What Is the Weight of Boxing Gloves?
Boxing gloves are crucial pieces of equipment for the safety of everyone in the sport and they come in different sizes according to people’s weight and hand size. But boxers will have various pairs of boxing gloves for the different aspects of their training routine, as well as another pair specifically for competitive matches. So how do you know what size you should wear? Do beginners need three pairs of gloves as well as professionals or is there one type of glove that can suit all parts of boxing training?
We’re here to help you understand the meaning behind the different-sized gloves and help you find the right weight of boxing gloves for you.
Boxing Gloves Weight Meaning
Boxing gloves are usually unisex and not necessarily sized according to hand size, but rather weight. Standard boxing glove sizes range from 8 to 18 oz (ounces) and will change according to the amount of padding in the glove that causes the weight to change. But it’s not sufficient to say the smaller you are, the smaller gloves you need, as each boxer will use different gloves for different actions.
Generally speaking, the following glove sizes are appropriate for the following people’s weights:
- Under 45 kg need 6 – 8 oz gloves
- 46 – 68 kg need 10 – 12 oz gloves
- 69 – 80 kg need 14 oz gloves
- Over 80 kg need 16 – 18 oz gloves
As with many old British sports, boxing gloves are still measured in imperial units rather than metric, however, for reference, one ounce is approximately 28 grams.
If you’re a beginner and want just one pair of standard boxing gloves to start practising the sport, this is an excellent guide to go by. However, if you intend to advance quickly with your training or want to diversify your boxing training, you should have a few pairs depending on what activities you do.
Tip for Working Out Your Glove Size
Of course, not everyone has the same size hands in proportion to their weight, so if your hands are larger or smaller than average, you’ll need to get a pair of gloves that fits you. Having boxing gloves that are too big can leave your hands moving around too much within the glove, leading to injury as your hands aren’t supported. In the same way, boxing gloves that are too small can cause injury to your hands and wrists as your movement is restricted and your muscles can’t flex and stretch sufficiently in each manoeuvre.
You can measure the circumference of your hand with a tape measure, wrapping it in a loop around the palm and back of your hand, below your knuckles and above your thumb joint to get an accurate measurement.
The following boxing glove sizes are appropriate for these specific hand circumference measurements:
- 6 – 8 oz gloves for 5.5 – 6.5”
- 10 – 12 oz gloves for 6.5 – 7.5”
- 14 oz gloves for 7.5 – 8.5”
- 16 – 18 oz gloves for 8.5 – 9.5″
What Size Boxing Gloves Do You Need?
What boxing gloves you choose is dependent on what kind of training you do and how far you’d like to advance with your boxing. For people participating in boxing fitness classes, you’ll only need one kind of boxing glove for when you do rounds on punching bags or striking focus pads. However, more advanced boxers will need three pairs, one for each activity.
When you train with punching bags, you’re hitting a heavy object that’s creating a lot of resistance to your punches. This resistance can cause powerful shockwaves to disperse through your hand, wrist, arm and even to your neck which can cause muscle strains and other injuries. To avoid this, you need thick, cushioned boxing gloves to protect your hands. After all, the punching bag won’t be affected by your punches, but you will, so it’s best to reduce the risk of pain and injury as much as possible.
Similarly, when sparring, you don’t want to hurt your training partner or yourself, so you’ll need a slightly thicker pair of boxing gloves than you use with punching bags to provide extra protection for you and your sparring partner.
When competing or participating in real boxing matches, contrary to popular belief, you need a lighter pair of boxing gloves than you would use in training. This is because heavy boxing gloves don’t actually make you punch harder, but they add more of a cushion to soften the blow. So when striking a real opponent, you want them to feel the full force of your punch, so thinner, lighter boxing gloves are needed.
What Size Boxing Gloves Do Professional Boxers Use?
Professional boxers will have several pairs of boxing gloves for their training and fighting, but the lighter the weight division, the lighter the boxing gloves. Former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, famous for his mighty punching power, used 18 oz boxing gloves when sparring to protect his coach from his full force. But when competing in real fights, Tyson would use 10 oz gloves, to increase his chances of getting a knockout.
Likewise, super featherweight and lightweight fighter Floyd Mayweather would wear 8 – 10 oz gloves when in the ring, which are the lightest gloves permitted in real fights. For his fight with Conor McGregor, the pair were allowed 8 oz gloves due to their size, and the fact that McGregor, a UFC fighter, usually wears 4 oz fingerless gloves when competing in MMA tournaments.
Mixed Martial Arts gloves are different from boxing gloves to allow for certain grappling manoeuvres that are illegal moves in boxing, so if you’re considering switching from one sport to another, make sure you get the right fighting gloves for the combat sport you’re doing.
Why You Need Hand Wraps
If you’ve watched professional boxing matches, you’ll have seen the fighters wrapping their hands up with a strip of material that looks somewhat like a bandage before they put their gloves on. But this isn’t a bandage, this is called a hand wrap. Hand wraps are sturdy pieces of material that provide extra support to the hands, especially the knuckles and wrists, where there are fewer muscles to support the bones, tendons and ligaments.
With 27 bones in each hand, our hands have the highest concentration of bones in the whole human body, so hefty punches can greatly risk injury to our hands and wrists. Hand wraps tightly grip the bones, ligaments and muscles in the hands, and pass between each knuckle, to provide support and prevent anything from moving in an awkward or uncomfortable position that may cause injury. So, if you think some boxing gloves may be slightly too big for your hand size, bear in mind that you’ll need a little extra room for your hand wraps to go underneath too.
Where to Buy Boxing Equipment in the UK
You can find some boxing equipment on the high street and have the benefit of trying them on before you buy them, however, most chains of sports shops offer a large variety of sports equipment, so you can’t guarantee the quality of the equipment you’re buying – especially in cheaper ones.
Fortunately, Maxx Pro Boxing is a boxing and combat sports equipment specialist, selling affordable and durable boxing equipment from punching bags and focus pads to boxing gloves and protective equipment. Order online and get your equipment within 5 working days to start training within the week! Our team of combat sports experts design and produce each piece of equipment especially for its intended purpose, so you can guarantee a high-quality product that will help you train, whatever your skill level.
Buy the Best Boxing Gloves Today!
Looking for the best boxing gloves? Browse our collection of boxing gloves in different colours, sizes and training purposes today, so you can start your boxing training in no time. We even have equipment designed specifically for children, so your little ones can get involved in boxing safely.
