Current (budget) gloves review

SMSLY

White Belt
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Wassup Sherdog! This is an excitement induced review of a my current glove stable. Particularly the two pairs of budget gloves I've got for sparring and mitts (which I use once in a blue moon). I'm from the UK and live in Spain so that's reflected in the brands.

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I'll skip the BGV9s as they've been done to death and aren't really budget. Suffice it to say, I love them for bags etc and the wrist support is by far the best I've ever had. They're 16oz btw so I can get that shoulder endurance work in.

Probox Pro Spar 16oz:
I got these for sparring on the basis of great word of mouth reviews. I also fancied sth flashy for a change tbh. They were only £60, but compared to Thai made gloves the construction is rubbish. The leather is far too soft (like a wallet) and the wrist padding feels like cotton wool (lumpy). In fact, I had to add laces just to make them usable (hybrid). The hand compartment seems too wide imo, but I'm comparing to what I've had before. I wouldn't recommend for anybody with baby hands like me though. I've heard Topking would be ideal for me?!
The knuckle padding is fine for sparring, if a bit spongy. The stitching is decent to be fair, but I would only recommend them for sb like me who just needs something to light spar once in a while.
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A1 fight gear 10oz:
I was getting tired of using the BGV9s on the mitts so I started looking for a cheap pair of 10oz gloves just for that. I had my heart set on the raw leather look so when I found these for £45 I had to give them a try. It's a Scottish company btw.
I'm so impressed for the price. The liner is the same as on my Fairtex which I love. They're really snug in 10oz, but that's perfect for me. The leather is basically what you'd expect for the price and the padding is firm with just enough give in it, not as hard as BGV9s, thank god.The wrist is a bit flimsy, but still miles better than the Probox. They also have a padded palm which I'm not really sure about. What for?
Basically I can't fault them for the price. To anybody in the UK I recommend checking these and other models out as a bargain alternative to Ringside (ripoff) and Lonsdale (fecal).
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The proboxer ones have a weird shape. like it can't decide if it wants to be Winning or a low profile mexican style glove
 
The proboxer ones have a weird shape. like it can't decide if it wants to be Winning or a low profile mexican style glove
They are badly designed for sure! Really big and wide without the necessary padding to fill them out. Is that what you mean?
They are so flimsy it's a joke. For the price though (in Europe), I don't know if there's anything better in terms of a pure sparring glove...
 
They are badly designed for sure! Really big and wide without the necessary padding to fill them out. Is that what you mean?
They are so flimsy it's a joke. For the price though (in Europe), I don't know if there's anything better in terms of a pure sparring glove...

Yeah they're flat and wide, but look like they almost wanna have that winning curve, yet decided against it. They're a glove that doesn't really have an identity.
 
I'm gonna add my stock topboxer review here I guess. Just for anybody interested in this particular pair still available on eBay in various colours: Winning style 14oz maroon/gold (next to fairtex bgv9 16oz for scale)
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QUALITY on these is top notch as you can see. The fairtex leather is stiffer which makes them more supportive, but less luxurious feeling. Not a loose stitch. The split thumb is done perfectly and the gold leather is better than I've seen around gyms. Laces are particularly high quality, but i'm not sure they tie as tight as cheap oldest round ones. The weights were just under/over 14oz. They look and feel a million dollars imo.

FIT is snug, but they're breaking in on a daily basis. The inside is padded with soft foam so that will flatten at pressure points. They're super comfortable for me, but bear in mind I've got small hands and wrists. I could easily go 16oz in these whereas there's usually too much room for me. If you have really long fingers or thumbs forget about it!!

As for PERFORMANCE I'll preface that I've used them every other day for 3 weeks now. Wrist is key for me and these have two hard foam sticks on the inside and a soft pad on the back which is perfect. The wrist overall is really well made and the thumbs are the best I've ever used in terms of positioning to make a fist. The wrist padding could perhaps be thicker and a bit softer if I'm being picky, but it's more than functional. I gotta say though the PADDING is unremarkable. Due to the mention of winning in the name I expected sth softer and just sth a bit special I guess. They remind me of fairtex bgv1s and while that's not bad per se it's nothing to write home about either. I can spar in them, but they arent ideal for that (so far) and they pop on the bag/mitts, but I prefer my Fairtex. As all rounders they will take some beating though and I really appreciate not having to carry 2 pairs in my bag anymore.

In CONCLUSION these are a bargain for £70 and have a real handmade quality you expect from custom glove seller. Maybe I'll get some customs done with a better foam cocktail next time, but no regrets whatsoever!!
 
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How new are those TBs? I have them in 16oz and they have a very different profile. I was wondering if the design was tweaked.
 
They're less than a month old. What about yours? Pics?
I got mine about 10 months ago, padding looks a lot 'rounder' in some places and flatter in others (probably due to use) I'll post pics alongside my New Sporting when they arrive (hopefully by the start of next week)
 
I got mine about 10 months ago, padding looks a lot 'rounder' in some places and flatter in others (probably due to use) I'll post pics alongside my New Sporting when they arrive (hopefully by the start of next week)
Do that a comparison would be awesome!
 
They are badly designed for sure! Really big and wide without the necessary padding to fill them out. Is that what you mean?
They are so flimsy it's a joke. For the price though (in Europe), I don't know if there's anything better in terms of a pure sparring glove...
You can get fairtex sparing gloves from Thailand for £70 if your in the UK.......
 
You can get fairtex sparing gloves from Thailand for £70 if your in the UK.......
I've never like the look of the BGV5s or BGVL6s or whatever they are. They look like Muay Thai gloved to me. I've seen bad reviews too
 
I have only ever heard good things about BGV6 esp at around £70 my mate has had a pair for a few months now and really likes them
 
About half the people I train with have BGV6s and say good things, but that strap and the profile doesn't convince me. They're huge inside for me at 16oz as well!! The padding feels nice on my face and ribs when they beat me up though.
 
About half the people I train with have BGV6s and say good things, but that strap and the profile doesn't convince me. They're huge inside for me at 16oz as well!! The padding feels nice on my face and ribs when they beat me up though.
could be worse you could be sparing me in my new sporting....
 
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