bag gloves vs. boxing gloves

Again (as with most things!) this is down to personal preference. When you are hitting the bags it is important that the knuckles are covered and protected and this can be done with either bag gloves or boxing gloves. Bag gloves are clearly lighter and much easier to slip on and off when partnering up when on the bags / pads. They are (in most cases) much cheaper than boxing gloves and serve the purpose they were designed for. A few of them are of a more advanced design and offer a little more protection around the wrist too (something that is reflected in the price) such as the King or Fairtex glove.

Boxing gloves offer that bit (much!) more protection and give you the added advantage of being able to alternate between pad work and sparring as needs be during the session without changing gloves. They are much heavier and come in a variety of sizes from 8oz (very light fight gloves) through to 16oz or in some cases 18oz heavy sparring gloves. Your instructor will be able to advise you on what size is best for you (in many cases your club will have a specific glove you need to use dependant on weight) but in general sparring should only be carried out in 14oz gloves or above.