Updated 20th January 2024: Whether you’re new to Muay Thai or a seasoned old hand, you will need a pair of the best Muay Thai gloves for training. BUT! There are sooooo many glove models available that it can result in analysis paralysis!
We all want to make the best purchase possible and make each purchase count. One of my earlier pairs of gloves brought me a good deal of agony (wrist injuries) due to the inadequate wrist support so I know fully well the importance of having the right gloves for Muay Thai training.
Through my own experience, mistakes and research, as well as advice handed to me from my Thai trainers and gym mates, I have found what works, what to look for when it comes to buying gloves.
What are the Best Muay Thai Gloves?
TL;DR The Best Muay Thai gloves have a few important qualities that you should look out for including premium leather construction, reinforced stitching, multilayered foam padding, adequate wrist support, comfortable fit and reasonable price tag
.Without a doubt, Thailand brands like Fairtex, Twins Special, Yokkao, Top King and Windy have produced the best Muay Thai gloves over the years at affordable prices.
Not everyone is the same so I recommend reading the whole article for detailed reviews of each model to find the pair that would suit you best:
In a hurry? Check out my top picks of the best Muay Thai gloves in 2024 below.
How to Choose the Best Gloves for Muay Thai Training
Your very first purchase when you start Muay Thai, will be a pair of training gloves. While many gyms allow their members to loan their on-site gloves to use for free, they usually stink after so much punching mileage over time. The padding would have thinned out too and may not offer enough protection for your hands.
You will eventually own a second, third, or even more pairs of gloves as you travel down this path. Be it for sparring, amassing your gloves collection, an alternate pair for rotation or simply to match your workout attire.
But as your very first pair of gloves training this pugilistic sport, it is worth investing a little time to pick the right pair. Here are some essential factors to take note of when it comes to choosing your first pair of training gloves:
Right Size
Punching gloves sizing are measured in terms of weight and for general-purpose training, they typically run from 4 to 18 oz. The heavier the gloves, the thicker the padding and theoretically speaking, the better the protection.
Generally speaking, 10 to 14 oz are the norm for training and are acceptable so long as they fit right and provide adequate padding for protection. If you are on the heavyweight scale, you can also consider a heavier 16-18 oz.
Here’s a training gloves general (not definitive) size chart -based on body weight- for a quick reference:
| Body Weight | Recommended Gloves Size |
| 100lbs & below | 8oz – 10oz |
| 100lbs – 125lbs | 8oz – 12oz |
| 125lbs – 150lbs | 10oz – 14oz |
| 150lbs – 180lbs | 10oz – 14oz |
| 180lbs & above | 12oz – 16oz |
Size matters. Some believe that training with heavy gloves (16 or 18 oz) is good for conditioning but the drawback is that it can also retard your movements and hence techniques.
However, when you eventually progress to sparring, heavier gloves (14 to 18 oz) are actually mandatory. The reason for using heavier gloves is because gloves of these weights offers more padding which protects your hands and partner by minimizing the impact when it lands on your sparring partner.
For non-sparring training -which is what you will go through when you start out-, I personally use 12 oz as they allow me to focus on perfecting my techniques and flow while providing adequate protection for my hands. Many fighters use 10oz gloves for training. Anything lighter and you can really feel the raw impact of your punches.
My gym and trainers recommend beginners to start with heavier 12oz-14oz for proper protection and to let your still-tender hands and wrists get conditioned to the sport.
Reasonable Cost
The budget-conscious will be happy to know that punching gloves are priced relatively affordable.
Good quality, made-in-Thailand, pure leather gloves can be had for around $70-$100 online from Amazon or Thailand-based online shops. The price tag will be on the lower end of the price range if you have contacts to buy them directly in Thailand.
High-Quality Materials
Muay Thai is a high impact sports and right from the start, you will be hitting a lot of tough pads and dense heavy bags. If you want them to last, you are going to need reasonably durable gloves with good padding to withstand the constant and regular punishment.
As for the exterior, genuine leather lasts longer and has always been favored over the comparably stiffer synthetic leather. However, the quality of synthetic material has improved tremendously over the years.
Just like real leather, there are varying quality of synthetic leather with high quality ones rivaling some genuine leather. Microfiber leather is becoming a popular and great alternative to real leather.
The ethically-inclined will also favor animal-free synthetics over real leather. Whichever your preference is, you will be able to find good hardy gloves in either material.
| Sweaty Hands? One thing I have experienced and learned is that genuine leather is a more breathable material. Synthetic leather tends to be less so and feels markedly warmer to train in. This causes hands to sweat more and tougher to dry up due to poorer ventilation, resulting in the easy build-up of odor-causing bacteria. If you have sweaty hands, go for genuine leather and/or mesh panels on the palms that I recommend in my article about breathable gloves. |
Lace-up vs Velcro
Punching gloves come in either lace-up or hook-and-loop (velcro) versions. Lace-ups offer a secure fit and will not shift easily when tightly laced. However, they inconveniently require assistance from another person to tighten up which is impractical for gym training.
In a typical training session, there will be a myriad of exercises done with or without gloves. So straight up, no competition, velcros are the way to go since they can be taken on/off easily by yourself.
Muay Thai vs Boxing Gloves
For general Muay Thai training involving bagwork and padwork, you can use either Muay Thai or pure boxing gloves. There are subtle differences in the aerodynamics construct but won’t affect the casual fighter/martial arts student.
Boxing gloves tend to have more padding around the knuckle area since there is more focus on hands. Muay Thai gloves are more uniformly padded around to allow for blocking of kicks.
They are also more flexible to allow you to open your hands more easily, unlike the more rigid construct of boxing gloves. This feature is made to allow for clinching.
If you aren’t expecting to do any serious clinching with your gloves on during training, both types of gloves will work equally well. Otherwise, it is best to go with a Muay Thai brand.
To learn more about their differences, check out “Muay Thai Gloves vs Boxing Gloves“.
Best Muay Thai Gloves in 2024
There is a good selection of affordable, high quality gloves available in the market most people tend to stick with the main 3 Thai brands (which I discuss in this comparison article here).
But if you are looking for something beyond the usual , there are many decent options available too. You will find my top recommendations below for your consideration:
- Fairtex Muay Thai Boxing Gloves BGV-1
- Yokkao Institution Muay Thai Gloves
- Twins Special Muay Thai Gloves BGVL-3 (Currently Unavailable)
- Top King Boxing Gloves (Currently Unavailable)
- Windy Muay Thai Gloves BGVH
- Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves
- Venum Challenger 2.0 Boxing Gloves
- Title Pro Style Boxing Gloves
- Elite Sports Training Gloves (Currently Unavailable)
- RDX Ego Series Maya Hide Leather Training Gloves
- Sanabul Essential Gel Training Gloves
- Yokkao Design Breathable Muay Thai Glove