Muay Thai Gloves vs Boxing Gloves

One of the most common questions we get is.. What’s the difference between Muay Thai Gloves vs Boxing Gloves? How can I find out which style is right for me? While personal preference plays a large role in selecting your perfect pair, there are distinct differences between the styles. In this article, we will explore these 3 main differences between Boxing and Muay Thai Gloves: the cuff of the gloves, distribution of padding, and the grip position.  Be sure to read all the way through for our top picks in each category!

Boxing Gloves provide better wrist protection, Muay Thai Gloves offer more wrist flexibility

Western style boxing gloves use more padding along the back and pinky finger side of the gloves. They also have a longer cuff than traditional style Muay Thai gloves. 

Olympic style boxers keep their hands up to protect their head. The extra padding and surface area along the cuff allows you to better block jabs. It also gives protection to the small bones and ligaments in your wrists and hands, helping to reduce the strain from repetitive hands only striking.

Muay Thai gloves use a shorter cuff. This is important for wrist movement necessary for clinching and catching kicks. The cuffs on Muay Thai gloves are generally thicker to make up for the difference in length. Still, they provide some cushion and protection for blocking.

The different styles of gloves have different padding distributions

Both Muay Thai and Boxing Gloves are available in different sizes, with most common weights ranging from 8-16oz. Typically, the glove compartment size does not change with an increase in weight, the weight only refers to the amount of padding used. 

Muay Thai Gloves generally have a more compact distribution of padding. It is condensed around the knuckles, back and sides of the hand. Along with their shorter cuff, Muay Thai gloves often appear thicker than boxing gloves of the same weight.

Traditional boxing gloves have a more uniform distribution of padding from the cuff extending to the fingertips of the glove. With the longer cuff, this padding distribution makes boxing gloves appear longer and more slender than the compact Muay Thai gloves. 

Muay Thai Gloves have a more flexible grip position

Boxing gloves are meant to keep your hand in a fairly static position. The gloves are engineered to provide optimal support for punching only. 

Muay Thai demands more variation in hand position. Nak Muays need to punch, clinch, catch kicks and parry away strikes. The ability to open and close your palm is critical for this sport. For this reason, Muay Thai gloves offer more flexibility in grip position. The compact padding design helps to provide adequate protection, without forcing a static hand position. 

Our Top Picks:

It’s hard to pick just one favorite for Muay Thai gloves, there are simply so many great options on the market. Read this article for all the best Muay Thai Gloves of 2020. Our absolute favorites always include the 3 classics: Windy BGVH Muay Thai Gloves, Twins BGVL-3 Boxing Gloves, and Fairtex BGV1 Boxing Gloves. Click here for a detailed review on the Windy gloves. 

Top Picks for Boxing Gloves are definitely the Fairtex BGV9 Mexican Style Pro Training Gloves and Twins BGVL-6 Embossed Boxing Gloves. Click here to read the top 3 features of Twins BGVL6’s.

If you’re training multiple disciplines and looking for a hybrid glove, Top King Boxing Gloves provide the best of both worlds. Check out this detailed review comparing the Top King Boxing Glove models.

Overall, boxing gloves provide more rigid wrist protection, Muay Thai gloves allow for better opening and closing of your palm, and the two styles have a different distribution of padding. The ultimate decision on what glove is best for you, depends not only on the discipline you train, but your specific style of fighting. What do you look for in Boxing Gloves vs Muay Thai Gloves?