Boxing is a great sport for training both your mind and body. You learn discipline, the importance of taking care of your body and, of course, it provides a self-esteem boost.
It also teaches you that it hurts to get punched in the face.
But seriously, it doesn’t hurt as much as it makes you confused for the moment. With all that adrenaline pumping, you hardly feel any pain while in the ring. Afterward is another question.
No matter if you are a professional or amateur – you need to protect your melon. Especially with all the current talk of professional athletes who suffered head trauma during their careers. Even if you are good at weaving and bobbing, you’re gonna get hit at some point.
With that said, we have gone through the market’s top head guards to help you find the best boxing headgear for you. No matter if you are a beginner, professional fighter, want extra padding or just want something comfortable to spar in. We have reviewed and categorized every single one.
So, on with the gloves and let’s get it cracking!
Best Boxing Headgear
Best Overall: Rival Boxing RHG2
“If you are looking for the best value for the money, then this is it!”
Best for Beginners: Everlast Everfresh Head Gear
“It’s much better than a lot of more expensive headguards”
Best for Professionals: Ringside Competition-Like Headgear
“the helmet gives an edge due to increased visibility and a light design”
Best Protection: RDX Headguard for Boxing
“excellent choice for concerned parents who want to protect their children”
Best Premium Choice: Winning Headgear Fg2900
“It has been the head gear of choice for professional fighters such as Pacquiao and Mayweather”
Best Budget Choice: Starpro M33 Boxing Headguard
“delivers sufficient protection specifically from beginner-level boxing techniques”
Very Popular: Venum Elite Headgear
“its streamlined build makes it easier for the boxer to dodge and attack in less time”
Very High Quality: Hayabusa T3 MMA Headgear
“Made out of pure leather with thick padding”
Great Padding: Fairtex HG10 Headgear
“excellent for heated training sessions where safety is of utmost importance”
Best Overall: Rival Boxing RHG2
- Comfortable design and padding
- Sufficient protection
- Classic look
- Lightweight
- Provides good visibility
- Don’t fit some head sizes well
Good For:
The RHG2 is a favorite for many boxers, professional and otherwise. This is due to its sufficient protective features that come packed in a compact and lightweight form. This helmet is best for training and sparring. It’s very comfortable on your head and it doesn’t ruin your vision. If you are looking for the best value for the money, then this is it! We really liked this piece.
Rival’s RHG2 brings back memories of the golden age of boxing with its classic design. Despite its old-school design, it is well-equipped to provide effective protection against contemporary boxing styles. The RHG2 is an affordable helmet that doesn’t cut corners when it comes to performance.
First of all it sits very comofortably on your head, the padding takes blows very well and the gear doesn’t destroy your vision. Yet, it costs much less than a lot of other, more well-known, brands. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this one!
The RHG2 falls in line with the popular Canadian brands’ other offerings. It is stitched out of 1mm premium cowhide leather. The inside of the helmet is lined with soft and water-resistant suede leather. It adds comfort and keeps things cool during heated sparring sessions.
The RHG2 comes with thick but soft padding that offers good protection while still feeling comfortable around the head. This is an advantage the RHG2 has over other helmets which add protection at the expense of comfort. It also features smaller cheek-guards for maximum visibility in the ring.
Best for Beginners: Everlast Everfresh Head Gear
- Inexpensive
- Good value for money
- Everfresh fabric lining
- Lightweight
- Open-face design aids in visibility
- Single-layer padding
Good For:
The large amounts of positive reviews serve as a good witness of the high quality – this is indeed a great piece of headgear. The Everlast Everfresh is comfortable to wear and light enough to get new fighters accustomed to the feel of boxing headgear. It’s also very cheap, which makes us like it even more. It’s much better than a lot of more expensive headguards. Definitely one of the best headguards out there and thus, highly recommended – especially if you are new to boxing.
The Everlast Everfresh is an entry-level helmet suitable as training gear for new and amateur boxers. The headguard features an open-face design and is made out of Everhide, the company’s patented synthetic leather.
Considering the price, the material and build quality is very, very high.
Everlast lines the inside of the headgear with its signature Everfresh fabric. The anti-microbial treated fabric offers good breathability and ensures that you stay comfortable even with longer usage. The headgear also provides a good fit and sufficient padding.
This is a lower-end helmet, so don’t expect tons of padding. However, the single layer of padding is thick enough to dampen sparring blows during training sessions. A cheek-guard design allows for added safety during fights without compromising on visibility.
Best for Professionals: Ringside Competition-Like Headgear
- Durable construction
- Cheek guard
- Lightweight
- Good visibility
- Affordable
- –
Good For:
The Ringside Competition headguard is a helmet fit for professionals. With an open-face design the headguard is not fit for amateurs or anyone who is afraid of taking a few hits during a session. However, to the elite boxer, the helmet gives an edge due to increased visibility and a light design.
Ringside is another well-known boxing accessory manufacturer. Ringside protective gear is popular among boxers for its excellent price to performance ratio. However, it should be noted that this ‘Competition-Like’ headgear has not been approved by USA Boxing for use in competitions.
The headgear features laminated foam padding which feels harder than some other helmets we have tested. This does not necessarily mean that the helmet is uncomfortable. Soft fabric lining on the inside provides for added cushion and increases comfort during long usage.
The exterior of the headgear is made from durable synthetic leather stitched together with strong threads. The sides of the headgear, as well as the back and the cheeks, are filled with padded foam that does a good job of dampening blows.
Best Protection: RDX Headguard for Boxing
- Comes in a number of sizes
- All-rounded protection
- Three-layer padding
- Comfortable to wear
- Good value for money
- Face protection comes at the cost of visibility
Good For:
The RDX head- and face-guard comes in a selection of sizes from small to extra-large. This selection of sizes coupled with decisive protection makes it an excellent choice for concerned parents who want to protect their children. It is also great for new fighters who want to play it safe during training sessions. It’s definitely one of the safest headguards out there, as it protects every single millimeter of the head and face.
The RDX Headguard offers all-rounded protection at an affordable price. This is the reason why it is one of the most purchased headgears on the market. RDX is a relatively well-established brand in the combat gear market with a long history of innovation.
RDX uses Maya Hide Leather for the helmet’s construction. This material delivers excellent performance even after countless sparring sessions. The helmet’s fastening mechanism, the Quick-EZ strap also helps during sessions, ensuring that the headgear retains its fit and doesn’t slide when hit.
With the RDX Headguard, the manufacturer has gone all in on the protection element. The helmet incorporates the best of RDX’s protection technology to deliver a headgear that provides ultimate protection to new fighters. This head- and face-saver uses RDX’s patented foam padding, which it calls the Tri-Slab Max Shock, on all highly vulnerable areas. The Tri-Slab Padding is a three-layer protection system that comprises of sponge, EVA foam, and impact diffusion foams for enhanced protection.
Best Premium Choice: Winning Headgear Fg2900
- Premium construction
- Durable build
- Sufficient padding
- Great visibility
- Eardrum guard
- A bit expensive
Good For:
The Fg2900 by Winning is without a doubt one of the best headguards you can buy. It has been the head gear of choice for professional fighters such as Pacquiao and Mayweather. Thereby, we are confident that it will serve you well whether you are an amateur or a pro.
Winning is one of the most recognized brands in the boxing community. Its protective gear sets the standard for other manufacturers to follow. The quality of its gear can be assessed from the fact that it is a brand of choice for professionals, even without any endorsement deals.
The company’s Fg2900 is a premium headgear built out of premium materials. It is an expensive helmet but it is well worth the price. Both amateur and professional fighters have attested to its high quality design and materials. The headgear is made from high-quality synthetic leather.
Best Budget Choice: Starpro M33 Boxing Headguard
- Good entry-level headgear
- Great value for money
- Thick padding
- Good visibility
- Comes in various sizes
- Not suitable for competitive boxing
Good For:
The Starpro M33 is one of the best gears we have tested for new boxers. It delivers sufficient protection specifically from beginner-level boxing techniques. It does so while allowing a good level of visibility so that you are aware of the surroundings and can spot hits coming in from almost every angle.
The Starpro M33 comes in limited designs and an affordable price but delivers performance that will leave many other expensive headgears behind. Starpro markets the M33 as headgear for beginners which has thick padding in all the right places.
As the M33 is crafted for beginners, Starpro has put in tremendous effort to keep the gear as comfortable as possible. The helmet feels light on the head and ensures a snug fit that doesn’t feel too uncomfortable.
For beginners, visibility also plays an important role in building their confidence towards the sport. The M33 allows for maximum protection of all vital parts of the head without compromising on visibility.
Very Popular: Venum Elite Headgear
- Sleek design
- Lightweight
- Hand-stitched
- Comfortable to wear
- Very breathable
- Only available in one size
Good For:
The Elite is considerably cheaper than many of our top recommendations and performs better than most of its competitors. It has impressed many boxers, having different skill levels, as is evident from the praise you will find in its favor online.
This Thai combat gear manufacturer has made quite a name for itself in the boxing industry. Venum gear is reliable and often priced within reach of the average fighter and not just professional boxers. Venum is one of the biggest names in the industry today and a brand of choice for many boxers.
Venum Elite is a professional-grade headgear stitched out of Syntex synthetic leather for greater durability. The padding comprises of contoured triple-density foam, which effectively reduces the shock of the impact.
The headgear does not compromise on protection, and its streamlined build makes it easier for the boxer to dodge and attack in less time. A primary reason why fighters adore Venum products and they are so frequently recommended is that they are handcrafted. This means that each piece of equipment was stitched together by an experienced professional, and not a machine, with utmost attention to quality.
Very High Quality: Hayabusa T3 MMA Headgear
- Made from pure leather
- Premium stitching
- Fabric lining on the inside
- Snug fit
- Affordable
- Only one size and color option
Good For:
The Hayabusa T3 is affordable and durable. Made out of pure leather with thick padding, the T3 is built and stitched like a tank. For new boxers it will prove to be a good option as it comes as a one-size-fits-all. Professional boxers will benefit from the protection and control it offers.
The T3 from Hayabusa is built for durability. Like much of Hayabusa’s gear, the T3 headgear is a rugged piece of equipment. Just holding it will make you feel like it is fit for battle. As far as durability is concerned, the T3 outperforms all of our other recommendations and most other headgears in its price range.
The T3 is made out of pure leather which immediately gives it added points over the previous model we reviewed. The exterior is crafted out of full-grain pure leather, and it is held together by thick stitching. This headgear could take a few good beatings and still be as ready as ever for the next fight.
Great Padding: Fairtex HG10 Headgear
- Comprehensive protection
- Thick padding
- Extra padding over sensitive areas
- Balanced design and protection
- Breathable
- Padding too hard for some users
Good For:
Fairtex’s HG10 is a good-quality sparring helmet that will serve the fighting man well through numerous sessions. It is excellent for heated training sessions where safety is of utmost importance. It is also a great starting gear for amateur boxers who want to feel more confident during training.
The Fairtex HG10 is a thickly-padded headgear that provides head and cheek protection. Fairtex has done a good job of designing the HG10 with a good balance between design and protection. The helmet is made out of synthetic leather that will last through plenty of sparring sessions. The stitching is of good quality which enhances the durability of the helmet.
It should, however, be noted, that despite its rich padding and all-rounded protection, this is a sparring headgear. It should not be used as a replacement for more professional headgear during competitions.
How to Find the Best Boxing Headgear for You
Every good boxer needs gear that they are comfortable with. The right gear will become an extension of the fighter’s own self and enhance their performance and ability in the ring. Similarly, the wrong gear will hold them back and prevent them from giving their best.
Therefore, it is important to know what works for you and what doesn’t. Thinking along these lines will help you select the gear that enhances your ability rather than limit it. To help you select the right headgear, we have briefly touched on some of the most important factors that you should consider when making your purchase decision.
Different Types of Headgear
There are three main kinds of boxing headguards – the open-face headguard, headguard with cheek protection and full-face headguard.
An open-face headguard protects the forehead, the temples and the chin. This type of headgear leaves the face open so you can still face injury to the nose or eyes. However, they are lighter than other headguards and reduce the target area for your opponent. These headguards are preferred by beginners and women as they offer good visibility. They are also lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Headguards with cheek protection are the most commonly used headgear globally. They are used in most gyms and in many professional competitions. They are the same as open-face headguards with the addition of two guards on the cheeks that block blows to the face and eyes. An important consideration when buying these helmets is that the cheek padding sits tight and doesn’t block your vision.
Full-face headguards are great for beginners and anyone who wishes to ensure the maximum amount of protection during a fight. They cover all important parts of the head with a thick strap running across the front to protect the nose and face. These helmets are often heavy so you should take your time finding one that is lightweight and comfortable to wear.
We cannot label a certain type as the best. One must choose the type of headgear depending on their personal needs and preferences.
Visibility
This is one of the most crucial considerations when testing a headguard. How much you can see when wearing the helmet will determine how well you respond to your opponent’s moves. A majority of hits that you receive occur as a result of not being able to see the opponent’s punches.
Try on the headgear and test it for visibility. Determine how well you are able to see to your sides. Having good visibility also gives you an edge during a match. The more you are able to see your opponent, the better you can plan your next move.
Choose the Right Size
Headgear is usually available in different sizes, although some follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Even the best headgear will be of no use if it is the wrong size. It’s important to choose the one that fits snugly on your head. A loose headgear will slip and cause discomfort during a match. It can also injure parts of your face if it isn’t a good fit.
Similarly, a headgear that is too small also creates unnecessary trouble. During longer sessions it will cause issues with breathability while exerting extra pressure on your head. Small helmets will also cause irritation to your face. Always try on the helmet for size and comfort before making the purchase.
Material
A headgear comprises of two essential components – the padding and the outer covering. There are several types of paddings available. Most headgears are made out of a form of closed-cell foam, known as EVA foam. The padding permanently traps air to disseminate the impact of punches as they land.
The outer covering is either made of pure or synthetic leather, depending on the type and quality of the headgear you are purchasing. Headgears made from synthetic leather aren’t necessarily lower quality, as long as good-quality leather is used and has been stitched durably. They are cheaper than pure leather headgears but often just as effective.
What material you choose depends on your budget and usage.
Conclusion
The right headgear complements the boxer’s ability, providing added advantage in the ring. All of the headgears we have reviewed are some of the best on the market. Our top pick, the Fg2900 by Winning is a versatile headguard that is built for amateurs and professionals alike. Its significant protection and good visibility will give fighters an advantage, whether you are friendly sparring or playing for the championship title.