Boxing gloves are great tools for professional and recreational boxers. They are essential gloves for boxers to wear during training sessions and major matches and they come in different types.
The most essential purpose of the various boxing glove types is to protect the wearer and the opponent from body and face injuries during fights.
When selecting boxing glove types, you must choose the best. Ensure that the pair helps in softening blows from punches and doesn’t hurt your hand. A boxing glove with those features should be from a durable material and reputable brand.
In this article, you will learn about the best types of boxing gloves for your punching adventures.
Categories for the Different Boxing Glove Types
After going through the various types of boxing gloves, it is easy to conclude that you know the best for yourself.
Before rushing to get one, there are some additional things that you should know about boxing gloves.
If you observe, you may notice that boxers don’t make use of the same pair of gloves for every occasion. It is so because boxing gloves come in additional sub-categories.
Irrespective of how good a boxing glove may seem, using it for the wrong purpose may either damage it or cause it to wreak more havoc than it should.
Let us take a look at them:
1. Training Gloves:
Another common name for it is the bag gloves. They are what we term as an all-rounder because of their versatility.
You can use the bag gloves for any type of training. Boxers commonly use it for pad work. If you are more of a recreational boxer, having one of these with proper care and maintenance should do.
2. Sparring Gloves:
It is easy to mistake them for the training gloves but there is a slight variation.
The sparring gloves have softer padding putting them side by side with the former. The design is intentional because of the purpose that it serves.
It comes with softer padding so as not to knock out your sparring partner. Although it isn’t exactly as soft as you may think.
The pair would do its fair share of damage but not enough to knock anyone out. You could use almost any gloves for sparring, but they shouldn’t be heavy.
3. Amateur Gloves:
As the name implies, it is for amateur competitions. Usually, amateur gloves come in a blue or red variant, depending on the corner you are taking in the fight.
Apart from the promotional design and color, there is nothing too special about the amateur gloves.
4. Professional Gloves:
Those that compete for the mainstream, make use of professional boxing gloves. If you have no plans on going to any major boxing competition, there is no need for you to opt-in for the pro gloves.
The design makes the gloves compact making the padding harder, which causes more damage.
Thanks to the design, the gloves have a sharper effect and damage on fighters. This is not a type of gloves you should use for training, otherwise, it may result in serious injury.
5. Mexican Style Gloves:
The Mexican category of gloves goes a long way in the history of boxing and over the years, they keep making modifications to the design.
Overall, it presents a firm shape that gives the fighter a tighter grip on the inside. Think of them better as another version of the pro boxing gloves.
Materials for the Different Boxing Glove Types
There are various types of boxing gloves in the market, but the leather ones are very prominent. The common types of materials for boxing include:
Polyurethane (PU):
The polyurethane material is one of the commonest synthetic materials for boxing. This material is a great alternative to genuine leather and they are very flexible for different boxing activities. PU is very durable, making them last for long periods.
In terms of style, the PU material looks great and also feels good with touch. These features make them some of the best alternatives to leather.
Note that you need to consider the price level of the PU boxing glove before making a purchase. Ensure it falls within a reasonable budget.
Vinyl:
Vinyl is a common material used in different boxing gloves. This material is prominent because it’s easy to produce and also goes for a relatively cheap or affordable price for buyers.
Note that vinyl gloves may be prone to cracks, so they are not durable enough for long-term usage.
Vinyl is a cheap material, but they are not the best in sparring and regular heavy workouts.
If you have sweaty palms, you may want to reconsider purchasing this type of glove because they are prone to odors with time.
Cowhide leather:
If you’re searching for a material that lasts for long periods and has a reputation for durability, cowhide leather is a perfect pick.
Undoubtedly, the gloves that use the cowhide leather material give a comfortable feel on the hands and don’t build up odors over time.
With intensive usage, the cowhide leather gloves don’t over-stretch. For this reason, the pair can take heavy bag training under various conditions.
As good as the cowhide leather boxing gloves are, they require a significant level of cleaning and maintenance for better usability.
Microfiber:
Microfiber is a more recent type of boxing glove material for both professional and recreational boxers.
One of the most significant qualities of microfiber is that they are highly breathable for wearers. Compared to vinyl and PU, this material is more suitable for long-term usage.
Due to the impressive breathability of microfiber, it’s less prone to odor build-ups and also allows maximum ventilation.
Generally, microfiber gloves are known for great abrasion resistance and high tensile strength. This material also has impressive longevity that guarantees an amazing user experience.
Goatskin leather:
Boxing glove brands also use goatskin leather in producing top-quality pairs.
This kind of leather is thinner than the conventional cowhide and buffalo ones. Due to the presence of lanolin in the leather, the goatskin is also softer than typical leather.
Another name for goatskin leather is “goat leather”. They are stretchable and strong, making them highly durable.
Goatskin leather is also extremely lightweight, making them great as professional sparring boxing gloves.
Buffalo leather:
Buffalo leather is one of the most effective leather materials, making it highly similar to the cowhide material.
The major differences between this type of leather and the cowhide are that the latter isn’t as rough as buffalo leather. The cowhide also appears smoother to most individuals.
On the positive side, the buffalo leather has impressive longevity and durability compared to most of the other leather types. Ensure that you have a large budget planned out if you want to purchase the buffalo leather because they are a little pricey.
FAQs
1. What Is the Right Boxing Glove for Me?
The most suitable weight of boxing gloves depends on the wearer’s purpose.
- If you do it for recreational purposes and not major competition, the training gloves would perform well.
- Perhaps you take yours a step further to practicing with a real partner, your best option is the sparring gloves.
- For the mainstream fighters, it is best to opt-in for professional boxing gloves.
- Over time, you may decide to try out another alternative like the Mexican-style pro gloves.
2. What Type of Glove Can a Beginner Use?
Beginners can use most types of gloves from reputable brands once they provide the most essential features.
Examples of the qualities to look out for in boxing gloves include padding and maximum wrist support.
- The significant purpose of the wrist support is to protect against injuries when the wearer throws a punch.
- Padding also helps the individual to enjoy maximum levels of comfortability.
Your best bet according to the descriptions would be the training gloves.
3. Can I Use a Professional Boxing Glove for Training?
We advise against using professional boxing gloves for recreational purposes.
Due to the compact design, the professional boxing gloves deal more damage. You don’t want a scenario where you hurt your partner.
If it is nothing serious, it is best to stick to using training or sparring gloves.
4. Can I Use Any Type of Boxing Glove Irrespective of My Weight Category?
You should not randomly purchase any type of boxing glove irrespective of the purpose it may serve.
Boxing gloves must correlate with weight class because they come in different sizes.
At this juncture, you may need the intervention of a professional or a trainer to help determine which size of glove you should use.
It must always correlate with your weight class irrespective of the type of boxing gloves you use.
Conclusion
Boxing gloves are one of the most important tools that every individual should have for both training and professional boxing. They come in different styles and materials.
For this reason, it’s highly imperative to select them based on the material, comfortability, and the brand’s reputation.
