Boxing Bag Gloves Vs Sparring Gloves: Key Differences

Boxing Bag Gloves Vs Sparring Gloves: Key Differences

Hands are considered the most important thing for a boxer. Therefore, protecting them during training and fight night is vital to success. Many types of boxing gloves are available on the market. However, it can be confusing to know what exactly their purpose is.  

Understanding what different boxing gloves are and which are the top boxing gloves for different training is essential. The two main gloves that you can find are 

  • sparring gloves

  • boxing bag gloves

While they look very similar to an untrained eye, they both have different purposes. Read on to learn about both types of gloves, their differences, and whether or not they can be interchangeably replaced.

What Are Boxing Bag Gloves?

Boxing bag gloves are specially designed to be on punch bags like heavy bags and other boxing training bags. As they are designed for bag work they feature the following- 

  • dense padding

  • ultimate wrist support

  • hand protection

  • incredibly durable materials. 

It is because they have to withstand the force that a boxer throws at a dense punch bag. These are must-have boxing training equipment, especially for beginners. Using a punching bag, skills like practising combinations, improving speed, maximising power, and polishing up your technique can be perfected. Bag gloves allow you to sharpen these tools, offering you hand protection when hitting heavy punch bags.

Among several different bag gloves, the most famous is the bag mitts, which have a very low profile and dense padding in a very thin glove style. However, you can also find other styles of bag gloves that emulate a boxing glove for the ultimate fight-night feel.

What Are Sparring Gloves?

For competitive boxers, whether beginners or professionals, sparring is an important training practice. Boxing sparring gloves allow fighters to emulate a real fight. They provide more protection and padding for both the hands and punches landing on a sparring partner.

Sparring is more of getting a better ring experience, not about damage. This is why boxing sparring gloves come in much higher-ounce gloves than fight gloves. The extra padding and cushioning make sparring sessions much safer. It further prevents unnecessary damage from happening before fight night.    

There are two main styles of sparring gloves.

  • lace-up sparring gloves

  • velcro sparring gloves

Both give fighters ample padding, but Velcro straps allow for easy glove opening and closing. Conversely, lace-up gloves allow boxers to get a more locked-in feel.

 

The Main Differences Between The Two Types Of Gloves

As the two are designed for different training needs, they have some key differences. One is meant for bag work, and the other is meant for sparring sessions; beyond this, they have other differences too, such as;

Glove Size - 

The difference in size between the two gloves is very evident. Boxing bag gloves are designed with a low profile and a much thinner, denser layer of padding. However, sparring gloves feature a much larger profile due to the larger quantity of soft padding required by the gloves. 

Glove Weight - 

The weight of a bag glove does not matter that much. They are generally lighter gloves with less padding than you see for sparring. In sparring, there are oz gloves that you must wear based on your weight. The heavier you are, the heavier sparring gloves you need. It is because the heavier the boxing glove, the more padding and protection it offers. 

Construction - 

Another difference that not many realise is the difference in the structure of boxing gloves. Sparring gloves are made with flexible and soft materials that enhance comfort and reduce the risk of injury. Bag gloves are made with much more tough materials, helping them resist the force of hitting a heavy bag. 

The bottom line

Here at Hit N Move, we are proud to be the leading boxing equipment retailer and to stock the best training equipment in the sport. We offer a range of high-quality sparring gloves, premium hand wraps, competition gloves, mouthguards, protective equipment, and more. Browse our store and shop now for your favourite boxing essentials.