Are you out searching around trying to find out just which pair of MMA gloves is best for hitting on the heavy bag? 

Yeah it can be a tough task let me tell ya. 

There are quite a few different companies all producing top notch boxing gloves. But here’s the thing, there really is not that many producing MMA gloves designed for hitting the heavy bag.

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My Personal Favorites?

My personal favorites are the tried and true Hayabusa T3's.

These ones here are the exact ones I use for my heavy bag training.

You can take a look at all of the positive customer reviews on amazon by clicking here.

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Most MMA gloves are designed with grappling, sparring, and wrestling in mind. These types of MMA gloves are not built with the thick material needed for heavy bag training.

The thing about MMA gloves is that they are designed well for grappling and sparring but once you start hitting around on the punching bag you will come to find that your gloves wear out quite quickly.

First the color will start to rip off, then the padding will start to wear away and then the rips and tears start to show themselves. No Bueno.

The good news is that there are several MMA gloves out there that have been designed with thicker padding, stronger padding, and are designed for both heavy bag use, and grappling.

Down below we have listed the top choices to help you narrow down your search.

Best MMA Gloves For Heavy Bag Training.

Here you will find my top choices for heavy bag training

1. Venum Undisputed 2.0 - Best Overall

By far, one of the best if not the best pair of gloves I’ve ever owned.

 The Thai company comes through once again with an amazing product, if a bit on the pricier side.

These are made with high quality Nappa leather, which gives them a sof feel and makes them extremely durable.

Durability is pretty important when hitting the heavy bag, you’re gonna need gloves like these that can take some punishment.

Moreover, its thanks to the multi layered foam technology that these gloves have in their padding, that the gloves will take all the punishment but your hands won't!

The padding is also curved so that it’s easier for you to form a fist and your hand won’t get fatigued.

Not only that but these have a long velcro strap that wraps around your wrist twice to keep your joints in place and support your wrist.

Finally, you’ll even manage to look fashionable in these as they come in four different colours you can pick to match the rest of your gear!

2. RDX MMA Gloves - Best Bang For Your Buck

Coming in at a close second, we have a hybrid glove at a slightly lower price point.

RDX brings us a very good pair of hybrid gloves, on the lighter side at only 6 ounces but still very reliable.

These are made of 100% cowhide leather with reinforced stitching approved by the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation.

What that means is that these are guaranteed to be quality gloves that will serve you for a long time.

Moreover the RDX MMA gloves come with a triple slab foam padding layered with shock absorbent gel to help keep your hands safe when hitting the bag.

These also help keep your hands cool thanks to the open palm and breathable mesh material that helps reduce sweating and releasing moisture.

Finally these come in either black for a more subdued look or golden black if you want everyone to see your awesome new gloves.

3. Venum Challengers - My Personal Favorites

“Exquisite Quality at an affordable price” That's that Venum has to say about the Challengers and from experience I can tell you they’re not wrong.

Just like the Undisputeds above, these come with Multi Layered foam to keep your hands safe.

They also offer better mobility for grappling as they only weigh 4 ounces and come with a wrap around wrist strap for better joint support

4. Hayabusa Tokushu

These gloves coming out of japan are a solid choice for anyone looking to buy MMA gloves that can be used for dual purpose.

With a nice amount of padding to protect your hands and excellent wrist support thanks to their patented “Dual X-Wrist Closure” these are great for the heavy bag as well as sparring.

 Not only that but since these are hybrids you can also use them for ground work, thanks to the segmented fingers to allow better mobility.

These are made with synthetic leather to prevent an early breakdown while keeping the cost very low and making these super affordable!

5. Hayabusa T3

Hayabusa comes through once again with these beautiful  gloves in the premium space.

These have a beautiful brown finish on premium full grain leather, ensuring that these bad boys not only look amazing, but that they can take some punishment.

Add to that the reinforced stitches and you have a beautiful pair of gloves that is guaranteed to be with you for a long time.

Moreover, these gloves aren’t just for looks, with their patented wrist support and fusion splinting these ensure your joints are safe at all times.

Combined with their state of the art foam complex protecting your knuckles and you’ve got yourself one of the best gloves I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.

Finally, while these come with antibacterial technology to keep bad odours at bay and help your glove stay fresh.

6. UFC Fitness Gloves

What kind of list would this be if we didn’t include gloves made by the big boss of MMA sports?

At 6 ounces these are great option for hitting that bag hard, with their EVA foam covering they’ll soak up most of the impact that would otherwise hurt your hand.

These also have a great open palm design that helps prevent overheating and gives your hands more range of motion. Perfect for people with big hands.

All in all a very well rounded glove as is to be expected of UFC.

Best Hybrid MMA Gloves for Heavy Bag Training

So maybe you’re not looking to buy multiple pairs of gloves for the different types of training MMA entails. If thats you then this is your segment, I’m only listing hybrid gloves here so that you’ll be able to grapple, strike and spar without having to carry around multiple pairs of gloves for each session.

1. Hayabusa T3 Hybrid's - Best Hybrid MMA Heavy Bag Gloves

Hayabusa T3's MMA Gloves Review

In case you didn’t notice the first time, I really, really like these gloves. So if you ask me about the best hybrids I’ve ever tried, well you know what my answer is going to be. 

These things are freaking awesome. I have used the T3 Hybrids for going on 6 years now and although they are pretty worn out now, I have put them through quite the abuse over the years. 

These things are still useable and have lasted longer than any other pair of gloves I have ever owned.

2. Combat Sports MMA Training Gloves

Combat Sports MMA Gloves Review

Sometimes called the safest striking gloves in MMA, these have 2 inches of padding to keep your hands safe.

They also have very nice wrist support to prevent joint damage.

Moreover the open palm design and hinged knuckle increases the range of motion.

Finally, the Combat Sports Max Strike come in 3 different colors all of that togheter with a very modest price, makes them a solid choice for hybrids.

3. Everlast MMA Hybrids

Everlast MMA Gloves Review

Another pair of gloves at 7 ounces with a very affordable price.

The thick padding and the wrist strap make sure you’re not gonna hurt yourself while training.

Moreover the anatomical thumb padding adds a little bit more protection, which comes in handy when you’re just starting out.

All in all the Everlast Advanced are great for beginners who aren’t ready to commit a big wad of cash for some gloves, but still want to get a quality product.

Top MMA Gloves Brands

You might have noticed that a couple of these entries are from the same brand, so I figured I’d write a little about what I believe are the best brands in the MMA glove game right now.

Hayabusa

Originating in Japan back in 2006, their brand name literally means “Peregrine Falcon” (known for being powerful and fast) and they’ve consistently come out with top quality gear for the elite athlete. Fighters and Coaches around the world endorse this brand and stand by their product.

They claim to follow the “Kaizen” philosophy, which entails constantly working on and improving your craft. From what I’ve seen and tried so far, I’d say they’re not lying.

Venum

Starting out in 2004, out of the founder’s bedroom. This Thai brand is also considered one of, if not THE best in the game. Countless world class athletes endorse Venum as their choice for equipment.

I’ve tried their stuff before and I stand by my recommendations, if you go with venum, you won’t be disappointed

RDX

RDX came up in 1999 as a response to the lack of affordable equipment for the average Joe in the fighting equipment space. Apparently it was the right move since they’re now a huge multinational that takes pride in being the ones that manufacture their equipment, instead of putting their brand on what someone else does.

If you’re starting out or just not looking to break the bank every time you buy a new piece of equipment, I’d say you can't go wrong with RDX.

Combat Sports

Previously an online retailer only, in 2003 Combat Sports started offering gear made by their own brand,. Their objective is to have products available for everyone. The fresh eyed newbie and the grizzled professional alike. That's why they still offer not only their own products but also those made by top brands from all over the world.

Everlast

You can’t talk about gloves without bringing up everlast. They been in boxing for over a century now and are pretty much a household name; punching bags, reflex bags, heavy bag stands, even boxing shoes for women and men, they got all of that and many other home gym equipment.

After so many years bringing quality gloves to the table, you can expect great things out of them now that they hopped into de MMA glove game.

TITLE

Title Boxing has been around since 1998. They brought their expertise into MMA gear in 2007. Title makes great training gloves, as well as good MMA bag gloves. In addition to the boxing gloves and apparel, Title makes great heavy bags, punching bags for teenagers and adults, grappling bags and other types of punching bags.

How To Pick The Best MMA Gloves

By now you might be thinking, you talk big about how gloves should feel and about getting a good fit. But how am I supposed to know if a glove fits, when I’m just looking at them through a screen?  

I know, choosing any home gym equipment is never easy, I've had my fare share of struggle. I have previously had a similarly hard time picking the ideal apartment punching bag (ended up picking the Wavemaster XXL), getting the right size of MMA mats for cushioning, and pretty much anything that could help me experience real MMA training - or as close to it as I could come.

So yeah, I’ve been there myself and I’m gonna show you how to pick the right size for you.

Sizing

Getting gloves the right size for your hands is a big deal. I remember a while back my niece who I introduced to martial arts for teen girls used my gloves to train on a punching bag. As you would guess, she has quite skinny arms and small hands, which are way too small compared to mine.

This is what I learnt.

If you go too big, the gloves will slide around and the padding will lose most of its function since it probably wont be on top of your knuckles when you’re hitting something. On the other hand...

If you go too small, it might not fit entirely, or it might fit so snug that it could blister or hurt your hands while you’re training. 

Measurements are usually taken around the knuckles of 4 jingers or around the wrist. They tend to go like this:

• Small: 6 ½”  to 7 ½”
• Medium: 7 ½” to  8”
• Large: 8” to 9”
• X-Large: 9” to 10”

However if you’re unsure, you should always go for the size chart specific to the brand you’re buying from, and remember if you’re gonna wrap your hands under the glove, you should go up a size.

Weight

I’ve spoken about glove weight here and there  while explaining some of the other aspects of MMA gloves so I’ll keep this one short. Weight varies pretty wildly depending of what the glove is meant to do and its type.

You probably know competitions are pretty strict when it comes to glove weight since it could prove to be an unfair advantage otherwise. Given that the heavier your glove the harder you punch, then its no wonder competition gloves are the lightest of the bunch.

Sparring gloves on the other hand are the heaviest, some even resembling boxing gloves from the sheer size of the padding. These will let you punch without putting as much strain on your hands.

Finally in between these two are hybrids, that as I said before, try to marry Sparring gloves and competition gloves to create a more versatile product that you can use for more situations.

These are the typical weight for each type, though each brand is different and you should check that the weight is what you want it to be before you buy:

• Fight/Competition: 4 to 6 ounces
• Hybrid: 7 to 10 ounces
• Sparring: 7 to 10 ounces

Wrist Straps

Not much to say about this one, a good wrist strap will keep your joints in place and help deliver more force with your punches and all the while keep you at a lower risk of injury and helping the glove stay in place. Some brands use hooks, others use straps and others use both. I like the ones that go over your wrist twice but it's mostly up to preference and feel than anything else.

Glove Materials

My intent with this piece is for you to leave this article knowing all you need to know about how to pick your gear and buy what's right for you. For that you need to know what those mitts are made of and why that matters.

Leather

The best material for gloves, tough, durable, natural. It might need a break-in period because of how tough it is, but you won’t find a more reliable glove than those made of real leather. You should especially watch out for those made of Nappa leather, often coming  out of Thailand.

It is no mistake that leather gloves are often a bit pricier since if you take proper care of them they’ll last for months or even years.

Synthetic Leather

The next best thing after the real deal, Synthetic leather is usually much less expensive than the real one, but its quality can vary. It can be very good but your mileage may vary and it often has a cheaper feel. If you’re getting synthetic leather gloves, make sure to double check who you’re buying from to make sure you get a decent product.

Foam Padding

Padding is the bulk of the protection your gloves can offer, and much like with outer materials it is often that cheaper foam doesn’t stand the test of time and gets compressed. Some top brands like Venum or Hayabusa use layered foam so as to evenly distribute force when you’re punching.

Gel padding

A bit of a controversial one, some people claim that gloves filled with gel are actually working against you, since the displacement causes the force to be transferred to the soft squishy tissue in the side of your hands.

This is because of how the gel is displaced when force is applied. Think about a gel mouse pad when you push your finger into it.

Personally I haven't found much of a difference with these and regular foam, except that gel is heavier so mind the weight if you’re getting in the ring.

FAQ Beginners Have When Buying MMA gloves For the heavy bag

Listed below are the most commonly asked questions that most beginners have when shopping for a pair of martial arts gloves.

Can I use boxing gloves instead?

Yes you can, but boxing gloves are much heavier than MMA gloves. Not only they will not work for anything else than the bag but practicing with these gloves wont translate very well to some MMA techniques.

Is it better to buy gloves online or in person?

This one is a bit hard, while its true that nothing compares to feeling the glove in your hand, depending on where you live it could be a bit hard to get access to quality gear. The internet fixes those problems and offers thousands of options and possibly better prices and deals.

For buying on the internet I’d recommend being extra careful about sizing and vendors, maybe try to find someone with a generous return policy and always keep a lookout for fake reviews and other ill intentioned folk. 

Are mma gloves good for heavy bag?

yes, as long as you get the mma gloves that are designed for the heavy bag like the ones we have listed above.

Can these MMA gloves be used for both the heavy bag and for sparring?

Yes, these can be used for both. The hybrid gloves are also perfect for both sparring and for heavy bag work as they are thicker and are designed just for sparring and mitt work.

Add any sections or anything else you need to if you need to meet word count. More headings and sections is always better than fluff.

Final Thoughts

Alright if you’ve made it this far and you’re still not sure, let me give you some last minute advice. Ask around, if you have a coach, ask him, if you train at a gym then ask your training partners what they’re using.

Maybe the gym uses a specific kind of glove, or maybe they’ve already tried that glove you had in mind and can give you a review or even better let you try them out yourself.

Remember, whenever possible, go for quality as much as your budget and conscience allow. Think about it like this, you’re putting your hands and joints on the line and for the vast majority of us, longevity is a major concern.

Our sport is already high impact and injuries aren’t uncommon. If you love MMA as much as I  do, then you see yourself doing this for as long as you can. Using the proper gear, taking precautions and avoiding risk is the only way to prevent an early breakdown of your body and having to quit this beautiful discipline because your body can't keep up.

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