What weight boxing gloves should you use?
Boxing glove weight is measured in ounces and describes padding, not glove size. Use 12oz for bag work and pad work, 16oz for sparring regardless of your body weight, and 8oz or 10oz only for competition. Heavier gloves protect both your hands and your training partner.
Ounces measure padding, not fit
The ounce number is the weight of the glove, which is essentially the amount of padding around the hand. A 16oz glove is not physically larger inside than a 12oz glove; it has more foam between your knuckles and whatever you hit.
This trips people up constantly. Sizing comes from hand circumference and the manufacturer's fit, not from the ounce rating.
Matching weight to what you are doing
Bag and pad work: 12oz for most adults. Enough protection for repeated impact, light enough to work at speed. Heavier hands may prefer 14oz.
Sparring: 16oz, and most gyms require it. This is not about your own protection but your partner's. More padding spreads the impact and reduces the accumulated head trauma that makes sparring dangerous over time.
Competition: governed by the sanctioning body, typically 10oz and sometimes 8oz for lighter amateur classes. These are not training gloves and should not be used for regular work.
Hand wraps are not optional
Gloves protect what you hit. Wraps protect your hands, by binding the small bones of the hand and supporting the wrist. Punching a bag in gloves without wraps is a reliable route to injury.
180 inches suits most adult hands. 120 inches suits smaller hands and juniors. Buy two pairs, because damp wraps are unpleasant and wear out faster.
Common questions
- Should glove weight match my body weight?
- Only for competition, where it is set by the rules. For training, weight is chosen by activity: 12oz for bags and pads, 16oz for sparring, regardless of how heavy you are.
- Can I spar in 12oz gloves?
- You should not, and most gyms will not allow it. Sparring gloves protect the person you are hitting. 16oz spreads the impact and is the accepted standard.
- What is the difference between boil-and-bite and gel mouth guards?
- Boil-and-bite is softened in hot water and moulded to your teeth, giving a good fit cheaply. Gel-fit guards are slimmer and more comfortable to breathe through, at higher cost. Both need remoulding if the fit loosens.
Shop boxing
Leather that actually breaks in, guards that mould to your bite, wraps long enough to do the job properly. 8oz through 18oz.