Importance of headgear
I understand how headgear can become annoying
and put you as a huge target for your opponents to hit but the padding and
structure of the headgear protects from cuts and absorbs certain amount of
impact. It can prevent bruising to the ears, eyes, nose and cheek. The most important function to me is to prevent my jaw from fractures.
In the past, I used to spar without headgear and thought nothing would go wrong with that since I only do light sparring. However, after a few months, I started to notice some swell in the cartilage of my ear (according to the doctor, it was cauliflower ear). Luckily for me, I consulted the doctor after I realized the swell.
In the past, I used to spar without headgear and thought nothing would go wrong with that since I only do light sparring. However, after a few months, I started to notice some swell in the cartilage of my ear (according to the doctor, it was cauliflower ear). Luckily for me, I consulted the doctor after I realized the swell.
Yes, it does hinder your movement and visibility in
some ways but if your aim is to become an amateur boxer, you will have to wear
your headgear during competitions. Wearing it during your normal sparring or
training sessions definitely help as you will get used to wearing a headgear
and would not feel uncomfortable and restricted when it comes to the actual
fight. Furthermore, if you could slip, dodge, bob and weave smoothly with your
headgear on, then when you fight without your headgear, you’ll see what miracle
you could do.
When choosing a personal headgear, you would want to look out for factors like coverage, size, weight, quality and amount of padding.
When choosing a personal headgear, you would want to look out for factors like coverage, size, weight, quality and amount of padding.
Coverage of headgear
Headgears provide different coverage depending on the need of the users. When picking your headgear, be sure to choose one that provides excellent coverage for the cheek, forehead, nose and ears. Brands like Twins, Topking, Fairtex, Title and Cleto Reyes manufacture good quality and top-notch headgears.
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This facesaver headgear provides protection
for the forehead,cheek and good protection for the nose and the eyes. |
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Similar to the previous one, this facesaver
headgear provides protection for the forehead, cheek, nose, chin and eyes. However, it might limit your visibility. |
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Quality of headgear
Headgears are made from materials such as PVC, cowhide and genuine leather. A leather headgear is by all means better than PVC headgear in terms of durability. The inside liner is smooth for easy clean and dry after use as the sweat would not be absorbed by the leather. The headgears mentioned above are mostly made from high quality leather.
When choosing good quality headgears, be sure to look at brands like Title, Cleto reyes, Twins, Topking and Fairtex.
When choosing good quality headgears, be sure to look at brands like Title, Cleto reyes, Twins, Topking and Fairtex.
Padding
The thickness and types of padding matters when choosing a headgear. It reduces the amount of impact from punches and kicks. The thicker the padding, the more impact it can absorb. Which also means that you will be take lesser impact from blows and reduce the chances of bruising. Good headgears are made from multi-layered foam for extra protection while some lower quality headgears uses cotton or softer foams (but they still provide protection for the users). It is advisable to get a higher quality headgear as it is more durable, provides more protection and comfort for the user.
Buying your personal headgear
It is important to get your own headgear due to
hygiene and comfort. Many of times, the gym headgears are not sanitized or
cleaned properly and usually smell bad. Investing in a proper leather headgear
cost you less than $90 (check out the headgears I am selling here). If you put in effort to clean your gears and sun dry
them every week, they can easily last a few years (my cheap everlast boxing
gloves are still in good shape after one year of frequent usuage). Headgears might be stiff when you first use them but it will start to soften once you use them long enough. Needless to say, those headgears that you find in gyms would definitely not be snugged to your head when you wear it on because everyone uses it.
Adidas vs Top King Headgear (Quality vs price)
I have used both of them for sparring before and comparing both the headgear, I would say that the TopKing leather headgear proves far more superior than the Adidas headgear. It is also much easier to clean and dry the topking headgear as compared to the adidas headgear as the inside is made of leather which would not absorb sweat.
Comparing price to quality, I would definitely purchase the Topking headgear. Detailed comparison shown at the bottom.
Comparing price to quality, I would definitely purchase the Topking headgear. Detailed comparison shown at the bottom.
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Adidas headgear (old model)
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TOP KING Head
Guard Empower Creativity
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Price
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$96.30 (latest price from Liang Seng)
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$80-$85 (from my store)
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Material
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Outside : PU High tech artificial leather
Inside : Fabric
Foam : normal foam padding (rather soft)
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Outside : Genuine leather and Carbon Kevlar printed
Inside : Genuine leather
Foam : bi-layer high density foam (feels strong and
stiff)
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Thickness (at cheek and forehead area)
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Roughly 1.5 cm
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Roughly 3 cm
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