If you’re considering adding jabs, hooks, and uppercuts to your exercise routine, you’ll need to take some time to find boxing gloves that can throw a punch while keeping your hands safe. Whether you’re shadowboxing or preparing to spar, the right pair of gloves can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most out of your boxing workout.
To find the best boxing gloves, we first spoke with boxing experts about which key features to look for when selecting a high-quality option. Then, we tested seven expert-approved boxing gloves in The Verywell Testing Lab, completing boxing workouts with at least three combinations. We evaluated each pair of gloves for their fit, comfort, ease of use, breathability, adjustability, protection, performance, quality, and value to find the top options on the market. We also had a certified personal trainer from our Review Board review this article for accuracy, shopping tips, and how to wear boxing gloves safely.
How to Choose Your Boxing Glove Type
When selecting boxing gloves, you may feel overwhelmed, since there are so many options, says head trainer at Rumble Boxing Alli “JoJo” Hinkes. Finding gloves that match your boxing style is the first step in discovering the best pair for your needs.
- Training Gloves: From partner drills to mitt and pad work to bag training, this jack-of-all-trades style checks one box after another. Training gloves are designed to strike a balance between performance and protection and typically offer a hook-and-loop glove closure so they can be removed easily.
- Sparring Gloves: Heavier than training gloves, sparring gloves are designed to protect hands and wrists from injury during sparring practices. These impact-absorbent options are heavier than competition gloves.
- Bag Gloves: Working on your speed? Bag gloves have less padding than training gloves, allowing you to feel lighter and move faster. Bag gloves are ideal when you’re focusing on speed, agility, and form.
- Competition Gloves: Lighter and with less padding, competition gloves are designed to give you an edge in the ring. They’re designed to deliver direct contact with a high impact and are essential for maximizing speed and power during competition.
- Hybrid Gloves: A combination of both sparring and training gloves, this option features good wrist support, extra padding, and high levels of durability. They’re a versatile option that can be used for bag work, sparring, and more.
- Muay Thai Gloves: Featuring good flexibility and padding, and easy closures, these gloves are typically used for sparring, bag work, pad work, and more.
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Conform comfortably to the hands
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Easy to put on and take off by yourself
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Well padded and absorb impact well
Key Specs
Size: 14-18 ounces | Material: Synthetic leather | Glove Type: Sparring | Our Overall Rating: 5/5
Who They’re For
Best for beginner-to-experienced boxers who are looking for comfortable, breathable gloves that offer substantial padding.
Why We Love Them
Ringside’s Apex Flash Sparring Gloves earned the top spot on our list thanks to their snug, comfortable fit, top-notch breathability, and ability to absorb impact well. We love that they feature mesh panels in the center palms and around the thumbs, which helps keep our hands nice and dry during workouts as we throw jabs, uppercuts, and crosses. They’re also easy to put on and take off by ourselves. Plus, we appreciate their wide range of adjustability, which makes them a good fit for those with small or large hands.
We like that these gloves feel lightweight and supportive, and we didn’t experience any discomfort during our workout. The Velcro closure also helps our wrists feel stable and secure throughout our workout. We also love how malleable the padding feels, allowing the gloves to conform comfortably to the shape of our hands. Their durable, solid craftsmanship allows them to carry you from session to session without fear of unexpected wear and tear.
Potential Flaws
- If you prefer super-stiff gloves, these may be too flexible for your needs.
Most Valuable Insight
“These gloves have a wonderfully snug fit. They’re not too tight or loose, and they pair well with boxing hand wraps for a secure hold. The wrist was not too loose, but it was malleable and flexible, and offered plenty of support while I trained. The material molded very well to the shape of my hand, so I felt I could easily maneuver in it. There was ample space for my fingers to flex within the glove.” —Larissa Irankunda, Verywell Fit product tester
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Key Specs
Size: 10-16 ounces | Material: Leather | Glove Type: Training | Our Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Who They’re For
Best for beginners who are interested in a high level of protection as they learn boxing basics.
Why We Love Them
Whether you’re interested in heading to a boxing gym or working through rounds in your home gym, Hayabusa’s Leather Boxing Gloves are a great fit for beginners. We love how simple they are to put on and take off, thanks to their Velcro closure, which allows us to be ready for our workouts in seconds. High-quality, genuine leather construction doesn’t get in the way of breathability, and the ample padding provides a high level of knuckle protection.
These gloves are roomy enough that we didn’t have a problem wearing hand wraps underneath them, and their Velcro closure system makes it simple to adjust them during our workout. We were surprised to find that even with no visible air circulation features, our hands stayed dry and comfortable from the first jab to the final uppercut of our workout. Plus, they offered solid grip and control throughout our workout, which we really appreciate.
Potential Flaws
- The wrist padding is substantial, which may make it harder to move through your workout with the flexibility you need to throw various punches. However, this feature may appeal to beginner boxers who are looking for extra wrist protection.
Most Valuable Insight
“These gloves are very comfortable. I have used a few boxing gloves before, but they don’t fit around my wrists properly. These gloves feel like a nice hug around my hands. They have thick padding all around, and my wrists and fingers feel protected. I didn’t feel any discomfort or pressure points when wearing these, which was nice. My other gloves usually irritate my wrists and fingers.” —Krisha Joshi, Verywell Fit product tester
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Absorb impact well with solid wrist support
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Durable, high-quality materials
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Comfy fit with ample space to wear hand wraps
Key Specs
Size: 10-18 ounces | Material: Vylar vegan leather | Glove Type: Bag | Our Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Who They’re For
Best for committed boxers who want to invest in high-quality, protective boxing gloves.
Why We Love Them
If you’re an experienced boxer ready to invest in high-quality gloves, check out Hayabusa’s T3 Boxing Gloves. Boxing trainer Miles Hill says that the flatter shape of these gloves helps to ensure that your knuckles strike the proper area during each punch, and we agree—we felt like we were able to stay consistent with good form throughout our workout while still feeling very protected.
These gloves offer solid wrist support and a high level of in-glove padding. They absorbed the impact of each bag punch well, and the high level of cushioning helped stabilize our wrists during our workout. Plus, they were very comfy and spacious, and even with hand wraps, we had ample room to flex our fingers. Made of high-quality vegan leather and one of Miles’ favorite picks, you can rest assured that your investment will stand the test of time.
Potential Flaws
- Because they have two Velcro straps, we found them difficult to put on and adjust on our own. However, we had no problem removing them.
- Despite the breathability features, our hands still became very hot during our workout. These aren’t ideal for anyone who runs warm or gets very sweaty during workouts.
Most Valuable Insight
“I appreciate how supportive these boxing gloves are on my knuckles and wrists. This pair reminded me to maintain good form and use proper technique and hand placement upon impact with the heavy bag. They felt comfortable even for my small hands, so I feel these would work and adjust well for hands of all sizes.” —Amy Kwan, Verywell Fit product tester
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Dense padding absorbs impact well
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Lightweight and breathable
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Stay securely in place throughout workout
Key Specs
Size: 8-18 ounces | Material: Faux leather | Glove Type: Training | Our Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Who They’re For
Best for boxers who want a budget-friendly glove that’s stylish, high-quality, and supportive.
Why We Love Them
Whether you’re just getting started with boxing or looking for a more budget-friendly option, RDX’s Kara Boxing Training Gloves are a fantastic option. Offering dense cushioning without being too thick, these sleek gloves absorb impact very well while also allowing us to maintain control and speed easily. Plus, we love that their user-friendly design makes them a breeze to adjust and remove on our own.
We found that our gloves remained dry and comfortable despite a very sweaty workout. The malleability of the cushioning helped to enhance our workout performance, and our wrists felt stabilized with each punch. We also love that this glove feels more lightweight than others, allowing us to flow through our workout with speed and ease. And despite being easy to adjust, we appreciate that they stay securely in place throughout our entire workout, never requiring any adjustments.
Potential Flaws
- While we appreciate their wrist support, the stiffness in this area caused mild discomfort during our longer workouts.
- Since they run on the small side, boxers with larger hands may feel that these gloves aren’t a good fit.
Most Valuable Insight
“My favorite thing about these gloves is their sleek, lightweight design and flexibility. It really enhanced my range of motion during the workout and allowed me to hit more effectively and with better control.” —Larissa Irankunda, Verywell Fit product tester
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Easy to put on, adjust, and take off alone
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Plush padding that molds to hands
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Secure fit, without the hands shifting at all upon impact
Key Specs
Size: 8-16 ounces | Material: Faux leather | Glove Type: Training | Our Overall Rating: 4.9/5
Who They’re For
Best for boxers with smaller hands who want a snug fit that still offers plenty of padding.
Why We Love Them
If your hands are on the small side, you’ll love Venum’s Elite Boxing Gloves, a high-quality option that’s easy to put on, adjust, and take off without any help from others. These easily adjustable gloves have plush internal padding that comfortably molds to our hands, providing excellent support with every punch. And even when we were wearing hand wraps, we still had enough space to wiggle our fingers comfortably.
We found that we could deliver stronger punches than normal as we moved through our workout and that our hands stayed cool and comfortable, especially compared to other gloves we tested. The snug fit of the glove made us feel comfortable increasing our force, as we felt secure and protected without our hands shifting around at all upon impact. Plus, even after completing longer workouts, we never felt any discomfort or pressure.
Potential Flaws
- Miles notes that these gloves offer less wrist support than other options. However, once we tightened them, the wrist support was adequate for our needs.
Most Valuable Insight
“These boxing gloves have a plush and pleasant internal padding that’s very comfortable for extended use. I could land harder punches on the heavy bag without any issues. There are no pressure points or discomfort after wearing them for some time.” —Amy Kwan, Verywell Fit product tester
Boxing Gloves We Also Tested
We tested seven pairs of boxing gloves, but only five impressed us enough to make our final list of recommendations. Although we liked some of these boxing gloves’ features, they ultimately didn’t meet our rigorous testing requirements to be selected as top picks.
- Everlast’s Elite 2 Hook & Loop Pro Boxing Gloves felt secure when we put them on, and we appreciate the padding around the knuckle and wrist areas. However, these gloves felt too snug and stiff, making them a poor fit for use with hand wraps.
- Sanabul’s Essential Gel Boxing Gloves have a nice, squishy feel, are budget-friendly, and have solid breathability. However, their wrist closures are uncomfortable and the padding was inadequate.
Verywell Fit / Alexander Huang
What to Look for When Shopping For Boxing Gloves
- Sport: Kickboxing gloves are different from standard boxing gloves, and gloves for martial arts (like Muay Thai) are different still. Choosing the correct boxing gloves for your sport will help to ensure that you’re getting the protection that you need without unnecessary padding or other features that could slow you down.
- Training/Competition: If you plan on boxing competitively, you may need more than one pair of gloves. Training gloves may be lighter for bag work or heavier for sparring to protect your hands. Competition gloves tend to be very light, sacrificing padding for speed (and potentially leaving you more susceptible to injury).
- Prior injuries: If you’ve had a finger, hand, or wrist injury in the past, you may want to consider gloves with higher amounts of padding. If your previous injury requires that you wrap your hands, you’ll want to factor that in when you’re looking for boxing gloves.
How We Tested the Boxing Gloves
To find the best boxing gloves, we tested seven options in our Lab from top, trusted brands, wearing them while performing various boxing workouts. When testing boxing gloves, we evaluate each pair based on the following key criteria.
- Fit: When analyzing fit, we consider how the gloves fit with and without hand wraps. Do they feel too tight or loose? Do our fingers and wrists feel comfy and supported?
- Comfort: Does the internal padding feel comfortable? Do we feel any points of discomfort in our hands or wrists during our workout?
- Ease of Use: Are the gloves easy to put on, adjust, and remove? Do the closures feel secure? Is the design user-friendly?
- Breathability: Boxing is an intense workout, and breathability is key for glove comfort. We examine how well the gloves manage moisture and sweat during use and whether they have ventilation features, like mesh panels or perforations.
- Adjustability: When examining adjustability, we ask whether the gloves can be adjusted to fit a range of hand sizes and how effective the closure system is at maintaining a customized fit. Does its adjustability impact comfort and performance?
- Protection: Boxing gloves are designed to protect the hands and wrists from injury, and it’s important to select gloves that help keep you safe. Do the gloves provide adequate padding to protect the knuckles, fingers, and wrists from impact and injury?
- Performance: When assessing performance, we look at the gloves’ ability to absorb impact. Do the gloves allow for a full range of motion and provide grip and control throughout the workout?
- Quality: When looking at quality, we ask ourselves about the boxing gloves’ craftsmanship, construction, and stitching. Do the materials seem durable and resistant to wear and tear? We prioritize high-quality options that are built to last.
- Value: After evaluating the boxing gloves in all other key criteria, we check the price. Would we pay full price for the gloves? Would we only buy them on sale? Would we recommend them to loved ones? We prioritize boxing gloves whose quality exceeds their value.
Verywell Fit / Joy Kim
Our Experts
We spoke with boxing experts at each stage of our research, testing, and reporting process. The following experts helped us better understand which key features to look for and what to avoid when shopping for high-quality boxing gloves. Although we choose products independently, expert input influences our decisions.
- Jessica Evans, certified USA boxing coach and lead trainer at FightCamp
- Alli “JoJo” Hinkes, head trainer at Rumble Boxing
- Miles Hill, boxing trainer at Rumble Boxing
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what size boxing gloves to buy?
Hinkes recommends making sure that you can comfortably make a fist inside the glove and that you have room for hand wraps if you’re going to use them. Eight to 10-ounce gloves are good for light boxing training and some speed, while 12-ounce gloves can be used with bags and mitts, says Hinkes. Options that are 14 to 16 ounces offer more protection and can be used if you’re doing more conditioning, she adds. In addition to choosing the right size based on ounces of padding, Hill recommends trying different brands, as fit can vary.
Can I use the same boxing gloves for bag work and sparring?
It’s best to use a heavier pair of gloves for sparring to protect your hands and your opponent and a lighter pair of gloves for bag work. If you’re going to participate in both sparring and bag work and only want to purchase a single pair of gloves, it’s important to go with the heavier option. This can make a big difference when it comes to protecting your hands and your opponent and will give you some extra resistance during bag work. While this may negatively affect your speed, it will positively affect your conditioning.
How often should l replace my boxing gloves?
With proper maintenance and care, a solid glove could last one to two years, if not longer, says Hill. Evans says it’s key to consider glove material when determining how often you’ll need to pick up a new pair, noting that leather gloves tend to be more expensive and durable compared to budget-friendly synthetic materials, which will need to be replaced more frequently.
Why Trust Verywell Fit
Amanda Berkey, M.Ed., is a Verywell Fit health and fitness writer who has been testing and reviewing at-home fitness, wellness, and nutrition products for over a decade. She understands that fitness is an investment and believes in providing readers with clear-cut, to-the-point recommendations. Amanda loves HIIT workout equipment, yoga gadgets that help her get a good stretch, and simple-to-store strength training equipment.