Hayabusa T3 Kanpeki (12oz Velcro)

“Civic SiR of Boxing Gloves”

Flashy for the masses

Intro

Hayabusa has a few versions of this “T3” glove. This is particular model is the Kanpeki LX, currently the top of their line boasting Italian made leather. They have a stiff back of the hand, dual locking wrist closure, and roomy hand compartment. Hayabusa tends to be known more as an “mma” company, but I am starting to see their stuff appear in the pure boxing realm as well. Their stuff is flashy, high tech looking, and even crossing the line of gimmicky (see their Marvel line) but I admit they are more than just cool designs. Let’s get into it.

The Wrist 9/10

Hayabusa has what they call a “Dual-X” interlocking wrist. There’s one “pulling” elastic side that goes around one side of the wrist that locks with velcro, and a more standard strap that comes over the other side and binds by velcro on top of the first one. This does make for a super secure feeling wrist, probably bested only by Onx and probably better than Rival’s wrist lock system. That comes with a convenience cost. Putting on and taking off the gloves has that extra step that can be a bit annoying, and unlike the Onx gloves I couldn’t use these without wraps because of the size of the hand compartment.

There IS a lace up version of the T3, that only comes in a single color (black) and does not come in a leather version. Contrast this to the velcro T3 that comes in three different materials and a whopping 26 colors! I’m guessing the huge bent towards velcro and hardly any lace up variety might play into Hayabusa’s tendency to be more associated with MMA than boxing.

Hand Comfort & Ease of Use 6/10

This will sound funny, but the T3 LX is probably the best feeling glove when not punching anything. Like if I had to go out into a blizzard and had to pick a set of boxing gloves to wear all day, it would be these. They’re snug. Lining is in the goldilocks range. That is, not too silky if you don’t like that, and doesn’t feel like newpaper like some of the mexican style gloves. My hand feels like it’s kept in the proper fist position and because of the roomy hand compartment and way it splits to your wrist, almost feels like you aren’t wearing gloves at all. Keep in mind these are 12oz gloves. I wanted light ones for the occasional change up on training and realize now it’s probably unusual for most 12oz gloves to fit me this well. Makes me wonder if 16oz gloves will be too big. Something maybe one of the readers can answer.

A closeup of the Hayabusa Kanpeki T3 LX with Italian leather. I wouldn’t get that mixed up with “Italian made”, but It feels good with a lot of character. How does the Kanpeki T3 LX stack up against the legendary Mexican leather of Cleto Reyes, or… — A closeup of the Hayabusa Kanpeki T3 LX with Italian leather. I wouldn’t get that mixed up with “Italian made”, but It feels good with a lot of character. How does the Kanpeki T3 LX stack up against the legendary Mexican leather of Cleto Reyes, or the Japanese Winning leather? Check out the “versus” section to find out!

Punching 8/10

Again, these are 12oz gloves. With the wrist so solid I initially tried them without hand wraps. Not a good idea. Due to the space in the hand compartment, the glove would move and negate that good wrist support. Once I threw hand wraps in them, they were rock solid. They protect like most 14oz or better, at least. They have good feedback, and are nice and light.

Other Features and Intangibles 8/10

The T3 Kanpeki LX with the Italian leather are definitely a pair to admire. They feel soft and smooth, and have a lot of cool little cues like stamped logos right into the leather, not painted or stiched, which is unique to anything else I’ve seen so far. That said, there is a lot of stiching going on. Diagonal lines, and foam stitched into the back of the hand. That, along with bits of elastic at the palm and elastic used in the wrist closure makes me question how durable they will be in the long run. The leather does mark up a bit easier than others, but that’s part of the cost of using such nice leather. I would go for the synthetic model if you’re someone that doesn’t take good care of your stuff.