Boxing gloves remain a vital piece of equipment for any boxer because they protect the fighter's hands during training, sparring and competition. Boxers need different gloves for different conditions; you would not want to use bag gloves during competition because they do not provide enough protection. The Olympic Games and professional governing bodies have regulations regarding the size of gloves that you can use in competition.
Bag Gloves
Bag gloves come with just enough padding to protect the fighter's hands from the heavy bag and usually weigh between 7 and 12 oz. Each fighter will have different needs when selecting bag gloves, so you might have to test a few weights before finding the perfect fit. These gloves have a flat surface because you will only use them for striking. You can also get away with using a lighter weight because you do not need extra padding to block strikes from an opponent.
Sparring Gloves
You will use your sparring gloves to strike and block punches from a training partner, so you must invest in gloves with a lot of padding. Most boxers will use 16 oz. sparring gloves that feature at least 2 inches of foam. Fighters will usually use sparring gloves that tighten using Velcro because this allows them to put the gloves on and remove them quickly during a training session.
Professional Gloves
The size of gloves that you wear in competition depends on your weight class because all weight classes under middleweight use 8 oz. gloves, while weight classes middleweight and above use 10 oz. gloves. Therefore, you will use 8 oz. gloves if you weigh between 105 and 154 lbs., while you will use 10 oz. gloves if you weight 160 lbs. or more. You wear gloves lighter than in training because you want the least amount of resistance and padding possible when striking your opponent.
Olympic Gloves
During Olympic competition, all gloves must come from one of the AIBA official equipment licensees. All weight classes use 10 oz. gloves at this level and no more than half of the weight can come from the leather portion of the glove. These gloves must have a width of between 14 and 16 cm and a length of 20 cm, with an additional cuff of between 8 and 10 cm.
References
- "Box Like the Pros"; Joe Frazier, et al.; 2005
- "Fighting Fit: Boxing Workouts, Techniques, and Sparring"; Doug Werner et al.; 2000
- "Boxing For Beginners: A Guide To Competition & Fitness"; Billy Finegan; 2008
- "International Boxing Association"; Technical and Competition Rules; March 2011
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