Muay Thai is one of the world’s most popular martial arts. It’s used by fighters in Thailand, as well as other countries around the world. Muay Thai is often called “The Art of 8 Limbs” because it uses punches, kicks and elbow strikes during matches just like boxing. But unlike boxing, Muay Thai also allows you to use your knees or shins when attacking an opponent with your fists!
We’ve checked out some of the most popular Muay Thai brands that make equipment and compiled our list of the top 5 Muay Thai brands in 2023.
1. Twins Special
Twins Special is one of the oldest and most reputable Muay Thai gear brands in Thailand. This brand was started by Mr. Singporn Yodkamol, who had a dream to make high quality Muay Thai gear that would be affordable to everyone. Today, Twins Special has grown into one of the most popular brands in Muay Thai and some of their products are regarded as the best in their category (e.g., shin guards).
Twins Special makes gloves, shin guards, shorts, wraps and much more!
If you’re looking for authentic Muay Thai equipment that has the quality of new with the authenticity and history of Muay Thai then Twins Special should definitely be high on your list.
2. Sandee
I had to include Sandee as they were my first proper Muay Thai brand that I bought from and still use and swear by to this day. I’ve put these things through the pads, bags and even sparring and I can barely fault them.
One of the first brands to produce Muay Thai equipment was Sandee, which began production in 1977. Despite its history, it has limited influence in Thailand because, at some point, it decided to concentrate on the UK and the western markets.
Sandee aren’t the most popular brand as they focus more on Muay Thai and haven’t necessarily adapted to the changes within combat sports.
But, I love them, and I’m pretty sure that if you gave them a try you’d love them too.
3. Yokkao
Yokkao is a Muay Thai brand that has its origins in Thailand. The company has become one of the most popular brands among Muay Thai practitioners and fighter alike. Due to its quality products for striking and grappling training.
Yokkao is known for producing top-quality gloves, shin guards and pads for training purposes. It also produces other accessories including: wrist wraps, headgear and equipment bags which are perfect for storing all your gear when not in use!
Yokkao sponsors some of the sports biggest fighters, such as Rodtang, Liam Harrison and even the great Saenchai.
4. Top King
Top King is a Thai brand that has been around for a long time. The company was founded in 2002 and has since grown to become one of the largest Muay Thai brands in the world.
One of the great things about Top King is that it makes high-quality gear at affordable prices. In fact, some people claim that their gloves are better than some more expensive brands like Fairtex or Twins. If you’re just starting out, Top King might be an excellent choice for your first pair of gloves because they offer great protection and comfort at an affordable price point (around £80).
However, if you're looking for something with even more padding or wrist support then I'd recommend going with another brand such as Fairtex instead -- but only if your budget allows!
5. Fairtex
Fairtex is a Thai brand that has been around for decades. If you're looking for high quality boxing gloves, Fairtex is your best bet. They also make excellent Muay Thai shorts and shin guards. In terms of martial arts equipment, they're one of the best brands in the world.
Other Muay Thai Brands to look out for:
Our Muay Thai list above gives you some of the most popular brands. That’s not to say there aren’t alternative brands that you may be more familiar with or prefer to use.
We’ve listed some more popular muay thai brands below that we’ve used and love.
Windy
One of the founders of the Muay Thai equipment business is Windy. Since its founding in 1951, the company has tracked the development of Muay Thai gear through its various stages.
Windy has stayed authentic to the Thai styling meaning that they haven’t changed much over the years. It’s quite rare that you’ll see Windy in western gyms but they’re definitely one of the best for Muay Thai supplies and gear.
Boon Sport
Boon are an Australian-based Thai-based Muay Thai brand founded in 2002.
Boon appeals to many due to their simplistic but traditional designs. Boon has grown in popularity even more so recently due to sponsoring small gyms around Thailand.
Boon Sport are definitely a Muay Thai brand that you should be checking out or even owning some incredible Boon shorts if you’re heavily into Muay Thai.
Raja Boxing
Raja boxing has a rich history, launched in 1998 they have primarily been focussed on its B2B side of the business. Raja is very popular for those looking to get customised Muay Thai gear.
In terms of B2C Raja isn’t seen so much, but you can shop from their online store that ships around the world.
As Raja hasn’t pushed the consumer side of their business much, not a lot of people know how good they are in terms of quality, durability and comfort.
Venum
We’re almost certain that you’ve heard of Venum, but for those that haven’t they’re a French company that started out making MMA gear. More recently they have made their way into the Muay Thai community.
For those that follow MMA, you’ll probably know that Venum took over Reebok as the official outfitting partner of the UFC. Still hugely focussed on MMA, Venum has been welcomed into the Muay Thai community with its Venum training centre in Pattaya.
With martial arts frowning significantly in France, you’ll find that a lot of French fighters are sponsored by Venum.
Venum are definitely one to keep in mind when you’re considering new gear but I would say there are more superior brands for Muay Thai equipment.
Mongkol Muay Thai
During my time training in Thailand, I went to ActionZone in Bangkok to grab some new gear. Sadly, they didn't have the gloves and shin guards that I was looking for. Luckily they have tonnes of stock of various different brands - pretty much all the Muay Thai brands mentioned in this list -.
They had just got stock of a new brand called Mongkol, I tried on the gloves and shin guards and they were perfect. The quality of them was really high, I travelled around Thailand with them and even brought them back to the UK.
If you're looking for something a bit different, you should definitely check out our Mongkol Muay Thai Boxing Gloves and Shin Guard Review.
GYM NASTY
We had to include ourselves as one of the must have Muay Thai brands of 2023 right? Inspired by Muay Thai and my fitness journey, I set out to create something special, that paid homage to my journey in Muay Thai and that was practical.
Especially when training in Thailand, having my own gear was essential for optimum training. The reason why is because I developed quick drying and really durable clothing so I could train easily daily without having to worry too much about waiting for my gear to dry. Another reason being that we went for really durable material, with stylish designs that wouldn't fade or peel away, no matter how many times you washed them.
Check out our range of Muay Thai gear and clothing.
Rounding things up
Muay Thai is a great sport, and it’s fun to watch too. The brands above are just some of the ones that have helped make it so popular around the world.
If you’re looking for Muay Thai gear then you should definitely be considering some of the brands on this list. Whether you’re a beginner or an experience fighter there’s a brand that will work for you.