If you want to implement boxing into your life, you first need to make sure you get the best pair of beginner gloves. Your training relies heavily on comfort and flexibility. If your gloves don’t fit properly, your performance could suffer.
You’re probably anxious and excited to get started, so we don’t want this small hurdle to prevent you from reaching your goals. Understanding how to choose the best pair of gloves will not only help you feel like a champion, but you’ll train like a champion too.
Why do you Need Gloves for Training?
If your goal is fitness and health, you might be wondering why you need boxing gloves at all. While they may not be a requirement for general training, you never know where your goals and objectives may take you.
One day you may start with a high-intensity cardio training and the next day you could find yourself wanting to do some mitt or bag work. When you grow stronger, your training becomes more physical and gloves will help protect you from injury.
Since you’re considering boxing as an exercise, getting a pair of gloves helps you feel like a professional; even if the only opponent you plan on facing is yourself.
What Type of Boxing Glove Should You Use?
The type of glove you choose for your training depends a lot on what you plan on doing. There are a few different styles of gloves that you might consider when shopping around. Here are three that are most commonly used by beginners.
Training Gloves
These are your everyday gloves that every boxer has in their locker. Training gloves are multi-purpose and intended for bags, mitt training, sparring, and mat work.
Training gloves are popular for beginners because they address every situation you’ll encounter, but they’re not necessarily perfect at anything. If you plan to focus on specific training, you’ll most likely get a different pair of gloves.
Bag Gloves
Bag gloves contain a lot of padding and ample wrist support. The primary difference between bag gloves and training gloves is the amount of padding. Boxers of all skill levels use bag gloves for training and exercise.
Choosing and getting comfortable with bag gloves early on will better prepare you for high-intensity training down the road.
Sparring Gloves
The last pair of boxing gloves that a beginner would consider buying are sparring gloves. These are designed to protect you and your partner from pain and injury.
Sparring gloves are the closest thing to competition gloves, but they have more padding so you can train live without injuring someone. These are lighter than bag and training gloves, so they help improve technique and fundamentals.
Best Glove Material: Leather vs. Vinyl
If you’re starting out you want to choose vinyl for a few different reasons:
- Affordability
- Availability
- Shock Absorption
Vinyl gloves are cheap, and you can buy them at most popular online retailers.
As a beginner, you don’t want to think too far into these small details. Your focus should be on getting comfortable with the setting and the training. You’ll have time to worry about gloves and other training gear later.
Pick Velcro Over Laces
The next decision you’ll have to make when you buy gloves is the method of closure on them. Laces fit tighter to your wrists, but there is one major issue to consider.
You can’t lace gloves by yourself.
For beginners and anyone who isn’t sparring professionally, velcro is always the way to go. You can put the gloves on and take them off by yourself which is necessary for group training sessions.
If you have to grab a drink, go to the bathroom, or take a break, you’ll have to ask someone to help you lace back up again every time.
How to Choose the Right Size Glove
Since you’re using the gloves primarily for training, you don’t have to overthink the issue of size. You want to make sure the gloves feel comfortable and have the right amount of padding and support. Beyond that, there isn’t much else to think about.
As a beginner, you should focus on lightweight training gloves in the 12-14 oz range. These gloves are optimal for anyone between 120 and 200+ lbs. At this stage, your main concern is comfort and mobility.
The following glove sizes are most common:
- 12 oz – Typical lightweight training glove
- 14 oz – Heavier training glove or light sparring
- 16 oz – Most common for sparring
- 18 oz – Heavyweight class sparring gloves
How to Recognize a Good Pair of Gloves
It’s difficult to choose between all the different types of styles of boxing gloves. While it is an important decision, it shouldn’t be a roadblock.
Here are some things to consider when making that final decision on your first pair of boxing gloves.
Brand – The most common glove brands are Rival, Ringside, and Title. These brands won’t break the bank, and they’re great for beginners.
Comfort – If you’re buying online you’ll have a hard time knowing if they’re comfortable or not. Read plenty of reviews and see what other users are saying about the gloves. If they have any less than four stars, move on.
Padding – The best boxing gloves will have enough padding to absorb any shock. You want to find the sweet spot here and think about your goals. If you never plan on hitting a bag or sparring, don’t worry about the amount of padding.
Your Journey Has Already Begun
Starting an exercise routine is stressful, but you may not even realize that you’ve already started. By reaching this point, you have taken the first step towards achieving your fitness goals.
The hardest part about accomplishing anything in life is getting up and getting started. Choosing the right pair of boxing gloves is easy, and everything in this article will clear up any concerns you might have. Still at a loss? Talk to one of our savvy staff at Gloveworx, and we’ll set you up with the gear you need to succeed.
