Best Kickboxing Gloves 2026: Ounces, Point Fighting & Ring

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Thursday, 7 p.m., the kickboxing class at a strip-mall gym. The warm-up rope is still swinging when the coach calls “gloves on”, and the room splits in two: a few regulars pulling on their own worn-in pairs, and a line of first-timers digging through the loaner bin for something that fits. Round three on the bag, after a dozen jab-cross-roundhouse combos, is usually when people decide to buy their own. This guide covers the best kickboxing gloves in 2026: which ounce size fits bag work, sparring and kids, how point-fighting gloves differ from full-contact gloves, what WAKO and the pro leagues require, and seven pairs worth a look.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw on Amazon in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Our top picks

Kickboxing gloves compared

Gloves	Sizes sold	Best use	Key feature	About (Oct 2026)
Everlast Elite 2	8-16 oz	Bag, pads, light sparring	Raised cuff, splint-style foam	$55
Title Classic Pro Style 3.0	8-16 oz	Classes, bag	Two-ply wrap-around strap	$35
Venum Contender 1.5	8-16 oz	Classes, bag, pads	Multi-density foam	$47
RDX Noir Series	10-16 oz	Pads, heavy bag	Attached thumb, EVA palm bar	$38
Hayabusa T3	10-18 oz	Sparring, all-round	Five foam layers, splinted wrist	$169
Top Ten point sparring gloves	Medium (listing)	Point fighting	Open hand	$82
Top Ten 10 oz WAKO gloves	10 oz	Ring, light contact	Real leather	$111

Ounces: bag, sparring and kids

Kickboxing gloves are boxing-style gloves, and the ounce number is the glove’s weight, which mostly means padding over the knuckles. Glove maker Hayabusa’s rule of thumb is about 12 oz for bags and 16 oz for sparring. Title Boxing’s size chart goes by body weight: 8-10 oz up to about 90 lb, 12-14 oz from 91 to 135 lb, 14-16 oz from 136 to 150 lb and 16-18 oz over 150 lb, with 6-8 oz youth gloves for kids up to about 100 lb.

• Fitness kickboxing and bag work: 12-14 oz suits most adults.
• Sparring: 16 oz for most adults, and many gyms set that as the minimum.
• One pair for everything: pick a weight you’re allowed to spar in.
• Kids: go by weight, not age, and ask the coach. Young kickboxers in WAKO start with point fighting, which uses its own open-hand gloves.

Point-fighting vs full-contact gloves

Kickboxing has two worlds, and they use different gloves. Point fighting happens on a mat (the tatami): contact is controlled, the referee stops the action after each clean score, and fighters wear light open-hand gloves. WAKO’s rules describe them as 8 oz gloves that cover the hitting area of the fist, the edge of the palm and the first half of the fingers, with the thumb attached, a hook-and-loop wrist strip and no metal or plastic buckles. You can open your hand in them, which you can’t in a boxing glove.

Light contact, kick light and the ring disciplines (full contact, low kick and K1) use closed, boxing-style gloves. WAKO uses 10 oz kickboxing gloves for all of them. In the pros, GLORY supplies 8 oz gloves to fighters under 65 kg and 10 oz above, ONE uses 8 or 10 oz by weight class, and the ABC model rules for amateur kickboxing in the US use 10 or 12 oz. In training, though, almost everyone uses heavier boxing gloves. If you train Muay Thai as well, Thai-style gloves and pads are covered on our Muay Thai section.

The best kickboxing gloves in 2026

1. Everlast Elite 2: best overall

One pair for the bag, the pads and your first easy sparring rounds. The Elite 2 has triple-layer foam, extra palm foam, a raised cuff with splint-style foam for the wrist, a full-length hook-and-loop strap, a grip bar and Everlast’s EverCool mesh palm. The shell is synthetic leather with reinforced stitching, and Everlast pitches it for kickboxing and Muay Thai as well as boxing. Sizes 8, 12, 14 and 16 oz, about $55.

• Good: solid wrist support for the price; easy to put on alone; a 16 oz option for sparring.
• Watch out: no 10 oz size; synthetic leather wears faster than real leather with daily use.
• Best for: adults training two or three times a week who may spar later.

Check the Everlast Elite 2 price on Amazon

2. Title Classic Pro Style 3.0: best budget pair

Title’s affordable training glove has a synthetic leather cover, multi-layer high- and low-density foams, a two-ply wrap-around wrist strap with hook-and-loop closure and a satin nylon lining. The listing names kickboxing, bag work and sparring among its uses. Sizes 8, 12, 14 and 16 oz, about $35.

• Good: low price from a combat-sports brand; full range of weights.
• Watch out: simpler wrist than the Elite 2; no mesh palm, so air them out after class.
• Best for: trying kickboxing classes without a big spend.

Check the Title Pro Style 3.0 price on Amazon

3. Venum Contender 1.5: best for beginners

The Contender 1.5 is Venum’s everyday training glove, sold for boxing, kickboxing and MMA. It uses synthetic leather, multi-density foam padding and a wide hook-and-loop wrist strap, and Venum describes it as lightweight and built for speed. Sizes 8 to 16 oz in many colors, about $47.

• Good: a combat-sports brand at a beginner price; 8 oz for smaller hands up to 16 oz for sparring.
• Watch out: the listing gives few construction details beyond foam and strap.
• Best for: new kickboxers who want one simple, light pair.

Check the Venum Contender 1.5 price on Amazon

4. RDX Noir Series: best for pads and the heavy bag

RDX sells this glove for Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA and sparring. Inside are layered EVA padding, extra foam in the palm and an EVA bar to hold a correct fist; the thumb is attached, the palm is ventilated with mesh, and a hook-and-loop strap wraps the wrist. The outer is RDX’s Maya Hide. Sizes 10 to 16 oz, about $38.

• Good: attached thumb and grip bar for pad rounds; good price.
• Watch out: no 8 oz size for small hands or kids.
• Best for: lots of pad and bag combinations, or a second pair that saves your sparring gloves.

Check the RDX Noir Series price on Amazon

5. Hayabusa T3: best for sparring

When the coach starts pairing you up every week, a premium sparring glove makes sense. The T3 has five layers of foam over the knuckles, a splinted wrist with Hayabusa’s Dual-X hook-and-loop closure and an anatomical hand compartment. Hayabusa says it’s built for Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing, for bag, pads and sparring. Sizes 10 to 18 oz, about $169.

• Good: the most wrist structure here; 18 oz for bigger sparring partners.
• Watch out: three to four times the price of a starter pair.
• Best for: kickboxers who spar regularly.

Check the Hayabusa T3 price on Amazon

6. Top Ten WAKO Approved Point Sparring Gloves: best for point fighting

These open-hand gloves from Top Ten are sold as WAKO approved for competition. The maker describes a glossy outer for durability, flexible hand movement for open-hand stops and an inner lining to cut sweat and slipping. The listing we checked is the blue pair in Medium, about $82; it showed only a few left, so other sizes and colors may be on separate listings.

• Good: the open-hand design point fighting requires; built for tournaments.
• Watch out: far less padding than boxing gloves, so not for the heavy bag; “WAKO approved” is the seller’s wording, so check your event’s current list.
• Best for: teens and adults heading to their first point-fighting tournament.

Check the Top Ten point sparring gloves price on Amazon

7. Top Ten WAKO Approved 10 oz Boxing Gloves: best for ring competition

For light contact, kick light and ring bouts, WAKO calls for 10 oz gloves, and at its world and continental championships, cups and other top events only gear from WAKO-approved makers is allowed. This red 10 oz pair is real leather and sold as WAKO approved for competition use. About $111, with only a few left when we looked.

• Good: the WAKO competition weight, in leather.
• Watch out: 10 oz is too light for most adults to spar in at the gym; many local events supply gloves, so ask first.
• Best for: amateur fighters entering WAKO-style tournaments.

Check the Top Ten 10 oz gloves price on Amazon

How to choose kickboxing gloves for beginners

• Start with how you’ll train. Cardio classes and bag work: one 12-14 oz pair. Sparring: 16 oz (or what your coach asks for). Point fighting: open-hand gloves plus a bag glove.
• Wrap first. Hand wraps go under every closed glove; most adults use 180-inch wraps. WAKO allows 2.5 to 5 m of 5 cm cotton in competition, and wraps are optional under point gloves.
• Try them over wraps. Your fist should close comfortably and the strap should hold your wrist straight.
• Hook-and-loop beats laces for beginners: you can put them on and off between rounds alone.
• Competing? Check your event’s rules before you buy; many supply gloves, and WAKO’s top events allow only approved makers.
• Hurting already? A swollen knuckle or a wrist that aches after every round needs a sports medicine doctor, PT or athletic trainer, not just a bigger glove.

For shin guards, foot pads, mouthguards and headgear, see our kickboxing gear page. Starting a child? Read kickboxing for kids and teens, and sore hands or shins are covered on kickboxing injuries. Training boxing too? Our best boxing gloves for beginners guide covers the boxing side, and the combat sports recovery gear guide covers the work after class. Everything else lives in the kickboxing section and the kickboxing blog.

Kickboxing glove questions

What size kickboxing gloves should a beginner get?

Most adult beginners do well with 12-14 oz for classes and bag work and 16 oz if they’ll spar. Title Boxing’s chart suggests 14-16 oz from 136 to 150 lb and 16-18 oz above 150 lb.

Are boxing gloves and kickboxing gloves the same?

Mostly, yes. Light contact, ring kickboxing, GLORY and ONE all use boxing-style gloves. The exception is point fighting, which uses open-hand gloves.

What gloves does WAKO require?

WAKO’s rules call for 8 oz open-hand gloves in point fighting and 10 oz kickboxing gloves in light contact, kick light, full contact, low kick and K1. At its top events, only equipment from WAKO-approved makers is allowed.

Can I use point-fighting gloves on the heavy bag?

It’s not a good idea. They have far less padding than boxing gloves and are made for controlled, light contact. Keep a padded pair over hand wraps for bag work.

Can I use Muay Thai gloves for kickboxing?

Yes, for training. Muay Thai gloves are boxing-style gloves too, so they work on the bag, the pads and in sparring. Ask your coach what weight they want you in for sparring.