As someone who works out at local kickboxing gyms, I was ecstatic to try out and review Fairtex’s BGV1 Sparring Gloves.
About the author: Patrick, a seasoned college state wrestler and martial arts practitioner, brings his kickboxing and sparring experience to this fight gear review.
They’ve done it again. Fairtex has consistently offered top-of-the-line combat gear since 1958, which is why I trust them to protect both me and my partner while training.
These gloves I’m reviewing are size 16 oz and made for Muay Thai sparring.
Let’s get into the review so I can explain why these gloves are great for Muay Thai sparring and deserve my high rating.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways
- The triple-layer padding disperses the shock evenly to protect your hand
- 16oz gloves are great for sparring and heavy bags while I recommend 12oz for pad work
- Premium leather for durability and feels great
- The velcro wrist strap is easy on and off
- The snug fit offers comfortable movement while training without moving around too much
Fairtex BGV1 review
The ideal Muay Thai glove, equipped with these luxurious leather that offers protection, tons of durability and a contour-fit design for cushioning.
- High-quality construction, built to last
- Delivers solid hand and wrist protection
- Comfortable and snug fit
- Velcro closure system
- Great for beginners and professionals alike
- Perfect sparring glove, great for bag and pads too
- Praised for the solid, firm striking feel
- Sizes 4 oz > 16 oz
- Requires break-in time for comfort
- Size runs larger for average-sized hands
- Colors can vary from product image sometimes
Fairtex has a history of offering top-quality gear and their BGV1 design is no different. The leather is top quality and the design keeps your wrists and hands safe.
If you prefer to watch a video about my review of the
Glove specs
Fairtex designed these high-quality gloves for training and competing in Muay Thai.
- These gloves are made to be durable and protective due to the premium leather they are made from
- The fit is contoured and snug for easy and comfortable movement
- Velcro closes the glove for a secure and customizable fit
- Padding is strategically placed for maximum protection and support
Style & design
These gloves are designed for Muay Thai. When starting, many use any gloves they can find and often they’re boxing gloves.
The difference between Muay Thai gloves and boxing gloves is mainly in the padding and the palm.
Boxing gloves have padding concentrated around the knuckles, whereas Muay Thai gloves have padding evenly distributed around the glove.
Muay Thai gloves make palms more flexible to make clinching and catching kicks easier.
The BGV1 is no exception. The palm is wide which allows for easier clinching and the padding covers equally around the entire glove.
The velcro strap to secure the wrist includes a logo and besides the second logo on the back, it is completely plain.
The simple and solid color is timeless. I especially like the plain black or red gloves because they look so classic.
I received the black version but they also offer white, red, navy, yellow, and pink.
Features of the BGV1
I’m reviewing the BGV1 gloves in the 16oz size. I find 16oz to be perfect for sparring, adding a realistic amount of force when I connect but also protecting my partner with extra padding.
Fairtex offers this design in 10oz, 12oz, 14oz, and 16oz. For smaller fighters sometimes a 14oz would be ideal for sparring, and I know several fighters personally that like to compete in their 12oz gloves.
Along with the evenly placed padding, Fairtex’s signature three-layered foam system helps tremendously with shock absorption.
Their triple-layered foam system works by dispersing the shock evenly throughout the glove so it decreases the probability of hurting your hand by punching.
I especially enjoyed the palm. It was wide and though it was stiff when I first got it new; it loosened up after a few workouts and is great for clinching.
Comfort & fit
These gloves are made with a contoured fit for maximum comfort and you can feel it when used.
Obviously, hand wraps are necessary with any kickboxing workout, and once worn; the gloves fit very well. That’s because they’re designed to be snug yet easy for hand movement.
Due to the 16oz size, it felt strange to use during pad work. Mainly because I’m used to 12oz gloves.
However, I felt a great connection with the pads and I believe that’s due to the increase in size.
You want that perfect-sounding smack when doing pad work and when you miss slightly, it’s just not there. The size helps the accuracy, though it took a short time to adjust.
On a heavy bag, it immediately felt natural. The extra padding and leather lining wristband allowed me the confidence to throw 100% without fear of injuring my wrist or hand.
I mainly used these for sparring, and that’s what I would recommend these primarily for.
The palm allows for a comfortable guard, where I cover my face but have a good window of vision.
There were a couple of hard rounds where I threw several strong punches, and the snug fit with the velcro band kept my wrist and hand in place.
There is a bit of space for your fingers and thumbs to move, which is necessary to clinch.
Padding & support
Their triple-layered foam system works by dispersing the shock evenly throughout the glove so it decreases the probability of hurting your hand by punching.
Unlike a boxing glove, the BGV1 gloves have padding all around the glove to protect from punches, elbows, kicks, and clinching.
There is a bit of space for your fingers and thumbs to move, which is necessary to clinch. But at your knuckles, there is no space between your wraps and padding.
That is necessary so your knuckles are tightly covered by padding, for both your knuckles’ safety and the safety of your sparring partner.
Along with my knuckles, my face was safe. While going through heavy sparring sessions, my guard was up and the padding absorbed the shock well.
Overall, the padding held up great in heavy sparring and when hitting the heavy bag.
Durability
The premium leather ensures a long-lasting product, whether you are a weekly practitioner or you fight for a living.
I haven’t noticed any tears or broad degrading since I’ve used my pair. The only difference I notice is the adjustment to break them in and form to your hand.
Even the pairs at my local gym, used by every newcomer for the past decade, remain in decent condition.
Final verdict on the BGV1
- High-quality construction, built to last
- Delivers solid hand and wrist protection
- Comfortable and snug fit
- Velcro closure system
- Great for beginners and professionals alike
- Perfect sparring glove, great for bag and pads too
- Praised for the solid, firm striking feel
- Sizes 4 oz > 16 oz
- Requires break-in time for comfort
- Size runs larger for average-sized hands
- Colors can vary from product image sometimes
I highly recommend these gloves for anyone who practices or trains Muay Thai. Specifically for sparring and heavy bag work, the 16oz BGV1 gloves are terrific.
These are good for pad work too, although I would recommend the 12oz or 14oz versions since that will help realistically work on your accuracy.
There is no level of knowledge specifically I would suggest these for, whether you are a beginner or a competitor; these gloves will protect your hands.
Beginners would be smart to invest in a long-term pair of gloves like these that keep their hands protected.
For intermediate and advanced practitioners I recommend having a 12oz pair for regular pad workouts and a 16oz pair for sparring or heavy bags.
The design is great for throwing punches, while also defending every strike allowed in Muay Thai.
Overall I like these gloves because they protect my knuckles and wrists while feeling comfortable and secure.
Research for this review
Researching a product is essential to offering the best insights.
For this review, I researched the background of Fairtex and experienced several sparring sessions while using the BGV1 gloves.
Why you can trust MMA Hive
We here at MMA Hive are a bunch of fans of combat sports, but to give as good of an insight as possible; we train in various forms.
We have kickboxers, jiu-jitsu practitioners, and wrestlers who write for us.
To give as good a review as possible we go hands-on. In this one in particular, I went through several sparring sessions. That’s helpful because we’re able to give you insight into exactly what you’ll experience when using the product yourself.
About Fairtex
If you have been to any Muay Thai gym in the world, odds are you will see someone using the Fairtex brand.
They were established in 1958 in Thailand and have since distributed combat gear to over 50 countries.
They’ve earned a great name due to the quality gear that they distribute. They have even produced great champions like Stamp Fairtex who fights in One Championship.
Overall, Fairtex is trusted by millions across the world because they offer great and consistent products for kickboxing and Muay Thai fighters.