Boxing Equipment for Beginners: What Do You Need?

Bag full of boxing gloves and gear

Boxing is known as one of the most accessible sports in the world; you can do it at home with a mattress against a wall and old bandages as hand-wraps, or at a high-tech purpose-built facility with state-of-the-art equipment.

Your access to equipment shouldn’t stop you from participating – which is why boxing has traditionally been so popular within some of the world’s most deprived communities.

And what’s great about it is that it’s not exclusively for those within any community or social class, whether you’re rich or poor, tall or small, fit or overweight, male or female, boxing is for everyone.

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The majority of gyms will provide you with boxing gloves, boxing head-guards and all the basic stuff you’ll need to get started.

But while it might be true that you don’t need any equipment to begin, you may want to consider getting your own boxing training gear if you’re looking to give boxing a good go, or even if you just want some kit to call your own (rather than sharing old, sweaty mitts!). 

So, what equipment is required for boxing?

Here, we introduce, discuss and review all the best boxing equipment for training, from hand-wraps and boxing gloves for beginners, to mouthguards and groin-guards.

Whether you’re looking to box yourself, or you’re a concerned parent looking for the right equipment for their child, you’re guaranteed to learn a thing or two. 

A Full List of Boxing Equipment

To begin, here’s a list of boxing equipment, their average cost in the UK, and the level at which it’s recommended you consider buying the item. 

ItemAverage costLevel at which it’s recommended
Hand wraps [BUY HERE] £3 – £6Beginner
Boxing gloves (training gloves) [BUY HERE] £20 – £50+Beginner-intermediate
Boxing boots or shoes [BUY HERE] £50 – £80Intermediate-advanced
Boxing mouthguard [BUY HERE] £3 – £20+Beginner (just in case!)
Boxing headguard [BUY HERE] £15 – £50Intermediate-advanced (most clubs provide headguards for beginners, getting your own should be optional)
Groin guard [BUY HERE] £8+Advanced (again, most clubs provide for beginners or intermediates sparring, but advanced boxers might want their own for competing or advanced sparring)

What Boxing Equipment Do I Need?

So, if you’re looking to get into the sport and want your own boxing training gear, here’s a breakdown of exactly what you might need, its purpose and its importance. 

Remember, boxing equipment is largely optional to buy – a lot of it will be available to borrow from your local gyms while you train there – but if you want to do boxing at home or if you want to simply look the part, then by all means, buy your own gear. 

And as much as gyms are amazing places, their equipment will often be pretty beaten up – if you pardon the pun – because so many people come and go. 

The gym will probably appreciate you buying your own equipment – like boxing gloves and hand wraps, at least – if you can afford it. 

Boxing Gloves for Beginners

Boxing gloves come in all shapes and sizes, but as beginners, you’re probably looking for some basic training gloves (rather than specific sparring gloves). 

They’re often velcro-strapped and can be bought from near-enough every decent boxing store or certain sports shops. 

With a quick ‘boxing gloves UK’ search, you’ll find an array of gloves to fit any need online, and stores that supply them on the high-street. 

You’re able to choose from a range of types, including all-purpose training gloves, bag gloves, and sparring gloves. 

Any of these will be fine for the purpose defined within the product description, the most important thing is that they’re comfortable and provide your hands and wrists with good support.

You’ll also need to decide what size or weight boxing glove you purchase – which depends on your weight and the purpose of the gloves.  

Here’s what size boxing gloves each person would usually use to train in relation to their weight (not considering other factors such as previous hand damage):

Boxer’s weightBoxing glove size
54kg or less12oz. to 14oz.
55kg – 68kg14oz. to 16oz.
69-84kg16oz. to 20oz.
85kg+18oz. to 20oz.

These are general guidelines and recommendations, you must choose the gloves you feel most comfortable and secure in.

You should also get heavier gloves with more padding if you’re prone to hand damage or have a lasting weakness.

Read more: Best Boxing Gloves

Boxing Hand Wraps for Beginners

Boxing hand-wraps are probably one of the most important pieces of equipment you can buy as a beginner in the sport right up to the professional elite-level.

Hand-wraps go on before you put your main gloves on, as an extra bit of protection – an under-layer in a way (but an important one). 

They’re a boxer’s best friend – they’ll protect your hands from any lasting damage, if used properly, and they’ll help keep your hands in tip-top condition round after round, so you can wallop the heavy bag without any worries. 

Knowing how to wrap hands for boxing is important, try not to overlook just how crucial it is. 

Boxing wraps are cheap as chips, they’re available for around £3 to £6 online and in-store, and usually come as 4 or 3.5 metres. 

If you’re strapped for cash, just use old bandages, there’s really no shame in it.

Read more: Best Boxing Hand Wraps

Boxing Boots and Footwear for Beginners

When you first start boxing, it’s worth having a few sessions in your general running trainers first, if you have any. 

Once you know you’re committed to training and you enjoy it, then you should start thinking about buying a sturdy pair of boxing boots or boxing shoes. 

They also come in a range of shapes and sizes, from the high-top white Muhammad Ali classics, to David Haye’s infamous low-tops. 

What you wear is up to you – it’s all about comfort. 

Their main purpose is to give you good balance, protect your ankles, and help you stay nice and light on your feet while you’re floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. 

Where to Buy Boxing Equipment

Boxing equipment for beginners and experienced boxers is easy to come by, but there is a difference in how accessible gear is online and in-store.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find good, quality boxing equipment on the high-street, unless you live in a big city, but there are some stores still kicking on. If you really want to buy in-store, then try asking some of the people at your local gym, they might be able to suggest somewhere. 

And it’s totally understandable if you’d prefer to buy in-store, especially for your first purchase, because it can be nice to feel and know exactly what you’re buying before you part with your cash. Just try searching “boxing equipment near me” and you might find a shop that stocks the gloves or wraps that you want. 

But buying boxing equipment online has become far more popular, as is the general trend with online shopping nowadays. 

Doing a quick online search for boxing equipment can give you hundreds of thousands of results within seconds, from the best boxing gloves to the most fashionable boxing boots. 

You get access to a massive range of providers and distributors, with stacks of kit from the most popular manufacturers. 

You’re also likely to come across some good deals on boxing equipment too, because the competition is so fierce in the online marketplace. 

The easiest place to buy sports gear? Amazon

How Much Does Boxing Equipment Cost?

Let’s say, for example, you got basic hand-wraps for £3, and a pair of boxing all-purpose gloves for £45, just to get started. That would cost you £48, but it’s likely that your wraps will last for years on end and your gloves should hold up for a good few years if they’re looked after properly. 

That being said, it’s also possible to start boxing for free, without any equipment – this is all totally optional.  

It’s really impossible to tell you how much you’ll spend on boxing equipment without knowing how serious you are about taking up the sport, as well as your budget. 

But it is fair to say that you get what you pay for – with boxing gloves especially. 

You won’t get the best boxing gloves for £10, just as you wouldn’t get the most durable football boots or tennis racket for a few quid. 

You might have to fork out a bit if you want the best, BUT, remember that you should only buy boxing equipment if you’re sure you’ll commit to the sport long-term.

Don’t go throwing your money away. 

What is the Best Boxing Equipment Brand?

The most popular and ‘best’ boxing equipment brands include, but are not limited to: 

  • Everlast
  • RDX Sports
  • Venum
  • Lonsdale 
  • Ringside
  • Title
  • Reyes
  • Rival
  • Adidas
  • Geezers

The list is endless, in all honesty.

Do Boxing Gyms Provide Equipment?

Boxing gyms will provide you with boxing gloves and headguards, that’s almost guaranteed – otherwise boxing wouldn’t be such an accessible sport.

But they’ll probably expect you to consider buying your own equipment if you become a long-term trainer or want to get pretty serious in the sport. 

They probably won’t provide you with hand-wraps, so try to get yourself a pair of those before heading to your first session. 

What should I bring to first boxing class?

First of all, boxing classes for beginners are friendly and fun environments, there’s nothing to worry about in that sense. If you don’t bring certain equipment etc. to your first session, they really won’t be bothered. 

But there are certain things you can take to give you the best chance of ENJOYING your first boxing class. 

To your first boxing class or session, try to take a bottle of water, and hand-wraps if you have any. Wear sensible running trainers if you don’t have boxing boots, as well as general fitness or sportswear, and remember to bring plenty of determination! 

Our advice? Worry about the equipment after you’ve got your first session under your belt. Just enjoy meeting new people, getting fit, and punching… stuff!

You might also like:

The Best Boxing Hand Wraps

Best Boxing Gloves for You

Boxing Statistics You May Not Know

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