2016 Best Head Gear

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DKOli

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Im struggling to find recent comparisons of the top head guards.

From my research it looks like the best ones are:

Winning fg 5000
Rival d3o Intelli-Shock Pro
Cleto Rayes classic

For this discussion, when I say best I mean best at protecting your brain. Nothing to do with price, comfort or weight as I know for example people often go for the fg 2900 as its great all round and has more visability than the fg 5000.

I want to know what us the best headgear to get to protect my brain. There is always a risk sparring, and being a mathematician/data scientist I should probably be playing chess; but ive always loved physical competition so human chess it is!

So going forward into 2016, whats the best choice to minimize damage?
 
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The fg 5000 stands alone in this department. It isnt bulky, its very light weight-- high visibility headgear. And at this point has always been the number one face saver.

The issue with many face savers is they are too bulky causing u to take hits you normally wouldn't take because the size of the headgear. Some make you look like wes welker in the nfl sporting the gazoo like helmet.

Others have terrible visibility, and its the shots you dont see that hurt you most.

Imo the d30 is just bad i know alot of people seem to like it but the padding surrounding the d30 goes isnt the greatest. So you feel the shots. When u first get it its great then like 100 rounds later which in sparring is nothing... You will notice the change in padding.

As much as i like reyes... Yeah just stay Away from their face savers. While the classic is better than the new one its like a 5/10 compared to the fg 5000
 
I've actually been on this mission myself lately for reasons of my own...

I'm going to give a slightly different opinion. I do not recommend any Winning headgear for "brain" protection. Winning, IMO, is for experienced and high level athletes because of its minimalist design. Winning is about comfort and fit in addition to the protective aspect, in my opinion. Other than the face protection, the FG-5000 is kind of limited in other departments, specifically back of the head protection. The side protection isn't great IMO either.

The forehead has always been described to me as the "plate." meaning it's a thicker, more protective part naturally. So, to me a face protector, especially one that doesn't offer much protection anywhere else isn't satisfactory. I looked for headgear that offered complete protection. What I came up with was this:

- Winning FG series is not satisfactory for "complete" protection, and should be for high level athletes. One of the amateurs at my gym got injured wearing Winning because the guy he was sparring lacked control and hit him with a few rabbit punches to the exposed back part of his head.

- Cleto Reyes fits in the same category, nice side padding, but no back of the head padding.

- Rival D3o is one of the best complete protection headgear. I researched a lot about this headgear and decided to go with another that I'm going to list. When i went to another gym to spar an athlete there had it and it was awesome. To me, it's one of he best "brain protective" headgear I've ever used**. I cannot comment about the quality of the foams because my time with it was really short, but the athlete looked much more comfortable, relaxed, and in less pain when receiving shots when compared to the other guys wearing cheaper headgear. It offers very little, if any nose protection, has nice thick forehead padding, good visibility, good jaw padding, side of the head protection, and an awesome and customizable fastening system on the back that is nicely padded as well.

- Sabas Pro Series Headgear. There's a write up on this piece in the review section. I have sparred with this piece a few times and I've grown to like it a lot. It offers good protection to the nose, cheeks, forehead, back of the head and sides. It's really, IMO, one of the best headgear for complete protection. It has a liner, lace up top and back, and velcro chin strap. The latex is medium density and is great for glove contact sparring, so no elbows and knees; that would require a firmer headgear.

- Title Amateur headgear/ Fighting Sports Amateur headgear/Ringside amateur headgear/Ringside Bomber headgear/ Ringside Masters - I know you said price isn't an issue, but these are lower cost headgear that HAVE to meet safety standards set by USA Boxing before receiving a stamp of approval. They are all 4 layer, laminated foams and IMO very good for complete protection. The amateur headgear has good side, forehead, and back of the head padding, but lacks face protection - even the design with cheeks. The ringside bomber headgear isn't competition legal, but the Master's is and both use the foams that the approved amateur headgear do , but thickens them up. I've seen beginners wear the Ringside Bomber and Masters headgear and literally walk through shots. Those two headgear are massively padded and designed for beginners, that for the price, they are some of the finest beginners equipment you can buy in my opinion. At my gym beginners are only allowed to choose from these headgear listed since they provide so much protection.

- Ringside Deluxe Face Saver Headgear - This is the go to face saver headgear at my gym and the local gym around me. Its medium weight, good visibility, and great padding on the sides and back of the head. Has a liner that absorbs sweat and a buckle strap. A pro that comes by my gym occasionally swears by this piece.

- Hayabusa Boxing face saver headgear - This is a piece I haven't tried, but want to really badly. It protects the whole front of the face, has decent side protection, and back of the head padding. It's one size fits all, which isn't my favorite, but it looks easy to clean, designed well, and very practical. Again, I have no experience with this piece.

That's my interpretation of headgear that provides complete protection. It shows just how different people's opinions can be regard what constitutes protective equipment.

Here's some links:
Ringside Face Saver
Amazon product ASIN B006CUDK9UHayabusa face saver
http://www.mmawarehouse.com/products/hayabusa-tokushu-regenesis-boxing-headgear
Sabas Headgear
http://www.sabasfightgear.com/apps/webstore/products/show/6238532

Edit: **"used" was a poor choice of words. i tried it on and it felt like the most complete protection in addition to seeing it used by another boxer
 
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Having a reach advantage im more worried about hooks than straight shots.

What would you recommend as the best for me?

Thanks again!
 
DKOli said:
Having a reach advantage im more worried about hooks than straight shots.

What would you recommend as the best for me?

Thanks again!
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I don't know who you're asking specifically, but I'll bite.

First, I'd like to state that my opinions are not the most popular sometimes. You can basically divide this forum into two types: the hobbyist and the competitive athlete.

Second, if you continue to train, you will someday meet the individual with the reach advantage that can sink straight shots. It's up to you to decide what you are willing and not willing to sacrifice

For a lot of sherdoggers protection is equaled to the amount of damage taken to the face. This is expected since many people cannot come into work beat up. A lot of guys advocate nose and cheek protection as their metric for safety.

I, on the other hand, was never pretty to begin with, so I'm not concerned with a nose bleed. To me, protection is how much a headgear mitigates the movement of the brain within the skull. So, a headgear like Winning or Reyes leaves the very vulnerable back part of the head open to attack. I don't spar pros that have control over their shots. My sparring experiences are a hectic blur that at times. so, something like Rival or Sabas offer more complete protection for situations like that. Rival states in their promo videos that they specifically worked the design of the D3o headgear to protect the jaw, temples, and back of the head.

If i had to recommend one piece it would be the Sabas Pro Headgear, which i linked above. It not only offers protection against most nose bleeds, but it provides complete protection to the forehead, sides and back. I've only used mine twice, but its my favorite headgear I've used in a long time. going to use it again today, can't wait.
 
MEGAhorse said:
I don't know who you're asking specifically, but I'll bite.

First, I'd like to state that my opinions are not the most popular sometimes. You can basically divide this forum into two types: the hobbyist and the competitive athlete.

Second, if you continue to train, you will someday meet the individual with the reach advantage that can sink straight shots. It's up to you to decide what you are willing and not willing to sacrifice

For a lot of sherdoggers protection is equaled to the amount of damage taken to the face. This is expected since many people cannot come into work beat up. A lot of guys advocate nose and cheek protection as their metric for safety.

I, on the other hand, was never pretty to begin with, so I'm not concerned with a nose bleed. To me, protection is how much a headgear mitigates the movement of the brain within the skull. So, a headgear like Winning or Reyes leaves the very vulnerable back part of the head open to attack. I don't spar pros that have control over their shots. My sparring experiences are a hectic blur that at times. so, something like Rival or Sabas offer more complete protection for situations like that. Rival states in their promo videos that they specifically worked the design of the D3o headgear to protect the jaw, temples, and back of the head.

If i had to recommend one piece it would be the Sabas Pro Headgear, which i linked above. It not only offers protection against most nose bleeds, but it provides complete protection to the forehead, sides and back. I've only used mine twice, but its my favorite headgear I've used in a long time. going to use it again today, can't wait.
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Ohhhhh glad to hear you truly like the Sabas man!
 
I work for a Silicon Valley style company. They don't judge and they've sponsored a charity fight I had.

That and the fact I've got a maths degree to protect means I'm all about brain protection. Especially after seeing concussion last night (will smith movie).

I'll probably buy that one as it's quite cheap too.

Straight shots are easy to avoid or block imo. It's always the hooks that catch me from shorter guys closing the distance.

Thanks for the in depth answers.
 
rmphilmacrac said:
Ohhhhh glad to hear you truly like the Sabas man!
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Hey rmphilmacrac since you've tried both the Sabas and the UMA R9 which would you say is a better value and which is more protective with the Sabas at ~$80 and UMA at ~$-150? I'm not a real flashy guy when it comes to headgear I really prefer just a straight all black one. So UMA offering custom colors at no charge (and plain black headgears at no discount lol) I'm wondering if the almost double in price is anywhere close to worth it. I also rather keep my brain safer than avoid a bloody nose but with my current TB facesaver hooks are giving me the most trouble.
 
Great tread!
My preference: FG 2900 > FG 5000 > Rival D30 > Ringside Master's > Everlast Amateur Headgear with Cheeks
My rationale:
- FG 2900: Good coverage, specially if you size it correctly. Nice padding, but not overly padded. Above average vision. Unfortunately lacks back of head protection as mentioned. Not a biggie for me as I rarely get rabbit punched.
- FG 5000: Outstanding coverage, but slightly larger than the 2900, which makes evasion harder to achieve. Also the visibility is not as good. That being said, I can barely feel the shots with this thing. Just be aware that long noses an easily touch the facebar negating the protection.
- Rival D30: Agree with Mega. The most comfortable headgear I have ever tried and the most shock dispersing. Have not gone over 100 rounds, so cannot vouch for durability. Huge downside is the nose protection or lack thereof. If they offered larger cheek protectors this thing would be numero uno!
- Ringside Master's: This thing is a tank! Lots of padding. Best value for money here. Two downsides: it moves and the visibility is not great. Materials are not outstanding, but for the price that is expected
- Everlast Amateur w/ Cheeks: Great headgear if you are a bit more advanced and proficient in avoiding shots. Awesome lining, great grainy leather. A few notches above the other Amateur (USA Boxing) headgears.

Hope this helps
 
FNF01 said:
Hey rmphilmacrac since you've tried both the Sabas and the UMA R9 which would you say is a better value and which is more protective with the Sabas at ~$80 and UMA at ~$-150? I'm not a real flashy guy when it comes to headgear I really prefer just a straight all black one. So UMA offering custom colors at no charge (and plain black headgears at no discount lol) I'm wondering if the almost double in price is anywhere close to worth it. I also rather keep my brain safer than avoid a bloody nose but with my current TB facesaver hooks are giving me the most trouble.
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Like MEGA said, Sabas offers more complete protection. Back, face, and sides are all protected.

The R-9 only protects the face. The R-9 protects the face a lot better than the Sabas and the Sabas protects the sides and back better than the R-9.


It all comes down to what you value more. Like i mentioned in my review the Sabas is amazing but its a little too thin for me to be SUPER protective. Thats why i recommended it to slick boxers. Above all though the back and the sides are covered better than almost any headgear man.

I dont trust rival or any other company with headgear. Right now im sticking with UMA, Sabas, R2C, and TB for my headgears. I haven't found something worth trying besides those guys.


You cant go wrong with either but again it comes down to what you prefer. Complete face protection (R-9) or complete protection but less face protection (Sabas Pro).
 
rmphilmacrac said:
Like MEGA said, Sabas offers more complete protection. Back, face, and sides are all protected.

The R-9 only protects the face. The R-9 protects the face a lot better than the Sabas and the Sabas protects the sides and back better than the R-9.


It all comes down to what you value more. Like i mentioned in my review the Sabas is amazing but its a little too thin for me to be SUPER protective. Thats why i recommended it to slick boxers. Above all though the back and the sides are covered better than almost any headgear man.

I dont trust rival or any other company with headgear. Right now im sticking with UMA, Sabas, R2C, and TB for my headgears. I haven't found something worth trying besides those guys.


You cant go wrong with either but again it comes down to what you prefer. Complete face protection (R-9) or complete protection but less face protection (Sabas Pro).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the run down!
 
rmphilmacrac said:
Like MEGA said, Sabas offers more complete protection. Back, face, and sides are all protected.

The R-9 only protects the face. The R-9 protects the face a lot better than the Sabas and the Sabas protects the sides and back better than the R-9.


It all comes down to what you value more. Like i mentioned in my review the Sabas is amazing but its a little too thin for me to be SUPER protective. Thats why i recommended it to slick boxers. Above all though the back and the sides are covered better than almost any headgear man.

I dont trust rival or any other company with headgear. Right now im sticking with UMA, Sabas, R2C, and TB for my headgears. I haven't found something worth trying besides those guys.


You cant go wrong with either but again it comes down to what you prefer. Complete face protection (R-9) or complete protection but less face protection (Sabas Pro).
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Talking with UMA they've informed me the foam is pretty much the same from the front to each ear with stiffer foam for ear protection and that behind ears they used to use a softer foam but have switched to a Eva foam for more protection in the back of the head gear. Is that the same on your headgear or do you have an earlier version with softer back of head foam? Also would you have any idea about their stock head gear plans that you mentioned in your R-9 review? I asked them and they say they are working on it but no anticipated date yet.

For everyone else UMA is very nice to talk with even with all my probably pretty annoying questions and having yet to actually order anything.
 
FNF01 said:
Talking with UMA they've informed me the foam is pretty much the same from the front to each ear with stiffer foam for ear protection and that behind ears they used to use a softer foam but have switched to a Eva foam for more protection in the back of the head gear. Is that the same on your headgear or do you have an earlier version with softer back of head foam? Also would you have any idea about their stock head gear plans that you mentioned in your R-9 review? I asked them and they say they are working on it but no anticipated date yet.

For everyone else UMA is very nice to talk with even with all my probably pretty annoying questions and having yet to actually order anything.
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Mines probably and earlier model because it feels like theres no foam at all im the back. And they have more info about the stock gear than i do man
 
Mega you mentioned some of the ringside/title amateur approved head gears. Do you or anyone else have more experience with these USA boxing/AIBA approved head gear w/ and w/o cheek protectors? Which would you say are the best? Willing to pay for better protection (yes it's compitition head gear I know but if I can get the best I will).

I've looked at:
Title
Ringside
Adidas,
Everlast
Rival
But I've never held any so I don't have much to go on other than the descriptions that are trying to sell you. Help appreciated.
 
FNF01 said:
Mega you mentioned some of the ringside/title amateur approved head gears. Do you or anyone else have more experience with these USA boxing/AIBA approved head gear w/ and w/o cheek protectors? Which would you say are the best? Willing to pay for better protection (yes it's compitition head gear I know but if I can get the best I will).

I've looked at:
Title
Ringside
Adidas,
Everlast
Rival
But I've never held any so I don't have much to go on other than the descriptions that are trying to sell you. Help appreciated.
Click to expand...

I prefer open face headgear. I never boxed under the AIBA rule set, but I hated the Top Ten AIBA headgear. All the AIBA headgears look like they have the same thin, hard padding, IMO.

I heard the Everlast amateur headgear is the best. it looks like it fits perfectly everytime i see a boxer wear it. I have the Ringside open face and I'm really happy with it. Very solid construction, padding is on the denser side.
I don't like the fit of the fighting sports headgear. it sits weird on the forehead and make my vision weird. padding is good tho. the title one with a liner is better IMO. Supposedly the fighting sports and title amateur headgear use the same padding.
We have the open face Rival amateur headgear at my gym and I'm not that impressed with it. I was at first, but the padding went dead, the liner is kind of hot and itchy, construction is ok, and the fit is really nice.
 
MEGAhorse said:
I prefer open face headgear. I never boxed under the AIBA rule set, but I hated the Top Ten AIBA headgear. All the AIBA headgears look like they have the same thin, hard padding, IMO.

I heard the Everlast amateur headgear is the best. it looks like it fits perfectly everytime i see a boxer wear it. I have the Ringside open face and I'm really happy with it. Very solid construction, padding is on the denser side.
I don't like the fit of the fighting sports headgear. it sits weird on the forehead and make my vision weird. padding is good tho. the title one with a liner is better IMO. Supposedly the fighting sports and title amateur headgear use the same padding.
We have the open face Rival amateur headgear at my gym and I'm not that impressed with it. I was at first, but the padding went dead, the liner is kind of hot and itchy, construction is ok, and the fit is really nice.
Click to expand...

Wow not often you hear positives about Everlast. Good to know about the AIBA style. I was leaning toward the Rival, that's the second head gear people mentioned starts great but then the foam dies. Anyone talked to rival about it? About how long does the foam last?
 
Okay as far as protection from a shot I will go with the fg2900. i absolutely love mine, but my preference is the open faced winning headgear. (Not sure what the model number is). I just see everything and I can roll my shoulder with shots easier, it's just more comfortable for me.

In short, see what YOUR preference is. I will often exchange my open faced winning for the 2900 if I feel I need the extra protection.
 
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