Fairtex Hg4 full face headgear review

[QII****]

After a few months training in Muay Thai and boxing I decided to purchase my own head gear. The gym I train at has Title classic full face head gear to use. After accidental breaking some one nose while sparring I decided to get a full face head gear to prevent the same happening to me. I did some research but didn't find many reviews on full face headgear's. Winnings seemed to be the top pick but the price was absurdly high. I narrowed my choices down to the Everlast Safemax and the Fairtex HG4 headgear. Based on reputation I ultimately decided to go with the Fairtex in a size medium which I picked up on sale for $99.00 at combatsports.com It is now listed at $119.00.

I ordered the headgear on Tuesday and received it Saturday. After opening the package I was immediately impressed with the quality of the headgear,its made with premium leather and has strong stitching. I was also surprised that it wasn't very heavy. I thought the steal frame would have weighed it down but the frame is actually quit small. I didn't know that the chin was fully enclosed before I received it because there wasn't many pictures floating around the web. This originally concerned me, it seemed like it would be hard to breath with it on. After sparring with it, actually it doesn't seem to restrict my breathing at all. The headgear is also very compact. The Fairtex is no larger a target than the medium sized Title Classics my gym uses.

After putting it on and adjusting the top string I was immediately concerned, it seemed very loose. Because of the way its made my forehead fits into the frame at the top but that's the only part that my face contacted the headgear. The frame was about half an inch or more from touching my cheeks or jaw. The problem with this is if I took a punch to the jaw the headgear would just slam into the side of my face. It felt as if it would even twist all the way around if hit hard enough. After thinking about it for a while I figured out a solution. I took the gel material that I removed from my Everlast hand wraps and taped them to the inside of the cage, doubling it up around the jaw area so that it fit nicely against my jaw. this turned the headgear into something that I would have returned into a headgear that's almost perfect.

The padding at the forehead is thin compared to the Titles, but because of the steel frame it absorbs impacts well. it could use eardrum protectors over the ears and padding on the sides(there is none above or below the ears).

One draw back to this headgear is that it brings the profile of my chin out about an inch and a half. This I guess could force me to defend a bigger target, if you're a "glass half full" type of guy.

I have taken some hard shots with this headgear and it has held up well. It is good for harder sparring session when you dont want your face getting jacked up.

I have to rate this headgear a B- . if I hadn't had modify it it would easy have been an A.

 

[CodyD]

That sucks you had to do that, good thinking though. Did you order a size to big? Or is your face slim?

 

[QII****]

That sucks you had to do that, good thinking though. Did you order a size to big? Or is your face slim?

Its the right size I just think thats how its made:icon_neut I dont think if I had a head like Tito Ortiz it would fit right against my face. its just a design flaw.

 

[Mumrik]

Nice improvisation.

 

[QII****]

Nice improvisation.

thanks.

 

[GFG]

nice review i ordered a bunch of the same style headgear for my company but i hated them the foam was to thin and to hard for my liking now i'm clearing them out for $50 each.

how hard is the foam on the fairtex?

 

[CodyD]

nice review i ordered a bunch of the same style headgear for my company but i hated them the foam was to thin and to hard for my liking now i'm clearing them out for $50 each.

how hard is the foam on the fairtex?

Thats unfortunate. Can't you guys get some samples before you commit?

 

[QII****]

nice review i ordered a bunch of the same style headgear for my company but i hated them the foam was to thin and to hard for my liking now i'm clearing them out for $50 each.

how hard is the foam on the fairtex?

Thanks. The foam is a little on the stiff side but for me its perfect. it works well at keeping the size of the headgear down. the fullface headgear that they use on bully beatdown are huge(I think they are everlast).

Ps. I still want some of your silverback shin pads!:icon_chee

 

[CodyD]

Thanks. The foam is a little on the stiff side but for me its perfect. it works well at keeping the size of the headgear down. the fullface headgear that they use on bully beatdown are huge(I think they are everlast).

Ps. I still want some of your silverback shin pads!:icon_chee

I think the company is built 2 fight.

 

[GFG]

Thats unfortunate. Can't you guys get some samples before you commit?

yeah I can but the process takes forever plus i had a wholesale customer pushing me to get them in as he was happy with the previous batch and he had didn't care to wait 6months to a year for the improved version.

 

[GFG]

Thanks. The foam is a little on the stiff side but for me its perfect. it works well at keeping the size of the headgear down. the fullface headgear that they use on bully beatdown are huge(I think they are everlast).

Ps. I still want some of your silverback shin pads!:icon_chee

yeah it does have a compact nice shape to it, as for bully beat down i think in season one it was everlast and Built to fight sponsored the gear for season 2

our silverbacks shinguards are awesome they do however need one little mod to be perfect, the strap under the foot is too wide, and starts to ride under the ball of the foot but cutting it down solves that problem perfectly. i think someone will be doing a comparitive review of them with a few other shin guards, i kinda curious how they stack up in this persons opinion.

 

[CodyD]

yeah I can but the process takes forever plus i had a wholesale customer pushing me to get them in as he was happy with the previous batch and he had didn't care to wait 6months to a year for the improved version.

Oh haha, impatient. Is that how long it takes? Is that the designing, prototyping, manufacturing and all that?

And shit I keep forgetting to do those measurements! I'll have to guess how to do some of them, I think I have a good idea on what to do.

 

[CodyD]

our silverbacks shinguards are awesome they do however need one little mod to be perfect, the strap under the foot is too wide, and starts to ride under the ball of the foot but cutting it down solves that problem perfectly. i'm think someone will be doing a comparitive review of them with a few other shin guards, i kinda curious how they stack up in this persons opinion.

Ahh I want to make gear some day. I've always wanted to mess with the padding and stuff like that. I like innovative stuff so that's what I'd be aiming for. Some day...

 

[QII****]

yeah it does have a compact nice shape to it, as for bully beat down i think in season one it was everlast and Built to fight sponsored the gear for season 2

our silverbacks shinguards are awesome they do however need one little mod to be perfect, the strap under the foot is too wide, and starts to ride under the ball of the foot but cutting it down solves that problem perfectly. i think someone will be doing a comparitive review of them with a few other shin guards, i kinda curious how they stack up in this persons opinion.

I'm your guy, send me a pair of them bad boys and I'll write a comparitive review:icon_chee

 

[QII****]

nice review i ordered a bunch of the same style headgear for my company but i hated them the foam was to thin and to hard for my liking now i'm clearing them out for $50 each.

how hard is the foam on the fairtex?

you got some pics of these headgears your clearing out?

 

[GFG]

sorry we cut the price down to $40 i forgot Old Kong Facesaver Headgear - $40.00

 

[GFG]

Oh haha, impatient. Is that how long it takes? Is that the designing, prototyping, manufacturing and all that?

yeah if they get it right on the second or third sample but it can easily take even longer

 

[xn7]

any update on this, too bad about the bad cheek fitment. wonder if the new everlast is any better, its more compact than the 1st design

 

[shera]

I don't know if you were joking or not but this part made me lol: "it could use eardrum protectors over the ears and padding on the sides(there is none above or below the ears)."

 

[QII****]

any update on this, too bad about the bad cheek fitment. wonder if the new everlast is any better, its more compact than the 1st design

I ditched the tape for leather. the tape I used to hold down the cheek padding was starting to look ghetto so I removed it and used leather.

I basically just glued the gel material to the headgear where I wanted it with rubber cement, then covered the gel material with a thin coat of rubber cement. then I covered it with nice soft black leather(from an old jacket I never used) securing the leather down with superglue around the edges of the gel material. it actually turned out really good! looks like it came that way!

unless who ever buys this headgear plans on doing the same thing I did I cant recommend this headgear. I think it is very poorly designed because of the fit problem around the cheeks and jaw.oh and I look like Optimus Prime with it on. With the modifications its great.

the newer everlast safemax looks like a NICE peace. I would have gone with that but the fairtex was a little cheaper and well its fairtex. both the the fairtex and safemax are compact, a guy at my gym has the fighting sports full face head gear and its huge!