If you’re more than a casual Muay Thai trainee, you’ll want to invest wisely in a pair or two of Muay Thai gloves. The main reason why you’ll want to spend more for your gloves is for safety, because cheap gloves lose shape more quickly and puts you at risk of injury more so than the more expensive gloves.
To put simply, a proper pair of gloves will make a world of difference for you, and these are the factors that you’ll want to consider so you end up buying a high-quality pair.
- Fairtex or Twins are both considered the more established brands as far as entry-level Muay Thai gloves go. A pair from either brand will cost you no more than $120, which is slightly more expensive than most would expect. However, they’ll also last you two to three times much longer and fit more comfortably than ones that sell for half of that said price.
- You’ll want gloves with multiple layer paddings as they provide much-needed protection for your knuckles. At a minimum, you’ll want three layers of protective foam, which you’ll find usually only in pairs that cost north of $100. Do not even think about buying a cheap pair of gloves because wearing one will just put you and your sparring partner at a higher risk for a wrist injury. Also, if you’re looking for some sparring gloves, you’re better off buying ones that are softer, like a 16oz gloves.
- Thumb protection. Bennet’s fracture is a common injury in Muay Thai, especially in those who wear cheap gloves that offer little protection to the thumbs. Make sure that the gloves you plan on purchasing protect the thumbs very well. Also, open thumb gloves are a big no – they’re for MMA and grappling.
- Stiff around the wrist. If possible, try to wear the gloves before purchasing and check if it has a stiff fit around your wrist. This allows for better wrist support, minimizing the risk for injuries later on. A simple wrist sprain, while not all too painful, will prevent you from training in Muay Thai for weeks and sometimes, even months.
- Dense padding. Save from the multiple layer paddings, you’ll want to take a look at the padding around the edge of the hands. The thicker the padding found there is, the better protected your hands are when you’re blocking and checking kicks, which are blows you’d expect to encounter frequently in Muay Thai.
- A nice and tight fit. Again, you’ll want to buy gloves that you can fit and try out first before purchasing. A nice fitting pair of gloves will offer good wrist support and help minimize the risks for wrist injury, among others.
Last, but certainly not the least, you’ll want to remember that boxing gloves are different from Muay Thai gloves. While you can certainly use boxing gloves for drills, pad and bag work, you should not use them for sparring because they’ll put you at a disadvantage because they’re just not designed for Muay Thai.
Remember to buy Muay Thai gloves designed specifically for Thaiboxing, not for regular boxing.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll probably find yourself owning a nice, quality pair of gloves.
And remember, there is a difference between Boxing gloves and Muay Thai gloves. Don’t buy Boxing gloves for Muay Thai training. Muay Thai gloves are crafted for a different purpose and different use like checking kicks, neck wrestling etc. Get a pair that was specifically designed for Thaiboxing.
