Back in the days, um talking about those ancient days of Greece you’ve heard in history classes. Back then boxing gloves or something like boxing gloves came into reality. That was a piece of weapon rather than a protective device, it had studs on ‘em and was meant to make things more bloody than humane. It made the fight more bloody, horrific and entertaining to those guys.
If you’ve been involved in boxing for a short while or have heard a bit about it, you’ll know that these boxing glove come in a couple of different varieties. Among them there’s training gloves, heavy bag gloves or bag gloves, sparring gloves, amateur competition gloves, even professional gloves and also a couple more sorts of ‘em.
Types of Boxing Gloves
Now let’s familiarize you with them, what each one of them is for and why they came into being. before that, you may have a look on best boxing gloves we listed.
Training Gloves
This guy is a jack of all trades but master of none kind of thing. You can be sparring with this bad boy, go a few rounds on the heavy bag if you want to. Anything and everything that you want to do, this guy can stand that. In one word its “versatile”.
There’s a very common misconception that training gloves are the same thing as the boxing gloves or the training and boxing gloves are same. But man, that’s a very wrong idea, very wrong. Lemme break down what’s different about training gloves. These are a bit larger in size. And not only for mitt work and sparring (there’s also a sort of glove designed particularly for sparring) but also for some real boxing, can even be used for kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Training gloves come in a lot of shapes and sizes. You should be choosing the size of training gloves depending on your height, weight, size of your hands and all. And if you’re thinking about developing your muscles, you should get yourself one which is over 14 oz.
Now, I’ll give you some idea about which will be for you when you’re out to buy a training glove.
Choosing the Size
Now, if you or your friend weighs less than 100 lbs then one of 8 oz, 10 and 12 oz will fit him. For folks who are over 100 lbs but weighs less than 150 lbs, they’ll have one of 12 oz and 14 oz fit perfectly on ‘em. And for people in between 150 and 175 lbs, they should check out the 14 oz and 16 oz and they’ll have one fit on them quite nicely. And for 175 lbs and over, you can guess already, 16 oz and 18 oz.
Heavy Bag Gloves aka Bag Gloves
Now, don’t ever make the mistake of hitting the heavy bag without a pair of heavy bag gloves on. If you do so you’ll obviously end up with bruises on your hands.
You see when you’re hitting the heavy bag gloves, you’ll need a lot more protection for your knuckles and fist than you’d be needing in any other case. Heavy bag gloves were designed and manufactured focusing on your protection and not that of your opponent or partner.
It’s also known as bag gloves in general for a reason, you can be using it for any sort of bags like speed bags and double end bags.
Bag gloves come in a lot of different sizes like any other kinds of boxing gloves out there. You can find these in weights or sizes starting from, 6 oz to about 18 oz. Most brands don’t cater to bag gloves under 12 oz.
Choosing the Size
6 oz or the 8 oz boxing gloves will fit on people who are under or around 100 lbs. If these don’t fit on them, they should try the 10 oz or the 12 oz even though these are recommended for folks who are in between 100 lbs and 150 lbs. The 14 oz ones are usually perfect for people who are over 150 lbs but are under 175 lbs. The rest of the sizes like the 16 oz and the 18 oz are recommended for those who’ve gone past 150 lbs.
Sparring Gloves
Principle focus of boxing gloves is to protect both you and your opponent. It has paddings which is softer and more cushiony than your average all-purpose boxing gloves or training gloves. It has been customized to heavily reduce the impact of your punches on your opponent.
Whatever you do NEVER use heavy bag or bag gloves for sparring. They’re guaranteed to bring fatal injury to the ring.
Choosing the Size
12 oz sparring gloves are for fighters who’re in between 90 lbs and 120 lbs. Next the 14 oz ones, you should be trying these on if you’re in between 120 lbs to 150 lbs. And then for folks who’re in between 150 lbs and 185 lbs he should be getting himself one of those 16 oz bag gloves. And 18 oz bag gloves is for anybody who’re over 185 lbs.
Fighting Gloves or Competition Gloves
These are the gloves that fighter or boxers have to use in real fights or competitions. Now these in turn are categorized in to Amateur Competition Gloves and Pro Fight Gloves. Amateurs usually uses gloves that are usually a bit larger than what would be given to a professional.
Amateur Competition Gloves
These gloves come in either red or blue and is given to you depending on the side of the ring you’ll be in during the competition. These are given to fighters by the sponsors or promoters. You won’t have to be buying cause they aren’t up to much good either.
These are yet popular and useful because of the highlighting on the knuckles. This makes it a lot easier for the judges to score.
Choosing the Size
The size of the gloves to be used by the competitors are assigned by the tournament, boxing commission or by the competition’s requirement. This is done depending on the weight class of the boxer. So, there’s nothing for the fighters to be choosing. But I’ll give you and idea which size or weight of gloves you may be assigned.
It’s typical for fighters under 140 lbs to be given the 10 oz gloves. And those who’re of standard heavy weight or under but also heavier than 140 lbs might have the 12 oz gloves. Then there’s the masters division, fighters here usually get 16 oz ones.
Professional Gloves or Pro Fight Gloves
First of all, these are expensive. Professional fighters usually get these from promoters but if you want to buy one that’s really a professional glove, you’ll have to pay over hundred bucks to get a decent one. If you find one that’s cheap and says its pro-style or pro fight gloves then they’re lying to your face. It’s probably a training glove.
These gloves come with laces all the time and rarely with Velcro straps. That’s because pros want a more custom fit which only a lace can offer. It doesn’t matter much if they need somebody else to get it tied up for themselves. And the gloves might look really small to you that’s because it was designed to be kept as compact as possible. That too was for an obvious reason, to create even more impact.
These gloves are designed to hurt your opponent. To maximize that aspect of the glove, manufacturers often trades for the protection and comfort of the wearer. The professional gloves are anything but cushiony, they’re firm. They’re designed to amp up the impact.
These gloves are of no good if you’re just getting started with gloves. It can never ever be used for anything other than a real competitive match. Why? Well, that’s very obvious. It can’t protect your hands while you’re working out with your heavy bag. And for sparring??!! Only of you want to beat the crap out of your partner.
Choosing the Size
These gloves are usually popular in two weights or sizes. They’re the 8 oz and the 10 oz. The 12 oz is available too. But this one’s used only on non- sanctioned fights and non-championship matches at times.
Now, who should be getting which? Well those under 146 lbs should be having the 8 oz ones and the one’s above that should try on the 10 oz one.
Mexican Style Boxing Gloves
This is also a professional glove. Back in the days when boxing gloves were only Brobdingnagian chunks of padding Mexican manufactured these gloves which to day has become a standard for pro fight gloves. Their compact shape and dense padding made them well known in the boxing arena, especially for their fruitful application in a real competitive match.
Even to this day they’re a premium among the professional boxing gloves. You probably know about the “Cleto Reyes”, they’re still one of the top brands and a supplier of the Mexican style boxing gloves. Cleto Reyes still sells gloves that are handmade.
Choosing the Size
The exact same conditions apply here as that for the professional gloves.
Conclusion
You’ve obviously stumbled across multiple types of boxing gloves. Now, why’s there all these types of boxing gloves? There’re are gloves that are customized for each set of activities like the sparring gloves, heavy bag gloves and a couple of others. Then there’s the mass confusion about the size that you should be having, which varies from type to type.
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