Materials: what your gear is made of
Two gloves can look identical and live completely different lives. The difference is materials and construction — the things the product photo doesn't show.
Outer shells
- Genuine leather — durable, breathes, ages well with care; the premium standard for gloves and pads.
- Microfibre synthetics — the modern middle class: leather-like feel, animal-free, good durability, easier to clean.
- PU (polyurethane) coatings — entry-level; fine for lighter use, but the coating cracks and peels first under heavy training.
Padding
- Injection-moulded foam (IMF) — single-piece moulded padding with consistent density; common in quality modern gloves.
- Layered foams — sheets of different densities stacked; quality varies with the recipe.
- Latex / open-cell blends — springy feel in Thai-style gear.
- Horsehair blends — traditional competition gloves; less protective, ruleset-driven.
Construction tells
- Tight, even stitching with reinforcement at stress points (thumb joins, strap anchors).
- Attached thumbs on gloves (safety standard, stops eye-gouge angles and thumb snags).
- Quality velcro that bites deep and a strap wide enough to actually support the wrist.
- A lining that doesn't peel — the first thing to die in cheap gear.
The honest buying logic
Beginners on a budget: good synthetics beat bad leather every time. Regular trainers: quality microfibre or leather pays for itself in lifespan. Whatever the tier — care doubles the life of all of it.