Picking the wrong glove size is the most common mistake gym owners make when ordering wholesale. Too small bruises knuckles. Too large slips on the wrist and ruins the punch mechanic. This guide gives you the exact numbers — body weight, hand circumference, age — so you can spec orders confidently or advise the buyers your gym serves.
Quick lookup — body weight to glove ounce
This is the table most gyms tape to the wall. The weights are training and sparring weights, not professional bout regulation. For competition gloves see the next section.
| Body weight | Glove (training / heavy bag) | Glove (sparring) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 45 kg / 100 lb | 6 oz | 10 oz | Children, juniors |
| 45–55 kg / 100–120 lb | 8 oz | 12 oz | Featherweight adult |
| 55–65 kg / 120–145 lb | 10 oz | 14 oz | Lightweight |
| 65–80 kg / 145–175 lb | 12 oz | 14–16 oz | Welter / middle |
| 80–95 kg / 175–210 lb | 14 oz | 16 oz | Light heavy / heavy |
| 95–115 kg / 210–250 lb | 16 oz | 16–18 oz | Heavyweight |
| Over 115 kg / 250 lb | 16–18 oz | 18–20 oz | Super heavy / strength training |
Two rules that override the table:
- Always size up for sparring. Heavier gloves protect the partner. A 75 kg fighter who trains in 12 oz still spars in 14 oz or 16 oz.
- Never go below 16 oz for adult sparring, regardless of body weight. Most amateur boxing federations require 16 oz for sparring sessions logged toward licence renewal.
Competition glove regulations (separate logic)
Sanctioned bouts use weight-class-mandated gloves, not body-weight estimates. The dominant rule sets:
| Sport / federation | Glove ounce | Other rules |
|---|---|---|
| Amateur boxing — World Boxing (formerly AIBA) | 10 oz up to 64 kg, 12 oz over 64 kg | Velcro closure permitted; lace removed |
| Professional boxing — most commissions | 8 oz up to 67 kg / 147 lb, 10 oz above | Lace closure; horsehair or attached-thumb only |
| Olympic / Commonwealth Games | 10 oz women all weights, 10 oz men ≤64 kg, 12 oz men over | Specific approved-brand list per Games |
| Kickboxing — WAKO | 10 oz under 67 kg, 12 oz over | Open-palm or boxing-glove style depending on rule set |
| Muay Thai — IFMA | 8 oz under 51 kg, 10 oz 51–67 kg, 12 oz over | Lace or velcro |
Always confirm with your federation’s current rules before ordering — promotion-specific rules can override these defaults.
Hand circumference — the more accurate measurement
Body weight is a useful first cut, but hand size matters more for fit. Two boxers at the same weight can have very different hand sizes — and a glove that fits the knuckles right will outperform one that’s the “correct” ounce on paper.
How to measure
- Make a fist with the dominant hand.
- Wrap a soft tape measure around the hand at the widest point — across the four knuckles, just below the thumb base.
- Read the number where the tape meets, in centimetres or inches.
If you don’t have a tape measure, use a piece of string and lay it flat against a ruler.
| Hand circumference | Fitting size | Sparring up-size |
|---|---|---|
| Under 17 cm / 6.7″ | S | — |
| 17–19 cm / 6.7–7.5″ | S–M | +1 size if sparring |
| 19–21 cm / 7.5–8.3″ | M | +1 size if sparring |
| 21–23 cm / 8.3–9.1″ | M–L | +1 size if sparring |
| 23–25 cm / 9.1–9.8″ | L | +1 size if sparring |
| Over 25 cm / 9.8″ | XL | +1 size if sparring |
“Size up if sparring” assumes you’ll wear hand wraps — which add roughly 1 cm of circumference under the glove. Almost everyone wraps; account for it.
Children & junior fitters
Kids’ gloves should match age-appropriate weight and reach, not adult numbers. The most common error wholesale buyers make is ordering 6 oz adult-shape gloves for an under-12 group; the wrist column of an adult 6 oz glove is too long for a child’s forearm.
| Age | Recommended ounce | Wrist column length |
|---|---|---|
| 5–7 years | 4 oz junior shape | ~12 cm |
| 8–10 years | 6 oz junior shape | ~14 cm |
| 11–13 years | 8 oz junior or adult | ~15 cm |
| 14+ years | Use adult chart by body weight | — |
Junior gloves need a smaller hand compartment, not just a smaller ounce number — a 6 oz adult glove on a child’s hand still flops around the fingers. We make 4 oz and 6 oz on a junior last for orders of 50 pieces and up.
Mismatches that ruin training
Five fitting failures that come up over and over in our quote requests:
- Ordering one size for a whole gym. A 100-member gym needs a stocking distribution: 30% × 12 oz, 40% × 14 oz, 25% × 16 oz, 5% × 10 oz. Single-size orders are inevitably wasteful.
- Buying competition gloves for daily training. Pro 8 oz gloves have minimal padding and chew through hands in 4 weeks of bag work. Use 14 oz for the bag, 8 oz only for actual fights.
- Ignoring the hand wrap. Almost every fitting chart on the internet is wrong because it assumes a bare hand. Add 1 cm circumference for wraps.
- Putting women’s hands in junior gloves. Adult women’s hand circumference is typically 17–19 cm — fits a normal adult M, not a junior 8 oz.
- “They’ll grow into them.” Never. A child’s glove must fit today; bag work in oversized gloves teaches bad punch mechanics and risks wrist injury.
Quick-reference checklist for wholesale buyers
- Confirm whether end-use is training, sparring, or competition.
- Decide whether you’re stocking by hand circumference (S/M/L) or by ounce (8/10/12/14/16). Most retailers do both.
- Allocate sizes proportionally to your end customer demographic. Don’t order 100% of one size.
- Add hand wraps to the same order — they’re a USD 1.50 add-on that doubles the perceived value to your buyer.
- For OEM orders, confirm the wrist column length on the spec sheet — most disputes come from this measurement.
Need a quote?
Send your SKU split, target country, and any custom branding to our quote request form. We reply within 24 hours with pricing, lead time, and a free design mockup if you want OEM. MOQ starts at 50 pieces per size/material combination. We make all sizes from 4 oz junior to 20 oz strength-training in cowhide, buffalo, premium synthetic (Maya-Hide), and PU.
For multi-size starter packs aimed at gym chains, ask for our 250-piece “fit-out kit” pricing — covers 6 oz, 10 oz, 12 oz, 14 oz, and 16 oz on a single PFI with one freight charge.