How many ounces should I take for boxing gloves?

For a person who watches boxing matches with interest, there is no parallel between gloves and ounces. What do they have in common, in what units is their weight measured, how to choose equipment for training and sparring, read on.

What is the weight of boxing gloves?

Sports equipment ensures its main function: safety for the boxer and his opponent in sparring and competitions. Surprisingly, This equipment does not have digital markings, it differs only in gloves of large, medium and small sizes. More accurate gradation is carried out by their weight, which is selected depending on several factors:

• type of combat - training, duel, stuffing on bags, shells;
• athlete's gender identity;
• its weight;
• age;
• sports qualifications and experience.

The more the athlete weighs, the more weight of equipment he chooses. This is necessary so that the blow inflicted on the enemy is gentle, as well as to ensure personal protection by hiding the most vulnerable spots on the face with the help of equipment.

The more the glove weighs, the softer the blow, because the force is distributed over a larger surface area and amount of filler.. The most dangerous blow can be delivered by a professional adult fighter if he wears lighter weight gloves for the fight.

Important! The size of a boxing glove is its weight. It is measured in ounces, an outdated English unit of weight equal to 28.35 g.

What is an “ounce” in boxing gloves?

Boxing was originally an English sport, so the unit of equipment weight is still taken in the measure adopted in old England in the 17th century - the ounce. In the boxing equipment sizing chart, the smallest size is 4 ounces, and the maximum is 22..

Equipment is used for various purposes. Depending on this, it is divided into several groups:

• for battles;
• for training;
• for working with a projectile;
• for aerobics.

Each of these goals requires the selection of special equipment, the weight of which will be different. Combat gloves are intended for fighting in the ring to determine the winner. Such fights are held among both professionals and amateurs. The weight of the equipment is selected in accordance with the weight category of the athlete, and among professionals it is also specified as a separate condition for a specific fight.. For amateur fights, gloves with a weight of 14–16 ounces are usually selected; for professionals, it is possible to use from 9 to 12 ounces. Boxing equipment is designed to provide maximum protection for the athlete.

It is more effective to train with gloves weighing 16–20 ounces: they are heavy, the blow is not sharp, often soft, the defense is deeper, and the fight is long. Equipment gloves usually weigh 12-18 ounces, their purpose is to provide maximum protection for the hands of an athlete working with a bag, bag, or paw.

What does the "oz" marking mean?

When listing the weight markings of gloves, the name of the weight measure is used - ounce. It is recorded in writing by the English abbreviation “oz”. The size of sports equipment depends on several characteristics, the most important of which is weight.

Hands under gloves must be bandaged. Special boxing bandages are used that secure the entire hand with the exception of the fingers. They serve to absorb moisture and provide additional protection against minor but unpleasant sports injuries: bruises, sprains, dislocations.

What does 4, 8, 10, 12, 14 ounces mean?

For children of primary school age who have started training, parents purchase 4–6 oz/oz gloves; for older children, men and women in lightweight competitions, it is recommended to wear 8 oz equipment. Teens, women and light to medium weight men use 10 oz gear for fighting.

What affects the weight of boxing gloves?

The weight of the equipment is the outer material - leather or its substitute - and the filler. Horsehair, which served as such a filler for many decades, gradually faded into the background, although fraying is still found in some models. A more modern material - polyurethane foam, from which the liner is formed, has established itself as excellent protection of varying hardness for a boxer's hand.The spring properties that characterize this filler help to further soften the impact force.

There are other modern paddings for boxing gloves. This can be layer-by-layer filling with foam inserts, the use of foam fillers, and in anti-crash equipment there is an air layer between the filler that softens the blow.

The weight of sports equipment is directly proportional to the amount of padding for internal arm protection. The amount of padding determines the surface area of ​​the equipment and the corresponding volume inside it. The heavy protection used works to absorb the shock wave, which leads to a reduction in possible injuries when opponents come into contact in the ring and increases the effectiveness of defense. Even a slight increase in surface area provides better protection against enemy attacks on vulnerable parts of the face and body.

Boxing gloves weight chart

What equipment an athlete needs, depending on his own weight and gender for competitions and training, can be determined from the table.

Important! Athletes are not limited to just one type of equipment. Professional training usually requires the purchase of several pairs of sports equipment used in competitions, in working with equipment, and in training sparring.

How do I know how many ounces I need?

Equipment for combat and training are different. Decide on the purpose for which you are purchasing gloves. For sparring, they usually take equipment from 16 oz, and if the weight exceeds 75 kg, then 18 oz. But for competitions, choose gloves with the weight indicated in the table above.However, if you have extensive sports experience and high qualifications, then the selected size should be increased by 1–2 numbers than indicated in the table.