If you are a Muay Thai practitioner, you need to own your own gear. Nay, more than need, you WANT to own your own gear (boxing gloves and shin guards. Mitts and Thai pads are extra credit).
Communal gear? Gross. I mean, we might have the cleanest communal gear in existence because we are diligent, fastidious women who are very sensitive to smells. So that means every single item used gets cleaned, aired out, and stored in a air-flow-y way.
BUT, owning your own gear is so much more than just reduced yuck factor.
When you show up with gear in hand? It means you are prepared. You are committed. You are energetically aligned with the pursuit of Muay Thai. You are a full-fledged Muay Thai practitioner.
Yes, energy matters. Possibly more than anything else.
You are also going to take good care of your gear, imbuing your Muay Thai hobby/passion with love and nurture. You are going to clean your gear with an anti-bacterial spray of your choice, put your gear in front of a fan for 30m, and store your gear away from sunlight in an airy place. Your gear is your baby, take care of your gear so your gear can take care of you. Yes, you and your boxing gloves and shin guards are now in a relationship, respect the relationship.
Muay Thai gear varies widely in price and quality, and everyone has different brands they like. If possible, try gear on in person to see how it fits and feels. Here are two on-island local shops to check out:
Hawaiian Fight Gear (mid-range prices around $50, best place for larger-sized shin guards, decent quality at decent prices)
HNL Fight Shop (mid to high range, you can get bougie here)
Some of our recommendations for boxing gloves, shin guards, and mitts you can order from Amazon (prices as of June 2024) are below. This is just a starting point, feel free to explore past these recs and MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS RETURNABLE!
NOTE: You may encounter $15 to $20 boxing gloves at various stores like Ross. DO NOT BUY THESE. They are typically ill-fitting and lumpy, offer poor protection, and do more harm than good. They will also wear out fast and you will have to buy new ones. Also, DO NOT buy stocking-type shinguards because they can get nasty and offer insufficient protection.
GLOVE FIT: The ounces of boxing gloves does not determine how they will fit in your hands. Every brand fits differently, and true comfort can get pricey. We use 14-ounce gloves.
SHIN GUARD FIT: All brands fit differently. You want your shin guards to feel secure on your legs, sit right under your knee cap, and mostly cover your toes. NOTE: The piece covering the top of your foot should NOT flop about and touch the ground, that will make it very difficult to maneuver and your will look like a weird duck. If they do not fit well, return them and try a different brand/size.
BOXING GLOVES:
Sanabul Essential Gloves 12-16oz $30
RDX Gloves 12-16oz $30-$40
Venum Challenger Gloves 12-16oz $50-$60
Hayabusa S4 Gloves 12-16oz $70
Ringside Sparring Glove 12-16oz $50-$80
Fairtex Gloves 12-16oz $90
Venum Elite Boxing Gloves 12-16oz $90-$110
Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves 12-16oz $160
Sanabul Essential Shin Guards $36
(Sanabul size chart)
Elite Shin Guards $40 (Only two sizes)
Jayefo Mitts $18
Sanabul Mitts $27
RDX Mitts $33
MID-RANGE:
Venum Challenger Shin Guards $70
Fairtex SP3 Shin Guards $80
Fairtex SP5 Shin Guards $90
Ringside Apex Mitts $40-$58
Hayabusa Mitts $80
MID/HIGH:
Venum Elite Shin Guards $110-$130 (Students have raved about these)
Hayabusa Shin Guards $150 (Seem to fit large calves on tall people, but read the reviews to find best size)
Mouthguards (for Level 2 sparring):
There are many mouthguards for all sorts of prices, but my favorite thus far is lobloo (10-13yo, $27) as it does not gag me or feel ridiculously thick. If you purchase this mouthguard, take care to not over boil it. Mouthguards are also sold at sporting goods stores and places with a sport section such as Walmart and Target, they can start at around $10.
Others:
Venum Mouthguard $15-18 (kid size and adult size)
Remember, these are just a starting point for those who do not want to comb through the plentiful options online. Also, if you want to get bougie, you can spend hundreds of dollars on gear. We own Winning gloves (run $300-$400), and they are wonderful, comfy, and fitted. However, we also enjoy our $30 RDX gloves, though they are showing some wear and tear. I really like the colors/designs of Yokkao, but shipping can sometimes take eons.
Hope this helps!
