I'm 35 and find that heavy physical activities help me relieve aggression. No plans to become a boxer. Plan to join a gym soon to work on proper form in order to avoid injuries from improper technique. Buying an AquaBag 21" for the home. I have everything I need but the gloves. My job heavily relies on my hands and wrists. I injured my hand (hairline fracture to hand directly above the area between ring and pinky fingers). In the past I spent four years with an undiagnosed pain condition in my hands. That cleared up on its own 4 years ago. I've read a lot about how repeatedly striking a heavy bag can lead to injuries so I'd like to protect my hands as much as possible; realizing no gloves are injury proof. From my research, Winning (@ $300 a pair) appears to provide the best protection. But online guides state I can spend about half as much for about 80% of the protective quality of the Winning gloves. But I can't find many other bag gloves that I am fairly positive would protect my hands and wrists. I'm hoping you guys can give me some feedback or suggest some gloves you think offer serious protection. Here is my criteria: About Me 250lbs, 5'11, out of shape, getting back on track with nutrition/exercise/self-help for the mind (i.e. anger management, anxiety/stress management, positive mental focus, etc...). Plan is to bulk up and remain in the 200 to 250 range with a focus on strong upper body. Why A Heavy Bag Versus Other Options? I have anger issues. I can't leave the home often for various reasons. I'd like to do something here as often as I can. Hitting things really helps. Boxing Interests? Other than watching fights, just smashing the heavy bag for now. Initial plans are to just plow away at it to relieve stress and anger. If my hands do alright, I'll likely expand into traditional boxing training with zero interests towards sparring or fighting. Desired Gloves, Information Glove Weight: 16oz Glove Type Boxing style bag gloves (most protection, or so I've read). The more padding the better. I prioritize protection above anything else. Wraps? Mexican Hand Wraps 180" (unless suggested otherwise) Additional Protection? I've heard of knuckle guards and I've seen wrist support garments and fractured wrist style splints (though not for boxing). Not sure if anything like this would be needed after wraps. Was hoping you guys could offer feedback on whether it is useful or not. Additional Thoughts I'm also learning Wing Chun, primarily for self-defense and exercise. When my adrenaline is pumping I feel almost no pain. More than others I've met, though "others" have been normal folks, not trained fighters. Heavy hitting is my primary focus for personal training. The primary reason I'm worried about injuring my hands, as I plan to practice this often. Any help, suggestions, feedback, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
If you are not into boxing you shouldn't spend so much money in Winning gloves. I do recomend (I speak from experience with both gloves): Cleto Reyes as those last a long time and the padding in the wrist area protect a lot, plus the impact feels amazing (ideal for anger managment) instead of a softer kind of glove. At first use those are very stiff, but with use they become softer and easier to make a fist. Sabas (Pro series model) that are cheaper than Cleto Reyes but great quality as well. The padding isn't as hard as Reyes (already broken in) but the feeling is similar to a pair of Reyes after a year of use (pretty nice). Those are more compact and better fitting to the hand plus a more comfortable thumb position. Less padding on the wrist area but very firm and protective too. As I see you are from the U.S. I'd go for Sabas as the company is based in there (even when the gloves are made in México) you the shipping charge I had to pay won't apply to you. PD: Go for gloves with velcro as you'll work by yourself.
Thank you very much for your response Caimán. I've been looking into the Cleto Reyes and a regular remark I hear is that they are lighter on padding, compared to a lot of the competitors. But that the feel of the hit is one of the best out there. I very well might move on past heavily padded gloves, but I wanted to start with as much as possible. That is the only reason I haven't been more excited about the Reyes. However, I came across an article last night, from a 10 year boxer, that went over the gloves he has liked and not liked. He mentioned the Sabas Supersoft 16oz being the closest thing to the feel and design of Winning gloves. I then found a video on Youtube where somebody compared both the Winning and the Sabas Supersoft using a 12 point system. Sabas won out by a single point. Even if this guy is a fan of Sabas, other reviews seem to support his claims. Given the price for Sabas, I'm seriously considering them. They don't have any 16oz available right now, but if I custom order I can get a pair in the 16oz size. Plus the gloves look fantastic and the looks can be further customized. Very cool. This is the leading glove right now. I'm asking you fine folks for some feedback, just to make sure I'm not unaware of better alternatives. I really appreciate your time. Thank you Caimán
I think you've already taken the most important precaution with your choice of heavybag. I never liked water-filled bags because they don't give the satisfying "smack" that you get from hitting a traditional bag, but the effect on hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders is miles apart. Wise decision. Most gloves from known manufacturers are going to give you plenty of protection out of the box. The real questions are durability and fit. Durability: I'm always surprised to see guys using the same pair of gloves after three or four years and hundreds of rounds on the heavy bag. Anything made of foam rubber that takes that kind of abuse is going to wear out. In that regard, you probably can presume that the more expensive gloves will last longer, but you always want to monitor how well the padding is holding up no matter the initial price point. Fit: Gloves are made around someone's idea of average hand dimensions within a given size range. Unsurprisingly, not everyone has the same idea of what that average is. You want your gloves to fit right. The fit can affect everything from your ability to make a good fist to avoiding a broken thumb to hitting with the wrong set of knuckles. In particular, gloves that are too tight can mess with your bone alignment and make you more susceptible to injury. Once you start adding wraps and knuckle guards, fit becomes even more complicated. I'd order gloves from a place with a generous return policy so you can try them on before committing. Finally, regarding wraps and knuckle guards: I don't use either of them on the bag, but I also don't have hand problems, and my livelihood doesn't depend on my hands being in perfect shape. As a general matter, anything that you put between your fist and the bag is going to absorb and disperse some of the energy from the blow. I'm sure you know that improperly wrapping the hands can also lead to injury (I've made that mistake), so it's time well-spent to get it right. I've seen neoprene quick-wraps that are sort of glove-like, and those may take away a lot of the variables of hand wrapping. Again, anything that you put on your hands has to fit inside your glove. Happy training! You and I use the same style of therapy.
I wouldn't even box if I were you. From what you told me it sounds like your hands are your bread and butter for work. It is not good to engage in an activity that primarily places extreme amounts of stress on your hands and wrists if you make a living by those hands and wrists. Especially if you have no desire to compete. If you are needing an outlet to channel anger then you need to eliminate the source of your anger and/or seek medical attention. It isn't healthy to have to satisfy violent tendencies in order to deal with everyday life. What are you going to do when you get extremely pissed off and can't get to a punching bag? Jail time. Honestly, I don't get why people do boxing just for exercise. If I'm training to fight then I want to find out how good I am in an actual fight.
I only use Winning now. MS-300 (10oz) for pad work & MS-600 (16oz) on the bag and sparring. They are expensive but you get what you pay for and there are no better gloves on the market for hand protection imo. Like another poster has already mentioned, with being in the States, the Sabas Supersofts are a good shout. Not tried them personally, but I've heard good things about them. Here in the UK, I would of suggested the Lonsdale Barn Burner 16oz lace ups. I bought them new for £50 and I was pleasantly surprised with them. Good hand/wrist protection with good weight distribution.
Most important thing is that you nail down the proper punching fundamentals, especially landing with your index finger and middle knuckles and keeping your wrist straight when you're throwing hooks. I used to work out in 14-oz Title Gel Rush bag gloves and liked them a whole lot. Great bang for the buck (especially if you catch them on sale).
Gloves that are good for training and heavy bag workouts for the Fortis Elite boxing gloves. They have easy to put on with velcro straps, made with genuine leather for extra durability and more comfortable. You can get them on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072MBC67X If you want a 50% discount off the gloves, private message me and I will send you a discount code for them.
