What gloves are right for you? (Interview)

When starting out training, one question that I had as a beginner was what gloves should be used when, and when I eventually made a purchase of my own gloves, what type should I get for my first pair. To help me answer this question better, I talked to my coach and a few of the more experienced people at my gym to get a better grip on the right path forward. For starters, the first thing that I was told by everyone I interviewed was that for a first pair of gloves, a standard pair of 16-ounce boxing/sparring gloves is perfect. This is because they are applicable in most training situations. For sparring you almost always want to be using 16-ounce gloves to protect your hands, as well as your training partners from unnecessary damage. These gloves are also just fine for drilling and hitting mitts and pads when training.


Another question that I specifically asked my coach is what brands of gloves I should look into using. My coach told me that it really depends on preference, as many of the different brands are similar with only slight differences in how the gloves may fasten or how they fit. Brands like Everlast, Hayabusa, Venum, and Fairtex are established brands that are great places to look, but there are other brands out there that still will give you what you need. One last thing that I would like to mention is that as a beginner, you should not buy gloves before your first training session. Gyms should have pairs you can use as you begin and while determine if you like the sport. I did not buy my first pair of 16-ounce Everlast gloves until after about 2 months of training when I knew I liked it and would continue.