Sabas ProSeries or UMA rt41 for bagwork?

[Benry]

Greetings

A while ago I made a thread asking for sparring glove advice and, based on responses I got, found a pair of 16oz lace up Cletos. Love them to death, but now I'm looking to upgrade my bag gloves to something that doesn't mess with my hands.

More specifically I'm looking at Sabas' ProSeries TCs or UMA's lace up rt41s.

I'm trying to find something closer to the Grant padding/profile/look (slimmer glove, split thumb, etc) without breaking the bank and the custom UMA's are about as high as I can go.

Between those two, which one would be the better bang for my buck, knowing my only other requirements?

Also, if there are any other suggestions I would appreciate anything you guys have!

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

UMA41s are not like Grants. They are not slim... Between those two I'd go with the Sabas.

UMA41s I'd use for sparring because they're so... puffy...

 

[Benry]

UMA41s are not like Grants. They are not slim... Between those two I'd go with the Sabas.

UMA41s I'd use for sparring because they're so... puffy...

I remember someone saying they were closer to Winnings in terms of padding/design, but I figured that they could still be good bag gloves if I'm looking for knuckle/fist protection, especially since I also read they were comparable to Reyes in terms of leather/padding durability.

From what I've seen lurking around the forum, you punch like a drill. Are there any other brands around the $100-130 price range that you would recommend that are pretty durable but still protect the hands? I'm pretty partial to the split thumb design that Grant and Sabas have, and I've looked at the Triumph Death Adders, but I've also read they have iffy stitching.

Although I really love the 16oz Cletos I bought, I don't really want to spend that much again on gloves and I really like how the ones I have feel when sparring so I don't want to use those for bag work, especially since they're white leather which I've heard deteriorates faster.

 

[Kick_@ss_Seabass]

I am a huge fan of Triumph United. Yes the DAs have less then perfect stitching, but they are really good.

Recently purchased the Death Stars and I find them better in terms of fit and stitching seems better.

You could get the new Tiger1 serie gloves would be nice to know how they perform. Also they are made in Thailand so craftsmanship should be perfect.

 

[Benry]

I am a huge fan of Triumph United. Yes the DAs have less then perfect stitching, but they are really good.

Recently purchased the Death Stars and I find them better in terms of fit and stitching seems better.

You could get the new Tiger1 serie gloves would be nice to know how they perform. Also they are made in Thailand so craftsmanship should be perfect.

I'll be completely honest, one of the things I want is for the gloves to look a specific way since I'm going to be using them a majority of the time. I'm a school teacher entering his 30s so sparring is being phased out. I don't want to stumble into class one day and be like "Today class we're going to . . . . . I forgot . . . " lol. With that in mind I really dig the split thumb/split color look of the Grants, Death Adders, and Sabas gloves.

I tend to do pretty decent research while shopping, but I also get fixated on exactly what "I" want versus what's actually best for me. That's why I'm here asking for your guys' advice.

If I were to narrow it down to the DAs, the Death Stars, and Sabas, what would be your general assessment for each one in comparison?

Also, I hate the look of the Tiger1s. Title had a similar looking glove and I think they're ugly. Apparently others did too because they were on sale about two months after they debuted them and were on clearance shortly after. The Tiger1's look like a unicorn vomited on the stock Title threw out.

 

[deh707]

What ounce range are you looking for?

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

I remember someone saying they were closer to Winnings in terms of padding/design, but I figured that they could still be good bag gloves if I'm looking for knuckle/fist protection, especially since I also read they were comparable to Reyes in terms of leather/padding durability.

From what I've seen lurking around the forum, you punch like a drill. Are there any other brands around the $100-130 price range that you would recommend that are pretty durable but still protect the hands? I'm pretty partial to the split thumb design that Grant and Sabas have, and I've looked at the Triumph Death Adders, but I've also read they have iffy stitching.

Although I really love the 16oz Cletos I bought, I don't really want to spend that much again on gloves and I really like how the ones I have feel when sparring so I don't want to use those for bag work, especially since they're white leather which I've heard deteriorates faster.

I hear you, man. I like the Reyes for sparring and have basically been saving them for sparring since breaking them in on the bag. I have white as well and they're pretty grungy looking now.

The RT41s are a hell of a lot fluffier than Winnings. On the bag, they provide almost no feedback, which is no fun at all. I would definitely not recommend them for bag work.

The Death Adders have iffy stitching, but it doesn't seem to compromise performance at all. The padding has held up really well despite a lot of abuse on the bag (I'd estimate a solid 3-4 months of use). I still don't know what sort of padding the DAs have that make them the way they are, but they are really fun to use on the bag. I haven't had any hand issues with the TU DAs except an ingrown fingernail from punching the bag wrong one time. The finger compartment is slightly short, but it's not terrible. I would wait until Black Friday to buy the TU DAs on sale. I am definitely going to pick up another pair when they're on sale. You can also give the Death Stars a try at $40...

 

[Benry]

What ounce range are you looking for?

I'm sticking with 16oz. I had a pair of 12oz hook n loop Cletos and I hated how they felt after I got to feel the lace up 16oz Cletos. The balance felt off and I felt like I was punching through the padding, which definitely isn't good because I'm not that great a boxer.

I hear you, man. I like the Reyes for sparring and have basically been saving them for sparring since breaking them in on the bag. I have white as well and they're pretty grungy looking now.

The RT41s are a hell of a lot fluffier than Winnings. On the bag, they provide almost no feedback, which is no fun at all. I would definitely not recommend them for bag work.

The Death Adders have iffy stitching, but it doesn't seem to compromise performance at all. The padding has held up really well despite a lot of abuse on the bag (I'd estimate a solid 3-4 months of use). I still don't know what sort of padding the DAs have that make them the way they are, but they are really fun to use on the bag. I haven't had any hand issues with the TU DAs except an ingrown fingernail from punching the bag wrong one time. The finger compartment is slightly short, but it's not terrible. I would wait until Black Friday to buy the TU DAs on sale. I am definitely going to pick up another pair when they're on sale. You can also give the Death Stars a try at $40...

Yeah the Death Adders look sexy and I figured that if they're holding up to your punishment, they must be pretty well-made. I've thought of grabbing the Death Stars, but I literally have no money outside of the $130 I've acquired through selling other boxing equipment. Being a teacher on a ten month contract sucks lol.

 

[Benry]

I know at this point it probably isn't important any more. But a quick update.

My girlfriend convinced me that I'm never going to be happy unless I get the EXACT gloves I want, so instead of spending 110$ to get a pair in a colorway I'm only going to kind of like, I should go ahead and save up and get a custom pair of Primes. So expect a review around November!

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

I hope you don't regret it...

 

[Benry]

I hope so too. Everything I've read about Sabas has been stellar, and you're the only person that seems to have been able to kill a pair of their gloves. Which leads me to believe that either you have hands of God or the originals simply weren't that durable. Since then it sounds like they've upgraded the padding on all models, and from what I've seen their prime models are the very best they make.

I've tried a pair of Grants that a gymmate owned a while ago and I absolutely loved them. It sounds like the Primes are very close replicas, so I'm hoping that I don't ever sour on the gloves' looks.

Speaking of, how are the SuperSofts holding up? I remember seeing you got a pair after the ProSeries' knuckles died, but I don't recall you ever talking about the padding degrading.

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

I sold the Supersofts after three months because the padding was going... I mentioned in somewhere in the forums. There was a period of about two weeks where the gloves felt perfect, though.

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

To be fair, though, my Reyes are starting to go (I don't know how many months it's been—maybe six or so), but they probably still have a good four months or so.

I don't think it's just me; I've heard other people complain about longevity with Sabas. But, as you said, it could be the older model. I have yet to test out the Primes. Waiting for the Reyes to die.

 

[Benry]

Thanks for the advice and knowledge. I've been boxing for three years now and I still have a lot to learn. I got pretty badly out of shape last year and I've been working on A - Getting back into shape and B - Protecting myself since I'm a school teacher first and a boxing enthusiast second. I've started buying higher-end stuff (Cleto sparring gloves, Cleto headgear), because I worry about my fists and my brain. I don't get a lot of personal coaching or instruction because, even though the coaches know me pretty well at this point, they're more focused on their prospects than on some teacher who's in there to stay healthy. So any equipment I can use to give me some protective edge is pretty important to me.

I've read that Sabas' Prime model is closest to Grant's gloves, which I understand is protective without sacrificing pop, but knowing about the issues before I plunk down $200+ is always important.

I honestly surprised to hear your Cletos are starting to die after half a year. I had a pair of 12oz velcros that I used almost daily and they still looked brand new when I sold them. Only thing I can guess is that I just don't hit that hard lol.

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

Thanks for the advice and knowledge. I've been boxing for three years now and I still have a lot to learn. I got pretty badly out of shape last year and I've been working on A - Getting back into shape and B - Protecting myself since I'm a school teacher first and a boxing enthusiast second. I've started buying higher-end stuff (Cleto sparring gloves, Cleto headgear), because I worry about my fists and my brain. I don't get a lot of personal coaching or instruction because, even though the coaches know me pretty well at this point, they're more focused on their prospects than on some teacher who's in there to stay healthy. So any equipment I can use to give me some protective edge is pretty important to me.

I've read that Sabas' Prime model is closest to Grant's gloves, which I understand is protective without sacrificing pop, but knowing about the issues before I plunk down $200+ is always important.

I honestly surprised to hear your Cletos are starting to die after half a year. I had a pair of 12oz velcros that I used almost daily and they still looked brand new when I sold them. Only thing I can guess is that I just don't hit that hard lol.

Haha, yeah, I don't know what it is. My knuckles are pretty bony so that might contribute to the deterioration in padding. But, as I said, the Cletos still have some life in them. But I can definitely feel a deterioration in padding when I feel the inside of the glove where my two first knuckles are. The training gloves have a lot of padding, so I think I'm still good for a bit. Just annoying with the increased space inside the glove...

Re: teaching: I hear you. I'm currently working on my doctoral dissertation so boxing is definitely not a priority. But I have shown up to school with black eyes before...