Whether you’ve been kickboxing for years, or about to attend your first class, finding a good quality pair of gloves never seems to be an easy process.
Which brands do you trust? How much should you spend? What’s the difference between kickboxing and boxing gloves? All of these are questions you’ll find yourself asking when hunting for a good quality pair of gloves.
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place, as we’ve answered all of the above, and then some, throughout our article.
Right then, let’s crack on and take a look at some of the best kickboxing gloves currently available.
Comparison of our Top Pick
Kickboxing Gloves VS Boxing Gloves VS Muay Thai Gloves
Before we dive into our kickboxing glove reviews, I just want to touch on the difference between them and other types of gloves you’ll come across.
While Boxing and Muay Thai gloves are slightly different, they’re still definitely acceptable to wear to kick boxing.
The main difference between the designs of these three gloves is the padding and wrist cuffs.
Kickboxing Gloves
Kickboxing gloves tend to have longer cuffs (the wrist area). This in turn provides greater support to the hand and wrist when landing a punch. This does slightly effect the dexterity of the wrist, which doesn’t matter too much in Kickboxing given the very little/ if any clinch work.
In terms of padding, kickboxing gloves have a fairly even spread, from the front end of the knuckles, down to the back of the hand. This is due to the fact that you’ll be blocking kicks with your hands as well as punching, therefore requiring more padding.
Boxing Gloves
Boxing gloves also feature elongated wrist cuffs that are designed to provide as much wrist support as possible. The padding however primarily covers the knuckle area, given that you are only permitted to punch.
Muay Thai Gloves
Lastly we’ve got Muay Thai Gloves, which to be honest are very similar to kickboxing gloves. Traditional Muay Thai gloves however feature a slightly shorter cuff, which allows for better wrist and hand movement inside the clinch.
Check out the video below for a visual demonstration of the difference between boxing and kickboxing gloves.
List of the best Gloves for Kickboxing
Right, lets crack on with the list and take a loot at our 10 top picks.
Ringside Apex: Editors Choice
- Boxing Gloves: Fight your way to the top with Ringside’s Apex Boxing Bag Gloves. These durable synthetic leather gloves will help you push your body...
- Injected Molded Foam (IMF): The shock-absorbing IMF padding of the boxing gloves provides enhanced protection and allows you to optimize your cardio...
First up on our list is the Apex Training Gloves by Ringside. These gloves come in 13 different colour and design variations. This in turn allows you to find a pair you both look the like of and that match the rest of your gear.
In terms of quality, the Apex’s are made from synthetic leather material that’s fast drying and durable. Synthetic leather in general tends to be a bit cheaper than genuine leather, however the difference in quality these days is very small.
Ringside have also made use of a hook and loop closure system that makes the gloves incredibly easy to take on and off. This is great for training, as the chances are your gloves are going to come off a few times throughout a class.
This closure system is also known to keep the gloves in place firmly around the hand, without any slippage. There’s nothing worse than a poor fitting pair than continually move around your wrist whilst you’re wearing them. Fortunately, though, you won’t have this problem with the Ringside’s.
Inside the glove Ringside have implemented a traditional boxing grip bar. This helps to keep your fist tight when landing a punch, which in turn prevents your hand from tiring and makes landing a strike a lot safer.
Another aspect of this particular pair that's worth mentioning is the use of Ringsides’ “Stay Dri Lining”.
The inside of these are lined with this material, which helps to wick away sweat and prevent the absorbing of any moisture. If you’ve ever owned a pair of gloves for a while, you’ll know how quickly they can start to smell.
The “Stay Dri Lining”, will aid in preventing this from happening. Also, they've have been designed to feature a ventilated palm area, which again will help to keep your hands cool and therefore sweat less.
All in all, these are a fantastic pair of gloves for kickboxing, especially when you taken into account their price.
Hayabusa T3 – Premium Pick
- A Revolutionized Training Glove: You need a glove that checks all of the boxes, from protection and comfort to durability and fit. T3 Boxing Gloves do...
- Built For Comfort With A Tailored Fit: Interior fabric feels smooth and cool on your hands and helps to regulate your hand temperature. Two...
Hayabusa are a brand known to produce some of the highest quality combat sport and martial arts gear in the world.
Firstly though, if you’re new to kickboxing, you may want to give these a miss, as the price tag is somewhat hefty.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t great for beginners! I just personally feel it may be a good idea to wait until you definitely like kickboxing before investing a good chunk of change on gear.
Having said that, when you start to look at the quality and features that the T3’s have to offer, it becomes pretty clear why the price tag is so high.
First of all, they’re made from top, top end synthetic leather. This material is lightweight, durable and doesn’t take long at all to break in.
Hayabusa have also made use of a unique and innovative Dual-X wrist closure. This cuff provides a ton of support to the wrist, but also allows for a very snug fit. The term ‘fits like a glove’ couldn’t be truer than with these bad boys.
Inside the gloves feature premium moisture wicking lining alongside a ventilated design. Both of these features act in unison to prevent the gloves from building up any unwanted odour.
In terms of protection, you can’t really find a better pair of gloves. Hayabsua use a 4-layer foam structure made of of different density foam. This in turn creates a pair of gloves with no break in period, as well as the ability to seriously absorb a lot of force.
It’s unfortunate that these gloves cost so much, but if you want the best of the best, then I think you’ve found it.
Sanabul Essentials: Best Value for Money
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I’ve discussed this particular pair of gloves in a few of our articles, which I think goes to show how much of a fan of them I am. I do however always disclaim that they’re not the best in terms of quality, but they are however the best you can find in terms of value for money.
Using gel-infused foam, alongside premium engineered leather, Sanabul have created a good, durable pair of gloves able to effectively protect your hands from the strain of training.
As with a lot of the top end gloves to feature on our list, the Essentials Training Gloves feature a durable hook and loop closure system. The cuff itself is a bit longer than some of the other gloves, however that shouldn’t matter too much unless your planning to incorporate clinch work into your training.
In terms of sizing, you can find these gloves as light as 8oz, ranging all; the way up to 16oz. This means that pretty much anyone can use these gloves, no matter their size or aspect of training they’re looking to use them for.
For me though, the icing on the cake is the price. You can all of the above, for a fraction of the price of other brands. This makes these gloves particularly ideal for beginners look to get a taste of high end gloves, but not wanting to make such a hefty investment.
Cleto Reyes Hook & Loop Gloves
- ANATOMICALLY DESIGNED BOXING GLOVES - CLETO REYES heavy-duty boxing gloves are handcrafted in Mexico from COW LEATHER, anatomically designed for the...
- TRAINING GLOVES - Adult boxing gloves great for sparring, heavy bags, and training in general. Weight suggested by professional trainers: 12oz until...
In the world of boxing, Cleto Reyes are known as the “Gloves of Champions”. This is due to the fact that they’re nearly always the brand used in World Championship level bouts, worn by the likes of Mike Tyson, Mohammad Ali and Anthony Joshua.
They’re also one of, if not the oldest boxing brand in the world. What started out as a small, family run business in Mexico, has taken over the world of boxing with it’s hand made gloves, manufactured to the highest possible level.
All of this though does come at a price, and that’s well, the price. These are one of the most expensive brands you can find, which does make the barrier to entry pretty high.
That said, if you’re sure you’re going to be spending a lot of time training for the foreseeable future, then you can’t go wrong with a pair of Reyes on your wrist.
The gloves themselves a made using genuine goatskin leather alongside water repellent lining. This in turn creates a highly durable and comfortable pair of gloves. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a pair of Reyes gloves to last throughout multiple years of training, depending on how much you train of course.
As with the rest of the options in our article, the Cleto Reyes use a hook and loop closure system that makes taking the gloves on and off throughout training very easy and hassle free.
The Cleto Reyes training gloves are available from 12oz-18-oz, however due to their popularity, they tend to sell our pretty fast. This isn’t helped by the fact that the gloves are hand made, which as you can imagine, isn’t xactly quick.
With that in mind, if you find a pair in your desired weight, I wouldn’t hang around too long before getting them, or you may find yourself disappointed.
Twins Special
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If you’ve ever been to a Muay Thai class, you’d more than likely have seen someone wearing a pair of Twins.
This is due to the fact that they’re made in Thailand, the home of Muay Thai and are constructed using top of the line genuine leather. As such, the Muay Thai community has made these one of the most sort after and respected names in the industry.
Twins have opted to use high density, multi-layered foam that protects the knuckles, back of the hand and the wrist. This in turn makes them fantastic for kickboxing, where you’ll need to be blocking kicks with your hands as well as throwing strikes of your own.
You’ll be able to pick up a pair of these Twins gloves from 10oz-18oz and three different color variations; blue, black and pink.
Due to the fact these are made using genuine leather and built to the highest possible standard, the Twins Special’s do cost a hefty amount. That said, if you’re looking for a top end pair of gloves designed to withstand the burdens of training, you can’t go wrong with the Twins Special.
Fairtex are another big name in the Muay Thai industry whose gear translates very well to kickboxing.
These gloves for example feature all round padding that covers the knuckles, fist and back of the hand. The cuff is also slightly long for a Muay Thai glove, so it provides a very good amount of support to the hand when you deliver a punch.
In terms of quality, Fairtex hand make their gloves in Thailand using genuine leather material. This ensures that each glove is build to an exceptional standard using the best, long lasting materials.
They also use a Velcro hook and loop closure system that keeps the gloves fitting tight to your hand, without slipping.
You’ll also be able to find these in 23 different designs, and colors, with some very minimal looking and others that are pretty bold to say this least. The good thing though, is that with the sheer amount of choice, you’re bound to find one you like.
The downside with these though are the price. As I’ve mentioned in the past, genuine leather gloves are pretty expensive, and that’s definitely the case here though. However, for a hand made pair of gloves built to this kind of standard, you’re getting what you pay for, which is an extremely durable pair of gloves.
Venum Challenger 2.0 Gloves
- PU leather construction for great durability and performance
- Triple density foam for enhanced shock absorption and long-lasting hand protection
Venum is a name synonymous with combat sports and martial arts. They’re known for their top quality fight gear, bold designs and reasonable price tags, which is definitely true of their Challenger 2.0 Gloves.
Due to the fact that they’re available in 16 designs, there’s a very good chance you’re going to find one to match your personal preference.
In terms of size, these come from 8oz up to 16oz, making them suitable for different areas of training, no matter your size.
As with most of Venum’s gear, their Challenger 2.0 gloves are made using extremely durable engineered leather. While not genuine leather, the material can definitely take a good beating and doesn’t take anywhere near as long to break in.
At the end of the day, these gloves are here for one thing – protection. With that in mind, these gloves certainly tick the box, using tripe density foam designed to absorb the shock and impact out of landing or blocking a strike.
Not only are these one of the best looking pairs on our list, they’re also one of the best value for money as well.
They’re not ridiculously cheap, nor are they overly expensive. They’re priced nicely in the middle ground, which makes them an absolute bargain considering their quality.
Elite Sports
- ✅ MUAY THAI SPECIFIC GLOVES: Stop Using Boxing Gloves for Muay thai or kick boxing, these are Muay thai gloves specifically designed for Muay thai...
- ✅ INCREASED PERFORMANCE W/ ADDED PROTECTION – The high-density gel and impact foam added on the area of impact results in best Muay Thai gloves...
Ranging from 10oz-16oz, you can find these kickboxing gloves from Elite Sports in 5 different color variations.
The gloves themselves are made using PU leather, which is a form of synthetic leather material that’s designed to withstand high impact blows. While not as durable as genuine leather, it definitely does a great job and costs a fraction of the price.
Elite Sports have made use of triple density gel foam that covers the knuckles down to the wrist. The foam itself is curved to match the contours of the hand, allowing for a tight fit that also reduces the break in period.
The closure system is made using a hook and look design alongside a stretchable strap. This allows for the wrist closure to shut tightly around the wearers hand, preventing the glove from slipping.
All in all, this a pretty awesome deal great for those of you looking to get your hands on your first pair of gloves (excuse the pun).
Made using authentic leather, the RDX gloves tick all the right boxes. They’re durable, provide a ton of protection and are designed to fit with precision.
For example, RDX use multi-layered foam throughout the gloves to provide more than enough protection to your hands when training. They’ve also placed a grip bar inside that allows you to keep your fist tense and compact when landing a punch for added protection.
Even the wrist strap has been tweaked and improved from traditional glove to provide added stability.
Inside the glove is lined with moisture wicking material that prevents sweat and bacteria from being absorbed into the glove. This makes the glove overall more hygienic, as well has helping to prevent any odour from building up inside.
In terms of size, these gloves range from 10oz-16oz, which should cover most aspects of training from sparring, to pit work to bag work.
In terms of cost, these are somewhat expensive, however that’s the price you pay for genuine leather gloves. That said, when compared to some of the other genuine leather gloves on our list, these are definitely the cheapest.
Everlast Pro Style Training Gloves
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What list of kickboxing or boxing gloves would be complete without an Everlast pair or two?
While Everlast aren’t exactly the pinnacle of quality, their gloves are definitely solid, durable and comfortable.
For example, the Pro Style Training Gloves are made using durable synthetic leather and possess two layered shock absorbing foam that covers the knuckles, back of the hand and wrist.
The palm area also has a mesh design to keep your hands ventilating, helping to reduce the amount they sweat whilst training. This in turn helps to keep the gloves from building up smell inside, causing your hands to stink.
Unfortunately, these are only available in 10z, meaning they’re not really suitable for sparring, or you may make a few enemies down the gym. They are however available in black, red and blue, so you should be able to find a pair that takes your fancy.
They greatest aspect of these gloves in particular though is their price. For an extremely reasonable price tag you can get your hands on a pair of kickboxing gloves that will definitely last you a decent amount of time putting in the hours at the gym.
What Should You Look for in Kickboxing Gloves?
When shopping around for a pair of new gloves, there’s a few different aspects you should keep an eye out for and pay special attention to.
I’ll go over each aspect now and explain why each one is important.
Material
Firstly, is the material. When you’re shopping for a new pair of gloves, you’ll come across two types; genuine leather and synthetic/ engineered leather.
Not too long ago, genuine leather material used to be the only way to go if you wanted the best gloves around. No though, things have started to change.
Synthetic leather is now almost as durable and tends to cost a fraction of the price. This does however depend on the brand, but big names such as Hayabusa and Venum use some of the best engineered leather around.
That said, if you speak to any boxing purists, they’ll tell you that you’d be a fool to go for any synthetic. It’s really down to personal preference, but for the money you tend to save, synthetic leather is the more popular choice.
Closure System
There’s two main type of closure systems that kickboxing gloves have; laced and hook & loop.
Some brands however, such as Hayabusa have created their own closure system, but the vast majority of the time, it’ll be between laced and hook & loop.
Hook and loop is by far the most suitable for training. This is due to the fact that they use a Velcro system to keep the gloves attached tightly to your hand. This Velcro system is easy to undo and allows for the gloves to be taken off in a couple of seconds.
Compare this to a lace up design, which can take several minutes (with help) to do up. With all that in mind, it’s definitely best to go for some form of Velcro/ hook and loop closure.
Lining/ Ventilation
AS I mentioned earlier, kickboxing gloves can really begin to smell after a while. Not only this, having masses of sweat absorb into your gloves on a weekly basis isn’t exactly hygienic.
For this reason, a lot of brands put measures into place to prevent this from happening. For example, some boxing gloves make use a of moisture wicking lining that prevents the sweat from absorbing into the glove itself.
Similarly, some brands use some form of mesh or ventilation in the palm area. This helps to keep your hands cool while training, which should in tern mean that they sweat less.
Padding
The sole reason for wearing gloves is for protection, both for yourself and the person that you’re training with. The main form of protection that gloves offer is in the form of the padding.
Usually, gel-infused padding or multi-layered foam are the go-to type of padding used in top end kickboxing gloves. Personally, I’d stick to these two, as they’re the most tried and tested when it comes to delivering the highest possible amount of protection to your hand and wrist.
Price
Lastly, we’ve got price. As you can tell, the price of kickboxing gloves can vary pretty dramatically.
Generally speaking, cheaper gloves tend to be cheaper for a reason, but if you stick with the brands mentioned on this list, then you should be just fine.
Popular Brands of Kick Boxing Gloves
If you haven't found a particular pair of gloves you like on our list, you really can't go wrong with one of the following brands.
Don't get me wrong, all the brands on our list are awesome, but the following three seem to be the most popular.
Hayabusa
While one of the most expensive brands out there, Hayabusa are undoubtedly one of the most popular. Their gear is always top notch in terms of quality, they're always improving and coming up with new ideas and their stuff just looks awesome. If you're looking for a long lasting, good looking pair of kickboxing gloves, you can't go wrong with Hayabusa.
Venum
Venum is much like Hayabusa in that their gear is always innovative and high quality, however they tend to be slightly cheaper. As such, they're much more popular among those just starting out in martial arts or combat sports and are shopping on a budget. That said, their gear is some of the best around and definitely great value for money.
Twins
While definitely more of a Muay Thai brand, their gloves are more than suitable for kickboxing. This is due to the fact that the gloves are heavily padded around the back of the hand, much more so than traditional boxing gloves. This in turn makes them perfect for kickboxing as they'll cushion your hand from blocking high kicks.
The Verdict
Right then, the following three gloves are what we deem the best kickboxing gloves for their given criteria.
Editors Choice: Ringside Apex Gloves
While these lean towards the more boxing side of things, when you weigh up the price against their quality, they really do blow your mind. While not cheap, their price tag is more than reasonable for the durabilty, comfort and protection they have to offer.
Premium Pick: Hayabusa T3
I'm personally a huge fan of Hayabusa, and their T3's are definitely their best gloves to date. Unfortunately, they're extremely expensive. That said, if you do take the plunge and go for these bad boys, you can sleep well knowing they're definitely going to be able to withstand an absurd amount of punishment.
Best Value for Money Kickboxing Gloves: Sanabul Essentials
Lastly, we've got the Sanabul Essentials gloves, which are by far the best value for money you're going to find. They're build to a decent standard, provide a ton of protection, look great and are stupidly affordable.
Final Thoughts
Well, there we have it.
Thanks for taking the time to read our list of the best kickboxing gloves currently available.
If you’ve got any questions or suggestions, please feel free to get in touch in the comment section below.
Sources
- https://boxingglovesreviews.com/what-is-the-difference-between-boxing-muay-thai-mma-style-boxing-gloves/
- https://www.sandovalkarate.net/kickboxing-necessities/
- https://protips.dickssportinggoods.com/sports-and-activities/yoga-and-studio/kickboxing-101
- https://examinedexistence.com/what-equipment-do-you-need-to-start-kickboxing/
