Cleto Reyes Hybrid Gloves VS Ringside Pro Style IMF Training Gloves review /w pics

[jfk9]

Today I am going to be comparing the Ringside Pro IMF training gloves vs the Cleto Reyes hybrid (Laces and hook and loop) training gloves. I know that investing in an expensive pair of gloves can be a stressful situation because you want a quality product but usually don't have the cash to buy and compare multiple pairs to find what works best for you. This is why I have chosen two of the most popular brands and will try to give you as best an idea as I can what you are paying for before forking out your hard earned cash. This all being said I'll get right into it.

So my wife wanted to buy me the IMFs for our anniversary, but they ended up accidentally getting sent to my parent's house and we didn't notice before it was too late to get them in time. She was able to express order a pair of the Reyes for me thinking that she should just return the late IMFs once they eventually made the long journey to us, but little did she know that I had no intention of returning either pair of these beauties .

First off I would like to apologize, but my wife is German and she bought all her stuff while we were stationed in Japan so everything I have is in metric. The ruler used for reference in all of the pictures is 30cm long which is 11.8in.
Size and Performance: So right off the bat I noticed the size difference between these gloves. While I will say that I usually prefer a slimmer glove, after actually using them it becomes clear that both gloves (While superior in different regards) were engineered to specifically have different strengths and weaknesses that support vastly different boxing techniques.
As you can see, while the padding is only a bit bulkier on the IMFs when it comes to the top of the fist, the more noticeable differences are in the cuff length and the width of the glove just above the wrist. The IMFs sport a full 15cm (5.9in) cuff while the Reyes cuff comes in at 9cm (3.5in) and the width at the base of the back of the hand on the IMFs come in at almost 15cm (5.9in) while the Reyes come in at (a barely padded) 12cm (4.7in). This makes a huge difference in support, but I will cover that more later. The main take away from this size difference performance-wise is that the IMF model is far superior defensively while the Reyes model is slimmed down for and really comfortable with either a brawler or quick counter-puncher style of fighting. If you tend to fight with

 

[jfk9]

Weight: I have heard from a lot of people that the Reyes gloves tend to weigh in heavy and also weigh different glove to glove based on their handmade nature. Here is my experience having bought both models at 14oz: Reyes left 417.5g (14.72oz) Reyes right 422g (14.88oz) IMF left 387.5g (13.66oz) IMF right 388.5g (13.7oz).

The Thumb: I know a lot of people who say that the thumb on Reyes models tend to fit odd or uncomfortably while the Ringside models tend to fit better. As you can see, both gloves have a very similar thumb with the only real difference being the amount of fabric connecting the thumb to the body of the glove. The reason I feel that they Reyes gloves have a bad reputation for fit is that people are not used to breaking in gloves anymore. Even un-broken in gloves from other companies are not quite as

 

[jfk9]

Support: While the Reyes gloves have a great support system with the Hybrid cuffs, the IMF cuffs are WAY better when it comes to wrist support. You can tie the Reyes gloves up loosely and then crank down the hook and loop fasteners on your own though, while the Ringsides need you to have someone help you lace them up, so there IS that. However, even with a buddy lacing you up and doing your Velcro for you, the ringside cuffs are just outstanding. I don

 

[plubiuz]

Wow, this is a good review. Great pictures. The difficulty of landing on the knuckles with ringside IMF put me off them, though your gloves look sick. I also have Cleto Reyes hybrid in M size. They're nice, but the hand compartment is a bit too tight for me. Also, the Cleto Reyes hybrids have a different thumb than the std. training glove, so that may contribute to the good positioning you mentioned.

 

[Harukaze]

Lordy, this is a great review! Thanks!!!!

 

[IMTyson]

Great and informative review! Kudos!

Isn't this fitcuff hybrid system, the best of both worlds? I mean if you don';t have the time or help, you can use the hook and loop closure and leave the laces slightly tight, and for when you want to go all out and have someone to help you, you can lace them up and also add the hook and loop. I don't think you can beat this system as far as convenience and wrist support is concerned.

On another note, I hope the thumb doesn't feel like the Tokushus, because as much as I love them, I went back to my Boon's with less wrist support to avoid the pain that comes with awkward grazing thumbs when sparring.

 

[Mantas]

Wow this person deserves a medal for all these pictures and details in the review, good job!

 

[NoodlesRap]

The difficulty of landing on the knuckles with ringside IMF put me off them, though your gloves look sick.

Yes! They are SO ROUNDED! Like punching with a pyramid and the tip is in the middle of the finger knuckles and hand knuckles. Seems like it would land improperly?

Any thoughts, OPer?

 

[GoatyP]

best review ever

 

[jfk9]

Great and informative review! Kudos!

Isn't this fitcuff hybrid system, the best of both worlds? I mean if you don';t have the time or help, you can use the hook and loop closure and leave the laces slightly tight, and for when you want to go all out and have someone to help you, you can lace them up and also add the hook and loop. I don't think you can beat this system as far as convenience and wrist support is concerned.

On another note, I hope the thumb doesn't feel like the Tokushus, because as much as I love them, I went back to my Boon's with less wrist support to avoid the pain that comes with awkward grazing thumbs when sparring.

Thanks! Yeah, as you can see from the pictures my hands are on the smaller side. I have no problems with the gloves, but that doesn't mean that others wont. They have held up really well and I have yet to have any problems with them.

 

[jfk9]

Yes! They are SO ROUNDED! Like punching with a pyramid and the tip is in the middle of the finger knuckles and hand knuckles. Seems like it would land improperly?

Any thoughts, OPer?

Landing on the knuckle is a bit harder with them, sure, but I don't feel as though it is from the shape. To me it has to do with how IMF foam compresses when you punch. I will say, as far as support goes they are fantastic gloves though. Both gloves have their merits, but I am always really partial to Rayes gloves. You can't beat that snap you get when you connect.

 

[jfk9]

Wow, this is a good review. Great pictures. The difficulty of landing on the knuckles with ringside IMF put me off them, though your gloves look sick. I also have Cleto Reyes hybrid in M size. They're nice, but the hand compartment is a bit too tight for me. Also, the Cleto Reyes hybrids have a different thumb than the std. training glove, so that may contribute to the good positioning you mentioned.

Thanks! IMF gloves are a little different in my experience, but not always in a bad way. The foam just seems to compress a little differently. That being said, I am a huge fan of the Reyes gloves and the minimal padding over the knuckles.