Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop Training Gloves Review

Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop Training Gloves with Synthetic Leather (16oz) Review

Brand

Originally founded in 1910, Everlast have been a big name in the boxing world for many years. They’re now one of the most widely known USA boxing brands, with gear lines for boxing, mixed martial arts, and fitness related sporting goods.

About the gloves

Note: There are two versions of this product, which Everlast do not do a good job at distinguishing between. There are the synthetic leather versions (which are featured in this review) and the full leather versions, sometimes referred to as ‘Pro’ versions.

These can be differentiated visually by the extra ‘Powerlock’ taglone featured on the thumb of the full leather version.

The construction of these gloves is different, so we can only guarantee our review is indicative of the synthetic leather version.

The Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop Training Gloves are one of Everlast’s lower value range of gloves, and are quite often seen at sporting goods stores. They’re a dramatic step up from their cheap gloves such as the Pro Style Training Gloves, but a step below the 1910 Classic Training Boxing Gloves.

We’ve reviewed the 16oz version, in order to see how it fares in all situations. Check out our guide on choosing the right glove size if you’re not sure what size you need.

Visuals

These gloves are pretty stylish, which isn’t surprising considering they’re a cheaper version of one of Everlast’s Flagship gloves. We picked up the black and gold version, but there are around 8 different colour options that can be found depending on where you look. The black and gold version definitely caught my attention most though. There’s just something elegant-yet-understated about the combination.

There are a few tasteful details and logos on these gloves. The back of the hand and the wrist strap feature the Everlast logo as you’d expect. You’ll also find the Everlast ‘E’ symbol on both the inner wrist and the end of the thumb. The term ‘Powerlock’ is printed along the grip bar, which is always a unique place to feature some visuals. My favourite design however is the line ‘Choice of Champions’ along the side of the inner wrist. The reason I love this one is it’s partially hidden beneath the wrist strap, but is a simple visual that you see while you’re putting the gloves on.

Materials/Craftsmanship

The outer skin of the Everlast Powerlock gloves is made with synthetic leather. As you may know, synthetic gloves can vary a lot. Some brands have really strong offerings, while others just use it as a way to make the glove cheaper. I’ve recently reviewed Everlast’s Pro Style gloves, which were definitely cheap feeling, so I was surprised that these are not actually as bad. The material itself is noticeably not genuine leather – it has far more of a rubbery feel. But it is pretty thick, which means it’s not going to break down too quickly. The biggest issue I can see is that this synthetic leather can get a little ‘slippery’ when there’s some sweat on them, for example during sparring. Obviously that isn’t a huge issue, but may mean your punches end up glancing off rather than making solid contact.

Despite the fact that the outer materials surprised me, the inner lining instead feels cheap. It’s a fairly thick layer of what I assume to be nylon or a similar material, and just feels a little dry and scratchy on the hands. I’ve also found it isn’t even pulled tightly. It folds and bunches up at certain points such as around the fingers. Clearly, Everlast have shown no interest in making these gloves feel comfortable against the skin.

Comfort/use

If you were to explain why Everlast have done so well as a brand, it would be that they really understand boxing. The fit of these gloves are definitely reflective of that fact. Even though these aren’t high-end gloves, they still get the fit of the glove pretty spot on. The hand compartment feels fairly well shaped, holding the hand well without resorting to just being ‘tight’ as some other brands do. The wrist fit is also really good. I’d say the Powerlock gloves have quite a long wrist, and their full wraparound strap feels really easy to secure tightly.

One complaint about the wrist strap would be that securing it too tightly can leave some exposed velcro at the end. This is especially true for anyone with slimmer forearms. For padwork, this isn’t an issue at all, but might cause issues in sparring. I have also noticed that the thumb compartment is a little small. Wearing these leaves my thumb bent in a position that would really hurt if knocked.

The padding these gloves use is fairly thin and dense. When making contact, there’s a satisfying ‘thud’, but the impact is surprisingly well dispersed. You can definitely feel the impact, but not to the extent that you’ll be regretting it later. Padding density is very much a personal preference, but I tend to find that thin, dense padding like this is often better for padwork or bag work than it is for sparring. If you go hard in sparring, your partner will definitely feel it. I also really like how well the padding is balanced on these gloves. It really helps give these gloves a slimmer streamlined feel. Overall, I have to say the padding surprised me for the cost.

Cost

This version of the Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop Training Gloves retails at around $59.99. For that price there are some other very tempting options, but Everlast are a brand who can frequently be found with their products on sale for lower, meaning you can pick these up for much cheaper. Overall the quality is fairly low for the price, but the padding and fit is definitely a redeeming feature. They might make a good secondary glove for padwork and bagwork.

I’d say these are a good glove for starting out, but you de have to consider that for another $20 you could pick up much better alternatives. For example the Everlast 1910 gloves, which are both genuine leather and slightly higher quality.

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