How to Buy Good Hand Wraps

So, you’re looking to get into a fighting gym and start throwing hay-makers.  Outstanding.  The only problem is, you don’t know the first thing about fighting and you don’t know where to begin.  Well, along with some courage and a few other essentials, you’re gonna need hand wraps.  You know, those things that hopefully keep your knuckles in place when you land one of those monsters.  Now, you could wait until you get into a gym and then ask people for advice or you could buy some overpriced wraps from the gym owner.  But why not go into your little experiment prepared.  Luckily for you, selecting hand wraps is simple.

1. For the most part, you’ll find hand wraps in two styles: “traditional” and “Mexican”.  Go Mexican.  The only real difference between the two styles is the material that they are made in.  Traditional hand wraps are cotton weaved while Mexican style are usually a blend of semi-elastic cotton and spandex.  The Mexican style wraps stick better to your hands and don’t get bunched up as much or come loose like the traditional hand wraps are prone to.  If you buy traditional wraps you’re going to want Mexican style wraps soon enough so save time and a few bucks and get them to begin with.

2.  Go long.  Now you won’t have this problem if you buy Mexican style hand wraps because I’ve never seen any under 180″ in length but you can get traditional styles in shorter lengths.  Most people are going to want 180″ hand wraps rather than 108″ or any of the other variations.  The shorter hand wraps aren’t long enough to effectively wrap your hand and knuckles, so just go with the 180″ to get a good wrap.

3.  Don’t worry about name brands.  Hand wraps are fairly simple pieces of equipment so the quality is pretty consistent no matter what brand you go with.  There are ton of brands making the same product so pick one and go with it.  Title, Combat Sports, Everlast, Bad Boy MMA…they all work.

4.  Buy hand wraps, not slip-on hand wrap gloves.  Maybe it’s because the actual hand wraps have been around forever and they look awesome but I think the slip-on hand wrap gloves are a joke.  You’ll get a much tighter wrap when you actually use the 180″ wraps and you’ll feel better protected.  Don’t be lazy, take the time to wrap your hands instead of slipping on gloves.

5.  Finally, if you can find them, go with the hand wraps that have a wide Velcro closure.  The wraps with thin Velcro ends have a tendency to come apart real easily, making it difficult to secure.  The ones with a larger Velcro end secure better and the stitching will last longer.  When you wash the wraps, hopefully you’re washing them because they stink, the stitching on the thin Velcro comes apart and takes away the effectiveness of the wrap.

Well, there you have it.  Buying hand wraps and looking like you actually belong in the ring is a very simple process.  Spend a few bucks, get some good hand wraps, and save your hands in the long run.