ClampXVII;47818937]Salutations readers! I have another product from Ring to Cage to review for your reading pleasure. In this review I will be taking on their Thai Style Sparring gloves. I thought it was about time I did a review of these since many of my students currently have these gloves. They're patterned after the classic Thai style training gloves and have much in common with the kind of girls I like. Short and thick. Lets see if they're something you'd want to take home to momma.
From the manufacturer's website:
Thai-Style Sparring Gloves (RC08)
Classic Thai style, evenly distributed padding protects your entire hand, tight and compact design.
Shock-absorbing, high density foam core, Thumb attached for added safety.
$70.00 + Shipping
The main reason for buying these gloves was that I needed a good all around training glove that was also going to be affordable for my students. I wanted to find a balance between affordability and quality and after trying out a few other gloves from Ring to Cage's catalog including the MiM training gloves (my fav!), I decided these gloves best met the needs of the Muay Thai program. They're 100% leather, they are compact so clinch wrestling is easier with these than bulkier gloves, they're reasonably priced (esp. at wholesale), and out of the box they have thick padding but felt light for a 16oz glove.
I want to start off by say that I really like the look and design of these gloves. They're not flashy but they're also not bland. They have just enough style to get compliments without making you look like a Power Ranger and attracting too much attention. They come in 2 basic color schemes that I've ordered for my students (red/black and green/black). The craftsmanship on these gloves are very good. Everything from the quality of the soft yet durable leather to the stitching to the slick nylon lining is solid. I hand inspected every pair (at least 12) that went out to my students and they were all consistent in terms of quality. However, there were 2 pairs from the very first batch I ordered where 1 pair had a little bit of extra lining material that would bunch at the fingers and the other pair had a slight color bleed issue where the paint wore off on the thumb from excessive use. What's funny about this is that with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th orders of these gloves I never experienced that problem again so I'm positive it was just an isolated incident.
What I liked most about these Thai gloves and what made me pick this model to carry at the school is the padding. They're cushy enough to protect my hands during heavy bag and mitt work and thick and soft enough to punch people with. These gloves allow my students and I to spar at a faster pace with decent power shots without any of the students feeling someone's knuckles through the padding or leaving bruises on the face or body. After a week and some days of using them I think they're a great pair of sparring gloves. The shots that were being landed could have been worse in other models of the same style, but with these you feel like you're protecting your hands as well as your partner's face. Now these gloves wouldn't be my first choice for bag work since they aren't made for that reason, but they'll handle the job without any problems. After the gloves were broken in we could go the whole class hitting bags and mitts pain free.
One thing I want to mention about almost all Thai-Style gloves is that they aren't known for providing the best wrist support, but the support provided by these gloves is actually pretty decent. I was worried about this at first because we do a lot of heavy bag and mitt work and our previous supplier's gloves just weren't up to the task, but these models provided my team and I with enough protection where we didn't fear our wrists would roll or buckle during bag work. Since the switch there have not been anymore complaints of sore hands, knuckles, or wrists. That lets me know I made the right choice with these gloves.
Since the gloves are Thai style the grip bar isn't as thick as one that you would find on a pair of western style boxing gloves. They are thick enough to help me make a good fist during punching, but small enough to where they didn't hinder my clinch game. Thanks to the smaller grip bar I found I could open my hands wide enough to get a good grip to control the back of my partners head, neck, and bicep during clinching work. The thumb position in my opinion is another feature I found to be well designed. They're curved so I didn't once jam my thumbs during mitt or bag work unlike other Thai gloves that position their thumb too straight in order to open the wearer's hands for clinching but put the thumb in jeopardy of being jammed.
One comment that I heard a few times from my students when they first tried out the glove was that they are really tight fitting. Some of the students liked it and some didn't at first. I mentioned in previous reviews that I have fat hands so the hand compartment did feel a bit tight, but like any good pair of gloves they broke in and molded to my hand awesomely. After a few sessions I was left with a very comfortable pair of gloves, and the students who at first didn't like the tight fit also found them to be very comfortable after their breaking in process was complete. I personally don't think these gloves are made for people with long fingers since they're short and compact. So if you're someone with longer fingers or if you have bigger than normal hands and are interested in buying these gloves then I would recommend moving up a size. My students were happy after breaking in their 16oz versions but 1 of my students preferred the fit and the extra weight of the 18oz versions. The hand compartment of the 18oz were a little longer and a little wider than the 16oz but still molded around his gargantuan hands (I put his pair on and thought I was reaching into a well or something).
The nylon lining inside the glove is slick and smooth and dried quickly after each training session, and since the palms are ventilated my hands didn't feel like they were in an oven. They still go sweaty in there, but not to the point where it felt like a puddle was forming at the fingers of the glove. A small but much appreciated feature that I wish all gloves came with.
There you have it, my thoughts on the Ring to Cage Thai-Style Sparring gloves. A very good option for those looking for a softer Thai-Style sparring glove and a must buy when you can get them on sale. Highly recommended!
Final Score 9/10 -1 for a tight fit that might prevent those with giant hands or long fingers from enjoying this glove.
For people who don't like to read:
+All leather construction
+Soft padding
+Great Design and color options
+Perfect for Muay Thai and clinch work
+Great thumb placement
+Comfortable lining and ventilation keeps the glove comfortable
+Lots of size options
-Really tight fit for large hands
-Users with long fingers might have to go up a size
You can find this glove and other high quality training equipment from
MMA Gear, Boxing, Muay Thai Gear, Training Equipment, Ring To Cage Fight Gear
The original review can be found here:
Ring To Cage Thai Style Sparring Gloves Review
Pictures
With your sparring partner's face in mind, how do these compare to the Ring to Cage MIM gloves you mentioned?
Many thanks.
