Boxing Gloves: Choose the Best Pair for You

To beat getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of boxing gloves available in the market today, you need to be informed about the different types there are as well as their strengths and applications:

All-purpose training gloves, as the name suggests, are designed for all-purpose training (either with punching bags or sparring partners) they usually have plush padding and good wrist support, which allows for lengthier training sessions that won't leave your wrists sprained and sore. These gloves, on the other hand, are heavier than normal, although the additional weight also provides good workout. Beginners are recommended to use this type of training gloves.

Bag gloves have similarities with all-purpose gloves, but they don't feature heavy layers of padding. Bag gloves are good for conditioning and adding power to your punches. They also offer good wrist support and will not wear you out as much as all-purpose gloves and their excessively heavy foam.

Sparring gloves create a middle ground between training gloves and competition gloves, offering just enough support and padding for extensive workouts although not so much as to make them too weighty and incomparable to actual competition gloves.

Competition gloves have minimal padding and are lightweight. They are suited for short matches and serious fights and are not recommended for beginners when bag training or sparring.

Mexican style gloves make fists smaller and more compact, which allows for better damage. These types of gloves are ideal for competition fighting, but not necessarily for training as they don't have very much padding. Protecting your hands during training is good practice to make sure they remain in good condition for long-term use.

Brands do matter when shopping for boxing gloves. Check with your trainer or your trusted supplier to make sure that the boxing glove you are looking at truly offers good value. Perhaps most importantly, choose a glove with a proper fit and feels comfortable.