Coach Ben’s Gear Recs

Seasoned vet? Total Beginner? Money Burning a hole in your pocket? On a budget?

I’ve got the gear recommendation for you!

When it comes to boxing and kickboxing equipment, I have a spending problem. Like so much that my teammates joke that I should open a fight thrift store (which I am 100% going to do).

This is bad for me, but good for you, because I can give you my honest takes on a variety of gear. I’m not sponsored by any of these companies; these are just my personal opinions of their gear that I’ve used.

Take a read through this blog post for recommendations on boxing gloves, Muay Thai shin guards, cups and jock straps, headgear, mouthpieces, and more.

*Fight gear is primarily a matter of personal preference; everyone will have a different experience based on their body type & how often they train.

For reference, I am about 5’10 and 150 lbs.*

Please note due to the nature of contact sports, protective combat equipment may not provide 100% protection from injury even during proper use. Always use any striking gear with extreme caution in a proper setting and under proper professional supervision to avoid sustaining any kind of injury. I shall not be liable for any damages that may result from the proper or improper use of any recommended gear. 

GLOVES & SHINGUARDS

IF YOU’VE GOT SOME $$$ TO SPEND: COMBAT CORNER

If you’ve been training for awhile and want to invest in some pro quality gear, I recommend the brand Combat Corner - specifically their HMIT (“Hand Made in Thailand”) line.

Combat Corner’s stuff is pricy, but it just feels sooo good to train in. Their gloves are one of the few brands I’ve found that fit larger hands (even their 10 and 12 oz gloves), and their shin guards are amazing.

My only gripe is that my training partners and I have had some issues with their gloves’ stitching, but honestly even with that issue I’d still buy another pair.

I recommend Combat Corner’s gloves, shin guards, headgear, and their fightwear as well. Basically anything they sell is going to be great quality and last you a good amount of time.

BOXIN’ ON A BUDGET: SANABUL

Sanabul’s “Essential” series is my go-to choice when I recommend gloves and shin guards to new students.

Sanabul describes the Essential line on their site as a “no-fuss, no-frills, high value product.” I think that pretty much nails it.

It’s not the coolest looking and it’s not the highest quality stuff, but it’s a great choice for people wanting their own gear without spending a ton of money early in their training.

Furthermore, it’s much higher quality than some of the cheapo stuff that you can find on Amazon.

less than $100 for boxing gloves AND shin guards that are actually comfortable to train in, you can’t really beat that.

CREAM OF THE CROP: YOKKAO

Yokkao is very expensive but very high quality.

Sometimes you can find their stuff for a steal on eBay. I bought a pair of their shin guards used in great condition, and I’ve been using them for about a year and a half. I love them. They run a little big though, so I recommend sizing down on their shin guards.

I also love their gloves. Unfortunately the thumb compartment on Yokkao gloves is a little small and I have giant hands so I don’t use them. I’ve tried on (and own, for decorative purposes now) multiple pairs, and my thumb just gets jammed up too often.

If you are looking for a super high quality piece of equipment with some of the coolest designs out there, go with Yokkao.

Bonus: Yokkao sells my favorite mouthpiece!

PROTECTIVE GEAR

KEEPING THE FAMILY JEWELS SAFE: DIAMOND MMA

There is only one answer when it comes to the best cup/jock system: Diamond MMA.

The Diamond MMA cup is like the industry standard for MMA (and most other contact sports).

It’s not cheap, but it will last you a long time if you take care of it (i.e. clean your cup after use). I like that they offer different jock systems too. Sometimes I use the compression shorts with built-in cup pocket, and sometimes I use the diamond jock strap and I’ll wear some regular compression shorts over that.

Both are great options and will protect you while sparring/competing.

Note: Students frequently ask me if they “need” a cup and the answer is YES. Not just from an injury standpoint, but if you’re subconsciously afraid to get kicked in the groin while sparring, you’ll hesistate during exchanges and you won’t be able to flow freely. And getting kicked in the nuts without a cup on sucks.

CHEAP DENTAL INSURANCE: MOUTHGUARDS

I’m less picky with mouthguards than I am with cups. I do always recommend wearing a mouthpiece while you train. It helps you get accustomed to wearing it during a fight!

I mentioned that my favorite mouthpiece is Yokkao’s. But honestly if you’re just starting out, just get the cheapest one you can find.

On Title Boxing’s website, you can get a mouthpiece for $1.19 and a case for it for $3.99. And walmart sells a pretty decent mouthpiece with a case for like $5.

Most cheap mouthpieces are ‘boil-and-bite’ and that is just fine, but if you want to upgrade to a custom molded mouthpiece, check out Impact Mouthguards.

Your Last Brain Cell: HEADGEAR

Headgear is a contentious topic. I’ll give a quick overview of some of the main talking points that I hear, and I’ll summarize my lil 2 cents at the end when I give you my recommendations.

First off - some people are against training in headgear because, since the headgear makes it harder to slip punches, it can cause the fighter to develop bad head movement habits.

On the other hand - most concussions happen in the gym. Avoiding concussions is obviously a good thing.

I’ll just say this - if you have a fight coming up where there is a chance they’ll make you wear head gear (like the WKA Tournament), you might as well do some of your training sessions with headgear on.

And if you are in a gym where people are constantly concussing each other during sparring, then you should probably find a new gym (or yea put on some headgear…).

Ok with that said - I’ve had good experiences with Fairtex’s competition head guard. I also was able to get an older Combat Corner competition head guard off eBay for like $10 and I really love that one. Lastly, I’ve seen really good things said about Hit N Move’s new Precision Headgear, although you wouldn’t be permitted to wear that in a competition because of the cheek pads. Looks great for sparring though, super sleek.

BONUS:

COACH BEN’S PERSONAL COLLECTION (Pic Coming Soon)

SUMMARY

As you can see, I like Fairtex gloves. So if you don’t go with any of the other recs in my list, go with those. Don’t be afraid to throw up a bid on some cool old used stuff on eBay either. Sometimes you end up with some shot velcro useless gloves, but sometimes you get some super high quality gear for cheap from someone who is quitting the sport. You never know.

Feel free to email me with specific gear questions.

-Coach Ben