like fit because of their double closure system. This is pretty much the truth. They are also designed with four interlocking splints.
The only downside of the double closure system is it takes some getting used to putting them on and taking them off. You might never be the quickest getting them on but it is not a bad trade off for such a secure wrist system.
The Hayabus T3 boxing gloves have a 4-layer foam construction that offers good hand protection without extra bulkiness. The pad system makes these good at protecting the hands during heavy bag work. The foam can feel a little stiff when you first get them, but it only takes two or three sessions to break them in.
For gloves of this caliber they are not made from real leather. (Ideal for vegans.) However, they are made from very good quality engineered leather. Hayabusa claims their material is more robust than real leather, and that the gloves will not suffer cracking, abrasions or tears. The material feels very durable and it can withstand continuous heavy bag sessions.
The microfibre thumb is convenient for wiping sweat off of your brow. Everyone else will have to use their shirt sleeve or wait until they can get to their towel.
The downside to this glove not being made with leather is that as your hands sweat the moisture will not vent as well. So odor can build up just like every other pair of gloves. Hayabusa tries to overcome this with a high grade lining to help.
We really like the look of the Hayabusa T3 boxing gloves. There are some great color choices. The stitching and the inside lining colors varies depending on your color choice.
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Conclusion
All of these gloves are a good choice to meet a variety of demanding training for anyone. Finding a good pair of gloves that are comfortable and meet your specific requirements is unique to everyone. However, we recommend these gloves as the best place to start.
Our overall favorite has to be the Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves. But if you want a good glove that ticks many boxes and does not break the bank the Ringside Omega Sparring Boxing Gloves is really good value for money. But if you don’t mind spending a little extra then the Ring to Cage Japanese-Style Training Boxing Gloves 2.0 is a great premium choice.