New to muay thai... what gloves should I get?

[Zuben**]

I'm a small guy (5'6, 150 pounds) and I need gloves for training. Should I get 12oz or 14oz? Where's a good store online to get them?

 

[bubkusjones]

Bag work or sparring? For bag and pad work, either would be fine. Some people even go lighter.

For sparring, 16oz gloves tend to be the rule of thumb for most people. There are also some schools/areas where 16 oz gloves are mandatory for insurance purposes. You should check with where you're training for that info.

What's your budget and where are you located?

These gloves are often recommended for the budget minded and/or those just starting out. Good protection, good quality, comfortable, and only $42 a pair. Shipping through the US is free (not sure about international).

http://kofightgear.com/sparring_gloves.htm

Comes in both 12 and 16 oz weights, so you can grab one of each and keep the 16's just for sparring.

The reason for that is that the foam padding used in sparring gloves isn't as dense as the padding used in bag gloves, and using sparring gloves on the bag will cause the gloves to wear out more quickly, causing the padding to compress and not absorb the impact as well, potentially causing greater discomfort for your sparring partner.

 

[t0nym4c]

Twins gloves are nice. So are boon.

 

[Boxing1991]

1. http://fairtex.com/ - FairTex
2. http://www.twinsspecial.com/indexe.html - Twins
3. http://www.fbtsports.com/en/store/search_result.php?IBLOCK_ID=11&SECTION_ID=45 - FBT

 

[ironwolf]

-fairtex
-twins
-boon
-top king
-raja

are all good thai brands, some people like one better than the other, other than fit, I think these are all about equal but lots of people think Boon is the best choice. Ive used them all and they all have their pros and cons.

Other companies like KO fight gear, Golden gear, Ring to cage, Hayabusa bake good stuff but its sort of a different style.

Its a good idea to get 2 pairs of gloves. On 16oz pair for sparring and a 10-14oz pair for bag and pad work.

 

[t0nym4c]

I love fairtex but stay away from their super sparring model. I find it too top heavy and the wrist support is bad.

 

[SuttenMac]

I would say Boon, because they are solid gloves, but I love my Windy tg5s also. Great wrist support, sturdy construction and the most durable padding I've experienced on a Thai glove (Boons soften up a little too much over 7-9 months). Windys are workhorses. They ship fairly hard, but once you break them in, they're fantastic. They also have a larger hand compartment which works better for me (I'm around 175 at 5 9').

Twins are good but feel a little clumsy and overpadded for my taste. The hand conpartment is also incredibly small, but considering your size, they may fit your hand. If you want a forgiving sparring glove, Twins are about as nice as you can get. Hope this helps.

 

[DoberFrann]

I'm your built, I use Fairtex BGV1 14oz both for padwork and sparring. My rule of thumb is 14oz if you are less then 70kg, while above 16oz. I would recommend 14oz if you use it for sparring, but you can go 12oz if is pads and bag.
All the above mentioned brand are good.

Do you have any concern?
What gloves have you been using before?

 

[Zuben**]

Bag work or sparring? For bag and pad work, either would be fine. Some people even go lighter.

For sparring, 16oz gloves tend to be the rule of thumb for most people. There are also some schools/areas where 16 oz gloves are mandatory for insurance purposes. You should check with where you're training for that info.

What's your budget and where are you located?

These gloves are often recommended for the budget minded and/or those just starting out. Good protection, good quality, comfortable, and only $42 a pair. Shipping through the US is free (not sure about international).

http://kofightgear.com/sparring_gloves.htm

Comes in both 12 and 16 oz weights, so you can grab one of each and keep the 16's just for sparring.

The reason for that is that the foam padding used in sparring gloves isn't as dense as the padding used in bag gloves, and using sparring gloves on the bag will cause the gloves to wear out more quickly, causing the padding to compress and not absorb the impact as well, potentially causing greater discomfort for your sparring partner.

A sincere thanks for this excellent feedback.

 

[Zuben**]

Thanks to the rest of you as well. Very helpful.

 

[Zuben**]

I went with a 12oz pair of green velcro laced Twins. Green because of my boxing hero; Little Mac from Punch-Out. When I get experienced enough to be included in sparring I'll get a pair of 16s as well. Thanks for all the help guys.