10 Best Boxing Focus/Punch Mitts in 2023 – Buying Guide

Much like gloves, focus mitts should be fitted to individual hands. This can be a little tough to ensure while purchasing online, but you can often get close, thanks to the huge variety in sizes offered by modern brands. A boxing mitt that’s too loose will flop around and slip away as soon as you intercept a punch.

Conversely, one that’s too tight will hurt your hands and scare you into moving slower. Having a nice glove on the back is important, such that your hands always stay secure. Here are the best boxing focus mitts you can buy; check them out. 

Rival Boxing RPM11 Evolution Mitts

• Size: S, M, L, XL
• Color: Black, gold
• Material: Microfiber
• Features: Ventilated back, adjustable velcro strap
• Strengths: High-density padding protects your hands really well

The shell is made from top-tier PU leather, which isn’t as tough or long-lasting as the real stuff but more than adequate for regular punch training at the gym. I love that this focus mitt has a nice bullseye in the middle and is located right where the center of your palm sits once you put it on. The rear has a spacious hand compartment and lots of mesh to keep you cool through training. 

Hayabusa PTS3 Focus Mitts

• Size: One-size
• Color: Black
• Material: PU leather
• Features: Triple-layer foam cushion, grip ball
• Strengths: The curved shape with an air pocket is ideal for catching punches

Underneath the pre-curved shell of this Hayabusa focus mitt, there is an air pocket that comes before the multilayer foam padding. This reduces shock before the force is transferred into your palms, resulting in a pair of mitts you can wear all day without hurting yourself. Thanks to the wide velcro straps and metal support clasps, the grip feels ergonomic and stable.  

Fairtex FMV15 Curved Focus Mitts

• Size: Standard
• Color: Black, black/ gold, black/ red
• Material: Synthetic leather
• Features: Ambidextrous, laced nylon shell
• Strengths: The glove on the rear provides a secure fit and has holes for ventilation

Fairtex FMV15 mitts look simplistic, but they are tough and don’t slip around when sparring. On top of that, the strike face has more than enough padding to eat some hard uppercuts and crosses without sending jolts of electricity through your arms. So, no matter how big your fighter, you can stand before them comfortably while wearing a pair of these mitts, knowing you’re protected.  

Title Gel Contoured Punch Mitts

• Size: 9.5”
• Color: Black/ white/ red
• Material: Leather
• Features: Hook and loop wrist lock
• Strengths: Gel lining in the ball of the wrist and center of the palm for optimal protection

The tapered shape means that boxers must be precise if they want to hit the center white dot. But even if they miss, your wrist will be fine because the heel of this mitt has additional gel padding. This covers the ball of your palm; the gel padding is an assistant layer to the base foam padding, resulting in enhanced comfort and protection from all angles. 

Everlast Elite Leather Mantis

• Size: One-size
• Color: Black and yellow
• Material: Leather
• Features: Ambidextrous, mesh rear panel, gel liner
• Strengths: Recessed strike face and generous padding make this very comfortable

If you have larger hands, you might want to check out these Everlast Elite Mantis mitts since they have massive hand compartments. But that doesn’t mean your hands will stay loose, as an adjustable velcro strap keeps things nice and tight. The mitts also have plenty of mesh panels on the rear to wick the sweat away from your hands so you can confidently train all day. 

Contender Fight Sports Gel Panther Punch Mitts

• Size: Standard
• Color: Black
• Material: Leather
• Features: Ambidextrous design, ventilated hand compartment, gel liner
• Strengths: Laced nylon straps, recessed strike face improves palm alignment

It is one of the cheaper pure leather mitts you can buy, and it comes with an additional gel layer on top of the foam. The curved strike face and thick padding allow this mitt to soak up all sorts of punches, even ones thrown at awkward angles. And when you swing back at your boxer, the curved hand compartment will ensure you don’t accidentally cut them. 

Fairtex FMV9 Contoured Focus Mitts

• Size: Adult
• Color: 8 unique patterns
• Material: Synthetic leather
• Features: Ambidextrous design, multilayer foam padding
• Strengths: Excellent durability and comfort, easy to slip on and take off

Just by looking at this pair of mitts, you might think that they don’t have enough padding to soak up hard punches or elbows. But the ergonomic shape of the hand compartment and curved strike face hides a ton of padding underneath, resulting in deceptively comfortable mitts. Importantly, these are some of the lightest and most agile mitts you can buy- perfect for training speed and precision. 

Cleto Reyes Boxing Focus Mitts

• Size: One-size
• Color: Black and white
• Material: Leather
• Features: Individual finger compartments, air holes
• Strengths: Handcrafted from genuine leather, reinforced stitching, thick foam padding

Cleto Reyes knows what it’s doing regarding boxing gear, and this pair of mitts is among the finest I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. You get plenty of air holes on the rear for ventilation, individual finger compartments, a real leather shell, and a special lining that prevents moisture from entering the padding. These mitts are perfect for quickly slipping on and off since they have no velcro closure. 

Combat Sports Contoured Punch Mitts

• Size: Adult
• Color: Black and purple
• Material: Leather
• Features: 1.5” shock-absorbing padding, air holes
• Strengths: Heel padding to improve wrist protection and alignment

Many cheap focus mitts with aggressive curvature often neglect to compensate for this with sufficient padding in the center. That is why a well-placed shot will often be felt through your palm because it takes a direct path through the center into the thin part of your palm. Combat Sports fixes this by placing 1.5” of padding between the center point and your palm, making it comfortable even with that deep curve down the middle. 

Venum Cellular 2.0 Punch Mitts

• Size: 12.5” x 15”
• Color: Black and white, matte black
• Material: Microfabric
• Features: High-density foam padding, mesh panel
• Strengths: Heel padding, good at keeping your palms sweat-free

Venum knows that every good focus mitt needs just two things- good padding and good ventilation. This is exactly what Cellular 2.0 provides: mesh panels and foam on every surface. The only part not covered by mesh is the curved front strike face and the rear wrist strap that keeps your palm glued to the mitt. 

Conclusion

The center of a focus mitt should coincide with the center of your palm for optimal impact absorption. If the center of the mitt sits too high on the palm, your hands will get whiplash. A center that’s too low will cause unnecessary wrist strain.

Speaking of wrist strain, try to get mitts with heel padding whenever possible, as this will help you keep your palm in line with the rest of your forearm. You don’t want it angled at 90° against your arm; your arm and palm should be in one straight line while holding a mitt.

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Last update on 2024-10-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API