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The Triumph United Death Adders were a pair of gloves that have interested me from the start. That Grant style, the color combination, the size, and even those angled knuckles. Man just some interesting gloves overall. When that amazing sale went up I just had to pick these up.
Look
Again that Grant-like style sold me instantly. The black, red, and white coupled with the split thumb, beautiful gloves, absolutely beautiful. Another thing is the overall size, so small for their corresponding weight and even the three cuff style that i usually hate, looked amazing on these. Triumph also uses subtle logos, nothing insane or extreme, subtle and traditional. The angled knuckles, once you make a fist they are prominent which again just adds to that sweet Grant look. Even so though these gloves are in a world of their own and rightfully so.
Quality/Construction/Padding
Ive been using these for a month and a half now regularly and they still look good as new. Bag work and sparring and these gloves are solid through and through. Not only that but they also feel significantly better.
First of all the quality is top notch, the stitching is fine, the welted seams add a beautiful flare, the colors of the leather are vibrant, the logos are printed neatly. No complaints whatsoever, construction and quality are incredible especially for the price. As MEGAhorse has proved too, these gloves can last even after a beating when used as community gloves for a whole gym. These things will last you years and look good doing it.
The padding was my main complaint. Very very stiff padding right out the box. Absolutely hated it but MEGA told me to break it in. For the first 2-3 days I wasnt able to try these things out so instead I broke them in by hand a little. Nothing extreme like bending them backwards and literally breaking the foam. I would just press on the foam all around with my thumbs or my palm. I never timed how long I did this but i couldnt have been more than 10 minutes, honestly maybe just 5 minutes total. And i mean 5 minutes total between those few days. The change was drastic though, the foam softened up incredibly and quick. I could wear these with no discomfort without even having to hit the bag first. Of course bag work, mitts, and sparring further softened them up and they have become some of my most comfortable gloves. The padding also offers some serious protection.
One thing to mention is that there is bundled up leather at the fingertips. Winning has this same feel but the DAs are more extreme probably because of the welted seams, it almost feels like a second grip bar. At first i hated it but ive grown to like it. the first joint of my fingers wraps around it while the remaining joints wrap around the actual grip bar.
The way construction shines the most is the size of the Death Adders. A good rule of thumb is to knock off 2oz. For example my 14oz are the same size as some of my 12oz gloves. A 16oz DA can also come close to a 10oz glove which is just incredible. And its not like the size is mislabeled, these gloves come in very close as they are marked. I do recommend buying the lace ups though as the velcros add more length which sort of ruins the compact feature due to a 4in velcro/elastic closure.
Liner/Ventilation/Comfort
The liner is one of the softest I’ve ever used. So comfortable and inviting, it also does a great job at managing the sweat. No complaints whatsoever and it has easily become one of my favorite liners. To further add the ventilation is just fine, there are no vent holes on the palm but there are on the thumb and the gloves dont heat up.
The comfort of these, like i mentioned out the box they were terrible. I have small hands and that stiff padding actually hurt a little just to make a fist. I hated them, i planned on selling them and trying a larger pair. The hand compartment felt miniscule and just plainly uncomfortable. BUT after the quick couple minutes of breaking in by hand these gloves softened nicely, idealy. The finger compartment was one of my biggest issues but after pressing down on that foam a little it became so comfortable. And again MEGA was right, the more you use these the better they get. The more rounds you put it in the better they feel. You take the time to make these your gloves and youll love them forever. I can make the ideal fist in these, my fingers wrap around the grip bar perfectly. The thumb is also in an ideal position. Again i cant stress it enough, some of the most comfortable gloves ive ever used.
Performance/Protection/Wrist Support
After softening up these become some of the best performing gloves that Ive ever used. Absolute comfort and absolute protection. The compact nature also makes them perfect as sparring gloves because they feel more closer to pro fight gloves. I highly advise you soften them up before sparring in them though but after you put the time in these gloves work for anything.
I can really smash the heavy bag with no pain whatsoever and again that compact size makes them just that much better. The wrist support is also surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because cotton palmside padding isnt that firm and even a large amount can give in pretty easily but these gloves support your wrist just fine and i lace mine up a little loose. Also the hard foam in the three cuffs adds great support as well.
While the palmside padding does its job i would have prefered EVA because for one it adds more support and it also takes up less room. Cotton or whatever similar material that TU uses just takes up too much room and doesnt offer as much support as EVA. This is a personal preference type thing but still worth mentioning.
Some of the best performing gloves that ive ever used and they have become some of my favorites. I love using them on the bag or for sparring and the small size is great for mitts. These gloves work for anything and everything, truly amazing. Some of my go to gloves and so far the only regret i have is that i didnt buy more.
Weight
Again these are true to weight or at least close to it. Coming in at 14.4oz for the left glove and 13.6 for the right glove. Weird weights thats for sure but again very impressive how such a small frame can fit that much weight especially when you move into the bigger ounces.
Cost
The regular price of these things is around $100 and I can completely justify that. Like i mentioned I actually regret not buying another pair at a different size. Not only that but Triumph regularly has some incredible deals. I bought my pair for $50 and some Death Stars because that deal was amazing.
Overall
Man i just cant praise these enough. Beautiful gloves with great performance and construction to match. Easily have become some of my favorite gloves of all time. If you’re like me and you hate stiff padding, break them in by hand a little. Just press on the foam for a couple minutes just to make them comfortable then use them on the bag to soften them up completely. Again the more use you put into them the better they get. I plan on getting 18oz gloves next, you just cant beat that size. Lace ups are the way to go and these gloves offer some amazing protection. If you need a new pair of affordable gloves i highly suggest these.
+Performance
+SIZE
+True to weight*
+Comfortable
+Soften up quick
+Perfect fist
+Color combination
+Construction
+Liner
+Quality
+/-Only one color
+/-Cotton palm side padding
+/-Stiff out the box
-Smallish hand compartment depending on size
-No palm vent holes
Look
Again that Grant-like style sold me instantly. The black, red, and white coupled with the split thumb, beautiful gloves, absolutely beautiful. Another thing is the overall size, so small for their corresponding weight and even the three cuff style that i usually hate, looked amazing on these. Triumph also uses subtle logos, nothing insane or extreme, subtle and traditional. The angled knuckles, once you make a fist they are prominent which again just adds to that sweet Grant look. Even so though these gloves are in a world of their own and rightfully so.
Quality/Construction/Padding
Ive been using these for a month and a half now regularly and they still look good as new. Bag work and sparring and these gloves are solid through and through. Not only that but they also feel significantly better.
First of all the quality is top notch, the stitching is fine, the welted seams add a beautiful flare, the colors of the leather are vibrant, the logos are printed neatly. No complaints whatsoever, construction and quality are incredible especially for the price. As MEGAhorse has proved too, these gloves can last even after a beating when used as community gloves for a whole gym. These things will last you years and look good doing it.
The padding was my main complaint. Very very stiff padding right out the box. Absolutely hated it but MEGA told me to break it in. For the first 2-3 days I wasnt able to try these things out so instead I broke them in by hand a little. Nothing extreme like bending them backwards and literally breaking the foam. I would just press on the foam all around with my thumbs or my palm. I never timed how long I did this but i couldnt have been more than 10 minutes, honestly maybe just 5 minutes total. And i mean 5 minutes total between those few days. The change was drastic though, the foam softened up incredibly and quick. I could wear these with no discomfort without even having to hit the bag first. Of course bag work, mitts, and sparring further softened them up and they have become some of my most comfortable gloves. The padding also offers some serious protection.
One thing to mention is that there is bundled up leather at the fingertips. Winning has this same feel but the DAs are more extreme probably because of the welted seams, it almost feels like a second grip bar. At first i hated it but ive grown to like it. the first joint of my fingers wraps around it while the remaining joints wrap around the actual grip bar.
The way construction shines the most is the size of the Death Adders. A good rule of thumb is to knock off 2oz. For example my 14oz are the same size as some of my 12oz gloves. A 16oz DA can also come close to a 10oz glove which is just incredible. And its not like the size is mislabeled, these gloves come in very close as they are marked. I do recommend buying the lace ups though as the velcros add more length which sort of ruins the compact feature due to a 4in velcro/elastic closure.
Liner/Ventilation/Comfort
The liner is one of the softest I’ve ever used. So comfortable and inviting, it also does a great job at managing the sweat. No complaints whatsoever and it has easily become one of my favorite liners. To further add the ventilation is just fine, there are no vent holes on the palm but there are on the thumb and the gloves dont heat up.
The comfort of these, like i mentioned out the box they were terrible. I have small hands and that stiff padding actually hurt a little just to make a fist. I hated them, i planned on selling them and trying a larger pair. The hand compartment felt miniscule and just plainly uncomfortable. BUT after the quick couple minutes of breaking in by hand these gloves softened nicely, idealy. The finger compartment was one of my biggest issues but after pressing down on that foam a little it became so comfortable. And again MEGA was right, the more you use these the better they get. The more rounds you put it in the better they feel. You take the time to make these your gloves and youll love them forever. I can make the ideal fist in these, my fingers wrap around the grip bar perfectly. The thumb is also in an ideal position. Again i cant stress it enough, some of the most comfortable gloves ive ever used.
Performance/Protection/Wrist Support
After softening up these become some of the best performing gloves that Ive ever used. Absolute comfort and absolute protection. The compact nature also makes them perfect as sparring gloves because they feel more closer to pro fight gloves. I highly advise you soften them up before sparring in them though but after you put the time in these gloves work for anything.
I can really smash the heavy bag with no pain whatsoever and again that compact size makes them just that much better. The wrist support is also surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because cotton palmside padding isnt that firm and even a large amount can give in pretty easily but these gloves support your wrist just fine and i lace mine up a little loose. Also the hard foam in the three cuffs adds great support as well.
While the palmside padding does its job i would have prefered EVA because for one it adds more support and it also takes up less room. Cotton or whatever similar material that TU uses just takes up too much room and doesnt offer as much support as EVA. This is a personal preference type thing but still worth mentioning.
Some of the best performing gloves that ive ever used and they have become some of my favorites. I love using them on the bag or for sparring and the small size is great for mitts. These gloves work for anything and everything, truly amazing. Some of my go to gloves and so far the only regret i have is that i didnt buy more.
Weight
Again these are true to weight or at least close to it. Coming in at 14.4oz for the left glove and 13.6 for the right glove. Weird weights thats for sure but again very impressive how such a small frame can fit that much weight especially when you move into the bigger ounces.
Cost
The regular price of these things is around $100 and I can completely justify that. Like i mentioned I actually regret not buying another pair at a different size. Not only that but Triumph regularly has some incredible deals. I bought my pair for $50 and some Death Stars because that deal was amazing.
Overall
Man i just cant praise these enough. Beautiful gloves with great performance and construction to match. Easily have become some of my favorite gloves of all time. If you’re like me and you hate stiff padding, break them in by hand a little. Just press on the foam for a couple minutes just to make them comfortable then use them on the bag to soften them up completely. Again the more use you put into them the better they get. I plan on getting 18oz gloves next, you just cant beat that size. Lace ups are the way to go and these gloves offer some amazing protection. If you need a new pair of affordable gloves i highly suggest these.
+Performance
+SIZE
+True to weight*
+Comfortable
+Soften up quick
+Perfect fist
+Color combination
+Construction
+Liner
+Quality
+/-Only one color
+/-Cotton palm side padding
+/-Stiff out the box
-Smallish hand compartment depending on size
-No palm vent holes