How to choose boxing gloves: a sizing guide for Mauritius

Almost everyone buys their first pair of boxing gloves wrong, and almost always the same way: too light. Here is how glove sizing actually works, and how to pick a pair you will still be using in two years.

Gloves are sized by weight, not by hand

Boxing gloves are measured in ounces. That number describes the weight of the glove itself — which is almost entirely padding — not how big your hand is. A heavier glove has more foam between your knuckles and whatever you are hitting.

This confuses people, because in most equipment a bigger number means a bigger fit. Here it means more protection and a slower punch. That trade is the whole decision.

Boxing glove size chart

Use this as a starting point, by bodyweight and by what the gloves are for. If your gym sets a minimum weight for sparring, their rule comes first.

If you only want one pair for everything, go by the sparring column. For sparring, 16 oz is what most gyms ask adults to wear.

What the weight is actually for

Lighter gloves are quicker and more precise. They suit bag rounds and pad work, where you are hitting something that does not hit back and you want to feel the shot land.

Heavier gloves carry more padding, which is why every gym will insist on them for sparring. The extra foam is not there to protect you — it is there to protect the person in front of you. A hard shot in a light glove concentrates force into a small area. The same shot in a heavier glove spreads it.

If you are between two sizes, take the heavier one. The speed you give up is worth less than the hands you keep, and hand injuries end more training careers than anything else in this sport.

One pair or two?

If you train two or three times a week and are not sparring hard, one pair covers everything. Buy the heavier option and use it for bags, pads and light partner work.

Once you are sparring regularly, most people move to two pairs: a lighter glove for bag and pad rounds, a heavier one for sparring only. Keeping them separate also means your sparring gloves stay drier and last longer.

Wraps are not optional

Hand wraps are not padding — they are structure. Your hand contains a lot of small bones that are not designed to absorb repeated impact, and wraps hold them together and support the wrist behind them. A glove without wraps is a padded bag around a loose hand.

They also absorb the sweat that would otherwise sit in the glove lining, which is the single biggest factor in how long a pair lasts and how they smell.

Nova boxing gloves by size

• Nova Boxing Gloves in black, blue or red: 10 to 18 oz, in semi-leather or full leather.
• Nova Elite in black, gold and red: 10 to 18 oz, in semi-leather or pure cow leather.
• Dragon Edition and Fight Focus embossed: 10 to 18 oz.
• Red & Grey: 12 and 14 oz.
• Fight Focus Finish, premium leather in black or red: 12 and 14 oz.

Prices start at Rs 1,550. Sizes come and go, so ask us on WhatsApp which weights are in stock.

Fit, at the counter

Try gloves on with your wraps already on. That is how you will wear them, and wrapped hands take noticeably more room. Your fingers should reach the end without curling hard, and the glove should stay put when you shake your hand downwards.

Anything you can only judge by wearing it is worth coming in for. We are at 34 Remy Ollier Street in Port Louis — message us on WhatsApp and we will have a few weights ready to try. You can also order online for delivery in Mauritius.

See the boxing gloves range, or the full boxing range for wraps, guards and pads. Training at home? See how to choose a punching bag.