How to choose your boxing gloves to start?

How to choose your boxing gloves: the basics

The choice of your boxing gloves should not be made by chance, quite the contrary. You absolutely must choose them carefully to be sure that you are sufficiently protected and comfortable during your training and competitions. 

The purpose of boxing gloves

As in all combat sports, material is important. Thus, a good pair of gloves is the obligatory and main equipment when practicing boxing. They aim to protect your hands, fingers and wrists when you punch the punching bag or your opponent. 

Gloves are mandatory in the main types of boxing, both in training and in combat. Indeed, the comfort and effectiveness of gloves are therefore essential for performance and good learning.

Cushioning

L'cushioned must be sufficiently qualitative to prevent any risk of injury. This involves in particular the mousse which is located inside the glove. Good foam is the equivalent of a good sole on running shoes. There therefore exists 2 types of foam : 

• single layer (one layer): sufficient for learning basic movements and not too intense training
• 2 or 3 layers : suitable for intense to very intense workouts. The outermost layer will be relatively soft so as not to hurt your opponent/partners and the one closest to your hand will be denser to absorb the power given in the blows you give. 

The upkeep 

To ensure the maintenance of your wrist and your joint, your boxing glove must absolutely be able to lock and secure them. So, there are several ways: 

• the velcro strip : this is the basic closure for non-intense training
• round trip closure : more solid and providing better support, the two-way closure is ideal for intense to very intense training
• lace closure : thanks to the lace closure, the wrist is perfectly supported. In general, it is professional boxers who wear gloves with this type of closure.

Choose according to your weight

To begin with, the choice of your boxing gloves is made through the weight you are doing. Thus, there exists 6 different glove sizes. As the size increases, they are heavier because the padding is more important. 

Here is a grid to roughly know the size of gloves you need: 

Generally, to get the right glove size, you need to choose the gloves according to your body shape and weight but for several reasons, you can decide to take bigger or smaller.

Indeed, smaller gloves that what is recommended in the table above will allow you to gain speed, while larger gloves will allow you to gain security thanks to greater padding. 

Even if there are certain standards, the choice of glove size is made on a case-by-case basis according to several criteria. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of a professional when making your purchase or from your coach. 

Choose according to material

Boxing gloves can be found in 3 different materials. The latter will thus have more or less resistance and will help you know how to choose your boxing gloves.

THE real leather represents the most expensive material but also the more resistant. Leather boxing gloves are known for their high-end quality and for grow with the boxer. In other words, the gloves mold perfectly to your hand and gradually become like skin on your own hand. These are therefore gloves that last over time ! However, be patient with these types of gloves, simply because you need to get into them slowly. 

Then we have the polyurethane synthetic leather which is, as its name suggests, the synthetic version of the gloves mentioned above. They are therefore cheaper, less heavy and yet just as durable even if the material is thinner!

Finally, the gloves vinyl are perfect for starting boxing. Indeed, these are often the cheaper on the market and yet very good stuff to start with. So, you don't yet know if boxing will really appeal to you, so don't start investing in expensive gloves without knowing! Take the time to discover boxing and then reinvest in more efficient and more expensive equipment. 

Determine your profile

To know which type of boxing gloves to choose, you must also ask yourself the question of the type of practice you are going to carry out. We tell you everything!

For leisure

As said previously, boxing gloves for practicing boxing boxing as a hobby as in hiit boxing workout do not need to be very technical. As long as your hand is protected and your wrist is well supported then it's perfect.

There is no need to spend thousands on gloves with a perfect finish, in leather for example, when vinyl or polyurethane synthetic leather gloves do the job. The main objective being to feel good in it and comfortable enough to deliver controlled punches.

For the competition

If you do competitive boxing, there are regulations to promote better fairness between the different fighters. Thus, it is impossible to have gloves larger than your opponent who will therefore have less protection than you for example. 

Regarding the material to choose for gloves in competition, the leather will be more suitable due to its resistance and comfort. 

Thus, you must differentiate competitions from amateur boxers and competitions professional boxers. The two levels will not have the same regulations. For professional competitions, boxing gloves have less padding at the joints, so that the punching power is more effective. To differentiate them, amateur gloves have a red or blue color with a white dot on the top.  

Determine the type of boxing chosen

Depending on the type of boxing you choose, the gloves are not going to be exactly the same. In fact, they will include differentiating elements according to the rules of each practice. We'll explain all that to you.

You do not know what type of boxing to choose ? Check out our article on the subject!

English boxing and French boxing

THE gloves English boxing to lose weight have a rounded shape that prevents the boxer from opening his hand during fights. THE thumbs are attached to the glove to avoid any risk of cheating such as thumbing the eye during a punch. 

Since this discipline prohibits seizure, in other words to catch the opponent, English boxing gloves can have thicker padding on the palms of the hands.

THE french boxing gloves are very similar to English boxing gloves. However, certain models dedicated to competition have additional reinforcement on certain parts to allow the boxer to feel the kicks less.

To find out more about the French boxing, check out our dedicated article!

Thai Boxing

THE thai boxing gloves as for them, they have less padding on the palms of the hands. This is due to theauthorization to seize one's opponent in this type of boxing. The same goes for the thumb which is well detached from the glove in this same approach. 

Furthermore, given that the knee strikes are accepted in Thai boxing, boxing gloves are reinforced at the wrists. This helps protect them further and thus avoid injuries due to impacts. 

How to take care of your gloves

Having found your boxing gloves is good, knowing how to maintain them to make them last over time is better ! We explain everything you need to know to take care of your boxing gloves.

Wear boxing gloves or wraps

During your workouts, you will see that you sweat a lot. This is particularly the case for your hands which are warm in your gloves. Thus, the gloves absorb a lot of moisture !

To protect your hands but also to avoid getting dirty too quickly your boxing gloves, it is strongly recommended to wear either undergloves either boxing bands. As a result, the perspiration from your hands will first go onto your undergloves or bands, which are more easily washable than your gloves. That will prevent bacteria production and rapid degradation boxing gloves.

You want to know how to put on boxing wraps ? It's here that it happens !

Wash them regularly

However, even if you wear undergloves or boxing wraps, the gloves will to get dirty and an unpleasant smell can emerge.

To prevent this from happening as much as possible, do not hesitate to get out of your gym bag for the Allow to dry in the open air. Also think about wash the exterior of your gloves which may have perspiration.

To wash them, you can do it yourself or buy a disinfectant solution to spray inside your gloves. This will allowdestroy bacteria and fungi in potential development. 

If your gloves smell bad, you can spray a special spray that will kill odors or opt for baking soda. Leave on for a few hours for optimal effectiveness.

What you should remember

In boxing, the pair of gloves aims to protect hands, fingers, wrists and joints shocks given and received. For this to be effective, it is important to know how to choose your boxing gloves to promote comfort and optimal performance. Thus, the cushioning as well as the support of the gloves must match the type of training that you do (intense or not) to be able to protect your wrists.

Choose your gloves wisely

For choose your gloves the right way, you must take into account several elements: 

• your weight : depending on whether you are a man, a woman or a child, the choice of gloves will not be the same. This will also depend on your weight as well as
• the material of the gloves : leather, vinyl or even polyurethane synthetic leather are the 3 main materials of boxing gloves found on the market. Professionals will tend towards leather while beginners will tend more towards vinyl which is less expensive and very good for starting out in the discipline. 
• his boxer profile : depending on whether you do recreational boxing or competitive boxing, the gloves used will not be the same, ask your trainer
• the type of boxing practiced : French boxing and English boxing have the same types of gloves, that is to say padded on the palm and with the thumb glued to the rest of the hand. Thai boxing gloves are less padded and the thumb is removed to allow better grip.

Maintain impeccable hygiene of your boxing gloves

For promote the longevity of your boxing gloves, here are some tips: 

• put on boxing gloves or bands during each workout : they allow you not to sweat directly in your gloves and therefore get them dirty less quickly
• wash gloves regularly : disinfecting the inside of the glove, fighting bad odors and cleaning the outside of the glove in case of perspiration is important to keep them as long as possible

You now know how to choose your boxing gloves and you are ready to get started in the discipline!

Start boxing without complexes at Cercle Boxing

You don't really feel ready to start boxing in an average boxing club? We understand you! So why not make your mark by practicing boxing without complexes at the Cercle Boxing ?

The concept is simple, come box and strengthen your muscles for 50 minutes in a unique atmosphere conducive to letting off steam! In the program, we alternate between shots on an aqua bag And muscle strengthening on the benches. You will learn the basic punches of boxing and let off steam in complete freedom. 

Small positive point, no need to know how to choose your boxing gloves, they will be provided to you for your session!