It’s hard to pick out boxing equipment because not all boxing equipment is made equal. It’s even harder when doing that shopping when buying boxing equipment for kids. This is because most kids don’t yet have the ability to give in-depth product reviews. They either “like it” or “don’t like it.” The good news is I have been in a boxing gym since I was the age of 9 and have used as well as watched kids use all kinds of brands of boxing equipment.
In this post, let’s talk about what boxing equipment you need to get your kids, as well as which equipment to get.
Let’s dive right into it.
Boxing Equipment for Kids by Age Group
The kind of equipment your kids will need or be able to use will depend on the age group that they are in. Some activities, like sparring, they won’t, and shouldn’t engage in until they are a little older. So let’s break down what equipment to get for different age groups along with some recommendations of which to get.
Boxing Equipment for 1 to 5 Years Old
At this point, your kid is mostly going to box for “fun.” Little do they know you are building their mental and physical toughness. They, however, will be enjoying it. At this age, they also won’t need a lot of sparring equipment or other training equipment like hand wraps or jump ropes. They don’t need the wraps because their hands aren’t delivering the kind of power that can hurt them yet, and they shouldn’t be hitting heavy bags at this point. As far jump roping, you can get them a small one when they hit around 4 years of age just to begin practicing, but don’t expect a Floyd Mayweather performance. I recommend waiting till at least 5 or over to get a rope.
Because they won’t be sparring, they don't need a mouthguard either.
That being said, what they will really need is some gloves and a punching bag.
Boxing Gloves for Kids 1 to 5
For kids 1 to 5 years old you want to get gloves that are specifically designed for kids. Simply smaller adult gloves will still be too big and maybe too heavy. For the most part, they may not even need gloves up to 4 years of age because they should be hitting inflatable bags. However, if you are looking for a pair, here is one I recommend for a young kid under 5:
Punching Bag for Kids 1 to 5
If you are just looking for a stand-alone punching bag, at this age I recommend using the inflatable bags. Most of them are filled with air so they will not hurt the hands and will not require gloves. To keep them from falling over you can fill them with water or rice at the base. I prefer rice just in case of punctures or accidents.
Here are some good options:
Boxing Sets (Recommended)
What I recommend is just buying a boxing set for your kid. It will come with realistic gloves, a realistic bag, although small, will be perfect for a kid that age and even a headgear, more just to get them used to wear one. At this stage, you want to keep your kid from doing any real sparring.
Here is a set that comes highly recommended, however, keep in mind the bag is small and that’s okay as your kid isn’t training to fight Mike Tyson, yet.
Boxing Equipment for Kids 5 to 10 Year of Age
When your kid reaches the 5-year mark, it gets to a point where they can actually start training. Especially kids that are 7 years or older, can begin taking their training seriously and participating in sparring matches. So what we want to get at this point is equipment that will help protect their hands, head and teeth, rather than gear just for vanity.
Boxing Gloves
At this stage, you want to get boxing gloves that they can use to hit a real bag or participate in sparring sessions with. So you want to get tools that will actually protect their hands and not hurt their sparring partners. These have to be sparring ready gloves.
Most of the time a good 6 oz sparring glove would do and should last them a good amount of time. If you want to get them a pair they can grow into, you can even get an 8 oz glove and that will last them well past 10.
RDX makes great gloves and for kids 5 and up, I would buy this pair:
Punching Bag for a 5 to 10-year-old
At this point, I recommend they start hitting real bags. A good option is a free-standing bag if you are training at home. These bags will provide just enough resistance without being too hard and hung up too high. You can also get them a typical heavy bag at 70+ pounds and buy a chain so that it hangs low enough for them to hit. This way these bags can last them years and well into their teens.
Here are some good options for the punching bag:
Handwraps
The hand wraps are necessary to protect from damage. While the power isn't necessarily there to hurt their hand, their hand is also not dense enough yet to handle the impact. Fo if their power develops quicker than their body, the hand wraps will help avert long-term damage. I say they are a must. Get smaller size wraps to make sure it's not too bulky.
Headgear and MouthGuard for 5 to 10 Years Old
If your kid is training seriously then you want them to spar, and if they are sparring they need good protection. For a kid 5 to 10 you want to get a youth headgear. This way it’s not sliding around all over their head during the match and causing visibility issues.
For mouthguard you want to get one for kids as well, this way it’s comfortable enough and fits good without digging into the gums and inner lip.
Here are some good options:
Boxing Equipment for 10 Years of Age and Up
Once your kids hit over ten years of age you can consider them a fighter. At this stage of the game, things get real and there is nothing held back. For anyone, over 10 years old I recommend getting small sized, adult equipment. This is where they are ready to start taking their boxing practice seriously and should be engaging in just about every training activity as an adult outside of lifting weights. Here is some boxing equipment that they may benefit from.
Boxing Gloves
Once your kid hits ten years of age they can use regular boxing equipment. At this point, you can get them gloves between 8 oz and 12 oz with no worries. When sparring it can make sense to wear gloves that are a little bigger. However, an 8 oz glove will do as well since the power that is being delivered isn’t too intense. Just keep in mind kids grow, fast.
Here are some good boxing glove options for a 10+-year-old:
Boxing Bag
Any kid 10 years or older can start hitting adult punching bags. It would actually be better for them too because heavier punching bags allow you to work on your power. So whether it's for the home or in a boxing gym, you can get your kid a regular bag. I would recommend getting either a muay thai bag, so that they are able to reach, or buying an extra chain so that you can hang it lower.
HeadGear
Headgear is a must if your kid participates in competitions or goes to a gym. If there is an opportunity to spar you want to take it. Sparring is where the magic happens and where kids get to apply everything they learned. It’s the ultimate competition but it also has to be done safely, so a good quality, good fitting headgear is important. In this case, I would stick to youth sizes for headgear so that it is not sliding around.
Here is a good option:
Mouthguard
Once kids over ten years of age they begin developing enough power to punch each other’s teeth out. The mouthguard is a must to prevent tooth and lip damage. Without a gum shield, your lips can get cut up pretty badly against your teeth.
Jump Rope
Personally, I think kids should wait till they are about 7 to jump rope as that is the age where they can do it well. Once they reach ten they can definitely start jumping roping. It’s one of the best exercises for cardio, building leg endurance that allows you to stay on your toes, and helps develop foot agility that is important in boxing.
Hand Wraps
Hand wraps are for protecting the hand against damage. Not only do they help protect the hand from one-off accidents, but also prevent long-term damage that builds up over years of hitting. Hand wraps are a must and no need to get youth sizes for these either. The more wrapped the better.
Cup
Kid or adult, accidents will happen and low blows are inevitable. Every kid and adult who boxes should have a cup before they participate in a sparring match. It’s important protection and dangerous not to have.
Training is the Important Part
I’ve listed some great options here but more important than the type of equipment is the training that needs to be done to get better. A lot of times you can train with nothing but a floor to shadow box and do pushups with. The important thing to remember is it will be the work ethic, not the tools that get your kid where they need to be for self-defense, health and or for competition purposes.
Drop me a comment below if you have any questions.
Brawl all day!
