Okay, so I’ve been getting into boxing lately, just hitting the bag at the gym, you know? And I quickly realized I had no clue what I was doing when it came to picking out gloves. I mean, they all looked the same to me! So, I decided to do a little digging and figure out what weight boxing gloves I should be using.
First, I started by looking at the gloves they had at the gym. They had all different sizes, or rather, weights, marked in ounces. I noticed some were labeled 6 oz, others 8 oz, 10 oz, all the way up to 14 oz and maybe even higher. I tried to see if there was a pattern, like maybe lighter people used lighter gloves, but it wasn’t obvious just by watching people.
Next, I asked one of the trainers for some advice. He explained that the weight of the glove mostly affects the padding. More weight means more padding, which means more protection for your hands. He said that generally, beginners should use heavier gloves for better protection. It makes sense, right? Your hands take a beating in boxing!
After that, I went online to see what I could find out. It seemed like everyone had a slightly different opinion, but there were some common threads. I put together some notes about the recommended glove weight based on your body weight and experience
- For people under 100 lbs (which included kids, I guess): 6-8 oz gloves.
- If you’re between 100-125 lbs: 10 oz gloves.
- Then, for 125-150 lbs: 12 oz gloves.
- And for those in the 150-175 lbs range: 14 oz gloves.
Finally, I decided to try out a few different weights at the gym, just to see how they felt. Using the guidelines I found, I started with 12 oz gloves, since I’m around 135 lbs. They felt pretty good, but I also tried the 14 oz ones, just for comparison. The 14 oz gloves definitely felt more protective, but also a bit heavier, which I guess would tire my arms out faster. But I’m a beginner, so maybe that extra protection is worth it.
So, yeah, that’s my little journey into the world of boxing glove weights. I’m still no expert, but at least now I have a better idea of what I should be using. I think I’ll stick with the 14 oz gloves for now, just to be safe. Maybe as I get stronger and my technique improves, I’ll switch to the 12 oz ones. We’ll see!
Summary
The weight of boxing gloves are based on padding. The more ounces, the more padding for your fist. For most beginners, it is recommended to start with heavier gloves for better protection.
