Yokkao Muay Thai Gloves Review (2024)

I’ve been using the Yokkao boxing glove range now personally for around 6 years. I was first introduced to them whilst training and fighting Muay Thai in the pro circuit of Bangkok, Thailand and then continued to use them recreationally as I shifted my career into becoming an elite fight sports Strength and Conditioning coach – going on to win the 2019 Best Trainer In Bangkok Award.

I saw the evolution of the brand first hand as I worked with top level Muay Thai fighters such as Singdam Kiatmoo9, Manachai Yokkao, Saenchai Muay Thai gym, and Liam Harrison to name a few while training out of the flag ship Yokkao gym in Bangkok.

I saw how diligently and closely Yokkao worked with the fighters to ensure that the gloves were protective, comfortable and had an ergonomic, multi–purpose design which means they are great for bag work, pad work, and sparring.

So here is my honest and raw review of the Yokkao Muay Thai Gloves that I personally use. In fact, you can see a video of me training in my Yokkao gloves below!

Yokkao Muay Thai Gloves Review

Comfort and Fit

What really stands out in the Yokkao boxing glove range is how comfortable and protective they are of your hands. There aren’t many gloves that I personally feel comfortable to train full power with and not have to wear hand wraps – the Yokkao range would definitely be one of them.

The inside of the glove feels very protective whilst the outside is solid and made of high-quality material which gives you a lot of confidence in the gloves to do the job during those harder sessions when you really need to unload.

In terms of similar fits, you could say that the Yokkao brand is a fusion of Twins and Top King boxing gloves – having a slightly wider design with a very durable outer material similar to that of Twins but utilizing the ergonomic inner structure that has made Top King gloves so popular.

A modern hybrid of durability and comfort.

Quality and Durability

The Yokkao gloves definitely have a premium feel to them being made out of high-quality cowhide leather, although they do offer a synthetic option if you prefer it.

From my experience high quality cowhide leather is the longest lasting and more durable choice for glove material as it tends to protect the inner padding for longer, keeping your knuckles (valuable assets as a fighter) protected for longer.

The stitching is all still intact and the Velcro still sticks perfectly which is surprising because normally from past experience, after I’ve used a pair of gloves for around the 3 year mark this tends to depreciate a lot.

Design

In terms of design the Yokkao Muay Thai gloves have a really nice curvature to them that ensures the force from the impact is evenly dispersed throughout your fist, rather than certain areas being overloaded due to poor design.

This allows for greater shot selection when it comes to throwing your punches as you aren’t restricted to throw your shots from specific angles due to the shape and size of your gloves. If the glove is more brick (block) like and lacks curvature, often your thumbs can get crushed when throwing shots like uppercuts or body rips.

When looking at competitor brands like Top king, Twins and Fairtex – Yokkao sets itself apart by combining arguably the best features of each one and streamlining it into a glove perfectly suited to a variety of use cases.

Top King gloves have a great overall design, great aesthetics and a slick streamlined feel but lack support in key areas and lack the long-lasting durability Yokkao gloves have.

Twins Muay Thai gloves are incredibly durable, have some very signature designs and provide a good degree of support but can be a little bit clunky due to their wider design and shape.

Fairtex Muay Thai gloves original leather range is very similar to twins in a lot of ways, great durability, very protective but can be a little wide. The Synthetic gloves they have are similar to that of Top Kings in terms of design and shape but are little less protective from my experience.

All of the top brands of Muay Thai boxing gloves have some really cool designs but the Yokkao gloves really differentiate themselves with a funky, vibrant and unique look and feel whilst also having your standard color options (black, blue, red, etc).

Size Options

There are a wide range of sizes available and generally speaking if you are wanting to use your gloves for sparring as well as training you want to get 16oz gloves or larger.

This is the standard size requirement for people looking to get into sparring at Muay Thai fight gyms.
If you are just wanting a nice comfortable pair of gloves but have big fists like me then I’d recommend going for a size 12 – 14oz pair of gloves.

If you have smaller hands then 8 – 10oz gloves should be perfect.

Price

When looking for a standard pair of black 16oz boxing gloves, here is how each brand ranks from lowest to highest price:

As can be seen Yokkao is slightly more expensive than Top King and Fairtex. This can be attested to their high quality product and the sheer longevity that accompanies the brand.