Fairtex BGV1
The most famous Fairtex product.
- Great padding distribution for Thai boxing.
- Allow great mobility in the clinch.
- Strong backside protection on each glove.
Hayabusa T3
The best protection and highest comfort.
- Wrist protection of the highest level.
- Less suitable for clinch fighting.
- A bit pricey for some people.
Choosing the best fight gear for your needs is one of the most crucial parts of your martial arts journey.
When it comes to striking based martial arts, a good pair of boxing gloves or Muay Thai gloves is an absolute must.
In terms of quality Muay Thai gloves, the Fairtex BGV1 and the Hayabusa T3 gloves are some of the best on the market.
Good boxing gloves are not just a matter of luxury, but a necessity. Suitable gloves maximize the productivity of your training sessions, keep your knuckle and wrists safe, and help keep your sparring partners safe.
Moreover, at the end of the day, it is cheaper to buy one great pair of gloves and have them for several years than to buy multiple pairs of gloves per year.
In this MMAWhisperer gear review, we look at the following aspects of the Fairtex BGV1 vs the Hayabusa T3 Muay Thai gloves:
- Durability, comfort, and style of each pair of gloves
- Price comparison of each glove
- How to choose the best gloves for your needs
- Final opinion on Fairtex BGV1 vs Hayabusa T3
After reading this article, you will understand which of these gloves are best suited for your needs and budget.
So, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Fairtex BGV1 – General Overview
Fairtex is one of the most famous brands in Muay Thai Boxing. In most official Muay Thai competitions, the organizations use Fairtex gloves.
All the Fairtex glove models are handmade in Thailand.
Fairtex BGV1 Muay Thai Gloves are the most famous product of Fairtex.
There are two versions of this glove. One is a breathable version with mesh palms, and the second is fully stitched with leather.
I prefer the more breathable version because more ventilation prevents the smell of sweat on the gloves and can help reduce issues such as ringworm when training martial arts.
Padding is distributed as it is supposed to be for Thai Boxing gloves.
It is more protective on the backside of each glove, which becomes easier to block kicks.
Also, the shape and distribution of padding make this glove more productive in the clinch. This is very helpful if you need fight gear for Krav Maga or similar martial arts that involve strikes in the clinch.
Fairtex BGV1 Gloves Allow for Great Mobility in the Clinch
Clinch is one of the most critical parts of the game in Thai Boxing, and having more mobility in your wrist area is crucial.
However, more mobility means less protection, so there is somewhat of a tradeoff between dexterity and injury prevention, although safe training methods can reduce this risk.
Hayabusa T3 – General Overview
Hayabusa is another brand that adds more variety to the gloves market. They also provide a variety of excellent gear you might need for Muay Thai, such as shin pads and headgear.
This brand is proud to provide the best protection and highest comfort gloves on the market.
Hayabusa T3 gloves are handy for Boxing, MMA, Kickboxing, or Thai Boxing. It is worth mentioning that no single pair of gloves is perfectly suitable for every combat sport.
Hayabusa T3 proves double velcro closers, increasing wrist protection to the highest level.
Padding on these gloves is distributed equally, making the gloves well for sparrings, but still not the best choice. In a word, these gloves are created to protect yourself and not your partner.
Hayabusa T3 gloves provide more protection to the wearer, but Less protection for your sparring partners
Still, 14, 16, or 18 OZ Muay Thai gloves are the sizes suitable for sparring sessions.
If you spend most of your training on pad or bag work, I recommend buying 10-ounce or 12-ounce gloves, because these sizes are relatively lighter, but still provide the same level of wrist protection.
Having the highest level of protection around the wrist is helpful, but can reduce clinch mobility, so these gloves are a bit less suitable for clinch fighting.
Considerations When Purchasing Your Muay Thai Gloves
The following sections review each consideration in detail when it comes to picking between the Fairtex BGV1 and Hayabusa T3 Muay Thai gloves.
Durability of Material
When talking about durability, we must discuss the construction materials in each glove.
Fairtex BGV1 gloves use natural leather to create the highest quality exterior gloves.
Hayabusa T3 is made of animal-free material called “Vylar” engineered leather. This is not real natural leather but still provides the a similar level of durability.
Still, even though they have relatively the same durability, I prefer to use natural leather for its overall feel.
I should also mention that leather gloves require more frequent care than synthetic materials, but can last much longer and retain comfort when properly cleaned and regularly treated with leather conditioner.
Overall, either glove brand will provide similar durability.
Comfort
Comfort is important when considering between the Fairtex BGV1 and Hayabusa T3 Muay Thai gloves
If you are training to be in shape or are looking for beginner boxing gloves, you should focus on the best protection, thus steering you towards the Hayabusa T3.
As soon as you fit your hand in the glove, you will feel what the highest level of protection means. It does not need time to fit on your hand, and will not lose shape, soon.
As mentioned, the Fairtex BGV1 has much more mobility due to the increased space inside the glove, but might cause different injuries when doing hard bag and pad work if you land punches without optimal form.
Also, there is a lack of protection in the wrist area which makes the gloves somewhat less suitable for large amounts of power-punch training.
Still, professional Thai Boxers, MMA fighters, and Kickboxers should probably go with Fairtex due to the better mobility and improved ability to catch kicks.
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Professional Fighters Should Consider the Fairtex BGV1s over the Hayabusa T3
Plus, professional fighters have the wrist conditioning and punching form to tolerate the reduced protection.
I should mention that one unique feature on the Hayabusa T3 is that the thumb is covered by microfiber suede known as the “Sweat-X” design. This helps wipe away sweat droplets, which is a creative and helpful function.
I sweat a lot during training. Sometimes, I lose 2-3 KG (4-6 lbs) of sweat during training, which can drip in my eyes. So I would be willing to pay extra for “Sweat-X” if it is an option.
Nevertheless, if you are a professional fighter, then the Fairtex BGV1 is probably a better option.
However, if you train for fitness and do not do a ton of sparring, then the Hayabusa T3 is the better choice.
Style
As we already mentioned, glove style differences revolve primarily around padding and protection levels.
So, Fairtex BGV1 is useful for the clinching game and for catching kicks. In a word, it is for:
- Muay Thai Boxers
- Kickboxers
- MMA fighters who use kicks
Hayabusa has more protection in the wrist area but decreases the mobility level in the wrist area, so it makes these gloves useful for:
- Boxers
- MMA fighters with boxing background
- Amateurs who train on pads with personal coach
- Amateurs who love hard bag work
- People who struggle with wrist injuries
Price
Hayabusa T3 is a more expensive glove than Fairtex BGV1. Still, we have to understand that these gloves have different customers as we discussed above.
The Hayabusa T3s typically cost more than $100 depending on the vendor, while you can often find the Fairtex BGV1s for less than $100.
If You Need More Protection, Its Worth the Extra Money for the Hayabusa T3 Gloves
When your priority is comfort and protection, you have to pay extra for Hayabusa T3, and, from my point of view, it is worth paying more if this is the case.
How To Choose the Best Muay Thai Gloves For Your Needs
If you plan to spar a lot with Muay Thai rules, you should consider the Fairtex BGV1s first and foremost.
If your sparring includes kicks and Thai Clinch, you need flatter gloves and more wrist mobility so you can catch the kicks and control your rival’s neck in Thai Clinch.
Even if you are an MMA fighter with a wrestling background, you are going for takedowns after catching the low kicks or controlling your rival’s head. It would help if you definitely had Thai Boxing gloves, which satisfy all the abovementioned requirements.
If your workout plan focuses on Pad or Bag Work, you need 10 or 12 OZ gloves, which are lighter, and have the highest protection around your wrist, so you can land your hard hits without any issue.
If you are a professional Boxer, you need massive heavy gloves with lots of padding and support on the wrist area.
So consider a heavier set of the Hayabusa T3s.
Which martial art should you learn?
Final Opinion On Fairtex BGV1 vs Hayabusa T3
To make the final decision, reflect on your current goals in your martial arts training along with your level and choose from there.
If things change in the future, you can always purchase a more appropriate pair of gloves.
After all, gloves do not last forever, so at some point, you will end up purchasing a second pair if you plan to train striking martial arts for the long-haul.
