Which Gloves should I get?

When it comes time to buying a pair of Training Gloves, the process can be either very simple or very confusing.
There are various considerations which can make the decision more difficult than it needs to be.

To answer the question directly, the answer is that it depends how you train.
There are many accomplished Martial Arts practitioners who have been minimalists, using the same pair of gloves for many years. Alternatively, there have also also been many Martial Artists who use several pairs of gloves for different purposes.

To put things simply, most Martial Arts Training outcomes can be easily accomplished simply by purchasing a $75 dollar pair of ‘Training’ gloves with good padding (eg. 14oz to 16oz) and good wrist support. These can be used for hitting the bag, pads, and very light sparring.

We recommend Hayabusa S4’s here for $75.00

However, in some instances (eg. based on the level the practitioner is at, and or their training procedures) it does make sense to diversify and get additional pairs of varying type, or specific features.

This post will break down various characteristics and considerations of Gloves used in Martial Arts practice, to help you make a decision.

Context:
Gloves are used for different purposes - mainly for hitting the punching bag, hitting pads/mitts, and interfacing with another practitioner (be it light/touch work, to harder sparring). Individual, specific Gloves can be purchased for each of these scenarios, for specialized training. Alternatively, a general training glove could be used which could fulfill each scenario as well.

General Considerations:

• Support and Fit:

  Many gloves are labeled one-size-fits-all, most brand-name varieties tend to be true to this statement. However, if possible it is always best to wear the glove and feel it out to double check. However this is usually not an issue for the one-size fits all as long as it is a brand-name that indicates one-size-fits-all.

  Regarding Support, this is potentially the most important element of a glove: to ensure your wrists, hands and knuckles are supported and aligned. Some designs do a better job at this, it is worth looking at reviews prior to making an investment here as a pair of Gloves cannot typically be tested off the market prior to the purchase. Typically hand-wraps are the first layer of protection for support, with gloves being th second. If the practitioner has a general weak disposition in the wrists, they can always tape their wrists with sports tape prior to putting on the hand-wraps for additional support. There is almost always a way to work around weaknesses, injuries and dispositions to continue ones training.
  
  With that said regarding Fit, sometimes it does take hours of experience hitting pads and bags to really understand and feel for a particular fit. Sometimes the fit may be a bit tight in some areas, or cause rubbing against one of your first or second set of knuckles in which case, you should stop punching with that glove immediately, and tape the area before the skin rips before putting the gloves back on.

• Size: Small to Large (ounces, or oz)

  Sizes typically range from 10oz to 18oz (in some instances, 20 oz are available). Generally, smaller gloves don’t weigh as much as bigger gloves, and have less wrist support and padding. This means more impact on the joints/bones in your hand and wrist upon impact, as well as more impact to the partners you are working with. Larger gloves on the other hand offer more protection for you (and your hands/joints/wrists), as well as your partner. Larger gloves absorb more force.
  In addition, smaller gloves weigh less than larger gloves, meaning you will punch faster with them, and your arms/shoulders wont get tired as quickly as using the larger gloves. Larger gloves on the other hand, will weigh more and your punches will slow down, your arms/shoulders will get tired and your guard will drop over time.
  
  Contrary to popular belief, not all ‘heavier’ practitioners should automatically opt for ‘bigger gloves’, unless they are meant for sparring. A heavier practitioner (eg. 185lb and above) should opt for 18oz gloves or higher when sparring to simply protect their partner. However, it is not uncommon for a heavier person to wear 10 oz gloves for bag-work to work on their speed. Such 10oz gloves are often referred to as ‘bag gloves’ for this reason — while they tend to lack wrist support, they force the practitioner to punch with correct technique and not be ‘lazy’ as poor form will lead to an injury (10oz gloves are not an introductory glove — the last thing we want is for a new student to injure their wrist and for them to not ever want to explore the Martial Arts again as a result!).

  Note - Women/Females may not need 18oz/20oz gloves, they can generally get away with 14oz even for sparring. Also, children get get generic children gloves.
  

• Budget: ($35 to $300~)

  • Unless you have a lot of dispensable income, the advice is to not unnecessarily spend excessively more than you need to on gloves.
    You can get a good Training Glove with decent fit and support, a pair that will last a few years for $75 (see Hayabusa S4’s here)

  • In many instances you would be paying for brand, quality, and design. Elements of Quality include materials and functional design. You will want to spend on what is important for you - for some that is the design as it is important for them to express themselves, and that is what Bruce Lee says Martial Arts is all about…to Honestly Express Yourself. With that said, there are some Martial Arts practitioners that can make any material kit look good, and want many to buy it…simply from their intrinsic expression, as opposed to their materialistic expression :)
    Quality Review:

  • Material: Leather, followed by Imitation Leather is generally preferred as opposed to Vinyl which may rip quicker (thicker vinyl may still last several years)

  • Functional Design: considerations include breathability, aspects of support (wrist), padding/foam used (latest and greatest for sparring includes soft-foam that is ‘multi-layered’), stitching (a strong nylon thread would last a long time), and anti-bacterial design, and fit (eg. for your hand, does the inner glove rub and tear your skin on the inside?)

  • Children will not be punching as hard as adults, and may eventually outgrow their glove. There is no need to spend unnecessarily in this case unless cosmetic design is an important consideration.
    

• Foam Type: Soft-Foam vs Hard-Foam (or a next-generation, hybrid/multi-layered foam)

  The depth of analysis with regards to foam in gloves can get complex, similar to the martial arts floor mats. These have evolved over time for different purposes. The feel of Hard-Foam and Soft-Foam gloves will feel different to the person throwing the punch, and for the person receiving the punch. In addition, each glove may have its own ‘heavy’ placement of padding at specific sections of the glove along the knuckles. In this way, the foam used is in the preference of the person wearing the glove, and sometimes they will not know if the glove is for them until they have spent half an hour hitting pads only to realize some soreness and pain in particular knuckle(s) (eg. pain in the left middle knuckle). Perhaps it is due to the design glove and its (lack of) padding, or the padding wearing away after a lot of use, or simply a weak pre-existing disposition in the practitioners hand/joint. The quick-fix here is may call for an additional layer of padding (eg. gauze, or even toilet paper folded several times) to be inserted under or over the hand-wraps within the glove itself to add that protection.

  Worth noting — thick, 20oz Hard-foam gloves, although with extra padding - can still cause bruising to the face. On the other hand, 20oz Soft-foam (or multi-layered, special foam-designed) Gloves will have do a much better job at preventing such bruising to the face.

  Regardless of which type of foam is selected, it is important to be reminded that the soft-foam and multi-layered foam gloves can easily become tarnished and damaged by using them on padwork and bagwork. It is best to save specialized soft-foam gloves for sparring where applicable so that the value can be earned over a long period of time, and your sparring partners dont assume you are hitting harder than you actually are :)

  This leads to the consideration of ‘dedicated-used’
  

• Dedicated Use: (eg. don’t break in the soft foam)

  Sometimes it makes sense for a practitioner to have specific Gloves for different purposes. Perhaps a general 16oz Training gloves would be used for the first half of the bag work, then subsequently transitioning to 10oz bag gloves to emphasize working on speed (hence mixing gloves within the same training session). In other instances, an 18oz or 20oz soft-foam Glove could be used just for sparring purposes.
  
  Another example could be that the practitioner is multi-tasking or tending to duties intermittently while while training — in such a case the practitioner would prefer the convenience of a 10oz bag glove because they slip on and off very quickly and easily.

  This leads to the consideration of ‘Convenience’.
  

• Convenience:

  Some gloves are easier to put on than others, such as most 10oz gloves. These come in handy when multi-tasking while training where you need your hands free intermittently. Some larger gloves are also designed to be put on and off quite easily while maintaining good support for your wrists - this is a part of the functional design.

  Lace-based Gloves will require assistance from someone to help you put on and off, and take a lot longer. These are definitely not DIY. They do however, provide a much more secure fit and support for your wrists, and will prevent accidental scratching from velcro (almost never a problem unless doing heavy clinching).

  Note - there are many larger velcro-based gloves that do have great wrist support but can be annoying to take on and off (eg. a tight entrance into the glove).

  In many instances, convenience is not a critical factor and a general training glove will still suffice in providing the appropriate and acceptable levels of convenience, comfort and support.

The above considerations are considered ‘top’ considerations when purchasing a glove.
However, for the sake of completeness and importance, it would be worth quickly summarizing the topic of Glove Maintenance.

• Maintenance:

  After a sweat-filled session of training in your Gloves, be sure to wipe down the inside and outside with a towel to clean off and absorb the sweat and moisture. Ensure to sanitize the outside which has made contact with different objects, and will subsequently be touched by you as well as make contact with other peoples faces (eyes, nose, mouth, etc. — the right thing to do is to be hygienic for yourself and for others in this noble craft).
  Then fill the inside with a glove/shoe deodorizer, or with a little bit of baby powder if you don’t have a deodorizer.
  Don’t store your gloves in a damp, dark place (eg. not in your trunk, or in your bag). Open them up, let them air out ideally in an open space with sunlight. Do not store them temperature that is too hot or too cold, or in a location that continuously alternates from hot to cold as any of these situations will damage the materials (and your potentially, very expensive, gloves!). Such environments can ruin the design of your gloves and damage the padding which may have been a big factor of why you purchased the glove in the first place!
  

I hope you found this helpful and that it brought value in helping you make a decision with regards to your Glove purchase!
Remember, it never hurts to start off as a minimalist with a general training glove, and increment as needed over time :)

Regards,
Coach Zeus