Top 7 Best Kickboxing Gloves That Can Change Your Training
Kickboxing can be a great way to get in some cardio whether you’re a professional, amateur, or just out to improve your fitness. No matter your fitness goals, you should have the right training gloves to keep you safe while not hindering your performance.
As kickboxing gloves can come in all varieties and be used in many different sports from MMA to general boxing, we know that buying the right kind can turn into an exhausting, time and money consuming search.
That’s why we’ve reviewed the good and bad of seven of the best kickboxing gloves so you can cut down on your search and get to your training quicker.
At A Glance: Best Kickboxing Gloves
The Ringside Apex Boxing Kickboxing Muay Thai Training Gloves Gel uses IMF technology for greater shock absorption and protection, while the hook-and-loop closure straps allow you to put them on and take them off easy and fast.
Sanabul Essential GEL Boxing Kickboxing Training Gloves use Durasoft Protection Foam that increases comfort while preventing injury to your hands. The longitudinal arch design helps you keep a proper fist.
RDX Maya Hide Leather Grappling MMA Gloves are designed with material that should last well over time, and they feature a D. Cut palm that draws away moisture while giving you a better grip and range of motion.
The Everlast Women’s Pro Style Training Gloves are conformed to naturally fit your hands, and it has full padding on both the front and back of the wrists that provides all-around protection and promotes better technique.
The RDX Maya Hide Leather Boxing Gloves Gel uses exclusive Quadro-Dome tech to disperse force equally, and the thick, Supremo-Shock Foam padding on knuckles and separate padding over the wrist-joint keeps your hands safe.
Harbinger Men’s WristWrap Bag Glove w/ Cushioned Palm has patented WristWrap tech to stabilize the wrists along with cushioned palms to absorb shock. The padded open finger design and hinged thumb gives you a complete range of motion.
Hayabusa Fightwear Tokushu Regenesis Gloves are designed with patented Dual-X Wrist closure and Fusion Splinting that enhances wrist support and delivers nearly 100% perfect alignment. The ergonomic thumb position aims to eliminate awkward strain on the thumb and wrist.
Reviews of The Best Kickboxing Gloves
The Ringside Apex Boxing Gel Gloves are available in nine different colors, and are designed with a ventilated palm and thumb to increase your comfort while using and also keep them nice and dry.
The tapered, hook-and-loop closure gives you a firm and secure wrap around the wrist.
IMF padding absorbs punishment so that you can hit the heavy bag without injuring yourself.
They can be put on and taken off rather quick, which can be an ideal feature during aerobic kickboxing that may require you to perform other exercises.
The gloves also have a snug and comfortable fit so that you can train longer.
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Sanabul Training Gloves have a longitudinal arch design to help you keep a proper fist when striking, and the secure Velcro straps help with support and ease of putting on/taking off.
The use of high quality, performance engineered leather makes these gloves easy to clean and maintain.
They’re versatile as well as they can be considered some of the best sparring gloves to get on a budget.
The gloves are comfortable to use during extended training, and the Velcro straps give you the freedom to remove them quickly for better solo training.
Mesh palms help cut down on sweating to let you stay dry and cool.
They’re recommended for beginners who don’t want to sacrifice protection for price.
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These gloves are made from Maya Hide synthetic material for better durability. Along with the moisture-wicking microfiber, the D. Cut palm-side design also helps draw away moisture to enable better breathability.
The gloves have an improved Quick-EZ Velcro closure to support the wrists, while the Tri-Slab padding curves over the knuckles for shock-impact protection.
The gloves have a good design to be used well for the various drills performed during kickboxing classes.
The leather is both durable and soft, and they shouldn’t irritate your hands after extended use.
Wrist support is adequate, but it may not be enough to use without hand wraps. Due to that feature, beginners may wish to practice developing proper punching form as the straps aren’t designed to help keep your wrists straight.
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The Everlast Women’s Pro Style Gloves are made with a blend of polyurethane and polyester, and they feature dense, two-layer sandwich foam along with additional padding across the front and back of the wrist for greater protection.
They’re conformed to naturally fit your hands, and the antimicrobial properties keep gloves cool and free of odors.
The material used is adequate enough for decent durability, but it may not last as long as leather-based gloves.
For beginners, they can work rather well.
The wrist support helps stabilize you in the event of improper punching technique.
As long as the right size is purchased, they can be roomy enough to be worn comfortably with hand wraps.
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Extra thick padding on knuckles and a separate padded block over the wrist-joint coupled with gel lining can give you a better range of shock absorption and protection.
The gloves feature an easy Velcro closure system and longer straps for greater wrist support.
The snugness of the gloves helps distribute force, and they stretch somewhat over time for better use with hand wraps.
Some may find that they provide good support and protection without hand wraps if they fit right.
They’re lightweight, comfortable, and the leather comes across as soft.
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These gloves have a hinged thumb and fully padded open finger design to give you a greater range of motion.
The patented WristWrap technology stabilizes the wrists, and the ultra-light padding and cushioned palm protects the hands and absorbs shock.
As they may fit tight, wearing a size up if planning to use hand wraps is preferable.
The distribution of weight is good enough to help prevent hand fatigue. Fit is both flexible and snug.
Concerning design, they give you more flexibility to perform bag work in between other kickboxing exercises without having to remove the gloves.
As with other leather gloves, these stretch out over time, so bear that in mind when choosing the size.
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The patented Dual-X Wrist Closure and Fusion Splinting enhance wrist support. These features allow for an almost 100% perfect alignment.
Exclusive Hayabusa AG inner fabric, along with better ventilation, helps with breathability while providing anti-odor properties.
For longevity, the gloves are made with Vylar-2 engineered leather that has a crack resistant technology.
Although they feel extremely light in weight, they can still offer good protection for bag work.
The suede-like thumb fabric is good for wiping away sweat.
Initially, comfort might be an issue as the mold in the gloves may prevent you from curling your fingers while punching.
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The World of Kickboxing: More Than Just a Professional Sport
Benefits of Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a multi-varied sport. It makes use of several techniques found in the likes of boxing and martial arts such as karate and Muay Thai.
Since it requires you to perform in different ways, it can provide you a complete, full-body workout.
When you’re kickboxing, you’re generally targeting muscles in the upper and lower body.
The various turns and other movement can affect your core and torso, while the jumps and kicks can lead to better toned leg muscles.
Through striking a punching bag, you’ll get to work on the muscles in your shoulders, back, and arms.
Kickboxing can also provide an aerobic experience, one that not only burns calories, but also improves your overall endurance.
Additionally, as you learn a series of punching, kicking, and blocking techniques, kickboxing can serve as a well-rounded self-defense program.
Using a Heavy Bag
One of the primary equipment used in kickboxing training is the heavy punching bag. Using a heavy bag gives you the opportunity to build your power as well as improve your coordination and endurance.
You can spend a lot of time moving around the bag to perform different combinations of both kicks and punches. As it swings, you can work on your timing and coordination.
Although some people can work a heavy bag with hand wraps alone, it can be more beneficial and safer to use the right kind of gloves.
You may choose to utilize some of the most popular, best boxing gloves to get more padding and knuckle protection.
Others may opt for gloves suited in MMA.
Both types can be used against a bag, but it may depend on how you work the bag.
Cardio kickboxing not only makes use of a heavy bag, but also additional exercises from jumping (e.g. jump rope, jumping jacks) to push ups.
Because of that, some users may be more comfortable with gloves that provide the greater range of motions found in MMA.
Regardless of what you’re more comfortable with, when you go into a heavy bag, you need to have the right protection. Otherwise, you can risk injuring your hand.
When you’re shopping for gloves, be sure to go over all the features to see which ones give the protection as well as the mobility you will need to have a successful training experience.
Also, remember to wrap your hands, as well as the right hand wraps, give you that extra layer of protection.
The Winner: RDX Maya Hide Leather Grappling MMA Gloves
There are dozens of gloves that you can use that will keep you safe and comfortable, but to pick one, we suggest going with the RDX Maya Hide Leather Grappling MMA Gloves.
They’re considered by us to be the best kickboxing gloves as they can be used effectively in training by professionals or in a kickboxing class that anyone can take.
The curved padding across the knuckles is just enough for some light to medium bag work, while the D. Cut palm design not only allows moisture to escape, but also grants you a better grip.
It’s designed in a way to be used well for the variety of exercises seen in kickboxing training from push-ups to bag work.
