Best Kickboxing Gloves | Top picks for 2022
In this post we will simply the process of picking the
There are several approaches to train for kickboxing. Some kickboxing gyms only employ heavy bags or pads or have members kick and punch the air while doing cardio exercises. Other clubs will incorporate more fighting techniques as they are more focused on combat or competitions. Whether you choose kickboxing for fitness or as a serious sport, the one thing that is common between the two is the need for having the best protective gear.
Gloves are crucial for hand protection as well as for shielding your sparring partner from punches. When you punch someone with your bare hands, you risk hurting your hand in addition to doing a lot of damage to them. Now that you have an idea about the importance of gloves, let’s dive right into our well researched list of best kickboxing gloves.
Our Kickboxing Gloves Top Picks (Overview)
- Ideal For Professionals : Cleto Reyes
- Best Safety : Hawk
- Best Budget Friendly : Trideer
- Designed For Women : Century Strive
- Best All Rounder : Anthem Athletics STORMBRINGER
- Best Performance : Hayabusa T3
- Best For Training : Everlast Elite
- Best For Sparring : Fairtex
- Best Overall : RDX
- Best For Beginners : Sanabul
Different types of kickboxing gloves
Picking the right gloves can be intimidating as there are different kinds of gloves specifically designed to support different aspects of the sport. Here is a quick break down of those different aspects and how the gloves are designed differently for each
Training
As with any sport, training is a continuous process for learning and enhancing your skills. Training for kickboxing involves heavy bag work, pad work and partner sparring drills. You will typically want an ideal combination of protection, comfort and performance in the gloves you pick. Training gloves are designed with these aspects in mind so most training gloves feature extra padding. They are designed to provide the optimal balance between protection and performance. Training gloves also feature extra padding to protect your knuckles and a hook-and-loop closure for wrist stability. This also means they can be worn and removed easily. These gloves are typically made from genuine leather to increase their life span and avoid frequent replacement.
Bags
While training gloves can be used for bag work, some athletes prefer to get gloves specialized gloves for bag work. The focus of bag work is on form and technique. Boxers will benefit from the feedback they get while punching bags and correct their form. As you can imagine, with thickly padded gloves, it is almost impossible to get any feedback to your hands. Gloves designed for bags are very minimalistic in nature to improve feedback. Neoprene is the material of choice and most gloves have thin padding and minimal wrist support.
Sparring
These gloves differ from training gloves in the softness of the material used. The objective of sparring is to focus on your technique without causing damage to your sparring partner. Sparring gloves are designed for safety. They all feature softer padding and are heavier than training gloves to reduce impact while still offering good knuckle and wrist support.
Competition
As you can imagine, gloves for competition is closely regulated. It is important that you get gloves that meet all competition requirements or you will risk disqualification. These gloves are stiffer than sparring/training gloves to increase impact on your opponent. They feature a lace up closure instead of hook and loop which is commonly seen with training gloves.
In this best list below, we have reviewed some of the best gloves on the market today to make your buying decision simpler.
Best Kickboxing Gloves
These gloves come with the same high quality and craftsmanship we have come to expect from Cleto Reyes. They are a pair of classic gloves with a reliable leather strap with hook-and-loop closure for a firm and quicker adjustment. It provides extra padding in the punch area for better protection and has a very premium feel when you wear it as it is made from genuine goat skin
The attached thumb helps to prevent eye and thumb injuries when you are sparring. Interior water-repellent lining prevents moisture from entering the padding therefore increasing its lifespan
- Punch area cushioning of 1/2 inch improves protection
- Produced using the highest standards of leather and all materials.
- Moisture cannot enter the padding because of the water-repellent nylon lining.
- May feel heavier than other gloves
- Longer break-in time
- Expensive
Hawk Boxing gloves are one of the best-recommended gloves for kickboxing. The wrist is secured by a hook and loop closure, which makes it simpler to put on and take off. These gloves give a thick layer of foam for support and shock absorption while you throw stronger punches. A waterproof lining and ventilation holes are also included, keeping your hands dry and comfortable. The gloves are more comfortable as your fist and knuckles are properly positioned.
- 5 Year replacement warranty
- Heavy bag gloves with a thumb lock function for safety
- Great fit for both men and women
- Highly affordable
- Not recommended for people with large hands
- Reports of cushion moving out of the knuckle area during heavy use
One of the most sturdy gloves you can find at this price. It has a a tough synthetic leather cover and pre-curved form fit design with power grip palm for great durability and performance. The synthetic leather will endure several rounds even if it won't hold up to the same standards as genuine leather
Additionally, these gloves have a full wrist strap that wraps around them to keep them secure during strenuous exercises. The one thing that really stood out was the ease with which these gloves can be cleaned, all you need is a wet towel and some sun light.
- Affordable price
- Ergonomic design for mobility
- Sufficient protection due to several layers of synthetic leather
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Padding feels hard and thin
- Easily succumbs to wear and tear
Century Strive kickboxing gloves are growing in popularity among customers. These are one of the few gloves that are machine washable which is a huge value add for serious boxers as it controls odor. Another huge advantage these gloves have is that they are specifically designed for a woman's narrow and longer wrist shape therefore improving punching comfort No matter if you're a novice or a seasoned pro, we wholeheartedly endorse these gloves for everyone that practices cardio kickboxing.
You also get 10 different designs to pick from, so what are you waiting for?
- Designed specifically for women
- Machine washable & easy to maintain
- Ten different design options to choose from
- Quick wrist wrap design makes it easy to get the gloves on and off
- Multi-layer foam padding for impact absorption & protection
- Some users have complaints about the stiffness of these gloves
- knuckle protection could be improved
These beauties are handcrafted, small-batch, genuine leather gloves and are great for experienced boxers and novices alike. Built with triple density, high-impact foam ensure that it supports powerful blows and is long-lasting.
The velcro fastening, mesh panel and reinforced stitching all provide exceptional ventilation. You can use all of your force without hurting because of the extra padding on your thumb. Your wrist also receives more protection, providing better coordination.
- Best for All-round training
- Its Solid padding gives excellent protection
- Made with genuine Leather
- Reports of quick color wear off
- Stitching feels cheap for the price
- Expensive compared to other similar gloves in the market
You can't go wrong with these gloves if you are looking for reliable training performance. Although these are gloves for experts, athletes of any ability level can use them.
These gloves, which are appropriate for all genders, are not your typical kickboxing gloves. For kickboxing gloves, other producers merely use a single layer of leather but Hayabusa has created five panels that will cover the back of your hand and unquestionably place you in charge. An outstanding bespoke foam composition is part of the design. To provide the highest knuckle protection, it makes sure that each foam layer absorbs and disperses the stress in all directions. Additionally, its four-splint design will protect your wrist and aid in the delivery of strong punches.
- Ideal for Consistent performances
- Appropriate for both men, women and children too
- Dual-X closure offers two interlocking wrist straps that provide micro-adjustability and ensure a great fit
- Made with high-quality material Full-grain leather
- Deltra-EG knuckle protection consists of a specialized technology foam composition designed to absorb impacts and dissipate energy
- Premium look
- Fragile stich on the inner wrist strap
- Expensive
These Kickboxing gloves from Everlast Elite are very affordable even though they are made from the finest leather. Because the mesh palm is so breathable, you can practice longer with it!
The Everlast Elite boxing gloves are for those who take their kickboxing practice seriously. Both aerobic kickboxing and conventional boxing sessions benefit greatly from using these gloves. These training glove features ever shield and ever cool technology and is perfect for bag work, mitt work, fitness classes, and sparring
- Long-lasting durability is provided by premium synthetic leather mixed with superb workmanship.
- A full mesh palm guarantees comfort and breathability.
- Modern ever shield wrist protection design with hook-and-loop fastening
- Secure fit maintains comfort and protection under various hitting angles
- Difficult to break-in
- Velcro strap could have been longer
- Feels fragile during heavy bag use
These gloves are ideal for people who want to practice strong punches. The build quality is great and provides practically everything for a learner while being good enough for an expert to use.
Instead of the usual knuckle area, its padding is located at the back, this makes it suitable for kickboxing.
These handmade gloves are best suited for punching, wrist movement, power, and feel, despite some difficulties with the stiffness of their padding
- Built with a three-layered foam system that is unique to Fairtex for excellent hand and knuckle protection
- More durability because of Premium quality leather.
- Triple rimmed extra long cuff for better comfort and wrist support
- Over 15 colors to choose from
- Longer break-in period
- Less padding around knuckle area offers less protection to sparring partner
Since 2014, Sanabul has been one of the leading manufacturers of gear for combat sports, with well-known athletes like Michael Bisping and Mike Lee promoting them
These Sanabul gloves would make excellent training aids for both learner and experienced athletes, but I wouldn't suggest using them if you are a professional athlete. Kickboxing gloves differ from traditional boxing gloves in that they have less padding and more flexibility, allowing for a variety of techniques that boxing does not support while still offering adequate protection for the knuckles.
- A powerful hook and loop closure system ensures ultimate wrist protection
- soft mesh allows for fantastic breathability
- Great color options
- slightly fragile and may succumb to wear and tear
Frequently Asked Questions
Our top picks for best kickboxing gloves are 1) Cleto Reyes 2) RDX 3)
Gloves used in kickboxing and boxing differ mostly in weight and flexibility. Around the glove’s fist, boxing gloves are more cushioned. Kickboxing gloves, on the other hand, contain a thinner layer of padding, which makes them more flexible
While different brands offer different features based on the customers requirements, our best all round gloves recommendation is Anthem Athletics STORMBRINGER for kickboxing. Refer to this list for a complete review of
We recommend using the right gloves for the right sport. There are several instances of athletes using gloves not built for a particular sport injuring themselves due to incompatibility. That said, you could use Muay Thai gloves for kickboxing if you have no other option. It will give you more protection but compromise on wrist stability
We recommend Sanabul Essential Gel Kickboxing Gloves for beginners
Yes, Kickboxing is a combat sport that incorporates both kicking and punching techniques to fight your opponent. Unlike MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) kickboxing is stand-up style fighting and does not involve on the ground techniques, so there is not as much focus on grappling as there is in MMA
Kickboxing has an injury rate of 2.5 per hour, while boxing has a rate of 17.1 injuries for every 100 matches, making boxing the safer of the two. Kickboxing is less safe than traditional boxing since body and head kicks are employed in addition to punches
The main distinction between the two sports is that kickboxing allows the use of both hands and feet while boxing only allows the use of hands. In contrast to boxing, which uses punches and blocks, kickboxing uses both punches and kicks. Kickboxing and boxing differ from each other in their approaches to avoiding blows
We highly recommend using gloves designed for a particular sport. You can find the best MMA gloves reviewed here – https://boxingglovesreviews.com/best-mma-gloves/
Do you already own a pair of kickboxing gloves? Tell us how you like them in the comments section below.
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