Although fist-fighting has existed throughout human history, boxing as a sport has evolved over thousands of years. Indeed some of the oldest visual evidence for boxing appears in Sumerian relief carvings dating back 3000 BC. These and other ancient artifacts mostly depict a bare-fisted contests.
However, there is evidence of boxing with gloves from as far back as 1500 BC - with an image found on a carved vase from Minoan Crete which depicts helmeted boxers with strapped fists. In Ancient Greece, it was common practice to tie strips of leather round the hands for protection. By 688 BC, Boxing was already an Olympic sport.
Modern boxing glove dates back to the 1700’s when in Englishman Jack Broughton, who was a bare-knuckle prizefighter himself, came up with a set of rules to help boxing become a respectable sport. Soon boxing gained in popularity and by the late 1800’s gloves were mandated by the Queensbury Rules. Since then, the boxing glove has evolved from a skintight 2 ounce glove to well cushioned 8 ounces or more.
Hands are a boxers’ greatest asset. This makes boxing gloves the most essential pieces of protective gear. When choosing a glove it is important to know the various designs and features available and how they impact your choice.
Fitting
Boxing gloves usually come with either lace-ups or velcro. The lace-up gloves provide better wrist protection by being more snug with a secure fit, however they require assistance from another person to lace. These are the gloves usually worn by professionals for training and competition. The velcro gloves offer convenience and although not as secure a fit as the lace-ups they do offer some stability to the wrist.
Padding
There are many types of padding that have been used in the past - cotton, straw, wool etc. These days however it is either horsehair or foam padding. Synthetic foam has revolutionized the glove. Being denser, it allowed for a slimmer glove compared to the earlier models that were quite large and puffy. It is also more shock absorbent. Horsehair gloves last longer than foam padding gloves and are environmentally friendly, but are less protective.
Material
The gloves can be made of real leather or a synthetic material. Real leather has always been regarded as the best material and these gloves are more durable and comfortable. They are also more breathable and therefore better at handling odor and moisture. But leather gloves are usually the most expensive. Then there are the synthetic gloves - which are mostly cheaper than leather. These usually come in either vinyl, polyurethane (PU) or microfiber. Microfiber being the best of the synthetics as it is closest to real leather in look and feel and just durable. While vinyl and PU are more affordable and lightweight. They are good for entry-level or infrequent training but are less durable and have moisture and odor issues.
Use
Depending on the intended use there are quite a few options. We usually have the Bag gloves, Training gloves, Sparring gloves and Competition gloves. Bag gloves are usually for hitting heavy bags. These usually have less padding compared to regular training gloves to help focus on speed and form. Training gloves are suitable for everyday use in the gym for standard mitt/pad work, heavy bag training and partner drills. They are designed to provide the optimal balance between protection and performance - usually 10-14oz. Sparring gloves are worn to minimize injuries during sparring practices. In most gyms, sparring gloves are required to be 16oz and above in order to lower risks of sparring injuries. Competition gloves are used for competitive purposes in boxing and are built according to official regulations. These usually have less padding and weigh from 6-10oz.
Now that we have covered the various features of a boxing glove and what it means to your training goals, we wish you all the success in finding your ideal glove.
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