The Best Sparring Gloves for Karate
Sensei Arlin tests out a pair of Fairtex Ultimate Combat Grappling Gloves on the heavy bag.
Our Top Picks for Karate Gloves
After testing, trying and throwing away so, so many gloves (seriously, there are a TON of terrible gloves out there) over the years, we have narrowed it down to the following selection as to what we consider to be the absolute best gloves available for karate, especially full-contact karate styles like Kyokushin and Seienjuku. As with most things in life, there is gray area, but we have tried to categorize these into our favourite options within the following categories:
We carry all of these gloves in our online shop, so if you see something you like, go pick a pair up, you won’t regret it!
Still not sure which gloves are right for you? We have a short list detailing exactly how to choose gloves for karate here.
These Fairtex sparring gloves are some of the best gloves for full-contact sparring drills. They feature an open palm with added thumb and wrist protection; particularly useful for Kyokushin and other full-contact karate styles to confidently practice standing-fist strikes without worrying about damage. Built to professional, competition-level standards, these gloves will last for years of the hardest abuse.
High quality leather construction with triple-layer interior foam
Extra wrist and thumb padding for hard sparring drills, providing extra protection
Best for Bagwork and Sparring: Fairtex Super Sparring Gloves - FGV17:
These gloves have extra padding across the knuckles that makes them perfect for hard heavy-bag work and full-contact sparring matches. They are extremely well-made from full-grain leather and attach securely around the wrist.
My favourite feature of these is the padded thumb guard, which if you have ever broken a thumb throwing a standing-fist low punch like I have, you will also enjoy.
⭐ These are the gloves Sensei Nick chooses about 2/3 of the times he is training full-contact karate.
🥊 For those who prefer to train with their thumb exposed, the Fairtex Ultimate Combat Grappling Gloves are a great alternative.
Extremely lightweight gloves for bag-work and sparring. Promotes development of bare-knuckle fighting skill while preventing abrasion when striking bags.
Made from soft yet durable COTWOOL fabric
Elongated Velcro strap for additional support
Unisex
Best for Bare-Knuckle: Drako 2KO Full-Contact Gloves (V-Fighter)
When you are training for competition, it is important to use gear that is as close to the actual environment of a match as possible. These gloves have basically the smallest amount of padding you can get away with; not always great for working on power while striking the bag, but excellent for sparring with the specificity of a full-contact, bare-knuckle match.
Where other gloves with their thick padding may get caught on an opponents guard, these sneak right through, more closely simulating a full-contact bare knuckle match. They also have the advantage of protecting from accumulating abrasion and clashes, while enabling practicing techniques like digging the knuckles into strikes.
⭐ Awesome for full-contact, bare-knuckle sparring drills
🥊 Slim profile slips through guards, just like in a real-bare knuckle match
Premium Isami knuckle guards designed for full-contact karate. These cloth gloves have thick padding on the knuckles and are used in tournaments and in training in authentic full-contact karate dojos in Japan for adults and children alike.
Extra padding on the knuckles prevents damage when striking a heavy bag
Stretchy elastic and cloth construction stretches and breathes, while remaining solidly in place
The best cloth glove for full-contact karate we have ever tried!
Best Value: Isami “Supporter” Knuckle Guards
These cloth gloves may seem like a beginner option, but they hit way above their weight class. In Japan, this style of cloth glove is the most commonly used training equipment. In fact, I am struggling to recall a time where I haven’t seen this type of glove being used, including in competition.
Isami is one of the most well-known producers of full-contact karate specific gear in Japan. They have a line of products called “Supporter” which encompasses their gear for this style of karate. Their knuckle guardsare the top-of-the-line option within this category. Featuring a hefty amount of extra padding across the knuckles, these are awesome bag work and hard sparring; and at a price that simply can’t be beat.
⭐ Unbeatable value
🥊 Used in full-contact competitions across Japan
WKF Certified point sparring gloves, produced by Daedo International
Bare-knuckle competition still requires gloves during training.
How to Choose the Right Gloves for Karate
Picking a pair of gloves for karate can be difficult, what it boils down to most is what style of karate you do. Does your training involve point sparring, heavy-bag work, bare-knuckle techniques? If you answer these questions things become a little clearer.
Point Sparring: This type of sparring is performed in several major karate organizations such as the WKF (World Karate Federation). Often, there are specific requirements for the type of gloves used, so make sure you check with your instructor before purchasing any gear. These gloves are usually marked with the certification on them.
Continuous Sparring: Drills for continuous sparring organizations can vary, but generally an MMA style glove is appropriate with built-in wrist wraps and thick padding across the knuckles. Coverage for the thumb can be optional, but is generally recommended.
Full-Contact Sparring: Full-contact styles usually use two types of drills, bag-work and sparring. for bag-work it is recommended to have an MMA style glove with thick padding, similar to the continuous sparring glove recommendation. When it comes to sparring, there is more leeway for reduced padding in favour of the smaller gloves being able to more closely represent bare-knuckle competition.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line when it comes to picking gloves is to speak with your instructors to ensure that what you choose meets their requirements, then choose the best option in your price range. The best advice we have from our experience is to go with the highest quality you can afford.
The highest quality gloves typically combine the following characteristics:
Are comfortable, making you excited to train!
Slip less when striking, preventing painful abrasion to the hands
Secure the wrist firmly, preventing injury when accidentally striking with poor form (it happens to all of us eventually!)
Are Durable. We’ve seen good quality Fairtex gloves last between 5-8 years of training multiple times a week!
