Everything You Need to Know About Boxing Gloves Before You Buy

Boxing gloves are designed to protect you and your opponent from serious harm. Having the wrong type of gloves could leave you or your opponent with a serious injury, so it’s important to choose the right gloves from the outset. There are a few factors to consider when choosing boxing gloves which might not be immediately obvious if you don’t know what to look for. Fightlife provides various types of gloves for different sizes and weight classes for all ages, from children in the 4-7 years age bracket through to our full range of adults’ fighting gear for all levels of fighters. Our business is here to provide each fighter, no matter the level or discipline, with the best and most affordable fighting gear on the market. As such, this guide is designed to help you understand the difference between lace-up and strapped boxing gloves, soft foam and dense foam gloves and to know whether to wrap your hands before putting on gloves, in order to help you make an informed decision when buying boxing gloves.

Lace-Ups vs. Straps

Lace-up boxing gloves, sometimes called "competition gloves", are suited to professional or amateur professional boxers. Because they are tightly secured to the hands with the laces, they require the assistance of a second person to fasten them. Lace-up gloves often feature softer foam to allow for wrapped or taped hands. To avoid injury to the eyes, loose ends of laces should be securely taped into the gloves. Strap boxing gloves, by contrast, are easy to take on and off without assistance, and are convenient for hobby and amateur fighters training at home or at the gym. They are not usually permitted in professional fights.

Soft vs. Dense Foam

Softer foam in boxing gloves provides a comfortable, worn-in feel, but provides less protection against impact. For hobby or amateur fighters, firm gloves are recommended. Boxing gloves with firm foam quite simply provide extra padding with higher protection against impact.

Wrap vs. No Wrap

Hand wraps prevent injury by protecting the bones and tendons in your hands and supporting your wrists and thumbs. Some gloves, especially those designed for fighters at higher levels, require the fighter to professionally wrap or tape their hands before using the boxing gloves. Usually, these are the soft foam, genuine leather gloves designed for professional and amateur professional boxers. Gloves designed for beginners and children usually come with reinforced foam for extra protection and do not require wrapping or taping. Some industry experts still recommend wrapping or use of hand wraps for additional protection.

Most quality boxing glove suppliers will make recommendations about which discipline, level, age and weight class each pair of gloves is suitable for. It is best to buy boxing gloves, hand wraps and other boxing gear from specialty fighting gear retailers, as generic sporting goods stores tend to stock cheaper, lower quality brands. Fightlife is a specialty online retailer of fighting gear for fighters at all levels from beginners and hobby fighters to full time professional boxers. Look to Fightlife for all of your fighting gear needs. Visit the website by clicking here.

About the Author:

The author of the article has an extensive knowledge in the field of Boxing gloves and Mma Shorts.