MaxIT (16oz Velcro)
“The 1980 Ford Pinto of Boxing Gloves”
You’ll rupture your hand in a moderate collision just like the Pinto would rupture its fuel tank.
Intro
You should be able to find the good in just about anything, so I’ll say the MaxIT gloves have a really nice red colour. Other than that, they might be good as part of a costume, but not as functional training gloves. Seriously, I have winter gloves that feel like they provide as much protection as these do. My testing had to stop after a few punches as I was afraid I would hurt myself. To be fair, these didn’t really have much of a chance. I’ve started my review journey with some of the big quality names out there, I needed to try something of lesser quality just to make sure I knew how big the gap might be from top tier to bottom. I searched up gloves on Amazon and purposefully tried to find the cheapest that weren’t intentionally toys. MaxIT drew the short straw at $30.
The Wrist 0/10
Normally I talk about wrist support here but I can’t even get that far. See the little “16oz” tab at the bottom of the MaxIT pair? Here is a side by side comparison to a pair of Rival Classic Sparring Gloves, which are a real 16oz.
I’m not kidding when I said I had to stop punching with them because I was afraid I would hurt my hands.
I have to add the Rivals were on sale for only about $17 more than the MaxITs, and they are made with real leather and will actually protect you, so spend your money wisely.
Hand Comfort 1/10
Normally I would get into hand comfort here, but again, I just can’t get there. Here is me squeezing the punching area of the glove with my index finger and thumb. I’m not pressing incredibly hard. In fact I used the same pressure on a pair of generic “clone” gloves and they didn’t compress like this. Again, these feel about as protective as me wearing some thick winter gloves to hit the heavy bag.
I finally got around to weighing these “16oz” “gloves” and they come in at HALF their labelled weight. 7.8oz on the right glove and 8.4oz on the left. Again, these are downright dangerous to be purchased as functional boxing gloves for any purpose other than as part of a costume.
Closeup image of the synthetic leather. Soft enough, but does not feel particularly durable.
Punching & Protection 0/10
Most of my expensive gloves were packed in a clear plastic bag. These at least had some branding on the package. That counts for something I suppose?
Apparently it they are “high-quality” and are “the name you trust” for boxing gloves. I’ll leave it at that.
Other Features and Intangibles 0/10
Here is the “breathable palm” as advertised on the packaging. Did I say it’s a nice red colour?
Don’t buy these.
