In all combat sports, whether competing, hitting a heavy bag, or sparring with a partner, your hands will take lots of impacts. This, if unprotected, can potentially lead to injuries, including sprains, fractures, and breaks which can force you out of the sport to rest.

While boxing gloves cover your entire hands, they still don’t maximise the protection, especially to the wrist area. Boxing hand wraps hold everything in place and provide all the support to help prevent any injury.

If you have looked online for products to help protect your hands and wrist for combat sports like boxing, you may have come across the inner gloves for boxing instead. These inner gloves are a fast-convenient alternative to the long cotton style of hand wraps and are called various names like ‘Gel Wraps’ or ‘Quick wraps’.

Cotton hand wraps have always been the traditional way to protect a boxer’s hands, but it is very time-consuming; gel wraps and inner gloves for boxing have become very popular.

What is a Hand Wrap in Boxing?

In Ancient Greece in 688 B.C.E., hand wrapping for boxing was first attested in writing. Boxing was a part of the first Olympics and was frequently practiced in Greek gymnasiums by young men as part of their education. Hisantes were strips of softened oxhide that the ancient Greeks used to wrap their hands.

The purpose of a hand wrap is to ensure that all your movable bones and loose joints are held in place by the hand wraps. The hand wrap secures your joints, allowing the shock to be evenly dispersed throughout your entire hand.

There are three basic types of hand wraps:

1. Traditional Cloth Wraps: These can be applied by yourself and are constructed of thin, typically slightly flexible cloth. They can be any length, but generally speaking, the longer ones are preferable because they offer more wrapping and rigidity (depending on hand size).
2. Professional Wraps: These are most frequently observed during competitions or when elite-level fighters utilise them while training. These wraps, which consist of tape, cushioning, and thin layers of gauze, are frequently administered by a trainer. Typically, the ordinary person wouldn’t use these.
3. Gel Inner Glove Wraps: Typically used for convenience, these are more like a little padded glove that fastens around the wrist than other wraps. They typically provide less wrist protection than a wrap, but they might work for you.

What are Inner Gloves for Boxing?

Inner gloves like gel wraps are a fast, convenient way to wrap your hands for training in combat sports like boxing. They can take seconds to put on and feel great under your boxing gloves and are an alternative to full hand wraps.

They don’t provide as much support as a hand wrap, but they are easy to get on and off. Inner gloves are an excellent option for quick training sessions when you’re short on time but still want some protection from a hand wrap.

Are Inner Gloves as Good as Traditional Wraps?

Its gel/foam padding protects your knuckles, while it’s perfect stretch wrap supports your wrists.

When you properly wrap your hands, as opposed to using gel gloves or quick wraps, you are less likely to get injured. The ease of not having to wrap your hands is worth less than the level of protection you would receive from a set of hand wraps; thus, inner gloves are a compromise.

Pros of Inner Gloves For Boxing

Safety

When boxing, hand protection should be your top priority. You must add to their security to shield your hands from bumps, blows, and injuries. Additionally, the padding provided by the inside gloves provides comfort for your hands and lessens the impact of blows.

Inner gloves enable the fighter to continue training continually and irregularly. As a result, you can train for a more extended time without the inflammation affecting how well you perform.

Improves Grip

Inner gloves enclose every open area, giving you a better and harder grip. You will have a better boxing experience as a result of this.

Once your hands are sufficiently protected with the proper fit, you can hit harder.

Wrist Support

Wrist injuries are the second-most common hand injury, according to a study by the Great Britain Olympic Boxing team. Support for the wrist is therefore essential.

A boxer is constantly looking to deliver more potent blows with greater precision. So inner boxing gloves are made to give your wrists exceptional support. The impact of the punches on your hands and wrists cannot be overstated. So, once your wrist is steady, you can strike with all of your might.

Prolong Glove Life

By controlling moisture levels during training, inner boxing gloves are made to increase the lifespan of mitts and gloves. Boxing inner gloves may be preferable to hand wraps if you’re planning a prolonged low-impact training session using concentration mitts or other coaching equipment, as inner gloves require little to no changes. This enables you to train more frequently, intensely, and quickly.

Cons of Inner Gloves

Prevent Use of Focus Pads

The gel wraps have extra padding over the knuckle area, preventing hands from going into focus pads. So when switching over on the places, the inner gloves may have to come off also.

Security Issues

Doesn’t secure the thumb as much as cotton wraps. Yes, they take a little practice to get right, and they’re not as convenient as a pair of inner gloves, but if you want to provide your hands with the most protection possible, this is the option you should go with. There is a reason why all professionals only use hand wraps.

Expensive

Gel inner gloves can be expensive; however, the expense also comes from having to buy inner gloves more frequently.

A pair of fast wraps will eventually degrade, and repetitive hits may cause them to explode in certain situations. The same is true of inner gel gloves; although it’s less common than fast wraps, it can nonetheless happen. When properly cared for, hand wraps will last considerably longer.

Where to Buy Inner Gloves

Sidekick Boxing stocks all the gear you need to keep your hands free from injury. To choose what wraps to go for, we recommend selecting your favourite boxing gloves or MMA gloves first and then picking the hand wraps that will work best with those gloves.

If you choose the traditional style of cotton hand wraps over inner gloves, you can read our article ‘How to wrap your hands for boxing’ here.

Final Thoughts

Some form of hand protection should be part of your kit whether you’re just starting or have been training for years.

As your skill and form improve, so does your power. Either choosing hand wraps or inner gloves will let you prepare and compete with more power without worrying about injuring your hands.

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