5 Best Focus Mitts Reviews + The Buyer’s Guide

best focus mitts reviews

Focus mitt training has a lot of great benefits for martial artists. It does not only hone your punching, defensive skills, but it is also a great workout, cardio. This is why we see people who punch mitts religiously in boxercise classes. Also, keep in mind that this piece of equipment is more affordable than other essential boxing training tools.overviews of boxing pads

Considering that you train with an experienced instructor who can evaluate your skills, training with good punch mitts can make a real difference for your training.

Let’s start with the reviews of best focus mitts on the market.

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1. Ringside Heritage Panther


best focus mitts for boxing trainingTraining Quality: 9.7 / 10.0

Durability: 10.0 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 7.4 / 10.0

Pros

  • 100% genuine leather
  • 2.5” quality padding
  • Excellent wrist support for Mitt holder
  • Good stitching
  • Quality air regulation and get rid of moisture
  • Last 3+ years

Heritage Focus Mitts has every quality which good punch mitts need to have. Its 2.5″ padding absorbs shock quite well and distributes it. This increases the durability and after you punch or strike heavily, the mitt holder will not have a hard time to control the mitts. These are really cool and amazing features however these focus mitts also have solid stitching and this one’s stitches will hold even after the padding loses the quality to absorb the impacts.

Also, the genuine leather won’t have rough edges which can happen with synthetic leather very soon. In this way, it won’t cause any cuts. Also, the thicker leather absorbs the shock more and the padding will have less deformation over time.

These all make its durability really long. You can expect to punch Ringside Heritage more than 3 years.

It is light and the weight is 15 oz. So it can be controlled easily and the hold also gets amazing reviews from a lot of people. When you consider that everyone’s hand has different size, it has a great design for holding and doesn’t slip at all. It will provide smooth and good training sessions.

Ringside Heritage Panther is truly the most quality mitts on the market and Heritage series always provides top notch material quality. As a side note, Heritage series have also incredible boxing gloves, punching bag.

If you are interested, check out Best focus mitts for boxing training on Amazon.

If you want to know more, check out Ringside Heritage Review.

2. Fairtex Contoured Focus Punch Pad Mitts


a review of good punch mittsTraining Quality: 9.6 / 10.0

Durability:  9.5 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 9.1 / 10.0

Pros

  • 100% genuine leather
  • Shock absorbing foam
  • Handmade
  • Really light
  • Protective finger department
  • Good stitching
  • Excellent air regulation
  • Popular

The padding absorbs the impact of punches incredibly well and also doesn’t move much as other padding types.

Fairtex also has good stitching and comfortable hold. This compartment is softer and allows more air in thus the mitt holder’s hands are less sweaty during sessions.

Fairtex always produces products which have great thermal regulation. Fairtex Contoured is handmade and you can expect a short break in period.

Thanks to ergonomic design and the padding quantity and quality, it is the lightest mitts on this list. These are the reasons why lots of boxing gyms use them during long training sessions.

So whether you train long or not definitely consider Fairtex.

Is Fairtex Contoured for you? Well, the price is almost half of Heritage (first mitts). You can have good control over it and the durability is also very close to the durability of Heritage. And this one even has better air circulation features.

3. RDX Boxing Pads


pads with high cost efficiencyTraining Quality: 9.0 / 10.0

Durability: 8.7 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 9.1 / 10.0

  • 100% genuine leather
  • Shock absorbing foam
  • Layers of quality padding
  • Comfortable
  • Durable
  • Good thermal regulation
  • High-cost efficiency!

RDX uses layers of padding technology and this just works well for dissipating the shock. RDX Cowhide is bulkier than other punch mitts

Thanks to layers of padding, the delivered impact will be minimized.

It has great air channels and there is constant air flow.

This British company became really popular lately and the most important reason is that their products provide good quality. Also considering the material quality, these also have quite good cost efficiencies. And RDX Boxing Pads is no exception.

It is also velcro and provides a good fit. It will be stable during the session.

4. TITLE Platinum Punch Mitts Pair


Training Quality: 9.0 / 10.0

Durability: 8.3 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 8.5 / 10.0

Pros

  • 100% genuine leather
  • Incredible design
  • 3″ quality padding
  • Comfortable for trainer

Cons

  • Slightly heavier

Have you watched “Southpaw“? It is an incredible boxing movie and the leading actor, who is Jake Gyllenhaal, trained for his role with Cleto Reyes Training Gloves and Title Punch Mitts. It is bulkier and its padding is 3”. So compared to other products on this list it is slightly heavier. I personally have not used Title, however, it always gets amazing training performance reviews from buyers and trainers in gyms. The leather is synthetic and the hand compartment design is a bit loose but it has a wrist wrap for making it a good fit.

I also have seen that many people train with these in Thailand too. Title Platinum has a classic curved design which trainers like.

The mitt holder’s hand will be comfortable with moisture wicking features.

Due to being bulky, it is more protective but it is heavier. So mitt holder needs to spend more effort during the sessions. Alright, this one has a small room for holding with big hands. Of course, even a trainer has big hands, you can train with it efficiently but it is not as comfortable as other mitts.

Let’s continue with quality and very affordable product…

5. Pro Impact Curved Focus Mitts


Training Quality: 8.6 / 10.0

Durability: 8.5 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 10.0 / / 10.0

Pros

  • 100% genuine leather
  • Quality shock absorbing padding
  • Good thermal regulation
  • Sturdy
  • Has more padding than “regular” mitts
  • Best quality price ratio!

If you are looking for a product which has incredibly cheap price and good quality, then Pro Impact Curved can be your new training equipment. It is literally a bargain.

It has genuine leather and decent shock absorbing padding. However, the quantity is somewhat high. Thanks to bigger air channels and soft mesh, this one also has good thermal regulation features.

If I were to choose mitts, which can do the job, with a good price tag then I would definitely buy Pro Impact Curved. You can use it for around 2 years and I honestly don’t think that you can get more value for your money.

What to Look for in Punch Mitts?

Padding: When the mitts are well padded, it reduces the injury risk. But what is the meaning of well-padded? It is definitely not a lot of foam. If it is a lot, then the mitt will be heavy. When this is the case, the mitt holder can’t control the mitts properly. The well-padded means is that the distribution should be good and concentrated mostly in the middle. And the foam should properly absorb the shock for the holder’s and trainee’s safety. The shock absorbing capabilities of the foam should be good enough so the mitt does not have to have a lot of foam thus it will be light and can be held easily. Also, the padding at the sides is really important as when you punch to the sides, your partner’s wrist will not be sprained.

There are always some exceptions but generally, good punch mitts weigh between 1 and 2.5 pounds. It is also recommended that heavy hitters should go for heavier punch mitts.punch mitts buyer guide

The Handles: Handles’ design is quite important because this is the part which directly affects a trainer’s hands’ protection. This compartment also needs to have ergonomic design thus the holder’s hand does not move much inside of it and this reduces the risk of injuries.

Even though many punch mitts are suitable for all hands some mitts’ handles are great for big and average hands but these might not be good for small hands. You can also experience the opposite with some other mitts. This is why it is crucial to read people’s experiences and legit website reviews.

As a side note, I always prefer pads to have a natural design to have a better hold as a holder.

You can hold the mitts and manipulate it faster with mitts which have individual finger compartments.

Wrist Wraps: Now this quality is not common. However, it increases the grip and provides extra safety for the holder during heavy shocks. These help stabilizing holder’s hand and these are less likely to move during sessions. With that being said, if the mitts don’t have this quality, it is not a deal breaker. However, I still prefer mitts to have it. After all, you don’t have to wrap it if you don’t like it and the wraps do not change the weight that much. When you train with mitts, which have wrist wraps, it will not affect the training quality.

Stitching: The stitching number should increase when the padding quantity is high as it helps the punch mitts to last longer. However, you really can’t understand the quality of stitching by just looking at the mitts. If you get one of the mitts above, you are safe as I punched with two of them over three years and the others were suggested by trainers. But if you are wondering the stitching quality of another mitt, you can leave a comment below.

The Cover Material: Like any other boxing gear, genuine leather is the preferred material type. Artificial leather punch mitts lose elasticity and get rough spots within a very short amount of time. For example, I have never witnessed PU leather mitts which last more than a year. Synthetic leather is easier to clean and there will be fewer spots which will retain on them over the years. I guess the only advantage of punching synthetic leather mitts is the maintenance. But PU leather mitts generally come with a strong smell which is like plastic.

There are tons of benefits of this training. You can hone your punching skills, defensive skills and improve timing, reflexes. Mitt training mimics the real match so you can get ready to step in the ring. You can read about the benefits of punch mitt training more on here.

With that being said, choosing a drill is just vital as it should be for your level otherwise you just can’t improve your skills (footwork, timing etc.) effectively. For example, if you do punching combinations really slow you can’t expect to see good results, right?

If you want to see some mitt drills for your level check out these mitt drills for every level.

Curved Vs. Flat Mitts

The curved mitts allow more control for trainers. So you can punch the pads from different angles. This directly affects the improvement of punching techniques like hooks.

However, flat mitts are better at absorbing shock and trainers can prefer using them when they train with heavy punchers. But trainees do not feel comfortable with flat mitts as they do with curved mitts. Your arm, shoulder also may feel a vibration with some flat mitts which are heavily padded. This happens more during the break-in period and after it is over, you will feel it less. When this is the case, the holder can hold it easily and doesn’t lose the control so easily. So it is better to practice combinations with flat mitts.

So when you get to the intermediate or advanced level, you can start training with more curved mitts.

Almost all mitts will have a break-in period. When it has more padding quantity the period will be generally longer. At first, you may feel a vibration in your arms but it is only for a short period. After a while, you feel normal with the punch mitts.

Can You Use All Focus Mitts for Elbows?

Check out the leather quality and how it reacts to elbow strikes from the reviews as it can cut your arms. If these are not clean you can get infected as well. So the short answer is no you can’t use all the mitts for elbows.

Brands

There are quite a few boxing, MMA brands which produce high-quality punch mitts. For example, RDX has different quality models which can accommodate people who have different budgets. Ringside is one of these brands, too.

But in general, I advise you don’t go with BJJ brands which are just awful at designing a pair of the mitt and there is a %99 chance that foam just sucks. I understand that BJJ is not a striking-oriented martial art but why do they even produce it?

Final Thoughts

Mitt drills are essential for martial artists and these are great for getting in shape. And training with best focus mitts will help you get superior results and these will be durable for long years.

These training tools are also not expensive like other boxing training equipment like heavy bags and you can literally train with mitts anywhere.

Related Read: Boxing Gloves for Mitts

Do you have any questions about the topic?

Do you want to know more about a mitt brand?

If you do, share your comments below!

Image Courtesy of Rasanta, MartialArtsNomad.com, MARINES via Creative Commons License, Some Rights Reserved
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16 thoughts on “5 Best Focus Mitts Reviews + The Buyer’s Guide”

  1. If I’ve said it one I’ve said it a thousand times. You have to pay more to get good quality products and services. Same goes for the Ringside Heritage. It’s a shame that you’re probably paying too much more though for a quality product here. I was hoping for better from Amazon like I usually see.

    With these mitts lasting more than 3 years, how often would I generally be using this? How often a week or a month?

    1. Well you are absolutely right. Some quality products only cost you initially more and Ringside Heritage is definitely one of them.
      Prices change all the time but I generally see good prices on amazon as well.
      As for your question, it depends on your training routine but in my opinion you should do at least once in a week.

  2. I like how all of them are made out of 100% genuine leather. You have made a great review on these 5 best focus mitts.

    Now when I have learned so much about them, I can choose which one will be the best for me.

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Dario,
      I am glad you liked the post, and whichever you choose you will be pleased however I know that you will be more pleased with Ringside Heritage 😉
      It just can take constant punishment a lot longer than others.

  3. The Ringside Heritage looks good but I like the RDX better since it seems more comfortable. Still I am honestly not sure which to choose. Which one would you recommend for beginners?

    1. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, Ringside Heritage is just better and provides much more durability. I can easily say that it can last 2 times more than RDX.

  4. Great post! I personally don’t train for any fighting based sports but my friend owns a MMA gym and is looking for new mitts which I said I would help him do a bit of research for. I’ll definitely be sending him this post.

    1. That is really nice these focus mitts can be really good for his gym. I have seen than some of these focus mitts are used in commercial boxing gyms. I am sure these can take constant punishment for years.

  5. You’ve offered some great insight here. I really never thought about considering how rough that synthetic leather can get. I know it’s true because it’s definitely torn me up a couple times using the mitts at our local gym.

    Since I’m in the market for some new ones I’ll definitely be checking back in here to make a final decision. I know it can mean a lot for hand health and strike training when you have the right mitts.

    Thanks for the advice and quality information.

    1. Hi Dalton, Man synthetic leather can even jeopardize your health in future and genuine leather punch mitts are little expensive however mitts on this list definitely compensate the price difference.

  6. Nice overall review. I never really thought about how important focus mitts were until my coach explained how hard it can be on the body to hold for people regularly. I am just glad I am the one usually punching them instead of holding them. I do know that Trevor’s favorite focus mitts come from fairtex. He has bad wrist and they have very good give to them.

    1. Man if I am in boxing gym 4 times then I probably hold the mitts at least for 3 people and I know what you mean quite well.

      Man if he is using Fairtex Contoured for his real sessions then it is also good enough for us. However just make sure that it is not a product advertisement.

  7. Back when I was working as a trainer I had a lot of clients who did boxing training with me. I remember using the Title Platinums and they’re everything you stated in your review. Great mitts to use, extremely comfortable and the padding was top notch. I highly recommend them to both boxing and personal trainers who incorporate some boxing into their workouts.

    1. Yeah, I know there are a lot of trainers who are satisfied with Title Platinum. It is ergonomic and uses less foam but it is still quite effective for absorbing the shock of hooks.

  8. Great and useful post, I always had the intention to let my gym friends and I buy mitts, right away I have seen the best ones in the market as you thoroughly discussed and by then I would have gone for the Ringside Heritage as it seems to be meeting 100% of the job!

    1. You can trust Heritage will be durable long years and it is tear resistant. It will surely be perfect for rigorous gym workouts. The trainers can control the mitts long time and their arms will not be so sore at the end of the workout.

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