What boxing equipment will I need? It’s one of the first things you need to consider before start your boxing training. To give you a good starting point and to help out, I’ve complied a list of boxing equipment I make sure to put in my bag for each session.
Boxing Gloves
This one is rather obvious! Before you start training this is something you will definitely need, a pair of decent boxing gloves. These will become very important tools as you will be using them for a lot of your training such as – hitting the heavy bag, double-end bag, pad work, sparring etc.
It’s worth investing in a quality pair gloves and I would definitely recommend going for well-known glove brands such as Everlast, Adidas, RDX, Rival or Cleto Reyes.
I would also recommend spending at least £80-£120 as you will be wanting to get a good lifetime value from them especially if you plan on using them a lot. If your budget is more limited than the above make sure to check out my affordable gloves for beginners article here.
In terms of glove size if you are a man, go with a 14 – 16oz and if your a woman I would pick 10 – 14oz (This is what the average person uses). You want to protect you hands while you’re training, plus the extra weight will help out in your workout. (I’ll be doing a full glove size guide for you all soon).
Hand wraps
This for me is second most important thing you will need to have and is so vital that you purchase these. You also must learn to wrap them properly, as it will mean you won’t damage your hands when you are hitting the heavy bag, pads or even sparring.
Hand wrap is usually not that expensive either, but I recommend getting a good quality wrap which also big enough to cover your hand maximum protection. In case you are not sure how to wrap your hands make sure to watch this video here by Expert Boxing.
Boxing Boots
Boxing boots for me are definitely necessary purchase to get, mainly because I feel that boxing or wrestling boots generally give you the right amount of grip and allow you pivot easier while you are moving around the ring. Trainers are okay to use, but generally they designed for running and have too much grip that can reduce your movement. Check out some decent boot options on Amazon here to get you started.
Skipping Rope
A bit of equipment you will definitely use if you are going to start boxing, especially if you are going to go to a boxing gym, which most will usually have their own ropes you can use. If you are just started boxing from home or in a regular gym make sure to purchase one so you can get started with this training. Check out my article on how to jump rope here.
Mouth Guard
If you are really serious about your boxing journey and want spar/fight at some point make sure to get a decent mouth guard. You won’t want to lose all your teeth so this is real obvious purchase which I strongly recommend you get. Ask your dentist next time you go or I would recommend the Opro mouth guard who make a really good product.
Boxing Head Guard
Like the above if you plan to start sparring or take part in amateur contests, get yourself a decent head guard. There are lots of different guards that can provide you with good protection from a bar faced head guard to protect you nose and cheek protector guards. If you are going to be taking part in amateur bouts you will generally need an open faced head guard complaint with AIBA.
You can check out my top 10 headguards for sparring here.
Groin guard
It’s really important that you protect yourself from any low blows that might happen in sparring or in contest. I personally like to use one with extra ab and side protection, but I know some people feel limited in their movement. If you are a beginner, go with the extra protection if you’re not sure.
Check out the link below for further boxing deals and equipment on Amazon to get you started.
Thanks for posting. I’m particularly intrigued by the hand wraps. Are they more to protect the skin or to protect and provide support to the bones of the hand and wrist? In every boxing movie I’ve ever seen, they place a lot of emphasis on the wrapping of the hands. And one more question: which type of tape should be used with the hand wraps? Is there one in particular you would recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Norman, thanks for you comment. The main aim of the hand wraps is to protect your hands and wrist from breaking or spraining when you are hitting your opponent or boxing equipment (e.g.heavy bag). They will also help protect the skin on your knuckles from tearing. In terms of tape I use it’s called Empire Pro Hand Tape which will give you that extra reinforcement. Hope this helps you Norman
What I liked about your post is that it was quick and easy to read and flowed from one topic to the other so that I could take in each item as you mentioned it.
From the beginning I was intrigued to see what the most important items are for boxing. I’ve learnt quite a bit from reading your post and am grateful to you for sharing your valuable information with us.
Your attention to making sure you give advice for people from all walks of life, is a bonus for you, as many will be drawn by your concern. I know I was quite impressed.
Thank you for taking the time to care in preparing a concise and yet easy to read post on what’s important to a boxer in preparing for it.
Edu
Hi Edu,
Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate your kind words and I hope this helped you understand what equipment is needed to start boxing.
Thanks
J