- Joined
- Nov 21, 2013
- Messages
- 978
- Reaction score
- 26
Di Nardo 10oz XL Boxing Gloves Review
Background:
I was contacted by Di Nardo to see if I would be interested in doing a review of their recently BBBoC approved fight gloves. I paid for the expedited shipping services from Italy, but received the gloves in exchange for a review. The gloves I received were from the batch of gloves sent to the council for approval - they were not previously used and I received them within a matter of days.
Glove Specifications:
From the manufacturer’s description: 10oz XL, “EQUUM II”: horsehair, microfiber bow, EBA (quilted) – semi rigid padding.
Stitching/Craftsmanship/Materials:
Both gloves came in at exactly 10oz. The gloves were very well put together, and there was not a single loose stitch. The materials used match the level of craftsmanship. I am not a leather connoisseur, but I felt the backhand leather, especially, was a fantastic choice for a boxing glove. These glove scream luxury.
Design:
I really like how these gloves look, and they feel like a fight glove. They are extremely compact. The main knuckle/backhand padding compartment is contained in a fully lined pocket. I believe this ensures that the padding, the star of the glove, will not deteriorate with soiling. The thumb is very light and simple. This probably has to do with the fact that most of the focus was placed the backhand padding - more on this in the padding section. It’s clear that this is a premium product coming from a very proud maker.
It looks as though these gloves were built from the ground up, in that they did not seem to copy other major brand’s fight gloves. If anything, they resemble the old Flores training gloves.
Padding:
The backhand padding is the best aspect of these gloves. It is unlike anything I’ve felt in either a fight glove or a training glove. The layered padding dampened the shock to my knuckles, but most of my power still transferred directly into the heavy bag. Unlike other fight gloves that incorporate animal hair, I don’t believe that much tampering is possible with these gloves, even with soiling/extended use. They are rated at five 6 rounds intervals - this emulates the rating/tags that Reyes places in their fight gloves. I remember hearing that the maker was fond of Reyes gloves.
The thumb padding, specifically, was very light, and seems to be composed of a single layer of soft padding, completely different than the layered padding used in the backhand portion of the glove. This may be a sizing issue/weight allocation issue, as the backhand padding composition and rigidity probably left little wiggle room for a more robust thumb.
Hand Compartment:
These gloves are advertised as being “10oz XL”, but the gloves are very compact and unlikely to fit larger hands. The liner is very smooth, and after my short time with them, there are no signs of wear or tear. My best guess is that there will be no issues with the liner. I’m not sure the gloves will ever “break in”, as the leather does not seem to have much give to it, and the padding does not seem like it will ever break down to create more room. In comparison to Grant and Reyes’ “XL” and “L” variations of their 10oz fight gloves, these gloves fit closer to a normal 10oz size.
The fingertip area has a nice piece of felt that’s been stitched in and glued down to the liner. The material is a nice touch, and helps to lock in a tight fist.
Performance on the bag:
If you’re looking for a fight glove to use for training purposes, then based on the hand protection and the option to have the padding replaced, this might be a great option. These gloves felt great on the bag. I did about 20 combined rounds on the bag, rounds that consisted of continuous punching over two sessions. I would say that each round consisted of around 60-80 power punches to test the padding. You can hardly tell these gloves were used, and my hands felt great after both sessions.
Durability:
Again, I’ve only used these gloves for about 20 rounds spread over 2 sessions. Over that period, nothing suggests that any part of the gloves will wear down quickly. They are, like Reyes fight gloves, rated at 6 rounds intervals as indicated by the tags inside the gloves. Di Nardo’s gloves are rated at 5 of these 6 rounds intervals, which means that they are meant to be used for up to 30 combined rounds. For training use, I believe that these gloves will last much longer than that, with the added plus that Di Nardo will be able to replace the padding for you.
With the option to have Di Nardo replace the padding and with proper care after each use, these gloves look to last a very long time. What separates these gloves from the other fight gloves I’ve used/examined, is that in my experience, fight gloves aren’t traditionally built to last. Fight gloves are usually designed to be like disposable, albeit premium, razors. Di Nardo’s fight gloves were built with durability in mind.
Overall:
They felt great on the bag, and if use on the bag is indicative of how they’d feel in fight, then they would be a top choice in terms of achieving the balance between hand protection and power transfer. The balance of the glove in terms of weight distribution: Weight is a precious commodity in balancing a fight glove. I feel like they could have had less padding in the backhand (pains me to say as the padding is amazing) and more in the thumb. As someone that has had thumb issues in many gloves, I would have liked a tighter, more structured thumb. For training purposes, I would take them exactly as they are. For use in a fight, I would take some of that amazing backhand padding to create a more protective/structured thumb. Overall, a premium product with great knuckle protection and feel in a compact package.
TL/DR:
-Pros: The backhand/fist padding is excellent, unlike anything I’ve felt in a boxing glove. Hand protection and power transfer were very well balanced. The craftsmanship and material selection is among the best I’ve seen.
-Less-Pros: Thumb padding, and consequently thumb shape. Sizing for the “10oz XL” is an issue in comparison with the standard set by other major fight glove manufacturers.
Background:
I was contacted by Di Nardo to see if I would be interested in doing a review of their recently BBBoC approved fight gloves. I paid for the expedited shipping services from Italy, but received the gloves in exchange for a review. The gloves I received were from the batch of gloves sent to the council for approval - they were not previously used and I received them within a matter of days.
Glove Specifications:
From the manufacturer’s description: 10oz XL, “EQUUM II”: horsehair, microfiber bow, EBA (quilted) – semi rigid padding.
Stitching/Craftsmanship/Materials:
Both gloves came in at exactly 10oz. The gloves were very well put together, and there was not a single loose stitch. The materials used match the level of craftsmanship. I am not a leather connoisseur, but I felt the backhand leather, especially, was a fantastic choice for a boxing glove. These glove scream luxury.
Design:
I really like how these gloves look, and they feel like a fight glove. They are extremely compact. The main knuckle/backhand padding compartment is contained in a fully lined pocket. I believe this ensures that the padding, the star of the glove, will not deteriorate with soiling. The thumb is very light and simple. This probably has to do with the fact that most of the focus was placed the backhand padding - more on this in the padding section. It’s clear that this is a premium product coming from a very proud maker.
It looks as though these gloves were built from the ground up, in that they did not seem to copy other major brand’s fight gloves. If anything, they resemble the old Flores training gloves.
Padding:
The backhand padding is the best aspect of these gloves. It is unlike anything I’ve felt in either a fight glove or a training glove. The layered padding dampened the shock to my knuckles, but most of my power still transferred directly into the heavy bag. Unlike other fight gloves that incorporate animal hair, I don’t believe that much tampering is possible with these gloves, even with soiling/extended use. They are rated at five 6 rounds intervals - this emulates the rating/tags that Reyes places in their fight gloves. I remember hearing that the maker was fond of Reyes gloves.
The thumb padding, specifically, was very light, and seems to be composed of a single layer of soft padding, completely different than the layered padding used in the backhand portion of the glove. This may be a sizing issue/weight allocation issue, as the backhand padding composition and rigidity probably left little wiggle room for a more robust thumb.
Hand Compartment:
These gloves are advertised as being “10oz XL”, but the gloves are very compact and unlikely to fit larger hands. The liner is very smooth, and after my short time with them, there are no signs of wear or tear. My best guess is that there will be no issues with the liner. I’m not sure the gloves will ever “break in”, as the leather does not seem to have much give to it, and the padding does not seem like it will ever break down to create more room. In comparison to Grant and Reyes’ “XL” and “L” variations of their 10oz fight gloves, these gloves fit closer to a normal 10oz size.
The fingertip area has a nice piece of felt that’s been stitched in and glued down to the liner. The material is a nice touch, and helps to lock in a tight fist.
Performance on the bag:
If you’re looking for a fight glove to use for training purposes, then based on the hand protection and the option to have the padding replaced, this might be a great option. These gloves felt great on the bag. I did about 20 combined rounds on the bag, rounds that consisted of continuous punching over two sessions. I would say that each round consisted of around 60-80 power punches to test the padding. You can hardly tell these gloves were used, and my hands felt great after both sessions.
Durability:
Again, I’ve only used these gloves for about 20 rounds spread over 2 sessions. Over that period, nothing suggests that any part of the gloves will wear down quickly. They are, like Reyes fight gloves, rated at 6 rounds intervals as indicated by the tags inside the gloves. Di Nardo’s gloves are rated at 5 of these 6 rounds intervals, which means that they are meant to be used for up to 30 combined rounds. For training use, I believe that these gloves will last much longer than that, with the added plus that Di Nardo will be able to replace the padding for you.
With the option to have Di Nardo replace the padding and with proper care after each use, these gloves look to last a very long time. What separates these gloves from the other fight gloves I’ve used/examined, is that in my experience, fight gloves aren’t traditionally built to last. Fight gloves are usually designed to be like disposable, albeit premium, razors. Di Nardo’s fight gloves were built with durability in mind.
Overall:
They felt great on the bag, and if use on the bag is indicative of how they’d feel in fight, then they would be a top choice in terms of achieving the balance between hand protection and power transfer. The balance of the glove in terms of weight distribution: Weight is a precious commodity in balancing a fight glove. I feel like they could have had less padding in the backhand (pains me to say as the padding is amazing) and more in the thumb. As someone that has had thumb issues in many gloves, I would have liked a tighter, more structured thumb. For training purposes, I would take them exactly as they are. For use in a fight, I would take some of that amazing backhand padding to create a more protective/structured thumb. Overall, a premium product with great knuckle protection and feel in a compact package.
TL/DR:
-Pros: The backhand/fist padding is excellent, unlike anything I’ve felt in a boxing glove. Hand protection and power transfer were very well balanced. The craftsmanship and material selection is among the best I’ve seen.
-Less-Pros: Thumb padding, and consequently thumb shape. Sizing for the “10oz XL” is an issue in comparison with the standard set by other major fight glove manufacturers.
Cheers.
.
