So, you’re just starting your boxing journey and have begun considering what boxing gloves to purchase to help you progress your skills.
The boxing glove market is saturated with products that aren’t fit for a beginner, so it can be confusing to find and buy the best pair for you.
Well, with over 10 years of experience in the boxing industry, I will share with you the best boxing gloves for a beginner that will save you time, effort, and money, having owned some of the pairs of gloves on this list myself.
#1 Everlast PowerLock Training glove - Best Boxing Gloves for Beginners
- Modern, anatomical foam construction guides your...
- Compact design is the perfect balance of comfort,...
- Premium synthetic leather ideal for heavy bag and...
Everlast is notorious in the boxing glove industry: having made their first pair in the early 1800βs they are a mature brand, offering value for money, especially in their beginner’s range.
The Everlast PowerLock gloves are trendy at all levels of boxing, with their unique PowerLock technology: the layered foam construction emphasizes protecting your hand by putting it and βlocking itβ in a natural position.
This is why they are N.1 recommendation for beginners: they are designed to protect the longevity of your hands and wrist, which are most likely to get injured at the start of your boxing journey due to your bones not being conditioned to the impact of punching.
This glove can be found for as little as $50; for the sleek, trendy design color variations and the points listed above, this is an excellent beginner glove. They can also be found in various sizes, from 10oz up to 18oz. I recommend 14oz as this will offer a good beginner balance between padding and speed.
Pros
- Excellent price point.
- Offers wide color variations.
- Emphasis on safety is ideal for beginners.
- Thick wrist strap keeps your hand planted in the glove.
Cons
- Speaking from owning the glove myself, cheap materials result in fading design and breakdown of Cushinong after 6 months of use.
#2 Venum challenger 3.0 - Best Material Quality
- Triple layers construction with improved shock...
- High quality soft semi-leather
- Large velcro enclosure
- Breathable neoprene interior
- Product developed in france
Venum is a new brand on the boxing block, offering a superior choice of materials and construction maximizing durability, which is a critical factor for a beginner, as most won’t want to buy a new pair of boxing gloves every couple of months.
The excellent thing about these gloves is the padding: mainly placed in the front and knuckle area of the glove.
The quality of the padding is also a talking point. This is due to Venum’s three-layer padding construction. After 4 months of owning the glove, I haven’t seen a breakdown in the integrity or pain while using the glove, which is more than ideal for a beginner.
The design constriction and durability sell this glove, being between $50-100 dollars: this would be an extremely wise choice for a beginner.
Pros
- Innovative designs and eye-catching color variations.
- Materials are used in mind to emphasize safety for beginners.Β
- Quality padding: is the best on the list.
Cons
- Having had this glove for 4 months, I haven’t noticed any glaring flaws besides the fact they are not true to their weight: this advertised 16oz glove was 15.40 oz. Which across two pairs is 1.2 oz of missing weight.
#3 RDX Boxing Gloves - Best for variety
- EFFECTIVE IMPACT DISPERSION β Are your training...
- PATENT PENDING LOMA TECH DESIGN β Do you face...
- EXCEPTIONALLY DURABLE MATERIAL β No matter how...
- FULL WRAPAROUND WRIST SUPPORT β A hassle-free...
- SWEAT-FREE EXPERIENCE β Bid farewell to those...
RDX is a fantastic brand catered to entry-level combat equipment. More commonly known for their MMA equipment, they have recently branched out and released a boxing range.
RDX offers a wide variety of sizes and colors for $29; they are by far one of the cheapest boxing gloves on our list. However, quality is still maintained to a good standard with soft eva padding to ensure safety and a thick secure wrist support strap.
The breathability of these is also a talking point: with RDX implementing a ventilated mesh, my hands barely broke a sweat in these gloves. These gloves are well suited to a beginner as they are inexpensive and offer great support and safety while coming from a reputable brand.
Having also owned this pair of boxing gloves, I can stand by when I say they are comfortable and a pleasure to punch in.
Pros
- Extremely reasonable price point.
- Padding quality and distribution are safe for beginners
- Durability: in my experience, my pair lasted a year before I bought new ones, although they were still in functioning order.
Cons
- After using them for a year, predominately for bag work, the only deformities I experienced was tearing in the leather due to the cheap materials.
#4 Sanabul Essential Gel Boxing Gloves - Best Protection For Beginners
- Trusted by The Best: Join the community of...
- Proven by MMA Champions: Endorsed by MMA champions...
- Gel-Infused Impact Protection: Feel the power of...
- Perfect Fit, No Break-In Period: Experience a...
- Versatility for Your Journey: These gloves are...
Sanabul has recently emerged on the market with a beginner-focused glove.
These gloves have gained a reputation for being extremely safe, with their gel-infused foam and excellent synthetic leather providing durability. The shape of the gloves was designed to fit the natural curvature of the hand, similar to the PowerLock technology mentioned earlier.
Another talking point for these gloves is the wrist support and shock absorption. The wrist support on these gloves is excellent, providing a tight and secure velcro strap.
Coming in at an extremely reasonable $29.99, these gloves definitely have that bang for the buck factor while offering a wide variety of colors and weights, which is a nice added insensitive.
Pros
- Extremely reasonable price point.
- The safest gloves for beginners on the list.
- Highly reputable for being new gloves, tested by top UFC champion Michael Bisping.
Cons
- Poor customer service.
- Some say the gloves run tight.
#5 Venum Impact boxing gloves - Best Build Quality
- Triple density foam for a better absorption
- Full attached thumbs to provide a better...
- Reinforced seams
- Large Velcro enclosure with strap
- Longer cuffs
Another Venum product on our list, this brand has repeatedly produced quality entry-level boxing gloves in recent years.
The Venum impact boxing gloves are like no other on this list: the build quality and craftsmanship are a work of art on these gloves. From the padding distribution to the stitching, these gloves are quality, providing you with premium synthetic leather reinforced seams and a large velcro strap.
Visually they also offer a pleasurable experience with their unique designs and color variations. This glove also provides excellent protection with venums triple density foam to aid in impact absorption and to take the stress away from your joints and bones.
Coming in at $50-70 they are one of the more expensive boxing gloves on our list, but you do get that added quality and premium feel for your money.
Pros
- Extremely comfortable and protected: Triple density foam.
- Secure wrist strap system.
- Highly reputable brand.
Cons
- On the pricier side for a beginner glove.
- Need to be appropriately cleaned and maintained due to poor ventilation in the glove.
#6 Fairtex Microfibre Boxing Gloves - Best Wrist Support For Beginners
- Enhanced Wrist Protection: The fairtex muay thai...
- Superior Hand Safeguarding: These fairtex boxing...
- Premium Microfiber Construction: Fairtex Gloves...
- Secure Fit with Velcro Wrist Closure:The velcro...
- Authentic Muay Thai: These punching gloves are...
Fairtex is an extremely popular Muay Thai brand that has also been making premium boxing gloves for over 4 decades, which shines through their products.
Due to the nature of the brand being Thai, the padding is softer than usual boxing gloves, especially around the knuckles. However, this allows for more protection when blocking attacks and protecting other parts of your hand other than your knuckles.
The wrist support is arguably the best on this list: the velcro sleeve covers a perfect amount of wrist, providing a firm and supportive fit. This is essential for a beginner as the wrist is the most susceptible to injury.
The design and color variations are an excellent incentive. The glove itself is more compact than other boxing gloves on this list, which provides less protection for the knuckles. Coming in at $89.99, they are expensive for a beginner glove.
Pros
- Build Quality is excellent.
- The best wrist strap system on the list.
- Mature reputable brand with 40+ years of experience.
Cons
- Softer padding around knuckles: not ideal for beginners.
#7 Hayabusa H5 Boxing Gloves
- Adjustability, Comfort, And Protection: H5...
- Secure Single Strap Closure: Extra wide adjustable...
- Proper Comfort And Design: Ergonomic hand and...
- The Protection You Need: The most common sources...
- Built To last: Superior quality materials and...
Hayabusa is a famous brand in the MMA world, now expanding with its boxing glove range. This brand is associated with famous UFC fighters like George St.Piere, showing its integrity.
The H5 has it all, protection support, comfortability, and value for money. With their brand established, quality materials, and craftsmanship going into their products, you cannot go wrong with a pair of H5βs.
Premium full grain leather so very resistant to tearing and abrasion, dual-x wrist support system which gives you superior support, 5 layered padding system to aid in shock absorption and protection. This glove ticks all the boxes for me.
The price point is reasonable at $99 for the quality of the glove you get. However, I know this can be an unattractive price for a beginner.
Pros
- Wrist support is superb.
- Materials are of excellent quality, along with craftsmanship.
- Beautiful looking glove with a range of sizes and weights.
- Can be expected to last for years of consistent training.
Cons
- Reported to run small and not be true to the weight advertised.
#8 Ringside Ringside Bullet Glove - Best Padding
- StrikeForce Synthetic Leather Durability:...
- Versatile Design: Suitable for a range of martial...
- Enhanced Comfort: Ventilated palm design for...
- Superior Protection: Multi-layered padding...
- Pro Training Ready: These gloves are designed to...
Ringside is a classic boxing equipment brand that is well established and has been producing quality, reliable boxing gloves for decades.
The Bullet glove is well-crafted, providing the best quality and manufactured padding on this list, with their IMF Tech injection molded foam padding system, which gives the padding extra firmness and extends the life of the padding by a substantial amount. Ideal for a beginner as you get both protection and peace of mind knowing your glove will last for an extended period.
Quality Faux leather will prevent abrasions and tearings and aid shock absorption due to the buoyancy of the material.
Coming in at $69 they offer a balanced median between the cheapest and most expensive gloves on this list while still maintaining value for money.
Pros
- Beautiful designs and color variations.
- Padding is the best on this list.
- Wrist support is excellent for beginners.
Cons
- Only available in 14 oz
- Mainly used for Sparring, not ideal for bag and pad work.
The Ultimate Buying Guide For Beginner Boxing Gloves
Understanding the types of gloves
Beginner gloves are used to train and protect your hands. Pro gloves or fight gloves are used to hurt and impact your opponent.
This is done by the padding distribution being disturbed less around the knuckles, so the impact of the punches hurts the opponent more. Beginners should not use these gloves to train: it’s a sure way to get injured or hurt someone in sparring for no gain.
Materials of Gloves
Some materials you want in a boxing glove include;
- Faux leather
- Synthetic leather
- Hide leather
- PU leather
These materials are what we consider to be a good standard for protection and quality. All of the gloves above are crafted with said materials.
Weight of Gloves
Boxing gloves range from 8oz-22oz, each weight having its place for a training outcome.
8oz-12oz – Fight glove (Used for competition)
14oz-18oz Training glove (Used to do pad work, bag work, sparring safely)
18oz-22oz Training glove (Used to increase speed and power)
The weight of the glove is a representation of the amount of padding in the glove.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when I'm ready for a more advanced glove?
Boxing is a marathon, not a sprint, yes we all want to look the best with the most expensive and eye-catching gloves, but the reality is a good boxer is defined by mastering the fundamentals;
- Footwork
- Stance and Guard
- Punches and Punch Rate
- Defense & Offence
Once you and your coach feel like you have mastered these and your training frequency increases, I recommend you start looking into more expensive, more advanced equipment.
All gloves above are brilliant and fit for a beginner as you progress: however you will require better equipment to match your training frequencies and outcomes.
Do I need hand wraps with my beginner boxing gloves?
Yes, yes, and you guessed it, yes again, I cannot stress how vital hand wraps are for protecting your hand.
There are 27 fragile bones in your hands that would easily break from the impact of punching at maxim capacity: hand wraps act as compression against the impact keeping your hand stable and robust.
Along with excellent padding from a good quality glove like the ones above, you are minimizing the risk of fracturing, breaking, or injuring these bones and, more importantly, your wrist.
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The championship round
Boxing is a beautiful sport: it will teach you more about yourself than anything else: many have expressed how boxing has improved their life physically and mentally. However, if you want longevity in the sport, you have to protect your greatest assets, your hands.
Speaking from experience, getting an injury in the first 3 months of your boxing career can be highly detrimental to your progression: 9 years on, and I’m still dealing with niggaling injuries I picked up in my first year.
So take the innovative and start your boxing career right with any of the excellent quality boxing gloves listed above.
With that said, you are in the fundamental years of your boxing career, so keep persevering and getting stronger!
