Combat

If you're just starting out, the most important piece of equipment is a good pair of boxing gloves. You'll also need a mouth guard to protect your teeth and some hand wraps. You might also want some boxing shoes, a punching bag and some training aids.

When choosing hand protection for boxing and combat sports, there are various styles available. However, there are two main differences between boxing mitts and boxing gloves.

Mitts are based on a “Small - XL” sizing system and feature an open thumb. Mitts are great for boxercise style training, where you’re required to pick up other equipment and perform exercises while wearing the mitts. The open thumb enables users to do this.

Gloves, however, are based on weight (4oz-16oz). These gloves are made for boxing training (bag work, pad work, sparring). These gloves will give you the most amount of protection; however, the size you will require will depend on what you’re doing. If you’re doing some light pad work, then you can use something like an 8-10oz glove. However, if your training requires you to hit the heavy bag or spar, something like a 14-16oz glove would provide better support and protection. 4oz to 6oz are for children’s classes and bag work.

Boxing gloves are structured to provide maximum support in the areas that tire first, namely the thumb area and wrist, so it is important to choose a well-padded glove. You can also add wrist wraps under your gloves or mitts for added support. These are available in washable fabric, which will increase the life of your boxing gloves or mitts. Cotton inserts are also used for this purpose during boxing classes.