If you’re someone who almost regularly spends a generous amount of time training with the speed bag, a pair of gloves is something you should have. And not just any type that you’ll see first in the store, I’m talking gloves that are specially designed to train with the speed bags!
Yup, you heard me right! There’s a special type of gloves available for this job only. As much as it’s true that these specially customized gloves help a lot, choosing the right ones can ensure you a lot better experience. That’s why I’m going to introduce you to some of the best ones out there.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything in detail about the five best gloves for a speed bag. Each of them was handpicked based on personal experience, some thorough research, and well-thought comparison. Along with these, I’ll provide some extra information that you should find helpful all the way.
So, let’s start!
Why do You Need Gloves for Speed Bags?
There’s a bit much of a dispute about whether you need gloves to train with speed bags or not. So, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss this matter a little bit before we jump right into the main part. In this part, I am going to explain this in detail, and I guess it’ll be totally worth your time.
Well, it’s more or less said that there is no definite answer to this particular question. I won’t just disagree with it right away, but I surely have some facts for you to consider. I’m just going to lay them for you right here, and hopefully, after reading that, you’ll be able to decide on your own.
First of all, let me give you a basic idea about what a speed bag is. It’s a small, air-filled bag that is anchored at the top to a rebound platform, and the outer shell of it is made from leather or synthetic leather. It helps a fighter learn to maintain focus, rhythm, improve hand-eye coordination, and so on.
You see, the main point many people usually state for not using gloves with speed bags is that this way it’ll strengthen the muscle of your hand. That’s the same thing they often say about heavy bags too. Well, I can partially agree when it comes to heavy bags but there’s no way it’s true for speed bags.
If you have a proper idea about how a speed bag is used then you’ll understand the whole point better. The thing about a speed bag is, you don’t hit it straight or with force like you do with a heavy bag. You just constantly hit it softly and in a rhythm with a circular motion of hands.
As the speed bag is made with leather and the punch is thrown at a transverse angle, it causes a lot of abrasion with your skin. As a result, the skin of you can hand skin can get damaged, and the burning can make you suffer for quite a while. Let’s be more specific, shall we?
When you throw a knuckle punch on a heavy bag, you hit it with strength. That does create abrasion, true, but the heavy force doesn’t let the abrasion sustain on the impact point. Instead, the heavy bag absorbs the force and creates a rebound pressure that helps you to make your bones stronger gradually.
In the case of speed bags, it would be nothing but constant abrasion of the hand and the leather. Also, note that by the time your throw ten punches in a heavy bag, you’ll be throwing three times more on the speed bag. So, that’s just more and more abrasion in less time.
If I were to show an example, then it’d be like – if punching bare hand on a heavy bag is falling on a rough surface, punching a speed bag would be sliding through that very surface! And don’t forget that despite the possible benefits, it’s still recommended to use gloves while training with heavy bags.
So, why not for the speed bags, right?
I think you’ve already got your answer there. If you were not sure about whether you should get a pair of gloves for the speed bag or not, hopefully, this part was helpful enough for you to clear out that air. Now that the confusion has been fairly averted, we can jump to the next part.
Top 5 Gloves for Speed Bags
There are a whole lot of brands and models out there when it comes to buying something. The number is simply overwhelming, and for these gloves, it’s true as any other thing. But you don’t need to worry about that. I’ve made a list of the top five ones that stand out in some aspect or another. Here it is –
1. Hawk Padded Inner Gloves
The very first product in this list is a pair of padded inner gloves from Hawk Sports. Hawk Sports have been in the market for over two decades now. Over the years, they have gained a good reputation in the market for their manufactured sports-related equipment.
This product here comes in the dimensions of 7.64 x 4.92 x 1.73 inches, and it weighs only 3.21 ounces. The people at Hawk Sports have done a great job with the construction of these hand gloves here. It’s a fully cotton-made thing which makes it comfortable to wear.
It’s possible that the whole thing might feel like something mediocre to you but trust me, it’ll serve the purpose as good as any other and sometimes even better. Because of the way it’s made, it won’t only be useful for speed bags only; you can do a lot more things besides that.
Along with the cotton-made feature, the construction of the inner glove of this boxing equipment will provide long-lasting durability with great service. The over-lock stitching of this pair ensures that this thing won’t get torn apart anytime soon.
The padded knuckle mitt works great for ultra-shock absorption. You can use this pair of gloves for women’s Muay Thai and kickboxing events. The knuckles will be safe and secure under the thick layer of foam. You can even train with punching bags wearing this or using it under the punch bag gloves.
36-inch extra-long wrist wraps work great for wrist safety. It adds several layers on the wrist that can minimize any form of direct damage. The hook and loop with Velcro Closure ensure that the grip won’t get loose so easily. On top of these, the Hawk printing really gives it a slick look.
You can easily wash these gloves, which is often difficult for most others. Then again, these will get dry in no time as there’s a good air circulation system. One more thing is, it comes in a few sizes – S / M : 17cm – 21cm and L / XL : 21cm – 25cm. So, make sure to choose the right size before purchasing.
Pros
- Has multi-functional usability
- Easily washable
- It’s definitely budget-friendly
Cons
- Wools might start coming off the gloves after using them for a long time
- It doesn’t offer good protection for the thumb
2. Evergel Handwraps
This is the Evergel Handwraps manufactured and sold by Everlast. Everlast needs no introduction as a brand when it comes to any equipment which is related to boxing-related sports. Everlast has its own brand value and acceptability in the whole industry. Now it’s time to find how good this product is.
The Evergel Handwrap is claimed to be a convenient alternative to traditional hand wraps. It comes with great construction and offers increased functionality. This pair gives just the right feel like the usual ones but offers a lot better.
The dimensions of this product are 0.79 x 1.18 x 0.04 inches, and the weight is 3.21 ounces. These kinds of things aren’t something to be judged by the look. Still, Everlast has done a great job with the appearance of these gloves. Simply by the look of it, you’ll have a good feeling about its quality.
These gloves for speed bags are made with breathable and sweat-resistant fabric. It’s got great durability on which you can rely for long time service. The stitching in these gloves is both neat and strong. You don’t have to worry about it getting torn off that easily.
It has advanced Evergel knuckle protection. The thick cushioning pad is there to protect your knuckles from any kind of injuries. The materials of the pad dissipate the impact energy as much as possible. You can use these gloves to practice with the heavy bags without anything to worry about.
On top of that, the Evercool technology and mesh ventilation features of this product ensure great temperature regulation and breathability too. It keeps your hands cool and comfortable while you’re training for a long time.
Last of all comes to the compress X full risk-minimizing wrap wrist strap. This strap ensures added support for the wrist and saves it from any significant damages. These gloves have one Velcro connection on the wrist and a strap that entirely loops around the wrist and tightly fastens it.
It undoubtedly is one of the best gloves for speed bags out there.
Pros
- Offers increased functionality
- It has a convenient and comfortable construction
- Has multiple usabilities
Cons
- A bit pricey as gloves for speed bags
3. Title Leather Speed Bag Gloves
The next one to make its way into this list is the Leather Speed Bag Gloves from Title Boxing. Title boxing is one of the leading brands that mass equipment and gears of different competitive events. Let’s find out if these gloves from Title Boxing really deserve to be on this list or not.
This particular product from Title Boxing stands out among many other gloves in the market. While there are several reasons behind it, reliable construction is supposed to be the main factor. So, what’s so special about the construction?
Well, this one here is made of the top-grade genuine leather cover. If you have got pretty much the basic idea about leather, you must’ve already figured out more or less about the durability of this thing. Once bought, these gloves will be there to serve you for a long time, providing comfort and effective outcome.
The 0.25″ thin shock-absorbing foam works great for protecting your hand from any kind of unwanted injury. It doesn’t only protect the knuckle of your hand; it also covers the back of your hand, fingertips, and of course, the wrist. This means it ensures complete protection from top to bottom.
Both the knuckle part and the wrist having the same layer of safety is a good thing. Often the gloves don’t give enough priority to the wrist as it’s not supposed to be at the point of impact. But sometimes, the wrist gets injured by receiving a direct hit on it. It can also get twisted for a wrong impact position.
Last of all comes the metal palm bar grip. This ensures added comfort and increased first security. Along with this, the elastic wrist of the gloves is great for a snug fit, and you can quickly put it on and off without the help of someone else. This feature actually comes in handy while training alone.
Pros
- Has over-all good construction
- Offers durability, comfort, and added protection
- It can be used for lightweight punching bags too
Cons
- The breathability feature is a bit compromised
4. Title Boxing Pro Leather Speed Bag Gloves 2.0
What we have here is yet another one from Title Boxing. This time it’s the Title Boxing Pro Leather Speed Bag Gloves 2.0. There’s a chance that this one might seem exactly like the previous one, but that’s where you’ll be wrong. This model has been slightly modified in a few manners. Let’s find out how.
For starters, the Pro Leather Speed Bag Gloves 2.0 has been particularly designed to enhance .speed, great control, better coverage, and accurate delivery while training with speed bags. In some aspects, it might be better than the other gloves of Title Boxing.
The genuine leather construction of these gloves offers long-lasting durability and a comfortable experience. The satin nylon inside hand liner is there to reassure this fact. Then again, the strong stitching in this pair is something you can definitely rely on.
Fort superior protection it has super sleek and shock-absorbing padding which is evenly distributed all over the hand. The medium-density foam protects the vulnerable fingertips, back of the hand as well as protecting the knuckles and the wrist.
The elastic stretch palm wrist band makes it easy to wear the gloves and put them off without any assistance. Along with that comes the old-school-designed metal-crafted palm bar. It makes sure that you’ll have a good grip and increased fist security.
These gloves come in the following sizes or weights – REG (S/M) 4 oz, LG (L/XL) 5 oz. Make sure to have the right size for you. Having a good fit always caters to your comfort. Don’t get too loose or too tight. But if your hand is in the middle of the sizes, then always go for the bigger size.
Pros
- Has increased functionality
- Has great durability for long-lasting service
- It offers great protection for your hands
- Sleek, lightweight, and comfortable
Cons
- It doesn’t offer anything special for heat circulation
5. Ringside Econo Bag Gloves
Last, of all, we have the Ringside Econo Bag Gloves in this list of the best gloves for the speed bags. The list wouldn’t be complete without this product in it. These particular gloves stood out among the other ones out there and gained their position as one of the top 5.
Ringside is a well-known brand for manufacturing and supplying quality products. Not only these gloves, but you’ll also find almost all the competitive fighting sports-related equipment and gears in there. This brand is innovating each day and offering a great deal compared to the existing ones in the market.
Let’s see what special they’ve done with these gloves.
The first thing that caught my eyes is the affordability of this product. These gloves are actually very budget-friendly compared to the sectors they will be catering to. It’s almost as good as the heavy bag gloves but comes in almost half of the price. It’ll be simply great for doing its job.
Among many things, the quality of this product is something you can rely on. These gloves are made with synthetic leather, which makes them durable enough to last for a long time. The stitching on the gloves is strong enough to deal with the impact pressure.
These gloves come in the dimensions of 11.5 x 7 x 3 inches, and the weight is only 3.2 ounces. Rest assured that the padded foam in it will protect your hands from any form of injures. Besides speed bags, you can train with heavy bags and punch mitts wearing these gloves.
It has an oven-mitt design with an elastic waist feature. Overall it’s great for the heavy punching but this oven mitt design is something I wouldn’t recommend for speed bag training as the fingers remain tightly closed against each other. However, the thumb stays free as it’s a pair of open thumb gloves.
Pros
- It offers the same usability as the punch bag gloves
- Has great quality and durability
- Reasonable price compare to the features
Cons
- Not so convenient for speed bag training as the other ones
How to Choose the Best Gloves for Speed Bags | A Complete Buying Guide
When it comes to buying a product like this, the whole thing gets difficult. I’ve made the shortlist of the gloves for you, and that should pretty much save you from most part of the trouble. But there’s still more! You need to decide among these five hand gloves which one is your best shot.
Each of these five products has its own features, advantages, and disadvantages. When you think of these together, the choosing process gets difficult. But you don’t need to worry much about it. I’ve got some tricks and tips up my sleeve that’ll help with the whole process.
Here are the basic things that you should consider –
Should Be Compact & Lightweight
A lot of you might be thinking that your punching bag gloves will be just fine for the speed bags too. Let me assure you that it’ll be a great mistake. If you know or if you’ve seen someone training with a speed bag, then you’d know that those large & thick gloves simply can’t work for this job.
The thing about a speed bag is it’s a small bag that’s suspended from a higher surface. So, if you use the large gloves in here, then you won’t be able to get an effective outcome from this. Your hands are going to collide with each other when you try to continuously hit the center of that speed bag.
Another thing that I’ve mentioned earlier is that you don’t hit a speed bag with brute force. The speed bag training is for improving technical things that have nothing to do with strength. You need to hit the bag softly with a circular motion and in rhythm.
When it comes to that, a lightweight glove is your way to go. You wouldn’t want a heavy pair of gloves to ruin your rhythm. Also, as you’ll be moving your hand without producing any extra force other than the motion, the extra weight will appear as a great problem for you.
Don’t Compromise with Good Protection
Whenever you’re thinking of buying any personal equipment related to boxing, always see if it can provide good protection. It’s like a rule of thumb in boxing. Now, how do you understand if the gloves are good enough for protection? For that, at least ensure that it’ll protect your knuckles and wrists.
In boxing or any other competitive fighting sports, the knuckles are used to hit the opponents. As the knuckles face the pressure of impact most of the time, it has to be under complete protection. For that, see if the gloves have a thick layer & shock absorption feature to prevent any unwanted damage.
Then make sure that the gloves have good enough features to keep your wrists safe. Sometimes when you’re throwing a heavy punch, there’s a slight chance that your wrist will get twisted for the rebound pressure. So, it’s always safe to have some extra layers of folding on the wrist.
Choose Your Preferred Type & Right Size
There are many types of gloves & hand-wraps out there. It’s only normal that all of them won’t feel very comfortable with you. Sometimes your hands remain tied because you need to wear a definite type of gloves in a particular format. But if you’ve options, then always go with your preferred type.
Choosing gloves of your size is an important issue. For that, you need to find out the circumference of your hand. But the question is, how can you measure your size? Well, there’s a traditional way for that and you’ll only need fabric tape for that.
First of all, open your hand and make it steady with your fingers kept straight. Then take the tape and measure around your dominant hand. For an accurate reading, measure right under your knuckle. Make sure the tape meets right at the center of your palm. Take the reading, and that should define your size.
Other Things to Consider Too
I’ve already told you about the basic things that you must consider before buying any gloves for speed bags. But there are other factors as well. For example, you should also consider – durability, comfort, breathability, and price range.
Durability is something that is a must for anything. That’s why I’ve skipped saying anything about it in detail. However, the tip here is – see if the stitching is reliable and make sure that the material it’s made with is good enough for long-time service.
Then remain breathable, comfortable, and price range. Breathability and comfort are kinds of inter-related things, and these aren’t certainly a must-have trait. You can compromise a little in this matter. Based on all of these, the price range will go high or low. Just see if the whole thing is worth the price.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
People often ask, “Can I use all types of gloves for speed bags”?
Ans: The answer to this question is between yes and no. Yes, you can use all types of speed bags as long as the gloves are convenient for speed bags. Your fingers shouldn’t be too tight against each other inside the gloves. You should be able to keep the fingers loose for a natural punching rhythm.
Another common question is, “What’s a convenient size for speed bags”?
Ans: The answer is quite simple. Speed bags come in a small size. So, the gloves shouldn’t be too big compared to the speed bag. The best gloves would be the ones that can provide good protection but won’t increase the size of your fist much.
People also want to know, “Can I get seriously injured for not using gloves with speed bags”?
Ans: Well, there isn’t much of an evident case about someone getting seriously injured for not using gloves. So, don’t worry much about that. But my personal recommendation is to wear gloves all the time. You can gradually hurt your hands because of the constant abrasion of the speed bags.
Few Words at the End
By this point, you should have a decent amount of knowledge about speed bags. I’ve gathered all the valuable information and sorted that out in a way that you’d find easy to comprehend and to make the right decision about choosing the best gloves for the speed bag.
Right now, I would like to give you a piece of advice that works well for me. Always choose the product based on your own priority. That means to set your priorities from top to bottom and see according to that which one works out for you most. The final result should be the right choice for you.
I’ve tried to make this article a complete thing for you. All the necessary data about the products with their pros and cons have been listed here. I’ve been explicitly cautious about each and every detail so that the whole article turns out to be effective. Hopefully, it was helpful to you.
Last update on 2022-01-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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