
If you’re looking to step up your boxing, MMA or Muay Thai training, then a decent pair of gloves is an absolute must.
And if you’re thinking about going with a Venum pair, then you’ve made a good choice. They are reputable martial arts brand and they produce quality long-lasting gear.
However, you may find the choice of gloves they offer a bit overwhelming…
So, I’ve put together this guide where I review all of Venum’s best boxing gloves, and show you the pros and cons of each pair.
Please note: The above prices are averages across the weight ranges of the gloves – you will need to check each listing to see the price for the exact glove weight you need.
Remember you must get 16oz gloves if you intend to spar with them!
Venum Contender
The Contenders are the lowest cost option in the Venum glove range, and as such they aren’t the best quality. They aren’t particularly well made, and the quality of the leather is the lowest offered by Venum – they are also aren’t breathable, meaning your hands get very hot and sweaty inside.
However, if you are a beginner, or only intending to train very casually with a bit of bag and pad work, then these gloves will do the job for you. They are reasonably well padded with basic foam and should last you a long time if you keep a moderate level of training up.
But if you are a bit more serious about your training, or thinking about competitive fighting, doing heavy bag drills etc. Then you may want to look towards a more premium pair like the Challengers or Elites
Pros
- Lowest price in the Venum boxing glove range
- Relatively well made for a budget pair of gloves
- Will be great for a beginner or casual trainer
Cons
- Not tough and durable enough for a serious trainer
Venum Challenger
The Challengers are a step up from the Contenders, and are basically what I would call entry-level gloves for a serious trainer. They are made from the same type of synthetic leather as the Contenders, but they are much better put together, and feel a lot firmer. They have much better padding with a triple layer of foam inside, and have thicker sturdier Velcro cuffs. They also have a mesh palm to make them breathable and stop your hands from getting too sweaty.
Ultimately, these are a good pair of gloves for someone looking to start training regularly at a proper combat sports gym.
Pros
- Very affordable pair of gloves
- Fairly well made of synthetic leather and triple foam inside
Cons
- Not the best craftmanship in the Venum range as they are not handmade in Thailand
- This quality of synthetic leather may start to crack after 6 months if training heavily
Venum Elite **My pick**
If you are starting to get serious about your training, the Venum Elites are a good mid-range pair of gloves, designed to take bit more punishment.
Firstly they are handmade in Thailand (The holy grail of boxing glove production) from high Skintex leather, which is a very high quality synthetic leather and almost as good as real leather. They are a little bit on the pricey side, but not too bad for a proper pair of boxing gloves, and they should last well over a year if you look after them properly.
These gloves come with nice thick sturdy cuffs and triple foam padding, along with a layer of wick to hold sweat, and breathable mesh palm.
These are definitely my favourite pair of Venum gloves, and I think the pricing is fair.
Pros
- Made from high quality synthetic leather in Thailand
- Very tough and durable
- Nice high quality feel to them
Cons
- Although a high quality synthetic leather – still not real leather
- Perhaps a bit on the pricey side for synthetic leather
Venum Impact
The Venum Impact are pretty similar to the Elites – They are made from Skintex leather and have a triple layer of foam padding. They are breathable with a mesh palm, but the only difference is that they aren’t made in Thailand, so they aren’t as robust, and won’t last as long. This makes them a little bit cheaper than the Elites though.
Pros
- High quality synthetic leather
- Triple layer foam padding
Cons
- Not made in Thailand, so will not last as long as the Elites
Venum Giant
If you’ve got cash to splash, and want the very best gloves that Venum have to offer – then go for the Giants. The Giants are Venum’s only real leather gloves, and they are handmade in Thailand, making them almost indestructible. These come with all the features you would expect from a high-end pair of gloves including thick sturdy Velcro cuffs.
These gloves look, feel and smell great – they will last you a long time even if you train hard 7 days a week.
Pros
- Genuine leather gloves
- Handmade in Thailand
- The best and most durable gloves in the Venum range
Cons
- The most expensive pair of Venum gloves
You can also check out my review of RDX’s best boxing gloves if you want to try a different brand.
What to look for in Venum boxing gloves
When buying boxing gloves for boxing, Muay Thai, MMA or any other combat sport, there are a few things you need to consider.
I’ll run through them now.
Weight
If you will be sparring in your training, then you need to get gloves of 16oz or heavier.
Anything lighter than 16oz and the glove padding will not be thick enough to protect your sparring partners from your knuckles – which could cause bruising or even cuts, and make you very unpopular at the gym.
If you won’t be sparring, you can get lighter gloves which allow you to move your hands a bit quicker.
Material
Gloves will generally be made from real leather or a synthetic leather.
Real leather will last longer than synthetic leather, because it’s stronger. But you will pay a bit more money for real leather gloves.
I would personally always opt for real leather gloves, but there are some very high quality synthetic leathers out there, such as Skintex and Maya hide which are almost as good, and will last a long time.
Ventilation/Breathability
Ventilation may not seem important, but badly ventilated gloves will start to smell pretty bad, pretty quickly – especially if you don’t look after them.
Part mesh palms are great for ventilation but small holes in the glove also do the job.
If you want to avoid your glove smelling like death, make sure you take them out of your gym bag when you’re not training and allow air to get to them. Also give them a wipe down with something absorbent like a kitchen towel.
Cuffs
The cuff of boxing glove is the part that wraps around the wrist.
I find that a thick robust cuff helps the gloves to fit properly and feel more solid on your hands – whereas small flimsy cuffs don’t hold the gloves tight to your hand.
You also want to make sure the cuffs have good Velcro straps, but all Venum gloves do.
Happy training!
See also: Best Venum Muay Thai shorts
Leave a Reply