Leather is often a superior material to use when making boxing gloves. Investing in the best boxing gloves you can is essential if you practise frequently or compete in semi-professional or professional contests.
You should seriously consider purchasing a premium set of leather gloves if you regularly train or plan to participate in semi-professional or professional fights. You might be fine with synthetic if you oppose the usage of leather (i.e., if you're a vegan) or train infrequently.
The various materials used in boxing gloves are broken down here, along with which ones are recommended in our guide of what’s better, leather vs vinyl boxing gloves.
Materials Used to Make Boxing Gloves
Cowhide Boxing Gloves
Cowhide leather frequently offers unique qualities with unusual appearances. Faux leather, however, is uniform because it is made of synthetic materials.
Cowhide leather can be more comfortable for boxing gloves due to its high level of durability, flexibility, and control over odours and moisture.
The durability of cowhide leather, as mentioned above, is one of its major advantages. Real animal leather is durable and only becomes worn out after extensive use.
Buffalo Leather Boxing Gloves
Even though this sort of leather is less common, it makes a fantastic material for boxing gloves. Compared to cowhide leather, buffalo leather is frequently coarser and more resilient.
However, because the hair marks in the leather are more noticeable than in cowhide leather and might affect how the boxing gloves appear overall, it is frequently regarded as a lower grade of leather to use.
Microfibre Leather Boxing Gloves
Boxing gloves can be made from the more recent, high-quality synthetic material known as microfibre. Similar to leather in terms of durability, it is smoother (since there is no grain), lighter, and does not deteriorate with time. In contrast to most synthetic materials, it is also quite good at handling moisture and smells. This can be a fantastic option for your boxing glove material if you're vegan.
Vinyl Boxing Gloves
Although very robust, vinyl will not last as long as leather. With continued use, they will eventually start to split. Vinyl gloves, however, can be ideal if you don't want to buy leather gloves or simply train infrequently. The gloves are generally far more affordable to buy and can be easily cleaned because the material is inexpensive. The main problem with vinyl, though, is that odour can accumulate if used frequently. especially if they are not given enough time to thoroughly dry off after usage.
Metallic Boxing Gloves
Metallic colours for boxing gloves have grown in popularity over the past several years.
How long does metallic leather last and what does it entail?
Metallic leather has a gorgeous shine and is highly eye-catching, but it is not as strong as regular leather. When boxing gloves are used over time, the metallic coating on the leather begins to peel off because the leather is frequently thinner. Given that they won't be used as frequently as training or sparring gloves, the metallic gloves may be preferable for a fight or competition glove.
Ready to get started with boxing or Muay Thai? Check out the guides below to find the best boxing gloves for you.
