best women’s boxing gloves for beginners

Affiliate Disclaimer:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Boxing today is not just a combat sport where people bash each other into oblivion on TV. It’s a great form of self-defence as well as exercise.

Due to these reasons, it has attracted a whole range of individuals towards boxing, including females that want to learn how to box.

But besides learning how to throw and duck punches, having a great pair of boxing gloves are also extremely important.

But how do you know which ones to pick and what are the best women’s boxing gloves for beginners?

Unfortunately in the past, a lot of boxing gloves were designed for men specifically, as they made up the majority of the participants in the sport.

This meant that gloves that were available on the market were more often than not either too big for females, uncomfortable, or did not provide good wrist support.

However, in recent times, things have changed and now boxing has a sizable amount of female participants, which has lead to a number of manufacturers now producing boxing gloves that are either designed specifically for female use or are unisex.

In this article, we’ll go through several of the top women’s boxing gloves out there on the market that is perfect for beginners.

Our Top Pick: Cleto Reyes Extra Padding Training Gloves

Cleto Reyes is one of the top boxing equipment manufacturers in the world, especially when it comes to boxing gloves.

When you purchase a pair of Cleto Reyes boxing gloves you can expect world class-leading quality and these cowhide leather Cleto Reyes extra padding training gloves are no exception.

These gloves have undergone rigorous quality control in the manufacturing process to produce the best quality gloves that money can buy.

The gloves feature 2 inches of extra padded protection in the punching area to prevent injury to your hands, especially around the knuckles. In addition, there’s great wrist support due to extra padding as well.

The attached thumb area on the gloves has been designed in such a way as to avoid eye injury when punching someone and also prevent your thumb from being broken or getting sprained when punching.

The gloves are also a lot more comfortable compared to other traditional boxing gloves out on the market.

Furthermore, the gloves are excellent at preventing moisture from entering the gloves due to the signature water-repellent nylon lining in the gloves.

Lastly, these gloves are built to last and are extremely durable even with regular use.

Even though these gloves are more on the expensive side, you get what you pay for and these will last you a lifetime of use!

Top notch quality boxing gloves with excellent padded protection and even thumb support to prevent injuries around that area make these are our top women’s boxing glove pick.

Pros:

Excellent quality boxing gloves
Extremely durable
2-inch padded protection is great for protecting your hands
Great protection for the thumb area
Comfortable to wear
Prevents moisture from getting into the gloves

Cons:

On the pricer side
Thumb area can feel awkward for some people

Our Runner Up Pick: Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves

Hayabusa has developed a reputation in the boxing glove community for developing very high-quality and innovative boxing gloves at reasonable prices.

These multi-purpose Hayabusa T3 boxing gloves feature a class-leading 4 layer foam protection for your hands without requiring them to break in. If you’re worried about injuring your hands or you use a heavy bag often then these gloves are an excellent way of protecting your hands!

In addition, these gloves have been crafted from some of the highest quality materials including leather and engineered to be crack, abrasion, and tear-resistant, making your gloves last all that much longer.

A very common injury that people experience is spraining their wrists in boxing, especially when they are hitting heavy bags.

A lot of gloves on the market simply do not provide enough support and protection for your wrists, however, these gloves are another story.

They provide excellent wrist protection and support through their Dual-X closure system that has 4 interlocking splints at the back of the hand that ensures a lace-like fit for your hands and wrists while also protecting the back of your hand. The double wrist strap is also a welcome addition to help keep your wrists nice and stable.

The thumb has been specially designed with a special moisture-wicking fabric to help wipe away moisture and sweat, helping to keep your gloves nice and dry.

These Hayabusa quality gloves are a great durable pair of multi-purpose boxing gloves that provide excellent protection and support for your hands and wrists while not being overly expensive, which makes them our runner up pick.

Pros:

Excellent wrist protection through the use of double straps and splints
Great hand protection and cushioning via the 4 foam layer structure
Great craftsmanship and material designed to resist against cracks, abrasions, and tears on the gloves

Cons:

Price

Best Leather Gloves: Hayabusa T3 Kanpeki Leather Gloves

If you’re in the market for a pair of high-quality leather boxing gloves that will last you a long long time, then you won’t be disappointed with the Hayabusa T3 Kanpeki leather gloves.

These T3 Kanpeki leather boxing gloves from Hayabusa provide excellent protection for your hands due to Hayabusa’s patented custom foam composition called Delta EG that helps to absorb and dissipate the impact force of your punches. In addition, the 4 splint structure at the back of the glove helps to stabilize and align your wrist to prevent injuries.

The dual-X enclosure has been designed to further reinforce your wrist with the double velcro straps that leave your wrist well protected and supported with its lace-like fit.

These gloves are one of the most comfortable gloves that you can find on the market due to the design of the pre-curved anatomical pocket with the grip bar and the ergonomic thumb position.

These gloves have been manufactured with only the finest material including 100% genuine full-grain leather and high-quality lining, making your gloves extra durable, long-lasting, and smelling fresh longer.

If your in the market for a great pair of leather boxing gloves that have excellent craftsmanship using geninue leather with lots of extra padding and wrist support then I recommend checking out the Hayabusa T3 Kanpeki leather boxing gloves.

Pros:

Great quality and craftsmanship
Great wrist support
Lots of padding on the knuckles and back of the hand

Cons:

Fit may be tight for some people
Not breathable
Pricey

Best Value Pick: Twins Special Boxing Gloves 

There’s a reason that these Muay Thai and boxing gloves are often used over in Thailand and make up a significant portion of boxing gloves at Muay Thai gyms all around the world.

These Twins Special Muay Thai and Boxing gloves are a great all-around pair of boxing gloves that are made out of 100% genuine leather straight from Thailand with quality craftsmanship as is expected from Twins Special.

Although the gloves appear snug and smaller then what you would typically expect from boxing and Muay Thai gloves, don’t get fooled by its size.

There’s more than enough padding in the gloves to protect your knuckles and hands, and the wrist strap is great for stabilizing and supporting your wrist on impact.

The attention to detail is great and the stitching along the glove has been reinforced to make them extra durable for long term use.

If your looking for an all around pair of boxing gloves at an affordable price with excellent craftsmanship that is made out of leather, provides good hand and wrist support, then you can’t beat these boxing gloves!

Pros:

100% genuine leather
Great craftsmanship and attention to detail
Good amount of padding and wrist support

Cons:

May be a snug fit for some people
Needs time to break-in

Best Gel Gloves: Fighting Sports S2 Gel Power Sparring Gloves

These S2 gel power boxing gloves sport a trio of padding designed to help keep your hands injury-free including a layer of high-density impact-absorbing foam, along with their sponge comfort foam, and S2 shock suppression gel.

Due to the gel padding, you can expect to have custom form-fitting comfort, along with great protection.

The outer layer of the gloves is made out of high-quality full-grain leather to keep the gloves nice and durable, while the insides of the gloves are made with a moisture wicking hardliner that keeps your gloves smelling nice and fresh, along with more than plenty of breathable pockets.

There’s also a double-wide wraparound hook and loop wrist velcro strap that keeps your wrist nice and tight, to prevent injuries.

If your looking for extra padded protection utilizing gel technology with custom form fitting gloves then these are a great pair of boxing gloves to have.

Pros:

Lots of padding and protection for your hands
Great wrist support
Gloves are very breathable and help wick away moisture

Cons:

Needs time to break-in
A little pricey

Best Fitting: Machina Carbonado Women’s Training Gloves

Machina Boxing is a boxing gear manufacturer that exclusively caters their products to women.

These Machina Carbonado women’s training gloves have been exclusively designed to be used with female hands and wrists. You will notice that the gloves are much slimmer compared to regular boxing gloves to account for the smaller hands of females.

Due to these modifications, the gloves will feel like a custom fit compared to other boxing gloves on the market and making a fist should be easier.

The gloves feature genuine leather and stitched nylon to keep your gloves durable and lasting longer, while the waterproof nylon linings on the insides keep your gloves nice and dry.

The high-density foam used on the insides also provides maximum protection for your hands.

If comfort and having a custom fitted pair of boxing gloves designed specifically for females matters to you, then you can’t go wrong with these boxing gloves from Machina Carbonado.

Pros:

Very comfortable
Custom fitted for smaller female hands
Uses genuine leather to preserve durability over time
Good price on a pair of boxing gloves

Cons:

May not be enough padding for some females
Females with larger hands may need to look elsewhere

Best Sparring Gloves: Ringside Women’s IMF Tech Sparring Gloves

The Ringside women’s IMF Tech sparring gloves are a welcome addition to boxing gloves catered specifically towards females.

These sparring gloves feature a leather and vinyl combo outer shell that provides good durability while helping to keep costs down.

There’s an additional vinyl overlay webbing on the undersides of the glove to provide additional protection on impact when punching.

Furthermore, the mesh incorporated into the gloves helps with keeping the gloves dry and evaporating sweat.

As these gloves were designed for females, expect to have a nice compact snug fitting with great hand and wrist support.

If you do a lot of sparring and need a pair of sparring gloves that has been tailored towards females but don’t cost a whole lot, then I would recommend these gloves.

Pros:

Good price
Great fit for females
Mesh material makes gloves breathable and helps keep them dry
Decent amount of cushioning and shock absorption

Cons:

Not as durable as some other brands
Needs time to break-in

Best Starter Gloves: Venum Elite Boxing Gloves

Venum is a well known martial arts equipment manufacturer known for their great quality products at fair prices.

These Venum elite boxing gloves are another welcome addition to their line up of great products.

The Venum elite boxing gloves feature triple density foam as well as reinforced palms to help keep your hands safe and injury-free.

The gloves are hand made and manufactured over in Thailand using 100% skintex leather and reinforced seams that make them extra durable and long-lasting.

The gloves use a mesh underhand to help air out and keep the gloves moisture free and dry.

If your looking for a reasonably priced starter pair of boxing gloves with decent padding along with great breathability then give these ones from Venum a try.

Pros:

Good price
Decent amount of padding
Good breathability

Cons:

Not enough wrist support
Not the most comfortable fit for boxing gloves

Who Should Buy Boxing Gloves

Boxing gloves are an absolute must when it comes to boxing.

Our hands and wrists are very delicate structures that need protection and support when we are training in boxing.

One wrong timed punch and you can easily sprain your wrist or shatter the bones in your hand.

This is especially true if you are hitting a heavy bag due to the hard solid inner material housed in the heavy bag.

That’s why you need to wear gloves when training in boxing.

Furthermore, wearing gloves protects both you and your partner from getting cuts, abrasions, eye injuries, or even fractures when sparring.

In addition to protecting your hands, it also strengthens your arm and hand muscles due to the extra weight that you are carrying around when using them.

You will notice that once you remove the gloves and start throwing punches that you can actually throw punches much quicker and more powerful due to building up strength and speed when wearing the boxing gloves.

Because of these reasons, there really should not be any excuse for not wearing boxing gloves when boxing.

If you just signed up for boxing lessons or any other type of combat sport then no doubt the instructors there will tell you to purchase a pair of boxing gloves for your own use.

You really don’t want to use the ones that the gyms have available as those are disgusting and smell like they haven’t been washed in years!

Important Features to Consider

The Reputation of the Manufacturer

Before running off and purchasing yourself a pair of boxing gloves, it’s important to do a little research on each one of the main boxing glove manufacturers out there as each one will produce different quality gloves at different price points.

Some manufacturers focus on producing some of the best boxing gloves out there on the market but at a premium, while others mass-produce mediocre quality gloves at cheap prices that don’t last very long.

You should consider the pros and cons of going with a well-known producer that charges higher prices vs a newcomer that charges cheaper prices but has a higher risk of producing just average boxing gloves.

A lot of newbies that start out in boxing just opt for the cheapest option not knowing that within 2-3 months, more often then not, those gloves start falling apart whereas if they just spent a little more, they could have gotten a great pair of boxing gloves that would last them for years to come.

Material

Most boxing gloves are typically made out of either synthetic leather, vinyl, real genuine leather or a combination of these materials. Real leather typically costs a lot more, however, are much more durable if proper care is taken towards the gloves.

Also, the linings and stitches of the gloves should not be neglected, as this help reinforce the gloves and hold everything together. When this is hand done, it typically offers great attention to detail and adds that extra level of durability to the gloves.

Other things you might also want to consider is the insides of the gloves and the types of lining and fabric that are used. In some of the more expensive boxing gloves, special moisture-wicking fabrics are used to help reduce moisture while keeping your gloves smelling nice and fresh.

Also if you tend to sweat a lot, you may want to consider looking at gloves with holes or meshes to allow air to flow through and keep your hands nice and cool.

Warranty

Do the gloves come with some sort of warranty?

Sometimes manufacturing defects happen and you end up with a poorly produced pair of boxing gloves that don’t match each other, have poor stitching and linings, or start falling apart as soon as you try them on.

If the glove manufacturer doesn’t offer any sort of warranty or customer support then you’ll be left out of luck.

Some of the more expensive manufacturers out there offer warranties such as Cleto Reyes. This ensures that if anything goes wrong when you receive the gloves, you can be sure that they got your back and will take care of the issues.

What Type of Gloves Are They?

Not all boxing gloves are the same and nor serve the same purposes.

Typically boxing gloves will be classified in the following categories:

• Bag Gloves: These boxing gloves have been specifically designed to be used with heavy bags hence the name “bag gloves” and not used for anything else. These gloves typically have less padding compared to other gloves and are much smaller too. Some of the gloves even have openings for your thumb to allow for better dexterity and a firmer grip.
• Training Gloves: These are your all-purpose training gloves that can be used for punching heavy bags or sparring with a partner. These are great if you don’t want to own multiple pairs of boxing gloves.
• Sparring Gloves: As the name suggests, these are only used for sparring purposes. They feature extra padding to protect both your hands and also to protect your sparring partner as well.
• Competition Gloves: These are usually lighter and have less padding. They are only used during competitions in boxing so if you don’t intend on fighting in amateur bouts or professional bouts then forget about them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Size Gloves Should I Buy?

This will depend on a number of factors such as the size of your hand, how much you weigh, what type of activity that you will be doing ie. bag work, sparring, etc. and which manufacturer you are purchasing the gloves from.

Each manufacturer uses different charts for their customers.

The most common glove sizes that you will find on the market come in 12, 14, and 16 ounces. You may also find smaller or bigger sizes then these as well.

Generally the bigger the gloves are, the more padding and protection they provide, while the smaller they are, the less protection they provide.

It is not possible to give an exact number to what size you should get because it will depend on each individual and the manufacturer of the gloves.

Here is a quote from Machina Boxing:

There is no exact system of measurement for fitting boxing gloves. A good fit is somewhat up to the wearer.

Machina Boxing

However, if you are purchasing a pair of Machina boxing gloves then here is their recommendation:

For small hands and wrists, get the 12 oz and if your hands are average or your a heavy hitter then opt for the 14 or 16 oz gloves.

Furthermore, to get the exact right fit you may need to measure your hand:

• From the tip of your middle finger to the base of your hand
• From front to back, across the knuckles

Here is another example of sizing charts from Cleto Reyes.

As you can see, the sizing requirements are different than those of Machina Boxing.

What Type of Material for My Gloves Should I Get?

• Genuine leather: Real leather generally lasts much longer compared to the other materials such as synthetic leather or vinyl, however, they do need more maintenance to prevent cracks from forming and tend to cost a lot more.
• Synthetic leather: Cheaper than real leather but isn’t quite as durable.
• Vinyl: The least durable of the bunch but also the cheapest to manufacture.

Furthermore, you may also want to consider what type of straps are used to tighten the gloves.

• Lace-up: Used in professional boxing gloves and provide excellent tightness, however, is time-consuming and requires a third party to assist in tying the gloves.
• Velcro: Does not require a third party to assist with tightening the gloves and is convenient. Over time, however, the velcro can lose its ability to tighten as its material breaks down.

If you can afford it, I would recommend that you go with a good pair of leather gloves with a velcro strap. This ensures great durability and ease of putting or taking the gloves off.

Can I Use Men’s Boxing Gloves?

While it is possible to use men’s boxing gloves and more often then not, a lot of females have no issues with the gloves, it may be a better idea to try and look for either a pair of female boxing gloves or a pair of unisex that have been designed for use by both genders.

Here’s why:

Females tend to have smaller hands and wrists compared to men.

On a lot of men’s boxing gloves, the internal hand cage aka. the internal structure that cradles your hands when you’re wearing the gloves tend to be bigger, thus not providing a good and comfortable fit for females. A lot of females may find that the hand cage is a little loose and big for their hands.

On boxing gloves designed for females specifically, these tend to be smaller to account for a female’s smaller hands, thus providing a better fit for their hands.

In addition, the weight of the gloves also makes a difference in boxing. On female boxing gloves, typically the gloves have just enough padding to provide sufficient protection without adding any extra bulk to the gloves.

This means that the gloves will tend to be lighter compared to men’s boxing gloves. This may or may not be important to you depending on what your training goals are.

How Do I Care for My Boxing Gloves?

After you are done using your boxing gloves, it is always a good idea to try and air out the gloves to help keep them dry and to minimize odour in the gloves.

Overtime the cushioning and foam used on the insides of the boxing gloves will breakdown and need to be replaced. If you notice that the foam cushioning inside of your gloves appear much thinner then before or that your hands start to feel uncomfortable or even hurt when punching, then its time to replace the boxing gloves.

You should also try to clean the insides of the boxing gloves using anti-bacterial wipes or a non-harsh cleaner regularly.

If you’re using leather gloves then it is advisable to use some sort of leather dressing, cream, or oil to treat the leather and moisturize it to prevent it from cracking.

Conclusion

If you are a female that is just starting out in boxing then having a pair of boxing gloves is very important and should not be overlooked.

More importantly, however, is finding that right pair of boxing gloves that provides you with ample protection while being comfortable and durable.

In this article, we looked at some of the best women’s boxing gloves for beginners.

We also discussed what makes each glove different and what you should look for when deciding to buy a pair of boxing gloves such as the type of material being used, the amount of padding and protection offered by the gloves, whether the gloves are breathable or not, as well as fit and comfort.

In addition, we also discussed how to pick out the right size boxing gloves as well as how to care for your boxing gloves.

With so many different boxing gloves on the market nowadays, trying to find that perfect pair of boxing gloves may seem like a tall order but hopefully, this guide has helped make things a lot simpler for you.

Let me know what boxing gloves you are currently using in the comments below.