WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING GLOVES FOR KICKBOXING.
When it comes to buying kickboxing gloves, it is important that you make the choice that suits your training goals and your budget. To show you the way, this article contains all the right information you need to make a choice your won't regret.
How do I choose the best gloves for kickboxing?
The most important thing to consider when buying gloves is the size and the material. However if you really want to get the most out of your training sessions it's definitely worth 6 minutes to read this blog and take a well informed decision about your new kickboxing gloves.
WHAT WEIGHT KICKBOXING GLOVES SHOULD YOU PICK?
Glove sizes are in weight - ounces mostly shows as OZ. The amount of ounces refers to the weight of each glove. The amount of ounces also indicates how much padding remains between your hand and the opponent or the punching bag.
Despite a 10 oz having a smaller hand size than a 16 oz. A 16 oz kickboxing glove has more padding and is therefore also heavier. Because of this, a larger size glove can provide more protection for your sparring partner, although this will also make your training more intensive.You pick your glove size based on your body weight and/or the use and application of the gloves. If you pick your gloves based on your weight make sure you check the size chart of the brand you are buying from.
How to pick kickboxing gloves based on your body weight.
You can pick your glove size based on your body weight. You can use the size chart of the gloves you are planning to buy. Choosing based on your weight is an excellent choice if, for example, you do heavy bag training or the best kickboxing gloves for beginners. However, if you spar or if you want to level up your training, keep reading.
How to pick kickboxing gloves based on your training goals.
If you are going to start sparring, a 14 or 16 oz kickboxing glove is recommended. These gloves have more padding and are safer for your sparring partner. Because there is more padding in the 14 and 16 oz gloves, they will be heavier, but they will also intensify your training.
So if you want to level up your training even if you only do heavy bag training, you can choose a heavier size kickboxing glove. These heaver gloves will make you fatigue quicker, and build up your endurance and strength faster than with a lightweight 10 oz glove. Many competitive fighters use heavier gloves for some of their drills to prepare for a match. They even use dumbbells in shadowboxing to increase their strength.
Be aware that you make a good assessment of your personal body type and training goals. If you want a heavier glove to get more out of your training, but you are 50 kg/155 cm, maybe 12 oz is a better option if you are starting out instead of the 14 or 16 oz!
WHAT KIND OF GLOVES ARE THERE?
Are kickboxing gloves the same as boxing gloves?
Kickboxing gloves are different from boxing gloves. Most boxing gloves have heavy padding in the knuckle area to protect a boxer’s hands. Kickboxing gloves are lighter, more flexible and have less padding in comparison to boxing gloves.
With less padding in the knuckles and a more even distribution throughout the back and side of the glove, they are designed to protect all parts of the hand because kickboxing has a high variety of strikes.
Should I buy lace up gloves or velcro gloves for kickboxing?
When you think of a glove, it's probably one that needs to be laced up. They are the most secure and supportive type of glove, but you will need to have a partner to help you every time you lace them up. A kickboxing glove with a good quality velcro closure will be much more practical. The most support comes from your hand wraps anyway!
KICKBOXING GLOVES | SIZE TOOL
Standard size
12 OZ
Intensify your training
MEN
14 - 16 OZ
WOMEN
14 OZ
Body length exceptions
+ 175 CM
Standard size 14 OZ
- 160 CM
Standard size 10 OZ
WAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MATERIALS OF KICKBOXING GLOVES?
When you are looking for gloves, you should look first at how you want to use them. For example, do you train recreationally once a week or more often? For a training 1x a week, a plastic (PU) glove should be sufficient. However there are gyms that do not allow PU gloves. PU gloves are the most cheapest gloves you can get.
If you are training 2-3 times a week it is important that you choose a glove that is more durable. Look for gloves with tight, double stitching. Leather gloves very durable in the long run but they aren’t always the most comfortable in the beginning. Like a baseball glove, leather gloves need to be broken in and this can take some time.
Synthetic leather is a great alternative these days. Manufacturers make some really high quality synthetic leather that feels almost better than the real thing. Since leather is more expensive to construct a glove from, a synthetic leather glove can also often have better quality stitching and foam for a better price.
AVOID THESE GLOVES FOR KICKBOXING!
How kickboxing gloves are designed is a very important factor. Kickboxing gloves should be as smooth as possible and purely made from leather/synthetic leather. They should not have any raised emblems or pieces attached to them. If they have any plastic, or metal decorations on the outside, avoid them! These attached items can hurt your sparring partner or damage the pushing bag!
WHAT IS THE EXPECTED LIFESPAN OF THE KICKBOXING GLOVES?
In short, your first pair of kickboxing gloves should last approximately 1–3 years, depending on the frequency of training. However, if you're more advanced in your fighting journey, cheaper gloves won't last more than a year. Your boxing gloves are one of the most used training tools out of all your kickboxing equipment.
​Look for gloves with tight, double stitching. These gloves will definitely last longer. The seams are most vulnerable in the gloves because the sewing machine punches holes in the leather. After a while, the holes in the leather will become larger and will eventually tear. It's time to buy new kickboxing gloves when the material is ripped or the gloves have a bad smell due to sweat and not enough ventilation.
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH PRICE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KICKBOXING GLOVES?
Besides material, some brands just ask more for their products than others. Buying expensive gloves does not necessarily mean that they are a better quality. Which is confusing because the price can range from 40 to 300 ($/€). Make sure you read the product description and differentiate between price, material and what could be the extra pricing for the design of the kickboxing gloves.
HOW DO I KEEP MY KICKBOXING GLOVES IN GOOD CONDITION?
You can't avoid the inevitable – during kickboxing training, your kickboxing gloves will absorb sweat, and you'll have to deal with maintaining them to delay the buildup of bacteria and odor. Despite every piece of equipment needing to be replaced at some point, proper care lengthens their life. You can buy very expensive and the best gloves for kickboxing. However, this will be a waste of money if you do not take care of the hygiene.
We will explain every action you can take to prevent the buildup. Now, doing everything might be a bit too much for low-maintenance fighters. So we will highlight the most basic and essential ones. And for the fighters that asked Google 'How to clean kickboxing gloves', it might already be too late for preventive measures. Especially for the gloves that already smell like a bacteria colonization, we added some riskier ways to clean your gloves, so they can go a few more rounds before you declare them KO.
The two most important things are wearing hand wraps during training and ventilating your gloves after every training. Hard wraps do not only project your hands from injury's, but they also absorb most of the sweat during your kickboxing training. Over time, bacteria will build up in your gloves and can give an unclean smell. Hand wraps and ventilation will slow the build up of bacteria in your gloves.
Basic cleaning tip 1:
Wipe your gloves right after training.
You already have a towel with you, so right after drying yourself, wipe your gloves dry when you're done. This will take you 30 seconds extra and is a very easy and effective step. At this point, not all the sweat is dried up, and your towel can absorb a big portion of it. If you have a cotton towel, do not push too hard on the fabric on the inside, as this will wear out the fabric over time. A (gym) microfiber towel made will be much gentler for your kick boxing gloves.
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​Now you can take this step a bit further if you are up to it. You can wet the microfiber towel right after training and wipe the inside and outside of the gloves. You can also use wet wipes to sanitize your gloves.
Basic cleaning tip 2:
Never leave your gloves in your gym bag.
Now, this is the most essential one. If you do not air dry your gloves, it will not take long before bacteria or even mold will try to overtake your kickboxing gear. Buying a gym bag with good ventilation is a smart idea, but for kickboxing gloves, it is not enough. They need to completely dry in fresh air, not next to other wet gym clothing. Also, important to note is that you should not let them dry on a heat source or directly in the sun. If you clean your kick boxing gloves at least once a month, together with the basic tips, we can guarantee that your gloves will have a long lifespan.
Maintenance tip 1:
How to wash kickboxing gloves.
Take a bowl of lukewarm water with a small amount of dish soap and a microfiber cloth. Do not use harsh or abrasive cleaning agents. Dip the cloth in the water and squeeze it well. Rub in small circles on the inside and outside. Don't press too hard; you don't want to damage the fabric. Let the gloves air dry when you are done.
Maintenance tip 2:
Moisture absorption.
You can stuff different kinds of items in your kickboxing gloves right after training. They will absorb the sweat from your gloves. You can use newspaper, a cotton or microfiber cloth (for instance, a towel or t-shirt). You can also use cedar or charcoal sachets to absorb the moisture, but beware that the sachets do not contain bleaching elements because this can harm your gloves.
Alternative methods:
Full rinse.
Please be aware that this method is only for gloves that smell bad, as this method can alter the internal structure of the padding. Understand that you can use this method only a few times.
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Take your kickboxing gloves into the sink or shower, and only rinse the fabric of the inside with luck warm water. Try to avoid making the soaking leather wet. Push the water into the padding with your hand. Do not take too long about this process.
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When the padding is wet, take them out of the sink or shower and push the excess water out with a microfiber towel.
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Take a gentle soap and start pushing the soap into the fabric and the padding of the gloves. This is the part where you are going to try to get the bacteria that are in the deeper layers of the padding to the surface.
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When you are done, rinse them very quick under luck warm water and start pushing again with the microfiber towel. Repeat this process until all the foam is gone. It's important that you try to keep the gloves 'towel dry' as much as possible.
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If your gloves have a very bad odor, you can repeat step 3 and 4 again. Or use detergent instead of soap, however be careful because the detergent can damage the leather.
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Take a dry microfiber towel and push is gently into the padding until most of the water is absorbed. You can also leave the dry towel in the glove for the first hour. Make sure you punch the towel all the way into the top without making a big clot. This can cause your glove to stretch and become loose during training.
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Let the gloves air dry completely on a towel or a drying rack. Make sure the kickboxing gloves stand upright so that the water sinks down. In addition, it is also important that it dries as quickly as possible. The ideal environment would be outside, out of direct sunlight, between 18 and 25 degrees and a good breeze.
Can you put your kickboxing gloves in the washing machine?
Now, we have been asked this question many times. It's low maintenance, and there is a chance that nothing will go wrong. However, we advise against it, even in cold temperatures. If the leather and padding get soaking wet, there is a great potential that the original shape of the gloves will alter and they will lose their protective properties. It's best to stick to the cleaning methods mentioned above to ensure the longevity of your kickboxing gloves.
CHECKLIST
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​Pick the weight of kickboxing based on your body height, but also consider your training goals.
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Know that boxing gloves are not the same as kickboxing gloves.
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Choose the right material.
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Avoid kickboxing gloves with certain designs elements.
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Make an assessment on how durable the gloves are.
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Decide how much you are willing to spend.
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Air your gloves after every workout and use hand wraps.
