If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best boxing mitts for training is, then I’d recommend the RDX Boxing Pads Gel Focus Mitts as the best one.
A major part of boxing is having quick hands, and the right focus mitts can help you achieve that.
We’ve put together a buyer’s guide to highlight these mitts and what features you should consider.
In addition, we reviewed five top-rated products so that you may find the best boxing mitts for your training.
Here are the top boxing mitts we’ll be reviewing:
- Sanabul Essential Curved Boxing MMA Punching Mitts
- Everlast 4318 Punch Mitts
- Elite Sports Boxing Punch Focus Mitts
- RDX Boxing Pads Gel Focus Mitts
- Meister Cowhide Leather Curved Focus Mitts
Training and Boxing Mitts – Buyer’s Guide
Boxing focus mitts are as important to your training gear as anything else.
Even with our later recommendations on the best boxing mitts, there are still some considerations to keep in mind when choosing a pair for yourself.
What are Boxing Mitts?
Essentially, boxing mitts are focus pads. They are padded targets that you or your training partner will wear.
Whichever one of you is striking will focus on hitting the pads, allowing more freedom to practice proper technique and gain new skills and combinations.
These mitts can also help teach the art of slipping, dodging, and outright avoiding strikes from an opponent without resorting to full contact sparring.
Benefits of Using Boxing Mitts
As we touched on in the beginning, boxing mitts can take your training to another level.
They can help you work on your striking techniques in a way that hitting a punching bag won’t allow.
You may be able to develop combinations, learning exactly where you need to strike.
On the other side of this is that your training partner can swing using the mitts, forcing you to move around and learn how to properly avoid getting hit.
Alongside this, boxing mitts can help keep you and your partner safe while you learn proper striking techniques.
It’s all too easy to develop an injury while boxing, so being able to safely learn how to hit without causing harm to yourself or someone else is a skill that will follow you throughout your training.
While training with boxing mitts, you may also get in a good workout. It’s much like practicing with a punching bag, but you have to move around a lot more.
This may help you burn more calories, almost as though you were sparring.
Padding – How Much is Needed?
You want there to be enough padding in the mitts to provide protection, but there should be a balance throughout.
The foam inside should offer the right amount of shock absorption so that you won’t injure yourself or your training partner.
Also, check that there is some support on the sides of the mitts as well. This way, whoever is holding the mitts has a less chance of experiencing any wrist injuries.
Even distribution is vital as well.
Too much padding may cause the mitts to be overly heavy. This can, in turn, cause some difficulties in training as you or your partner may have a tough time keeping the mitts up.
Durability
Who feels like buying new training gear every month? Mitts that are well-constructed should be able to last you a good deal of time.
Like with boxing gloves, genuine leather is a go-to material due to how durable it is. In general, leather may also breathe better so you won’t feel stuffy in the mitts.
However, you may still find some quality boxing mitts made from other material like synthetic or PU leather.
They may not last as long, but they should get you through some training bouts.
There is also the added bonus that they may be easier to maintain, and they are more affordable than genuine leather mitts.
Another area to look at in terms of durability is the stitching quality.
You may find many mitts that have reinforced stitching as this might reduce the chance of the threading coming undone.
Design – Support and Comfort
The design of the mitts may determine just how easy they are to wear in addition to how much support you or your training partner will have.
Support
First of all, consider the wrist support in mitts the same way you would in gloves.
The best boxing mitts have a solid closure system to help provide better stability.
This way, it may reduce the chances of you or your partner experiencing straining in the hands and wrists.
Comfort
It shouldn’t be difficult to wear the mitts.
Sizing is important in this case as they should fit well, offering you room without being too loose or constricting.
Also, pay attention to the handles.
It may help if they have an ergonomic design as it can improve how easy the mitts are to wear as well as offering you more protection.
Flat or Curved?
Generally, you may find boxing mitts in an either flat or curved design.
Flat mitts may absorb shock better for heavy hitters, but they may require quite the break-in period before you don’t feel an aftershock of sorts when you strike flat mitts.
Meanwhile, curved mitts may provide more control so that you can practice various techniques and combos in a number of different directions.
Top 5 Best Boxing Mitts for Training – Reviewed
Finding the right boxing mitts for your training doesn’t have to be a struggle. Here are five high quality options to narrow down your search and save you some time.
Sanabul Essential Curved Boxing MMA Punching Mitts
The Sanabul Essential Curved Boxing MMA Punching Mitts may be useful for those of you just starting out or seeking more intermediate boxing.
Although they are constructed with Santec Ultra Light Foam, the padding feels a bit stiff while not absorbing enough for heavy strikes.
In this case, you may want to take some time in breaking them in to see if the padding loosens up a bit so that you can manage them better.
The mitts are lightweight though to reduce how much fatigue you may feel.
With the half ball grip, there’s some quality security found in the mitts, while the adjustable wrist strap can help add more stability.
In addition, the mold is hand-shaped so that they fit easier.
As for their durability, they’re constructed from engineered leather with strong stitching so that they may last you through a good number of training sessions without unraveling.
Even though they may physically hold up over time, they might not be comfortable the entire the time as there doesn’t appear to be a lot of breathability.
Pros
- Lightweight to reduce fatigue
- Strong stitching
- Secure palm grip
Cons
- May feel a bit too stiff
- Not much breathability
Everlast 4318 Punch Mitts
The Everlast 4318 Punch Mitts are affordable boxing mitts that may help you sharpen up your technique.
They seem to absorb shock relatively well, but they may only work best for lighter use. Also, the force that comes from impacts may be distributed evenly throughout.
Made from synthetic material, there is some good durability in the mitts, but the material does feel rather thin. How long the mitts may last is a bit questionable.
They do appear easy to maintain though.
Not only do they readily wipe clean, but there is an anti-microbial treatment designed in the mitts to fight off bacteria growth as well as any build-up of odor.
The full glove backing not only adds an interesting design, but it may allow you to hold the mitts better.
However, this might only benefit those of you with larger hands. Since they run large, there is a chance that you may experience some slippage.
Pros
- Easy to wipe clean
- Absorbs shock well
- Force seems well-distributed
Cons
- Chance for them to slip
- Material feels thin
Elite Sports Boxing Punch Focus Mitts
Available in several different colors, the Elite Sports Boxing Punch Focus Mitts are designed user-friendly so that if you’re just starting out, you may have an easier time holding them and striking them.
The PU leather material is soft enough that it won’t scrape your knuckles if you use them without gloves.
Meanwhile, they’re lightweight enough that they’re easier to hold over a longer workout session.
However, the high-density padding could benefit from being firmer though as you may feel some impact.
Even with the curved design to follow the shape of your hand, these mitts seem to run on the larger side.
So, if your hands are small, you may want to adjust the straps more and have a firmer grip so that the mitts won’t slide around.
There is some well-built mesh panels on either side of the mitts though.
With them in place, you may experience some greater breathability so that your hands may not be soaking with sweat after a long practice bout.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to hold
- Quality, heavy stitching
- Mesh panels for ventilation
Cons
- Could benefit from more shock absorption
- May run large
RDX Boxing Pads Gel Focus Mitts
The RDX Boxing Pads Gel Focus Mitts may seem a bit on the expensive side, but there appears to be good value in them.
For one thing, they’re made from authentic cowhide leather. This gives them the right amount of firmness to withstand constant use for a long time.
There’s nylon mesh in the palms also to help them breathe better.
For protection, these may be the best boxing mitts that use a three-layer gel foam design to add more impact resistance.
Alongside that is the foam padding guards in the hand area as well as around the wrists to help distribute force.
However, some of you who aren’t used to training with these mitts might find the padding to be too much.
The mitts do seem bulky compared to other similar boxing mitts.
This may allow them to work better for those of you who are heavier strikes or are training with someone who practices a variety of complex techniques.
Inside of the mitts are Ez Grip balls that help you keep a solid hold without losing the ergonomic shape.
This may assist you in keeping your wrists and hands aligned, which might in turn minimize the risk of injury.
Pros
- Cushioned well for heavier strikes
- High-quality leather construction
- Large palm ball for a better grip
Cons
- Appear to be a bit bulky
- Some of you may find it too padded
Meister Cowhide Leather Curved Focus Mitts
The Meister Cowhide Leather Curved Focus Mitts may provide a good level of security thanks to the contoured design.
These allow you to have a more ergonomic hold. At the same time, there is quality wrist padding that helps further stabilize your hands and joints.
With that said, the mitts may benefit from having a better grip inside. Also, harder hits might cause the mitts to slip from your hold, forcing you to readjust yourself.
This might make the mitts more suitable for lighter to intermediate training.
They do still appear to hold up well in the end though.
Since they’re made from genuine cowhide leather, the mitts may have a good amount of durability to withstand those heavier strikes.
Also, with the curved design, they may help you or your training partner keep your hits centered better.
They’re light in weight too so your arms won’t feel worn out before you get any good training in.
Even though heavy strikes might cause slippage, there is still some high-density padding inside so that you don’t feel the impact too much.
Pros
- Contoured design
- Good durability
- Quality wrist protection
Cons
- Could use more grip inside
- Harder hits can cause them to slip
Final Thoughts
If you aren’t quite ready to spar with someone in the ring, then you can take to using focus mitts instead to work on your striking techniques.
From the ones reviewed in our top five list, we feel that the RDX Boxing Pads Gel Focus Mitts are the best boxing mitts to handle the job.
They may not be as affordable as others, but their construction is high-quality enough that they’re longevity is worth investing in.
There’s a quality mix of foam padding and gel padding to absorb even heavy shock, while ball inside helps you maintain an unrelenting grip.
They’re ergonomic so that they may be more comfortable, and there’s a quality breathable mesh inside on the palms to keep you cool.
