How do you know you’re using the right size or weight boxing glove? If you ask most brands they’ll usually tell you it all depends on either your weight or the size of your hands, but is that always the case? Should you use the same weight gloves for both fitness work like pads or a heavy bag, as you would use during sparring?
Understanding Boxing glove sizes
Usually when you see a pair of gloves they’ll be labelled with a certain weight – for example ’16oz’. This is the weight in ounces.
The weight of a glove refers to the physical weight of each glove, not the total weight. So for example on a 16oz pair of gloves, each hand will weigh as close to 16 ounces as possible.
Typically a ‘heavier’ glove means an increased amount of padding, making your punches slower and more protected.
If you want to know more about why gloves are measured by weight, check out our article What does the ‘oz’ mean on Boxing Gloves? Glove Sizes Explained.
Finding your size
In reality there is no one definite way of measuring it, because it depends on the type of training you’re using them for. Many fighters actually own multiple pairs of boxing gloves for different activities. Most manufacturers only make gloves between 10oz and 16oz, however it’s also possible to get 8oz boxing gloves, as well as 18oz and above, however these larger sizes are often professionally custom made. We’ve created a handy chart to help you, so you can tell what glove you’ll need.
Please bear in mind that different glove brands all have different fits, so it’s always best to make sure you look into the fit of the glove before you buy. You can take a look at our collection of boxing glove reviews to help you choose what to go for.
| Bags/Pads | Sparring | Competition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8oz | Not recommended | Not recommended | Used for lighter Pro weight classes |
| 10oz | Good for speed/ cardio | Not recommended | Used for most Pro weight classes |
| 12oz | Good for speed/ cardio | Not recommended | Used in some amateur competitions |
| 14oz | Good all-round glove | Fine for lighter weight fighters sparring | Used in some amateur competitions |
| 16oz | Good for strength/ power | Suggested gloves for sparring | Used in some amateur competitions |
| 18oz+ | Good for strength/ power, used by heavier fighters | Good for heavier weight fighters sparring | Not Suitable |
*Please note this is not a definitive answer, but more of a guide. Different gyms or competitions will often have their own suggestions or rules.