The heavy bag is the essential training tool every fighter has at their disposal. Despite all the new exercises and routines people come up with, if you are a fighter, you will spar and train on the heavy bag, and to do the latter safely, you need suitable heavy bag gloves.
People have different tastes and preferences regarding bag gloves. Still, this list has something to fit all needs, budgets, and whims.
Header |  Best Boxing Gloves For Heavy Bag |  Best Mitts For Heavy Bag |  Best Heavy Bag Gloves For Wrist Support |
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If you've seen any of my other boxing glove roundups here on the Sweet Science of Fighting, you already know how much I love the Hit N Move gloves. They were produced with the deliberate intention of being the perfect glove for both sparring and heavy bag use, and they were successful.
To accomplish this, Hit N Move uses four layers of padding, unlike most other gloves with three. This padding provides excellent protection for the knuckles due to the DR-T technology, which reverses the punch impact. Despite that, there is also decent feedback, which is impressive, especially for the 16-ounce gloves I use.
Material-wise, the Hit N Move All Day Balance gloves are made from very high-grade, grained cowhide leather that will last for ages, even with the heaviest puncher's abuse. Lining, stitching, looks—everything in these gloves is premium quality.
You always want excellent wrist support for the heavy bag, and the All Day gloves provide it. There are two bars of padding on the underside and a thick piece on the top of the wrist, forming a brace guaranteeing you are always safe.
Coming at a hefty price, the Hit N Move All Day Pro Agility gloves can be the best investment you’ve made, at least regarding boxing equipment. Which is why they are rated overall best boxing gloves because of their manufacturing quality and unrivaled feel.
You can read my full in-depth breakdown of the Hit N Move All Day Boxing Gloves review with more videos and pictures.
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Hit N Move All Day Pro Agility Boxing Gloves
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Best Heavy Bag Mitts
Revgear Leather Bag Gloves
Heavy bag mitts may not be modern, but they are always in fashion. Most people don't like them, but I am one of those who do find great benefit in them. This is why I was delighted by the Revgear leather bag gloves.
The mitts are best used for the speed bag and double-end bag, but I also like using them on the heavy bag because they keep you honest and precise by forcing you to punch with proper alignment. Unlike some old-school mitts, the Revgear model protects the knuckles, so don't worry about bruising.
The Revgear mitts also overtake basic mitts because they have a nice long cuff with a proper Velcro strap, ensuring tight wrist protection. This is a very nice feature compared to the elastic band on many mitts, which is not good enough.
You also get a grip bar, a breathable palm, and an open thumb. The material is high-quality leather stitched together professionally, ensuring long years of service. Bag mitts are made to be used without hand wraps, so measure your hand before choosing a size and get the right one.
Considering the quality of materials, craftsmanship, and features, I find it easy to pick the Revgear leather bag gloves as the best heavy bag mitts.
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Revgear Leather Bag Gloves
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Best Minimal Heavy Bag Mitts
Cleto Reyes Bag Gloves
Adding a bit of modernity to old-school bag gloves makes the Cleto Reyes Bag Gloves great. Most people don't like using bag mitts, and that's perfectly ok.
Very few models are actually bag mitts, not boxing gloves with a free thumb, and the Cleto Reyes Bag Gloves fit this description.
The coolest thing about the Cleto Reyes is they combine the old-school feel and benefits of bag mitts but also adds a few modern upgrades. They are the mesh palm for extra breathability, the grip bar, and the hook and loop system, giving you much more wrist support.
There is ultra-thin EVA padding, which provides enough protection on the knuckles to go with power on the bag. There is also a grip bar, further making the formation of a fist more natural. The Cleto Reyes is made from premium leather and is built with precision. I am confident these will last you a very long time.
The Cleto Reyes Bag Gloves are not for everyone. This is the last model you would buy if you were looking for optimal protection. But if you want the bare-knuckle feeling that will improve your punching accuracy and condition your hands, or if you are an MMA fighter, the Cleto Reyes Bag Gloves is my recommendation.
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Cleto Reyes Bag Gloves
Best Heavy Bag Gloves For Wrist Support
Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves
The Hayabusa T3 model has become the go-to boxing glove for professionals and amateurs in the few years it has been on the market. Hayabusa likes to push the boundaries and develop innovations that break the mold. The T3 design (also called Tokushu) has been their trademark for years.
The highlight is the recognizable separate pieces of padding on the back of the hand called Fusion Splinting, which serves not only to protect the hand when blocking but to provide locked-in stabilization for the hand when punching. This works in tandem with the famous Dual X closure system, which is why I chose this model for the best wrist support.
The two interlocking straps and the thick padding on both sides of the wrist provide unrivaled wrist support, which is what the T3 is most known for. Add to that the 5-layer padding on the knuckles, and you can see why so many people pick up these gloves and why they are an excellent choice for bag gloves.
The regular Hayabusa T3 comes in engineered leather. Still, the more expensive Kanpeki variation is in genuine leather, making it the ultimate glove for wrist protection.
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Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves
Best Heavy Bag Gloves For Beginners
Ringside Apex Bag Gloves
Beginners often choose the cheapest equipment, but this is a mistake. There needs to be a balance between budget and quality because very poor boxing gloves can have real consequences in the form of injuries. There are a lot of good budget-friendly beginner gloves, but for the heavy bag, the Ringside Apex is my choice.
These gloves have excellent protection due to the IMF foam, which, instead of using different layers of padding like most other gloves, injects gel into the foam, creating one big, solid piece of foam. And compared to the layered padding in this price range, the IMF is superior.
The Apex are modern-looking, with a very nice diamond pattern going over them and a ton of pretty colors to choose from. If you like something flashier and more modern, the Apex is surely up your alley.
And when it comes to the price, some colors cost around $35–40, which is dirt cheap for the quality and protection of the Ringside Apex, making them the best budget heavy bag gloves.
The Ringside Apex is a great stepping stone, both as first gloves or as a step to a more expensive model. But honestly, you can stick with these even after you've gone way past the beginner stages.
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Ringside Apex Bag Gloves
Best Venum Boxing Gloves for Heavy Bag
Venum Elite Boxing Gloves
Venum is among the most prominent name brands in combat sports, covering a vast range of equipment. Their very cool designs and affordable prices make them a perfect choice for a wide array of practitioners, and the Elite model is the most popular for a good reason.
The Venum Elite is an excellent bag glove with triple-density foam of medium hardness, making it suitable for heavy bag use and sparring. What I like to use on the heavy bag are gloves that offer good protection but also give me some feedback so I can feel the punch, and the Elite fits the description.
The Skintex Leather is excellent for a mid-range glove. Unlike the lower-priced models, the Venum Elite is handmade in Thailand, which, in my experience with gloves, always guarantees superior craftsmanship. The stitching is reinforced and done very cleanly.
The abundance of colors and designs, along with the excellent price for the quality, make the Venum Elite an easy choice for heavy bag use and overall training. The only downside is that wrist protection is not optimal, and this is dangerous for beginners on the heavy bag.
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Venum Elite Boxing Gloves
How To Pick The Best Boxing Gloves For Heavy Bag
Type
The two types of boxing gloves you can use on the heavy bag are standard boxing gloves and old-school bag mitts. As much as I like mitts, they serve a specific purpose, and it’s unlikely you will use them exclusively on the bag.
Standard Boxing Gloves
All boxing gloves can be used on the heavy bag. But the padding's size, type, and density make some models better than others. Dedicated bag gloves have denser padding capable of withstanding power punches without compressing. Furthermore, most people like feeling some impact, and the hard, dense padding delivers it.
Soft padding is usually reserved for sparring gloves because they serve different purposes. The soft padding also gets destroyed quicker on the bag. This is why it's best to have dedicated bag gloves or buy a model designed to do everything.
A good pair of bag gloves have a firm, solid feel, allowing power transmission while protecting the hand simultaneously.
Heavy Bag Mitts
Heavy bag mitts may look outdated, but they still have a purpose in today's combat world, in my opinion. The point of mitts is they keep you accountable in a way that you must punch accurately or suffer an injury.
The very soft padding and overall minuscule protection mean you feel which knuckles connect, how your fist is aligned, and the full power of your punches.
This feels good and promotes better accuracy and precision and conditions the entire hand to withstand impact. The old timers used it for this purpose, and we should too.
For MMA fighters who don’t have the luxury of a boxing glove on their fists, punch alignment and hand conditioning are crucial. Hitting pads and the heavy bag with MMA gloves also work, but the open fingers often get scraped, and the bag mitt solves that problem easily.
Size And Weight
The other thing is the size and weight of the glove, which is purely a personal choice. Most people, myself included, prefer 10- or 12-ounce gloves because they are lighter and provide more feedback and feel.
These are also the size all fighting styles using boxing gloves use in competition, so you get a more realistic feel than the 16-ounce pillows.
But there is nothing wrong with training with bigger gloves. The bigger the glove, the more padding it has and the more protection it offers. If you have problems with the knuckles, each ounce of protection is welcome.
There are also weighed gloves, coming in at around 24 ounces, used for arm conditioning and endurance. Like the bag mitts, they have a specific purpose and are unlikely to become your primary bag gloves.
Frequently Asked Questions About Boxing Heavy Bag Gloves
What Size Of Gloves To Use On The Heavy Bag
This is a choice made purely based on preference by the user. Most people prefer hitting the bag with 10- or 12-ounce gloves because they are lighter and provide more feel. People needing more protection will go for the 14 or 16 ounces, as they have more padding and protection.
Heavier gloves, like a few 24-ounce models, are also available to improve durability and muscle endurance.
Can I Use Sparring Gloves For The Heavy Bag?
Many boxing glove models, like Hit N Move Balance and Hayabusa T3, are equally suitable for sparring and bag work. They have different layers of padding for different needs, and even cheaper gloves can be used for everything, but you will need to stick to 14 or 16 ounces.
Many gloves, though, are not suitable for bag work. Especially dedicated sparring gloves have much softer padding, which is excellent for protecting training partners, but it also breaks down much faster when used on the bag or pads. So, unless you have gloves designed for everything, I advise having separate pairs for the heavy bag and sparring.
Should I Wrap My Hands For Heavy Bag Training?
You should wrap your hands for long heavy bag routines and full power punching. The hand wraps provide extra stability and firmness to the fist and wrist. If you use bag mitts, there is no need for hand wraps. Some high-quality gloves also allow safe use without hand wraps.
Summary
Bag gloves come in many shapes and specifications. Still, if you invest in a single high-quality pair of gloves, I strongly recommend the Hit N Move All Day Balance gloves for their quality, protection, and feel.
For those with problematic wrists, the Hayabusa T3 is also a sound choice, and beginners and those on a budget can pick the Ringside Apex Bag Gloves.
Hit N Move All Day Pro Agility Boxing Gloves
Code "SSOF" for 10% OFF
