All fighters dream of making their imprint on history, mirroring the legacies of legends such as Pacquiao, Mayweather, Tyson, and Ali. However, attaining such prowess in boxing doesn’t happen overnight. The path from being an amateur to a titleholder involves substantial effort, especially when it comes to training.
Boxing pads, also referred to as punching pads, focus mitts, punch mitts, or boxing mitts, have become excellent training apparel for improving one’s boxing skills. Perhaps the essential benefit of boxing pad training is putting a boxer and a coach in sync. Success in boxing often occurs when the exercise creates a strong bond between a fighter and his coach.
There are endless brands of boxing pads on the market, and trying each product would be downright impossible. To simplify, we’ve compiled a list of favorite boxing pads among professional punchers. Focusing on remarkable features, the best boxing pads are:
|
Best Overall
|
Best for Small Wrists
|
Best Value
|
|
3.5
|
3.5
|
3.5
|
|
$26.99
|
$8.00 ($8.00 / Fl Oz)
|
$27.99
|
Made with high-quality and durable material, the Xnature Essential is a pair of light boxing pads that are also highly efficient in shock absorption due to its EVA-LUTION foam and Supremo-Shock foam.
This pair of punching mitts are constructed to fit the natural curvature of the hands with the hand-shaped mold. Its closure is also secured with the EZ-Grip Technology Focus and lightweight foam that provides superior shock absorbency while limiting fatigue.
Geared with the Half-Palm Grip
The Xnature boxing pads are constructed with a durable inner Maya Hide hand compartment that enhances durability. Its perforations are strategically placed at the upper layer for effective air ventilation to provide breathability and keep your hands comfortable.
It is also geared with the Half Palm Grip that allows for a comfortable and secure grip to help prevent injury to the coach pad user.
You can use the pads at various orientations to practice boxing without damaging your partner. The pads are safe to be used even by toddlers to improve their skills at home. These are great for cardio boxing and are very light and handy.
The glove portion has a lot of room to fill any hand size and is geared with the wrist straps that could be tightened, so you never have to feel like the pads are shifting.
- Highly efficient shock absorption
- With inner Maya Hide hand compartment
- High quality and durable material is easier to clean and maintain
- Mesh backing with adjustable wrist strap
- Has a weird smell at first
- Tends to be a bit squishy
Elite Sports is a proven champion in the boxing world and MMA scene, headquartered in California. The MMA scene veterans founded this company to provide a complete range of MMA and fitness training gear, equipment, and apparel.
The company is taking off quickly, and it currently sponsors about 100 fighters in different disciplines.
Uses Only the Best PU Leather
For the sake of making the focus mitts super lightweight, Elite Sports used the best quality PU leather in its construction. This leather is then responsible for why the Elite Sports Boxing mitts hold durability. Additionally, these best mitts feature a curved striking surface.
This is incredibly practical as it provides an enlarged unique surface and doesn’t require the boxer to maintain proper first closure. Besides, focus mitts that follow the natural curve of the hands are extra comfortable and handy.
Super Dense Foam and Mold
Elite Sports understand that you might need the optimal protection and that satisfying pop; that’s why these best mitts have super dense foam and mold. They also included a hook and loop Velcro strap, so your hands will fit perfectly in the pocket.
You won’t get any of that sweaty interior/irritation because the mesh panels on the sides help out a lot with ventilation.
Reduced Wrists Injury
What makes this one a standout from other focus mitts is the wrist support. You won’t feel that intense pain on the wrist while in the boxing ring. This secure Velcro wrist closure with a stretchable leather wrist strap makes the boxing mitts easy to put on and take off.
Its stretchable cuff design helps accommodate different wrist sizes, including people with skinny wrists. This design makes you wonder why other brands haven’t thought of it sooner.
You can use these best mitts from Elite Sports for all sorts of purposes like boxing, kickboxing, and karate. This pair of focus mitts are available in 8 colors, serving you plenty of options.
- Added protection, superior comfort
- Various choices of colors
- Wrist support
- Pre-curved anatomic hand design
- No separate slot for the thumbs
Anyone who has ever used boxing mitts from Sanabul knows that the company is excellent at creating budget-friendly gears without compromising quality. Most of their products can withstand constant use but only sells at affordable prices.
Not a deal-breaker at all, right?
Their mission at Sanabul is to make quality athletic equipment accessible to all. The brand believes that in Muay Thai, it’s all about getting started on the best foot. Their products are engineered with creativity, precision, and careful attention to detail. One prime example is their Essential Curved Boxing Punch Mitts.
Fits the Hands Perfectly
Only those involved in boxing can understand how these best mitts feature everything you can ever fancy. First off, Sanabul designed these focus mitts’ mold to perfectly cater to the hands’ shape. This gives the hands a contoured fit, which is the little feature usually overlooked by other brands.
Everybody seeks stuff that perfectly fits on them, and the best mitts from Sanabul fulfill that desire. The half-palm grip and the hook and loop strap rightly secure the hands in position and allow maximum comfort. These features also make the user feel like these best mitts are just an extension of his arm and not an isolated piece of equipment.
Santec Ultra-Light Foam
Sanabul used Santec Ultra-Light Foam to double the level of comfort. The foam resists the pain from your hand while you are hard-hitting. With this pair of best mitts, it is possible to absorb all the hardest punches with minimal effort.
The pads don’t feel heavy, and these best mitts, in their entirety, don’t feel bulky. This gives the boxer total freedom to move around.
Elegance that Lasts Long
Design-wise, the mitts look sleek and elegant. Sanabul made these in 6 colors, including copper, red, green, neon, and black. You’ll have plenty of colors to choose from, but the mitts in black should make you look like a pro boxer.
Lastly, the leather construction promises durable and long-lasting boxing focus mitts even under constant use. They are specifically made up of Performance Engineneeref leather, which can resist crack.
Aside from the monstrous durability, the leather construction also allows easy cleaning. So, if you’re looking for cost-effective, comfortable, durable, and easy-to-clean mitts, the Sanabul Essential Curved Boxing Punch Mitts deserve a place in your shopping cart.
- Shock-proof padding
- Inexpensive
- Superior comfort
- Added protection
- Lack of ventilation
PU Leather Ensures Longevity and Ease of Cleaning
Make the perfect strikes with GRITLETIC Adjustable Punching Boxing Pads. These pads have arcs like the natural curve of the hands that help users focus the speed and power of the striker on the center to ensure precise and efficient strikes, while its excellent quality ensures comfort to any wearer.
Each pad is crafted with PU leather to ensure longevity and ease of cleaning, while the 2.0 inches of compressed foam inside the pads provide comfort. These pads are also non-tear-able that have a smooth, snug fit and could withstand strong strikes without cracking.
Half-Palm Grip that Seamlessly Fits
The GRITLETIC boxing pads are designed with half ball palm grip that seamlessly fits into the contouring of any hand. It could be adjusted and customized easily as its Velcro strap gives an extended natural arm feel to avoid any possible injuries.
It also comes in a well-ventilated five-finger design to keep the palm and fingers free of sweat and to warrant total grip and control with zero slippage while taking strikes. These boxing pads are perfect even for home training and are also the choice of world-class athletes, so you are sure that they are high-quality and durable.
- Has a well-ventilated five finger design
- Non-tear able mitts
- Choice of world class boxers and martial arts athletes
- Easily adjustable and customizable Velcro strap
- Takes break-in period
If you are in the mood to splurge a bit more on your boxing gloves, the Pro Impact Curved Focus Mitts is a desirable option.
Provides World-Class Sporting Goods
Pro Impact is a leading supplier of a wide variety of premium sporting goods: boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, fitness, rugby gear, and cricket. The brand was featured in some of the world’s top publications, and it’s easy to tell why.
Their mission at Pro Impact is to become a provider of world-class sporting goods at competitive prices. They are most notable for providing each customer with expedited delivery services, which is why the brand deserves a place on our list.
Uses Authentic Leather
One of the critical features of these punch mitts is the leather quality. The manufacturer used authentic leather that comes with scratch-proof durability. This feature is quite notable as it keeps the mitts’ aesthetic value high in the long run.
You can also see that these best mitts feature a unique curved design intended to provide you with more protection and control. The curved surface is useful not only for jabs and cross but for all sorts of moves.
Equipped with a Sweat-Absorbing Interior Lining
Pro Impact included a sweat-absorbing interior lining to keep the insides of these best mitts dry and comfortable. If you’ve already used mitts with no sweat-absorbing system, you know well how troubling sweaty interiors feel. Also, sweaty and stinky boxing mitts are a big turn-off.
When the interior of these best mitts are soaked with sweat and left uncleaned after training, the dampness makes them a thriving environment for bacterial growth. These bacteria then give off a foul stench that can linger on your hands. If you put on the smelly mitts and you have a wound on your hand, you may even get skin infections in return.
More than anything, people you work with may equate mitt stench as a sign of poor hygiene. If you don’t want to give that impression, you must wear breathable, best boxing mitts such as this one.
Designed to Make the Grip Better
Another thing to mention is that the manufacturer designed the ball to make the grip better. The hook and loop closure is also great at holding your hands tightly to avoid slipping off at some point.
They increased the padding by 35% to increase shock-absorbent capacity. This makes hitting these best mitts harder a lot more convenient without any noticeable impact for both parties. Besides, these best mitts got a wider face, so hitting is effortless.
If you are not choosy, this focus is available in two colors, brown and black. Both colors come with a center white dot in the middle to increase your accuracy and skill set at an exponential rate.
- Durable leather material
- Sweat absorbing system
- Padded construction
- Takes break-in period
- Looks heavy on the outlook
Fairtex is a top-of-the-line brand that is the most popular and best-selling in the US and Thailand. The brand owes its popularity to a successful publicity campaign back in the 1990s. However, Fairtex punch mitts are favored for many selling points and other practical reasons.
On-Point Craftsmanship
Firstly, the Fairtex Contoured Punch Mitts are homemade in Thailand. The country is known to provide sports gear with on-point craftsmanship, and this is probably why Fairtex hardly ever receives negative reviews on the web.
Compared to Western punch mitts, they are far more compact. Generally, the old boxing system promotes bulky boxing focus mitts, but Fairtex designed their mitts to have a shorter cuff. With this low profile and more straightforward design, these best boxing focus mitts allow you to mix grappling and striking more easily than ever.
These best focus mitts essentially make it easier for you to smash through your opponent’s guards. Because of this superior quality, the Fairtex Contoured Punch Mitts are also recommended for boxing, Muay Thai, MMA sparring, and training.
Has Enough Cushioning for Real Protection and Support
In boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA, you rely so much on using your hands as a weapon. Understandably, you’re putting your hands at risk of knuckle, finger, and wrist pains. However, you can eliminate these pains using these best focus mitts with real protection and support.
The Fairtex Contoured Punch Mitts is a perfect example as its features extend to having enough cushioning, evenly-distributed padding, and breathable mesh. You can be assured that these best focus mitts won’t break on you mid-round as well as your hands.
You Get What You Pay For
For a beginner who knows nothing about gloves, the Fairtex Contoured Boxing Punch Mitts price may discourage you from making any purchase. The old saying that “you get what you pay for” rings real here on the brighter side. With these best boxing mitts, you’re indeed paying for something that will keep your hands safe and your training memorable.
- Durable-leather material
- Heavy cushioning on the backhand
- Takes break-in period
Cheerwing prides itself on offering the best bang for the buck, with high-quality mitts at a reasonable price. Their best boxing pads would be great for those just getting into Muay Thai and those doing the sport on a more casual basis.
Hands Fit Perfectly Inside the Pocket
It’s a comfy pair that is known for its superior quality material. Cheerwing used the best PU leather material and potency foam so that it’s satisfactory to punch it and also hold it. No matter how you use the boxing mitts, rest assured that they won’t break anytime soon.
Furthermore, it features an ergonomic design, and your hands will fit perfectly inside the pockets. It’s nice that it offers a snug fit without cutting off circulation. As you work up a sweat, your hands won’t swell, and the boxing focus mitts won’t feel like flying off either.
Lightweight: Allows You to Train for Hours
These best focus mitts weigh about 7 oz, which is super lightweight. This allows you to train for hours without feeling the punching pads’ weight taking a toll on you. You can also find a hem in the pads that keeps it from busting open that easily.
- Durable leather material
- Sweat absorbing system
- Padded construction
- Takes break-in period
Valleycomfy is a big name in the sports gear department. The brand is one of the best manufacturers of boxing, martial arts, karate, and more. The main focus of this organization is to help keep the fighters safe and professional in the rings. Hence, the brand is known to deliver products that portray both professionalism and expertise.
Since Valleycomfy has a decisive goal to manufacture Valleycomfy merchandise only the highest quality items, we can expect that their Boxing Curved Focus Punch Mitts don’t disappoint.
Thick but Light in Weight
Despite being thick, the Valleycomfy still provides the benefits of being light in weight. You can use it for hours of training, and its weight won’t feel like taking a toll on you. This is a massive plus as you seldom come across lightweight mitts that still impact punches. The light sparring pads also provide more flexibility and allow you to explore various strikes and styles.
The curved anatomical fit of these best mitts is responsible for resisting impacts while providing you with high stability and grip over them. Moreover, the cellular material of the mitts adds more strength to it. During training sessions and high-impact punches, you can expect these best mitts not to slip away from your hands.
Provides Maximum Level of Protection
In combination with the extra padding, the shock absorption design of the boxing mitts is unrivaled. It provides you with the maximum level of protection from every punch.
The padding and shock absorption features of focus mitts are notably significant for beginners. These can help you avoid injuries, especially since you’re just starting and haven’t perfected your technique yet.
The Valleycomfy Boxing Curved Focus Punch Mitts is the perfect set for you.
- Lightweight
- Durable leather-material
- Padded construction
- Takes break-in period
Harm-Free for Trainers and Boxers
The Hawk Sports Punch Mitts ticks all the boxes for protection. They ensure that both the trainer and the boxer come out of the boxing ring harm-free.
Thanks to the comfortable and firm padding, the hits’ impacts are distributed uniformly across the larger surface area. Thus, as a boxer, you can go haywire with nothing to worry about. These also serve as a good cushion, so nothing’s going to feel hard for you.
Designed to be Lightweight Made with Premium Material
Most boxers complain about mitts being a bit too heavy to be kept on the air for long. Fortunately, the Hawk Sports Punch Mitts is designed to be lightweight for your advantage. Not only does it come with pretty sleek protection, but its curved surface also opens up a lot of versatility. This means that you can explore variations of punches and kicks. Unlike the straight mitts, you won’t be stuck with just jabs and punches.
The exterior cover is made from premium synthetic leather, while the interiors are Jumbo and Eva-foam padded. There are also adjustable Velcro wrist strap hook and jab pads if you worry about it not giving a snug fit.
Overall, the pads help you build a healthy training hobby. You can train for long hours with the air mesh panels and finish up sweat-free.
- Durable leather material
- Sweat absorbing system
- Padded construction
- Takes break-in period
- Looks heavy on the outlook
For great-quality leather, reliable quality, and absolute comfort in training, anyone can give the Athllete Boxing MMA Punch Mitts the thumb of approval.
Built to Sustain Powerful Punches
This punch mitt pair is designed with durable Faux leather to sustain continued, frequent, and powerful punches. As true with all the best leather products, these best mitts require a break-in period for the leather to become flexible enough.
Shock-Absorbent
The wrists’ hook and loop style attachment ensures that the boxing focuses mitts snug to your wrists without issues. Another striking feature is the contoured shock-absorbing molded foam padding. This makes the mitts absorb and consume all the punches without letting you feel the vibrations.
The mitts have been upgraded with a back finger cover and wrist pad for added grip and safety. This is to ensure that the most vulnerable parts of your hands are free from harm.
The most significant advantage of the Athllete Boxing MMA Punch Mitts is that it’s exceptionally cost-effective despite being professional focus mitts.
- Durable leather material
- Padded construction
- Takes break-in period
How to Choose the Best Boxing Pad
Materials
The material is crucial in ensuring that the boxing pad lasts long. It covers the exterior and interior surfaces of the boxing pad. In short, the material is the backbone of the boxing pad.
Read also: Best Muay Thai Gloves – 2020 Reviews
Boxing pads are preferred to be tough despite being soft on the surface. Boxing pads that are made from high-quality leather fit the description best. Almost all boxing pads in this guide are hand-crafted using leather. Natural, high-quality leather is the most recommended outer material for boxing pads since it’s strong, durable, and breathable.
Padding
Your boxing pads’ most critical function- absorbing shocks- will be most supported by its padding. An adequately padded boxing pad allows you to punch hard without hurting your hands. The padding is designed just beneath the exterior cover of the boxing pad.
You can tell that the padding is top-of-the-line when it creates a pop and rebounds your fists.
Regular paddings consist of foam alone, while high-end ones include an integrated gel. This serves the purpose of absorbing and evenly distributing the shock while retaining the shape of the pads.
Paddings don’t have to be all tough; they should also feel cushiony. Otherwise, the boxer might end up hurting his opponent’s or training partner’s metacarpals and phalanges.
You may also like: Best Punching Bags for Home Training – 2021 Reviews
Punch Cushion
Beware of boxing pads that appear to have lots of knuckle protection but feel stiff. It hurts to punch with these pads. Beware also of pads that seem slim outside but feel like pillows as you hit.
Related read: Best MMA Gloves – 2020 Reviews
The punch cushioning qualities of your pads have a lot to do with their construction and foam design. Most punch-cushioning failures result from using a single-layer foam in the knuckle padding. The pads will either be too soft or too hard. Soft foam and dense foam both hurt as much. Soft foam doesn’t stop your knuckles from impacting the target, while thick foam doesn’t mold your knuckles when you punch.
The ideal cushioning uses a medium-density foam, almost soft for sparring but dense enough for the heavy bag. The foam inside should cushion your knuckles, while the foam outside should allow you to feel the power transfer. The takeaway is that you should handle the strength of your punch without hurting your hands.
Double-Stitching
Some manufacturers take shortcuts in the stitching to save labor costs. You may hardly notice the difference if you are a beginner in sports gear. There could be sneaky tricks, such as using thick thread on the outside but a thin line inside. Some manufacturers tend to stitch it with significant gaps because you don’t usually look closely inside. The downside is that the pads may come apart at the seams, putting your money in vain.
While stitching is the most overlooked aspect of a boxing pad, you can inspect the stitching in critical areas- wrist, palm, thumb, back of the hand, and velcro strap. Be on the lookout for loose stitching around the velcro strap, as this can potentially cut or scrape a boxer’s face in sparring.
Aside from being more durable, double-stitched pads are neater to look at. It doesn’t matter if the double stitching is done by a machine or hand. Usually, when a machine does it, you will see that the stitches maintain the same distance from each other. In contrast, a hand looks uneven and slightly messy. However, the good thing is that both produce a double-stitched boxing pad.
Wrist Support and Mobility
The design and the closure strap of a boxing pad affect much of its wrist support and mobility. For example, velcro straps that are too long, thin, flimsy, or far away from the wrist can decrease wrist support.
Invest in pads that keep your wrists secured in a straight position. This allows for more punching power while reducing the chance of hand or wrist injury.
Related read: Best Punching Balls for Speed Training – 2021 Reviews
Breathability
Breathable boxing pads are handy when your hands get hot and sweaty in training. Instead of breaking down the padding, your boxing pads should allow acidic sweat to dry faster. Breathability involves the inner and outer materials used in a boxing pad. Leather outer tends to be more breathable than synthetic leather boxing pads. Moreover, how the palm area is designed contributes to the breathability of a boxing pad.
If there are a few holes in the palm and around the fingers, your pads will smell better than those completely sealed-up ones.
The inner lining is also responsible for the pad’s breathability and comfort. You can tell that a boxing pad has a good lining if it stays in place and does not flop around inside. In other words, the inner lining doesn’t look like a loose plastic bag inside the boxing pad. Most importantly, a good inner lining prevents sweat from reaching the padding by breaking it down faster.
Durability
Boxing pads are subject to multiple intense compressions. For this reason, it is vital to select boxing pads with high-quality, durable materials. These pads are less susceptible to wear and tear thanks to the high-quality nylon threads. These threads hold them together during intense training sessions. Aside from that, these threads also add elegance and a taste of style to the boxing pads.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are boxing pads used for?
Boxing pads are one of the most important aspects of a boxer’s preparation. They are used during one-on-one interactions between a fighter and a coach. The coach uses the boxing pads to catch a boxer’s punches, usually thrown in combinations to develop attacking and defensive skills.
What force can boxing pads withstand?
They can resist punches, but since the coach fights the punches, it is ideal that heavy blows be reserved for a punching bag.
Can boxing pads be used for other striking activities?
The answer is a resounding yes! Boxing pads are multi-functional so that somebody can use them in martial arts, kickboxing, etc.
