Mongkol Muay Thai Boxing Gloves and Shin Guard Review [2023] + INTERVIEW

In 2022 I headed out to Thailand for a month of training Muay Thai. Having left everything at home, I needed to buy some new muay thai gloves and shin guards. It was then when I discovered the Mongkol Muay Thai gear brand. 

After putting them through their paces training, travelling around Thailand visiting different gyms and even bringing them back home to the UK. We've put together our review of the Mongkol Muay Thai boxing gloves and shin guards along with an interview with the team over at Mongkol. 

Here's our interview and review of the next best muay thai gear brand SWEEPing through the muay thai world. 

What is Mongkol?

Mongkol means hold spirit, luck and protection. The Mongkol is a traditional head band worn by fighters performing the Wai Kru before a fight. It's worn to pay homage to the gym that the Muay Thai fighter is fighting out of. Through years of tradition, the Mongkol is only presented by a trainer to a fighter, once they feel the fighter is ready to represent the gym's name in the ring. 

That's not to be confused with the new brand Mongkol. I asked them, what inspired the Mongkol brand to use such a traditional name. 

"We are a fighters first company with deep roots in the Muay Thai world and Mongkol represents what we stand for perfectly".

What's the story behind the Mongkol brand?

"Our team is in boxing equipments for a while. We want to change concept for equipments like functional and fashion. As a fighter first company, we produce some of the highest quality Muay Thai gear that any Nak Muay would be proud to wear. We launched in 2021 in Thailand."

Mongkol BGM01 Muay Thai Boxing Gloves Review

Heading into Bangkok with the idea of buying Muay Thai gear that I'm used to back home in the UK, I headed over to Actionzone. - If you're in Thailand and looking for Thai boxing equipment, I can't recommend here enough - 

A small shop in the centre of Bangkok stocking just about every piece of equipment there for Muay Thai. 

I tried on a few different pairs, from different brands and was struggling to find the right fit and protection. 

Feel, fit & quality

That's until I was presented with the Mongkol gloves. I tried them on and was immediately impressed by the high quality feel and fit. They were snug to my hand but loose enough to leave a slightly less clenched fist for when you're not punching. 

Padding and details

Using real leather for adequate padding, the gloves are super high quality. Even down to the stitching on the lining inside. I've used a few other brands in the past and eventually the stitching inside starts to come away, if you've trained Muay Thai or even boxing, once the lining is gone and the sweat gets through to the padding they start to smell. 

Longevity

After 5 months of using Mongkol's Muay Thai boxing gloves, they still smell as fresh as the day I bought them. 

Another nice touch that keeps them fresh is the ventilation holes across the palm and thumb.  

The BGM01 model has great wrist support and the knuckle protection is really good, even for the heavy bag. 

Mongkol SGM01 Muay Thai Shin Guards Review

Shin guards are one of the most important bits of gear for any Nak Muay. I have owned a few different pairs of shin guards throughout my time training and the Mongkol SGM01 are probably my favourites so far. 

High quality shin guards

Made with genuine leather, Mongkol are low kicking their way up the list of popular Muay Thai brands. Despite being a new brand, their shin guards are robust and really high quality. 

Padding & Design

The Mongkol SGM01 shin guards are a bit wider than a lot of other brands. You can tell they really made an effort in the research and development team to produce shin guards that offer adequate protection, but don't get in the way of training. 

The main shin guard is attached to the foot protector with heavy duty fabric which is great for maximum comfort and mobility when training. 

Double velcro straps

As a bigger guy with some quite large calves, I've always struggled to find a snug fit for my shin guards. 

The Mongkol SGM01 shin guards use double velcro straps that wrap around the calf to secure the shin guard. The straps are really strong and stay tight and actually stop the shinguards sliding off the shin and moving around quite a lot. 

Another great reason to consider Mongkol is that the straps don't include any metal, so no more nasty cuts or material coming away from the metal attachments. 

The reinforced front makes for a really comfortable sparring session for both you and your training partners. Another great feature is the padding distribution and the overall construction. I've worn some shinguards in the past that feel big and clunky and really slow down your mobility, but this isn't the case with Mongkol. 

The foot guard uses a resilient and supportive, thick elastic straps to hold it snug against the instep. I've been training a lot with, from Thailand all the way back to the UK and they still snap back to place and haven't started to slack. 

Durability

Your Muay Thai gear should be prepared for the onslaught of sweat, contact and let's not forget blocking those heavy low kicks. The Mongkol SGM01 shin guards have got durability down to a T!

The inside of Mongkol's shin guards is lined with a durable, quick drying nylon fabric, great for durability and longevity. 

High quality, genuine leather finishes throughout make for a durable construction that's easy to clean and dry. 

For 5 months straight now, I've been wiping them down with anti bacterial wipes and letting them stand to dry, so far they've stayed odour-free. Much like the gloves, they're just as good as the day I bought them. 

Mongkol are a serious contender in the Muay Thai gear world, having used mine for every session since the day that I bought them, I'm seriously impressed with the high quality construction, durability and the design. 

During my interview with them I asked them a few other questions to dig deeper behind the new Muay Thai brand looking to sweep the competition.

What sets Mongkol aside from other Muay Thai brands?

"Quality function and design , they're mostly modelled based on a fighter and coaches perspective!"

What’s next for Mongkol and how do you plan to expand?

"Mongkol plans to focus a little more on our event department such as our own Muay Thai promotion called MWC (Mongkol World Championship) and sponsoring events such as SEAFC in the Asian region. We plan to expand our brand through the community and network organically for as long as it takes!"

If the brand Mongkol had a fight entrance song, what would it be?

"That’s a tough one… POWER by Kanye west?" 

What tips do you have for people travelling to train Muay Thai in Thailand for the first time?

"Train it all, do it all, stay excited as always but stay safe. Live your life and absorb as much knowledge as you can from everyone!" 

Ready to up your muay thai training gear? Tap below to see our NAK SUU Muay Thai Performance Clothing Collection.