_p.png)
Introduction
If you’re looking for a great pair of 12 oz boxing gloves to train in, you’re in the right place.
In this review, we’re going to size up the best 12 oz boxing gloves of 2021. Rest assured, all the gloves that feature in this review have been personally selected by Hungry4Fitness’ very own boxing aficionado Adam Priest, a former Royal Marines Commando and ABAs boxer who now teaches the sweet art to aspiring pugilists.
The top five 12 oz boxing gloves below have been chosen because they satisfy our stringent list of requirements. We at Hungry4Fitness refuse to review substandard equipment. Only the best will do! That’s because we are all avid fitness enthusiasts and we know that great kit makes for great training.
Plus, there’s nothing more annoying than training kit that breaks after a month of use. Training kit should last for years.
In keeping with our passion for the very best kit, the gloves reviewed have been crafted for the serious boxer. This means they’ve been crafted from premium-quality leather or synthetic materials. Thus, when you purchase a pair of gloves from this article, you’ll have confidence that they’re going to last.
In addition to superior durability, each pair of 12 oz boxing gloves has received extensive customer feedback and has been ranked at 4 stars or above. In short, we’ve sifted through the mounds of rubbish boxing gloves so that you don’t have to!
12 oz Boxing Gloves | A Fighter’s Guide
Prior to selecting your boxing gloves, it is wise to consider how you plan to use them and what type of training you will be using them for. At first, the answer may seem obvious – ‘I’m going to box in my boxing gloves!’ However, you should know that not all gloves are suited for all types of boxing training.
To help support you in selecting the right pair of gloves for your preferred style of training, we have created a boxing glove Fighter’s Guide. The guide aims to match the various weighted gloves with the appropriate boxing training.
By using the guide your will be able to make a more informed purchasing decision.
Which weight boxing glove is best?
If you plan to use your gloves primarily on the heavy boxing bag you’ve got hanging in the garage, then you’ll need a different style and weight glove for the person who trains at a boxing club.
Really, the type of training you’re going to be doing should determine the weight of the glove you select.
Bag mitts, for example, have the least padding of all boxing gloves – between 4- to 8 oz. Consequently, they are not suitable for sparring. Bag mitts are very light and compact and are designed to enable you to train at high intensities, working on your speed, accuracy and punching volume.
A heavier glove, so between 14 and 18 oz, are more suited for sparring as they reduce injury and facial swelling. But there’s a trade-off. Heavier gloves can feel cumbersome when working the bag or training on the pads.
However, heavier gloves are useful for training and developing power on a heavy sand-filled boxing bag. You wouldn’t want to work sand-filled bag while wearing bag mitts because it can increase the risk of hand injuries.
But what’s the best weight boxing glove for all-purpose training?
The glove weight a boxer uses is largely a personal preference thing – and boxers who compete tend to have more than one pair of gloves. I prefer to use 10- to 12 oz gloves for pad and bag work but when it’s time to step in the ring for a spot of fisticuffs I’ll slip into a pair of 16s.
If, however, you’re only going to be using your gloves for home training, then 10- or 12 oz gloves are ideal. These weights provide enough padding so that you can put in some big shots, but not so heavy that it feels like you’re boxing with a pair of pillows strapped to your fists.
Velcro vs. Lace-ups
The lace-up style boxing glove is a favourite amongst purists and boxers who have the luxury of a personal coach – because lace-ups don’t lace up themselves. It’s for this reason why lace-up boxing gloves are not suitable for those who are buying gloves to use in their home gym. Once you’ve tightened one up it’s a bugger to tighten up the other.
So why would anyone buy lace-up boxing gloves then?
Compared to Velcro gloves lace-ups can be fastened much tighter, and not just at the wrist but almost the full length of the glove. When you’re suited and booted and your coach laces your gloves up, you feel like you can take on the world. Your fists are compacted into stone and you feel as though you could punch holes through walls.
Velcro gloves are the obvious choice for those who plan on boxing on their home punch bag. But Velcro gloves are also ideal for those who train at a boxing gym, as they can be taken on and off in seconds, which is handy when you're participating in a boxing circuit.
Velcro-Lace-up combo
My first ever pair of Cleto Reyes boxing gloves (which are by far the best gloves on the market) were Velcro and lace-up. By incorporating dual fastening options, you kind of get the best of both worlds, and you don’t need someone to tighten the laces up for you. I partially tightened the laces, just enough so that I could squeeze my hand in the gloves, and then used the Velcro to get a super-tight seal.
Leather vs. Synthetic materials
Traditionally all boxing gloves were crafted from leather as this was the only material that was durable enough to endure the rigours of boxing training. Today, there are lots of different materials that boxing gloves are constructed from. You can still get leather gloves, of course, but they tend to cost more.
In saying that though, just because they cost more doesn’t mean that they will last any longer. I’ve got an old pair of 14 oz Title gloves that are crafted from synthetic materials. For five years I’ve used my Title gloves three times a week and they’re still as good as new.
Another benefit of synthetic materials over leather is that they are much easier to keep clean. After a high-intensity boxing session you can easily wipe the sweat, tears (and blood) from synthetic material boxing gloves.
Leather, by contrast, is more absorbent than synthetic materials. This accounts for why old leather boxing gloves stink (an aroma which only true boxers love). Also, if after a sweaty training session you forget to air your leather boxing gloves out, they can crack and split or attract mould.
The 5 Best 12 oz Boxing Gloves
#1: Mytra Fusion ‘Tribal’ 12 oz Boxing Gloves (£21.00)
Product overview (click image for availability)
Made from Synthetic leather to resist extreme punishment.
Tri-layered shock absorption reduces impact trauma to hands.
Incorporates the Nano-Spores technology for ventilation which keeps the hands during punishing training sessions.
X-Mould Technology and inspired by the Z-Smart design series, these gloves mould your hand into a compact fist.
Mytra Fusion’s Tribal 12 oz boxing gloves are made from durable synthetic leather materials. The company maintains that these gloves can resist extreme punishment and will stand the test of time.
But is this just manufacturer rhetoric?
No, not according to the legion of happy customers who have purchased a pair of these 12 oz boxing gloves. Many of the reviewers are very pleased with how they perform. One customer, who awarded the gloves a 5-star rating, said that he was a bit dubious that the ‘quality wouldn’t be there’ because of the low price.
However, after months of regular use, the ‘material is behaving really well’ and the gloves are showing no signs of wear.
Other features of note include the strategically placed vented holes in the palm mesh which facilitates the circulation of fresh into the glove, thus keeping your hands cool and dry after 12 rounds on the bag.
In addition, the Swift-Z Hook & Loop closure improves ‘fist formation’ so that you can deliver more power punches.
Very well-rated pair of gloves: 4.5 stars with 650 reviews.
#2: Brace Master 12 oz Boxing Gloves (£24.99)
Product overview (click image for availability)
Infused Foam Gel for great shock dissipation that provides more padding for your hands.
Increased padding at the points of impact to reduce injuries.
Reduced glove width to reduce the overall weight of the glove.
Manufactured from durable synthetic materials.
Brace Master offers an affordable, entry-level 12 oz boxing glove. But though they’ve compromised on price, they haven’t comprised on quality.
For a mere £24.99 you could have yourself a praiseworthy pair of boxing gloves perfect for home gym training. They have been crafted from ‘premium PU leather’ to enhance durability and reduce wear and tear.
Due to the ergonomic design and trimmed down outer padding, these gloves still retain their 12 oz weight status but will feel much lighter. This means you’ll still be able to rain thunder on the heavy bag without tiring quite as quickly.
An exceptionally well-rated pair of budget boxing gloves: nearly 5-stars with over 1,500 reviews!
#3: Valour Strike 12 oz Boxing Gloves (£29.99)
Product overview (click image for availability)
Multi-layered high-density padding offers superior safety while reducing impact trauma injuries.
PU boxing mitt is tear-resistant, durable and built to protect your hands during all types of boxing training.
Easy to apply Velcro wrist strap makes using these gloves easy to put on and take off.
‘Better Boxing Gloves for Better Training Sessions.’
So far we’ve been considering lightweight gloves. Now we’re stepping it up a couple of weight divisions. Valour Strike is a very popular brand amongst boxers and combat sports enthusiasts.
The company is widely recognised for producing high-quality and aesthetically pleasing products at affordable prices. A rare combination of qualities.
These excellently rated 12 oz boxing gloves live up to Valour’s high standards. From the outer material to the inner padding these gloves are clearly engineered for high-intensity training. Unlike cheaper gloves, Valour Strikes feature a multi-layered high-density foam padding.
Of course, this padding has been purposely and thoughtfully engineered to reduce impact trauma to the hands. So, when your fists are encased in a pair of Valour Strikes, you’ll have the confidence to unleash your hardest punches.
Solid customer feedback: 4.5 stars with over 490 reviews!
#4: Venum 12 oz Impact Boxing Gloves (£60.00)
Product overview (click image for availability)
Integrated mesh panel under the fist delivers thermal regulation for maximum comfort.
Strengthened seams provide long-lasting quality, so you can fight harder, longer.
Premium Skintex leather, suede aspect, with yokes affect carbon of incomparable quality.
Reinforced palms and triple-density foam provide unrivalled shock absorption and protection.
Venum’s 10 oz ‘Impact’ boxing gloves have got a lot going for them and I imagine that they are the envy of most other competing gloves.
They are fashioned from premium Skintex leather which, in the words of Venum themselves, offers ‘incomparable quality’. This durable material promises to last for years of punishing training. And the reinforced palms and triple density foam padding will endure the wear and tear so that your hands don’t have to.
With interior mesh panels, Venum’s 'Impact' offers enhanced thermal regulation for improved comfort even during 12 punishing rounds on the heavy bag. Yes, you pay more for these gloves, but you get a lot more bang for your buck.
Immense customer feedback: 4.5 stars with over 1,300 reviews!
#5: Fairtex 12 oz Boxing Gloves (£110)
Product overview (click image for availability)
All-purpose, highly durable training glove perfect for all types of boxing training.
Handmade in Thailand and constructed from premium quality leather
Features the Fairtex signature three-layered foam system for excellent hand and knuckle protection.
Ergonomically engineered with a unique contoured and tight-fit hand compartment design to provide a secure and snug fit.
The Fairtex brand is synonymous with Muay Thai boxing. But this doesn’t mean that boxers are disbarred from using Fairtex combat equipment.
The question is though, why would you want to buy Fairtex kit?
In short, because they craft some of the finest quality combat equipment in the world. All of their products, whether it’s boxing gloves, pads or boxing bags, are handmade in Thailand by professional leatherworkers.
In addition, because Fairtex builds training equipment for arguably the most brutal combat sport in the world, all their products are constructed from premium quality leather. Also, whereas other companies apply single stitching, which is weaker and prone to tearing, Fairtex applies double and triple stitching.
It’s partly for this reason why, when you buy a pair of Fairtex boxing gloves, you’ll never need to buy another pair.
These 12 oz gloves also feature Fairtex’s signature three-layered foam system, noted for its superior shock absorption properties, which dramatically reduces hand injuries.
Knock out customer ratings: nearly 5-stars with over 230 reviews.
To Conclude
12 oz boxing gloves are arguably the best all-rounder. They are suitable for all types of boxing training from heavy bag workouts to conditioning training.
A good pair of light-weight boxing gloves certainly makes for a more pleasurable training experience. And because they don’t tend to tire you out as quickly, you can focus more on your technique and the quality of your pugilism.
Furthermore, 12 oz boxing gloves provide a near-perfect balance between weight and size. That is, they offer plenty of protection for your hands but aren’t overly cumbersome.
Any pair of gloves reviewed in this article will offer the protection that your hands deserve without slowing you down.
But remember, before making a purchase use the Boxing Glove Training Suitability Guide to ensure that you get the best weight glove for your requirements.
If you’re new to boxing and plan on working the heavy bag in your home gym, then the Mytra Fusion and Valour Strikes make for perfect first-time gloves.
However, if you plan to take up boxing seriously and are looking to join a club, or you're a seasoned pugilist who’s recently retired a pair of old gloves, you’ll probably require a more durable pair such as the Venums or Fairtex.
(As we are very interested in user experience here at Hungry4Fitness, we would be very grateful if you could take a few seconds out of your day to leave a comment. Thanks in advance!)
Blog Author
Adam Priest, former Royal Marines Commando, is a personal trainer, lecturer, boxing and Thai boxing enthusiast.