In the market for MMA Sparring Gloves...opinions appreciated!

P.P.S. I just looked at the Hayabusas again, (probably got the spelling wrong, sorry), but honestly they look great. If you go with them, I think you'll be real happy. Reason is, is they took the design from CSI gloves. They just added a piece of material that goes across the palm. But otherwise, the cut is basically the same as the CSI's that I like. Perhaps the Hayas improved on the design, but they do look very nice. I would almost bet they are worth the money considering they seem as good as if not better than the CSI sparring gloves.

The one thing I'm curious about with the Hayabusas are whether they offer as good of padding over the knuckles as the CSI's do? The CSI claims that the sparring gloves offer almost as good of support as a 16 oz sparring glove. Now, that's not completely true, cause they're not magic and they are 10 oz less than a 16 oz glove, but in my experience, you can beat up on a heavy bag with them on and when you wrap your hands and then wear them, they really are a safe glove to hit hard with.

I mean for the price, the Hayabusas must offer similar protection. But I don't have experience with them.
 
Okay, so I just keep talking, but I have some good insight when it comes to gloves... I've spent way too much time ordering them, using them, reading up on them, etc.

The Cagesides are the same as the CSI 6 oz sparring gloves. It's the same cut of leather, same shape, same design. They might even come from the same manufacturer. But, I don't know if that's true. And I don't know if the foam padding is as good as the CSI's. Also I don't know if the velcro is as good of quality, And velcro is important cause if it's crap velcro, it will wear out quick and their goes the gloves.

My fairtex gloves have issues with the Velcro.

The Fairtex gloves that you're interested in look pretty nice. I can tell you from looking at them that they are based on the CSI design. CSI obviously set the trend with that particular style of glove.

The fairtex gloves appear to have a longer wrist part of the glove and a more traditional boxing glove-type velcro strap. That adds weight to the glove, which means if the glove is somewhere around 6-7 oz, there is less padding over the hand and more in the material that makes up the wrist.

Also, I can tell with the Fairtex gloves that they hand/knuckle/padding portion of the glove is designed almost exactly in the same shape as this glove that I have: Combat Sports SafeTech MMA Sparring Glove-Combatsports.com

So, all in all, the more I study up on this stuff, it seems like CSI really is the leader in this MMA glove field. But that's not to say that the other brands that are following suit aren't putting out great gloves.

Looks like you still have a tough choice, but hopefully I provided some insight that you hadn't thought of yet.
 
SonnyakaPig, by all means keep talking sir. I enjoy reading what you have to write. Thats why I started this thread...for people to educate my ass on this type of gear lol.

I definitely agree with the old saying "You get what you pay for" but at the same time high prices doesn't necessarily guarantee quality...but maybe 95% of the time it holds true. Speaking of CSI being used by fighters, I was just cornering an amateur fighter from my gym a few months back and the promoter lent out CSI branded shin guards, gloves and headgear to all of the fighters. It must be good gear if someone is willing to order ~20 pieces of each type of equipment with the intent of reusing them often.

Ok, you convinced me to ditch Fairtex and Cageside from my list. The Cagesides do look the part as you mentioned but I never thought about the quality of the foam padding or the velcro as a factor in the price. Its easy to see why they would be able to sell it so inexpensively with that in mind. Good call sir.

The Fairtexes, I'm just taking your word on it being that you have experience with their products. I always suspected their MMA gear wouldn't be as good as their Muay Thai gear being they're famous for MT equipment, whether thats true or not, its something in the back of my mind and I want to buy something with confidence.

So it comes down to CSI and Hayabusa and it looks like im laying down 80 clams (so much for saving a few bucks lol) but at least its on some quality gear. Its a relief that im down to 2 instead of 4. I'm constantly doing research and I feel like the time to whip out the plastic is drawing near. You definitely got me thinking about return policies...maybe I can find a supplier that sells both so I can order them together and return the one I don't like (crosses fingers for the existence of X supplier). If not, i'll just pick one and continue on my quest for the 'new cool glove' like you sir.

The hunt continues.
 
Do mine eyes deceive me or is mmawarehouse.com selling the gloves you recommended to me for $20 less than ordering straight from CSI at the price of only $60? This could potentially be a dealbreaker for me.

Combat Sports SafeTech MMA Sparring Gloves - MMAWarehouse.com

Not only that, they have both the CSI Safetech gloves AND the Hayabusa Hybrid Gloves. At least I found my supplier. Now I just need to find out if they can take my order for both gloves and allow me to return the one I don't like.

SonnyakaPig said:
I already have a pair of them, and they don't look like they're going to break down anytime soon. But next time they are on sale, I'm scooping up like two pairs just to last me another 2-3 years.
Click to expand...

*Plays devils advocate* Time to stock up now eh?
 
yeah, i get most of my gear from mmawarehouse. nothing but good things to say about that website.


oh and SonnyakaPig is the MVP of this thread :)
 
I own the Cagesides and have tried on the Fairtex & CSI after owning my Cagesides for a while. I like the Cagesides better than both and I'll tell you why.

The Fairtex's have this wierd elastic thing on the inside of the wrist that I'm not fond of. I've also heard that they're only good for sparring because the padding breaks down very quickly if you use them on pads.

The CSI's are very similar to the Cagesides in construction & materials EXCEPT for 2 things:

1) The CSI's (and Fairtex's for the matter) have the finger loops stitched straight across the palm area. This puts the loop very high on the pinky, making it feel awkward when you make a fist. Boomer addressed this problem with his gloves.

2) The leather and padding feel waaaaay softer and broken in straight out of the box on the Cageside's compared to the CSI's.
 
mvisit1 said:
I own the Cagesides and have tried on the Fairtex & CSI after owning my Cagesides for a while. I like the Cagesides better than both and I'll tell you why.

The Fairtex's have this wierd elastic thing on the inside of the wrist that I'm not fond of. I've also heard that they're only good for sparring because the padding breaks down very quickly if you use them on pads.

The CSI's are very similar to the Cagesides in construction & materials EXCEPT for 2 things:

1) The CSI's (and Fairtex's for the matter) have the finger loops stitched straight across the palm area. This puts the loop very high on the pinky, making it feel awkward when you make a fist. Boomer addressed this problem with his gloves.

2) The leather and padding feel waaaaay softer and broken in straight out of the box on the Cageside's compared to the CSI's.
Click to expand...

Hey thanks for your input mvisit1!

Do you you think you could provide some pics of your gloves? I understand what you're saying about the finger loops being sewn on in a line rather than an ergonomic curve. At the same time looking at the pics of the CSI Safetech gloves, they seem to fit quite well at the base of the fingers. Maybe you were referring to another pair of CSIs because they make quite a few models that I can agree dont look too well made.

I think my main problem with Cageside Sparring gloves is that the pic on the website isnt very detailed and I cant seem to find any reviews or pics of them on the forums here. I'm not completely discrediting Cagesides or your opinion of them. If they really are well-made gloves originally priced at $60 and discounted to $35, sign me up! I just cant make an informed decision with the images and info provided.

Also I can't help but feel like Cageside had to cut back on something with their gloves if they're able to sell it so inexpensively. That or they're not selling and they need to clean house. I'm not the type to buy things based on price alone because i've learned first hand that the most expensive things don't necessarily mean they're the best. Something just seems off with these. Could SonnyakaPig be right about Cageside possibly cutting back on something that may not be so obvious like the quality of velcro or the quality of the foam inside? mvisit, you mention the foam feels really soft. Depending on how soft you're talking about that could possibly be detrimental as there may not be enough shock absorbency to protect your joints/bones. Maybe I don't know what i'm talking about but this is all I can draw form the info I have available to me.
 
mvisit1 said:
I own the Cagesides and have tried on the Fairtex & CSI after owning my Cagesides for a while. I like the Cagesides better than both and I'll tell you why.

The Fairtex's have this wierd elastic thing on the inside of the wrist that I'm not fond of. I've also heard that they're only good for sparring because the padding breaks down very quickly if you use them on pads.

The CSI's are very similar to the Cagesides in construction & materials EXCEPT for 2 things:

1) The CSI's (and Fairtex's for the matter) have the finger loops stitched straight across the palm area. This puts the loop very high on the pinky, making it feel awkward when you make a fist. Boomer addressed this problem with his gloves.

2) The leather and padding feel waaaaay softer and broken in straight out of the box on the Cageside's compared to the CSI's.
Click to expand...

You're 100% right on about the CSI finger loops. But... Not all of the gloves have the pinky finger loops stiched high. My pair for instance has the right glove with perfect stiching but my left glove has awkward stiching. Still, the glove works good.

I trust what you say about the Cagesides, but honestly considering I believe the same manufacturer if not similar manufacturing styles are used to make the CSI's and Cagesides, I would suspect that either company is capable of sending you a glove with inconsistent stitching.

The leather on the CSI's starts off a little tight, but after probably 100 uses, the leather feels as soft as a baby's bottom. So I think the leather is pretty good quality.
 
Arkitekt said:
Do mine eyes deceive me or is mmawarehouse.com selling the gloves you recommended to me for $20 less than ordering straight from CSI at the price of only $60? This could potentially be a dealbreaker for me.

Combat Sports SafeTech MMA Sparring Gloves - MMAWarehouse.com

Not only that, they have both the CSI Safetech gloves AND the Hayabusa Hybrid Gloves. At least I found my supplier. Now I just need to find out if they can take my order for both gloves and allow me to return the one I don't like.



*Plays devils advocate* Time to stock up now eh?
Click to expand...

Arkitekt,

That's great that you found MMAwarehouse.com and their deals. They are a very reputable website like all have said. But the CSI's that I'm talking about are only $5.00 less than CSI's website. I'm gonna wait for a little bit larger of a discount than that before I stock up. haha

And actually, there was a time last year or so, when CSI was selling those same gloves for $20.00... I shit you not. They had a huge stock. Now, all of a sudden they upped their price on them.

I got mine for like $50-60 bucks when they first came out.

Please update our thread and let us know what you end up doing. And if you get the Haya's hopefully you like them... They look great.
 
Arkitekt said:
Hey thanks for your input mvisit1!

Do you you think you could provide some pics of your gloves? I understand what you're saying about the finger loops being sewn on in a line rather than an ergonomic curve. At the same time looking at the pics of the CSI Safetech gloves, they seem to fit quite well at the base of the fingers. Maybe you were referring to another pair of CSIs because they make quite a few models that I can agree dont look too well made.

I think my main problem with Cageside Sparring gloves is that the pic on the website isnt very detailed and I cant seem to find any reviews or pics of them on the forums here. I'm not completely discrediting Cagesides or your opinion of them. If they really are well-made gloves originally priced at $60 and discounted to $35, sign me up! I just cant make an informed decision with the images and info provided.

Also I can't help but feel like Cageside had to cut back on something with their gloves if they're able to sell it so inexpensively. That or they're not selling and they need to clean house. I'm not the type to buy things based on price alone because i've learned first hand that the most expensive things don't necessarily mean they're the best. Something just seems off with these. Could SonnyakaPig be right about Cageside possibly cutting back on something that may not be so obvious like the quality of velcro or the quality of the foam inside? mvisit, you mention the foam feels really soft. Depending on how soft you're talking about that could possibly be detrimental as there may not be enough shock absorbency to protect your joints/bones. Maybe I don't know what i'm talking about but this is all I can draw form the info I have available to me.
Click to expand...

Arkitekt,

Just to clarify something I wrote in my above post about the Cagesides. I didn't say that because they are less expensive gloves they might be cutting down on the quality of padding or velcro. I simply said that I don't know how good their padding or velcro is because I've never used their gloves. Whereas, I know CSI's padding and velcro is great.

Also, I woudn't be suspect of the Cagesides because of their price. I can tell you first hand that more than several companies make the same glove as CSI. And as I keep saying I really think they all come from similar manufacturers. And these gloves that CSI is selling for $75 actually cost them like $8 bucks... maybe less.

For instance, major companies that produce high quality Gis buy them for like $20-30 bucks at most and then they sell them for $150.00.

The mark up game in the mma gear industry is just insane.

Here are some websites that I'm pretty sure most people don't know about (these are some of the manufacturers for the big names):

Boxing Gloves, MMA Boxing Gloves, MMA Products, Boxing Equipment, Kick Boxing Gloves, Karate Mitts, Boxing T-Shirts, Boxing Shorts.

Boxing Gloves, MMA Boxing Gloves, MMA Products, Boxing Equipment, Kick Boxing Gloves, Karate Mitts, Boxing T-Shirts, Boxing Shorts. *Straight up, there's a pair of grappling gloves on this website that is identical to the CSI gloves that I describe as having the worst design ever for a grappling/sparring glove -- the one that I said has styrafoam over the knuckles.

ProboxingKarate.com

Safoora Impex

Okay, so I know that not all of these links help your search for the right glove in anyway, but I'm just showing you that there are a lot of manufacturers out there with similar styles and the prices (if you request a price list on these items from the manufacturer, it will blow your mind how much of a mark up there is on mma gear).
 
I'm really tempted to order the Cagesides, CSIs and Hayabusas and returning the ones I don't want depending on the retailer's return policy.

The Cagesides certainly look the part. Is it possible that the price difference is based almost entirely on brand name markups? Like buying a $3 Fruit of the Loom tshirt vs a $500 Gucci tshirt lol. I don't care much for names and flashy logos on my MMA gloves...im a martial artist not a runway model.

I'm going to contact cageside and mmawarehouse to ask about their return policy. I think the only thing I can do at this point is order all three and try them on myself. The only thing holding me back is a minor case of laziness and potential return shipping/restocking costs.

Yeah SonnyakaPig, i'll most certainly keep this thread updated because yours and everyone else's input is an information gold mine. Idea: Maybe I can even review these gloves side by side before I return them! Sweet.
 
Arkitekt said:
I'm really tempted to order the Cagesides, CSIs and Hayabusas and returning the ones I don't want depending on the retailer's return policy.

The Cagesides certainly look the part. Is it possible that the price difference is based almost entirely on brand name markups? Like buying a $3 Fruit of the Loom tshirt vs a $500 Gucci tshirt lol. I don't care much for names and flashy logos on my MMA gloves...im a martial artist not a runway model.

I'm going to contact cageside and mmawarehouse to ask about their return policy. I think the only thing I can do at this point is order all three and try them on myself. The only thing holding me back is a minor case of laziness and potential return shipping/restocking costs.

Yeah SonnyakaPig, i'll most certainly keep this thread updated because yours and everyone else's input is an information gold mine. Idea: Maybe I can even review these gloves side by side before I return them! Sweet.
Click to expand...

I seriously think what are you are thinking about doing, i.e., ordering all three and reviewing them and then returning what you don't want, is a great idea. Can't wait to see what happens.
 
Ok so I got off the phone with Brad from Cageside and spoke with him about the MMA Safety Gloves. I told him how I was concerned about the sizing and fit on my gloves and asked him what the return policy was in case it wasn't right for me. He ended up running me through some general questions about height, weight and hand width and recommended a Large to me. Good guy but it doesn't sound like Cageside like returns.

I later found Cageside's official return policy on their website which reads:

----------------------------------------
"Return Policy We accept returns (for merchandise credit) on un-used products within 7 days. Any problems with orders must be reported within 24 hours of receiving product.

No unauthorized returns. Orders sent back without return authorization number will be refused. 10% restocking fee MAY be charged on all returns. Shipping charges will not be refunded. Any damaged product must be received by us before any credits or product reshipment."
----------------------------------------

So unless im reading this wrong, if I do end up not liking them, its basically store credit or refund minus 10% restocking fee and return shipping. Ouch.



I also contacted MMAwarehouse by email because for some reason they don't accept phone calls. I basically wrote that I was stuck between choosing the CSIs and Hayabusas and was wondering if I were to order both and return the one I didn't like as much, would they accommodate this? Would I have to pay return shipping/restocking fees?

I also found MMAwarehouse's official return policy on their website which reads:

----------------------------------------
"We are proud to accept any product in its original, odor-free, unused or unworn condition (with any tags) for up to 30 days from the date of shipment - without any restocking fees. You may either receive store credit or a refund, less shipping. For your protection, undergarments, swim suits, mouth guards, protective cups, fight socks and compression shorts cannot be returned, even if they are new.

All returns must be issued an RMA number in advance which can be obtained by opening a support ticket. As we do not process exchanges, please follow the normal returns process and simply place a new order for the desired product."
----------------------------------------

When I return the one I don't like as much, NO RESTOCKING FEE. Nice. Store credit OR REFUND. Nice. So I have to pay return shipping, I can live with that.

So between the two Cageside has a much more strict return policy that kinda hurt them a little at least when it comes to getting my business. I wouldn't mind getting store credit as much if it means avoiding the steep restocking fee but im not particularly interested in buying anything else from them or anyone really. I just want MMA Sparring Gloves.

My goal is to order gloves from someone by Monday, lets see what happens.

P.S. If someone has a pair of Cageside MMA Safety.Sparring Gloves, I would really love to see a brief review and pics. The price is VERY tempting but I just cant tell that much from them from the pics and info provided on the website.
 
maravillin said:
tha hayabusas are nice def check out the cagesidemma sparring gloves at cagesidemma.com, that company and its proprietor def stand amongst the best in the biz in terms of product and customer service. ive heard a rumor that warrior international is comin out with a pair that are head and shoulders above the rest in nov..
Click to expand...

This is true. Keep eyes peeled to titlemma.com
 
Update: So I just got a reply back from MMAwarehouse which reads:

"Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, we would be happy to ship both pairs of gloves to you (provided they are in stock). We would be happy to accept either on return, provided they meet our return policy (below). Yes, the customer would be responsible for shipping costs to return the item. No, we do not have restocking fees. Please let me know how I may further assist you. Have a great day!

Thanks,
Kerry
Customer Service Representative
MMAWarehouse.com
[email protected]"

Plus points for MMAwarehouse. Getting to try more than one pair of gloves from a single retailer is very appealing. So far I think I might go with them and buy both the CSI Safetechs and the Hayabusa Hybrids, review both and let them fight to the death in mortal combat! Loser gets shipped back to Illinois lol.
 
I'd go with the cagesides personally. Boomer (Cageside) has an outstanding reputation and bends over backwards for his customer's. There are multiple mentions on these forums of him going above and beyond. When I get the cash I'm ordering the gloves from Cageside because he has earned my trust and makes me feel like he actually gives a crap about MMA, it's participants and putting out quality gear. Plus all his gear gets great reviews on quality and functionality.
 
i Have the hayabusa ones and they are really comfortable and well made my friend has the other ones and he dosent really like em but you get whay you paid for but go for the hayabusa ones though they are really nice
 
Hey Alexis RuSh, thanks for chiming in. Is there any chance you could do me a huge favor and post some pics of your Hayabusa Hybrid gloves and your buddy's Cageside Safety gloves? I'd love to see some better angles from these products.

Also, what is it that your friend doesn't like about his Cagesides? Could you possibly list some details? Could you also try on his pair, then yours and possibly compare the feel of both in your opinion?

Thanks!
 
Other than not having a really cool logo, there is nothing not to like about the Cagesides.
 
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