by Puncher |
Last Updated: March 23, 2021 Weight of boxing gloves. Important or not?
When choosing the best boxing gloves, you will notice that they come in different weights—the weight ranges from 10 to 20 ounces. The gloves’ weight will usually depend on how you want to use them.
In considering the weight of boxing gloves, you should also consider the type of training you want to do. For example, gloves used for sparring purposes are usually heavier with additional padding when compared to competition gloves.
The extra layers of padding are designed to protect your hands from stress caused by continuous training. Gloves used for training are usually weighted in the front to protect your hands.
Size and weight are usually correlated with each other. Sizes are categorized in ounces which also corresponds to the weight of the gloves; however, this may not apply to all gloves.
Basically, you choose the weight of boxing gloves based on the method of use, while you choose the size of the gloves based on the fit on your hands.
Guide for the most commonly used weights of boxing gloves:
10-ounce boxing gloves
These gloves are small and usually used by professional boxers for competition purposes. Lightweight gloves like these will surely hurt your opponent. So If you are going to spar using these gloves be sure that your opponent is also wearing lightweight gloves to be fair.
Generally, for sparring purposes, bigger gloves are recommended more since they have more padding inside which will prevent your hands and your opponent from getting seriously hurt.
12-ounce boxing gloves
If your weight is below 120 pounds, a lighter pair of gloves like these is recommended when you are training or sparring with an opponent. This weight is also commonly used for competition boxing.
If you are accustomed to using heavier gloves during training, wearing a lighter glove will make you move your hands faster.
14-ounce boxing gloves
People of an average weight and height usually choose gloves with this weight for sparring purposes because of the additional padding and weight.
If you weigh between 120 to 150 pounds, this weight is recommended for use during training with heavy equipment. These gloves can be used when hitting pads and during sparring practice.
An advantage with using slightly lighter gloves is that your arms won’t easily get tired.
16-ounce boxing gloves
Of all the glove weights, this is the most versatile because anyone can train using these gloves. Most gyms have these gloves as their standard gym glove.
If you are a large person, using gloves of this weight category is important to ensure your sparring partner’s safety because of the additional padding.
However, on your part, practicing with pads using these gloves can be tiresome. A person whose weight ranges between 120 and 180 pounds can use these gloves.
18 and 20 ounce boxing gloves
These gloves are very heavily padded. These are recommended to be used by people who have larger body frames and who weigh more than 150 pounds.
You can also use these gloves if you prefer something with lots of padding. Beginners may also use this weight during the early stages of their training to ensure their safety and the safety of their opponent as well.
When they are more accustomed to how they punch and move, beginners can work their way down to a lighter glove until they reach the weight they prefer to use.
When making a purchase, the weight of the gloves should be considered carefully to avoid wasting money and, most importantly, getting injured during use.
Remember, if you need the gloves for sparring, heavier is better. And for competition boxing, lighter ones are more suited.
Other factors to consider include the gloves’ fit. Initially, the gloves should feel really snug since they will stretch and adapt to your hand size the more you use them.
Buying gloves that are slightly smaller in size is commonly recommended to ensure that the fit will still be snug after the break-in phase. Always include your hand wraps when fitting gloves because hand wraps can significantly affect the size of your hand.
If you don’t have your hand wraps with you when fitting gloves, try holding a roll of quarters in your hand while you fit. This technique can mimic the way your hands fit with hand wraps on.