Hey you, I am so excited to have you here. Almost as excited as I am to be discussing the greatest martial art known to mankind- Muay Thai.
If you are familiar with the sport, then you know it’s incredibly versatile and tests and trains your whole body to its limits. That’s part of why I love it so much.
The thing is though if you want to train, you need to do it safely. Muay Thai involves a lot of jabs, crosses, and uppercuts, and any one of these could put your hand out of commission for a few weeks.
That’s why today I’ll be talking about focus mitts. In this article you’ll learn about the 5 best focus mitts for Muay Thai and why you should get focus mitts.
In a hurry?
If you don’t have much time check the table below to quickly find the best focus mitts for Muay Thai on Amazon. You can be assured I only choose the best products…
Last update on 2024-03-31
You Need Focus Mitts for Muay Thai: Here’s Why
Honestly, when I first began my journey to becoming a full-fledged Nak Muay, I wondered if I needed any of this stuff. I mean by the time you factor in the kick pads, thigh pads, etc. it’s a lot of gear. But now I know better, here’s what I learned along the way:
- Accuracy: A punch that doesn’t connect is a waste of time and energy that leaves you open for attack. Focus mitts are purposefully designed to be smaller than other Muay Thai practice gear and many even come with a bullseye painted on. That helps you refine the accuracy of your punches.
- Speed: One thing I noticed when using focus mitts was that they forced me to be faster with my combos than other pads. These mitts are light and allow whoever is holding your mitts to move around and test your speed far more than other pads.
- Technique: It’s not just about how fast or accurately you punch but how you punch as well. A punch with a lot of power but no form will either not work or get you injured.
Quality focus mitts are specifically designed to shape your fists into just the right shape for a good punch.
Things to Consider When Buying Muay Thai Focus Mitts
With all this talk about quality focus mitts, you’re probably wondering what makes a pair quality, right? Well, I’ve got you covered.
- Size: Unless you’re a giant of a man and your sparring partner is just as massive, your focus mitts shouldn’t be too big. If they are, your sparring partner won’t be able to move them around as easily and the mitts won’t help you improve your punch accuracy. 9-4 x 5-8 inch focus mitts weighing about 1.5lbs is just right.
- Material: At its core, the best material for your focus mitts is leather. It has greater durability, lasts longer, and is easier to break in.
- Curvature: I’ve seen a couple of focus mitts with no curve whatsoever on the palm. That’s a big no-no and will get you and your partner injured. Get mitts that can curve around your fist.
Why Are Focus Mitts Curved?
Because that protects you and your mitt holder. Imagine you’re racing down the road at 60mph and then you slam on the brakes; yikes, am I right? Now imagine you applied the brakes slowly over some seconds. That’s what the curve does.
It stops you from having all that force slam into your hand all at once. Also, it lets the mitts curve around your partner’s hand, keeping your punches on his palm and not his fingers.
Can You Kick Focus Mitts?
Technically, you can but you really shouldn’t. Focus mitts aren’t designed to stand up to the kinds of force a powerful kick can generate.
One or two times won’t make much of a difference but do that for long enough, and you’ll wreck them. Also, if you kick those mitts, your holder will feel the force and hate you for it; the padding isn’t as much as Muay Thai kick pads.
Product Review: The 5 Best Focus Mitts for Muay Thai
All right, now that you know what to look for in a pair of focus mitts and how to treat them, let’s talk about the best focus mitts on the market right now.
1. RDX Focus Mitts
If you’ve been buying Muay Thai gear for a while, you’ve heard of RDX and once again, they’ve lived up to their brand name.
The selling point of these focus mitts is their durability which is no surprise seeing as how they are made of Maya Hide Leather. This is a huge benefit because it means you’ll be able to use it for many years.
That’s not all though, it also excels when it comes to design. It has a nifty target painted on the palm which allows you to train your accuracy even more. These mitts come in black and white, blue, and red.
That’s a steal for the quality you’re getting in exchange. The aeration holes placed at the back mean your hands won’t get sticky or smelly no matter how long you wear them.
Also, the detachable padding allows you to customize the mitts to suit your needs. That’s in addition to its top-of-the-line EVA-LUTION foam padding which uses the latest in foam technology to protect the fingers and wrists of the wearer.
That being said, its best use is for those who’ve been struggling to find focus mitts that they don’t need to replace after a few months because of how hard they punch.
2. Hayabusa PTS 3
Another popular name in the Muay Thai gym gear market, Hayabusa is known for innovation and perfection and that shines through in the Hayabusa PTS 3.
The gains I saw in the accuracy of my punches, after using the Hayabusa PTS 3 for a few weeks, were phenomenal; that’s this focus mitts’ unique selling point.
The palm of the mitts uses the company’s logo as a bullseye to improve aim and when you strike that target, you hear a satisfying pop that tells you you’re right on target.
There’s also a grip ball that ensures the mitts don’t shift when you land a hit which makes it easier to use them for accuracy training. It’s made of synthetic black leather which is great because it makes the target easily visible.
What’s more, you can feel the 3 layers of foam padding depending on how hard you punch so you can also use it to gauge your punch power. According to my partner, its breathable mesh is also better for cooling than the RDX.
With all that, it’s no surprise that these focus mitts are pricey but if you’re a pro fighter and need to master punching, these are well worth it.
3. Valleycomfy Focus Mitts
Honestly, the first time my fist touched these mitts, I had to ask if I’d mixed them up for Ringside focus mitts, and for good reason too.
The feel of the padding on the Valleycomfy focus mitts is second to none, beyond shock absorption, it makes me enjoy punching and my partner enjoyed catching those punches so much more.
That’s probably because of the wear-resisting focus pads on these bad boys.
That’s not all though, the padding is pretty thick, a whopping 1.5 inches in fact, and its polyurethane leather makes it feel as smooth as silk when my knuckles come in contact.
It also comes with 2 adjustable straps (one on the wrist and the other on the back). The straps are so good, the mitts could fit a hand half my size.
When I inspected the mitts properly, I was amazed by how strong they felt, the hem’s nylon strings are nothing short of impressive and it comes in black and white or all black.
If you’ve been getting hurt during punching sessions up until now, these focus mitts are exactly what you need; they’ll motivate you like nothing else possibly could.
4. Hawk Sports Focus Mitts
When I first saw these, I wasn’t expecting much. At that price, these seemed too good to be true. Well, it turned out to be true.
Hawk Sports focus mitts are the cheapest mitts you’ll get that are worth using. It’s covered all over with air-mesh material and, according to my partner, that made them refreshing to use during our sessions.
The design team did a fantastic job and it’s available in 8 different color schemes including red, blue, black, and orange but what’s more impressive is that the synthetic leather it’s made from is almost identical to the real deal.
It’s lightweight too and contrary to my expectations, I didn’t see a single scratch on it after multiple uses. It has a 1-year warranty, so you know the manufacturers aren’t playing around but naturally, I expect it to last much longer.
Its hook, loop, and Velcro closure kept it stable during all my practice sessions, and it’s just 1.65lbs which is pretty light. It also comes with 2 different types of foam (Eva-foam and jumbo foam) to maximize its shock absorption.
If you’re cash-strapped but still need to get some high-quality focus mitts, then the Hawk Sports focus mitts are exactly what you need.
5. Pro Impact Focus Mitts
The Pro Impact focus mitts are the only ones made from natural leather and it shows.
The unique selling point of these gloves is how they are so enjoyable to wear. If the Valleycomfy mitts are for the person punching, these are for the trainer. When it comes to not stinking or feeling sticky, these have everyone else beat, hands down.
It also comes with a special sweat-resistant leather that’s used to line its inside. You can tell by wearing them that the padding is just better; it comes with 35% more padding than other brands.
They are very easy to slip on and start using and you almost don’t need the straps at all. They have 3 sizes available so you’re bound to find exactly what you need.
The bullseye is perfectly centered and easily noticeable and it comes in several colors including red, black, and burnt orange. The stability ball in the mitts is specially crafted to stabilize your hand and it works well.
Despite the awesome triple-layer padding, they weigh just 1.6lbs so it’s pretty easy to use them to guide a puncher without getting tired. If you’re teaching people how to punch, these are the mitts you need.
Conclusion
In conclusion, focus mitts are a must-have for any budding Nak Muay who wants to improve their punches. You now know everything you need to consider before getting a pair for yourself and the best ones currently available.
Go get a pair today; I’m sure you’ll love them.
Last Updated on June 14, 2022 by Deni
