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This review is long overdue. I have been using the Everlast 4305 mitts for a while now (can’t remember when I started using them but it’s definitely been over a year, maybe closer to two?). One of the other forum members (@makedansure) introduced me to them and I really have not found anything matching them since.
This review will partly take the form of an apologia for bag mitts, generally, given the negative press that they have received all around—even, and I say this with shame, by members of this hallowed forum.
The reasons why bag mitts are almost universally poo-pooed seems to have to do with the fact that those who try them out tend to end up with various wrist sprains/injuries. Indeed, some users on here often recommend going for gloves with greater ‘wrist protection’ in order to avoid exactly such injuries. From the vantage point of wrist protection, then, these gloves are not at all promising. At least these are the sorts of things one hears when the topic of bag mitts is raised.
But such gravely mistaken notions stem from an attitude towards wrist sprains, specifically, and physical health, generally that is wrong. Very wrong. It seems to me that a lot of wrist injuries have less to do with gloves and more to do with punch technique and wrist strength. That is, if you’re injuring your wrists, it’s probably because you have weak wrists that need strengthening. In such cases, it is perhaps more prudent to fix one’s ‘weakest link’ rather than attempting to compensate for it extrinsically. People who are prone to wrist sprains while using low-wrist protection gloves need to focus on strengthening their wrists rather than finding gloves that are like casts. Your punching power should be directly proportionate to what your wrist and knuckles can handle. By training ‘power’ without simultaneously working on wrist strength and hand strength is a way to train for injury in the long term.
That said, the bag mitts are an excellent tool if used intelligently, to train your wrists for power punching. It is not easy, however, and takes some time—beginning with lighter and more carefully placed punches on the bag, before gradually working up to harder more powerful punches. Of course, if you start out trying to destroy a heavy bag while wearing bag mitts, you will most likely get injured. But this is a stupid way to do things. If you start out well, though, you can confidently and competently hit the bag (just as hard as you would with heavily padded gloves) with the minimal protection and support that one finds in bag mitts.
OK. With that out of the way, I can review the Everlast 4305s more properly.
What makes these mitts so great? There are a few things that come to mind, but I will list them here in order:
1. The foam padding is of a density that I have so far not come across with either gloves or bag mitts. It is kind of like very dense memory foam. Very dense, though. So I can push down on the foam really hard with my finger, and there will be a dent there, but it takes some pressure and the indent will gradually come back out. As a result of the density of the padding, one gets almost immediate feedback from one’s punches. On account of the memory foam character (which is minimal), the amount of shock is reduced greatly. It’s the perfect combination of shock absorption and feedback. The thickness of the padding (@makedansure can correct me) seems to be a bit less than an inch. This is an estimate based on feel.
2. The simplicity of the glove also contributes to its character. As you can see from the pictures, there’s not much to this glove. There is an elastic strap, a hole for ventilation and that’s about it. When I work out, I wrap my hands, and simply slip the gloves on. The first few punches are almost like calibration punches, but once I’ve figured out the sense of where to land the glove, I can punch just as hard as I would if I were wearing a pair of MS600s. No lie.
3. On account of the density of the foam and the durability of the liner, the gloves do tend to last a while. I used the first pair of these (which were already aged, though not terribly used when I got them) for about a year. These mitts have lasted longer than most full-sized ‘training’ gloves. I think this is normal because training gloves simply are not meant for use on the heavy bag; bag mitts are for the heavy bag. In any case, the gloves are very durable and feel fantastic once you get the hang of them. (In fact, I can attribute my savings in recent years with regard to buying gear, in part, to these bag mitts.)
Cons:
1. The learning curve is an initial con. But most things that are worthwhile require time and patience. (See apologia for bag mitts above.) The same is true for using these mitts. When I moved on from my first pair to the second, I had to endure some skinning on my knuckles to break in the leather and get it to stretch out to fit my hand. Such is life. But once callouses have formed, they work great.
2. At least on my first pair, the leather began to deteriorate towards the end, which is a first for any leather glove. I think that is attributable to the fact that the leather was already pretty old when I got them (they smelled like potpourri). The second pair is so far not developing any signs of deteriorating as the first pair did. Also, the leather on this second pair is much more supple. That said, the first pair were thoroughly abused on the heavy bag. So it’s not terribly surprising. The interior liner also began to tear, which is what finally caused me to retire the gloves.
In sum, they are really excellent gloves. It is definitely worth taking the time to learn how to use bag mitts. Your wrists will thank you in the future. Don’t listen to the naysayers, because they likely haven’t spent the requisite time to benefit from bag mitts.
Finally, if some glove maker on here could find a foam similar to these bag mitts and replicated them, that would be wonderful.
Behold, pictures (members will recognize these pictures from earlier and other posts because I am too lazy to take new ones):
The older pair:
Many thanks again to @makedansure for introducing me to bag mitts and giving me these two pairs.
Cheers, all.
This review will partly take the form of an apologia for bag mitts, generally, given the negative press that they have received all around—even, and I say this with shame, by members of this hallowed forum.
The reasons why bag mitts are almost universally poo-pooed seems to have to do with the fact that those who try them out tend to end up with various wrist sprains/injuries. Indeed, some users on here often recommend going for gloves with greater ‘wrist protection’ in order to avoid exactly such injuries. From the vantage point of wrist protection, then, these gloves are not at all promising. At least these are the sorts of things one hears when the topic of bag mitts is raised.
But such gravely mistaken notions stem from an attitude towards wrist sprains, specifically, and physical health, generally that is wrong. Very wrong. It seems to me that a lot of wrist injuries have less to do with gloves and more to do with punch technique and wrist strength. That is, if you’re injuring your wrists, it’s probably because you have weak wrists that need strengthening. In such cases, it is perhaps more prudent to fix one’s ‘weakest link’ rather than attempting to compensate for it extrinsically. People who are prone to wrist sprains while using low-wrist protection gloves need to focus on strengthening their wrists rather than finding gloves that are like casts. Your punching power should be directly proportionate to what your wrist and knuckles can handle. By training ‘power’ without simultaneously working on wrist strength and hand strength is a way to train for injury in the long term.
That said, the bag mitts are an excellent tool if used intelligently, to train your wrists for power punching. It is not easy, however, and takes some time—beginning with lighter and more carefully placed punches on the bag, before gradually working up to harder more powerful punches. Of course, if you start out trying to destroy a heavy bag while wearing bag mitts, you will most likely get injured. But this is a stupid way to do things. If you start out well, though, you can confidently and competently hit the bag (just as hard as you would with heavily padded gloves) with the minimal protection and support that one finds in bag mitts.
OK. With that out of the way, I can review the Everlast 4305s more properly.
What makes these mitts so great? There are a few things that come to mind, but I will list them here in order:
1. The foam padding is of a density that I have so far not come across with either gloves or bag mitts. It is kind of like very dense memory foam. Very dense, though. So I can push down on the foam really hard with my finger, and there will be a dent there, but it takes some pressure and the indent will gradually come back out. As a result of the density of the padding, one gets almost immediate feedback from one’s punches. On account of the memory foam character (which is minimal), the amount of shock is reduced greatly. It’s the perfect combination of shock absorption and feedback. The thickness of the padding (@makedansure can correct me) seems to be a bit less than an inch. This is an estimate based on feel.
2. The simplicity of the glove also contributes to its character. As you can see from the pictures, there’s not much to this glove. There is an elastic strap, a hole for ventilation and that’s about it. When I work out, I wrap my hands, and simply slip the gloves on. The first few punches are almost like calibration punches, but once I’ve figured out the sense of where to land the glove, I can punch just as hard as I would if I were wearing a pair of MS600s. No lie.
3. On account of the density of the foam and the durability of the liner, the gloves do tend to last a while. I used the first pair of these (which were already aged, though not terribly used when I got them) for about a year. These mitts have lasted longer than most full-sized ‘training’ gloves. I think this is normal because training gloves simply are not meant for use on the heavy bag; bag mitts are for the heavy bag. In any case, the gloves are very durable and feel fantastic once you get the hang of them. (In fact, I can attribute my savings in recent years with regard to buying gear, in part, to these bag mitts.)
Cons:
1. The learning curve is an initial con. But most things that are worthwhile require time and patience. (See apologia for bag mitts above.) The same is true for using these mitts. When I moved on from my first pair to the second, I had to endure some skinning on my knuckles to break in the leather and get it to stretch out to fit my hand. Such is life. But once callouses have formed, they work great.
2. At least on my first pair, the leather began to deteriorate towards the end, which is a first for any leather glove. I think that is attributable to the fact that the leather was already pretty old when I got them (they smelled like potpourri). The second pair is so far not developing any signs of deteriorating as the first pair did. Also, the leather on this second pair is much more supple. That said, the first pair were thoroughly abused on the heavy bag. So it’s not terribly surprising. The interior liner also began to tear, which is what finally caused me to retire the gloves.
In sum, they are really excellent gloves. It is definitely worth taking the time to learn how to use bag mitts. Your wrists will thank you in the future. Don’t listen to the naysayers, because they likely haven’t spent the requisite time to benefit from bag mitts.
Finally, if some glove maker on here could find a foam similar to these bag mitts and replicated them, that would be wonderful.
Behold, pictures (members will recognize these pictures from earlier and other posts because I am too lazy to take new ones):
The older pair:
Many thanks again to @makedansure for introducing me to bag mitts and giving me these two pairs.
Cheers, all.
