A lot of beginners have seen those Thai fighters who can kick down trees without a single scratch on their shins. So they want to harden their shins, too. They want those steel shins, like Ramon Dekkers and Danny Bill.
No matter how much you want those steel shins – you’ll need protective gear. Otherwise, you will have the shortest Muay thai career in history.
Best Muay thai shin guards
Using shin guards when training Muay thai, kickboxing and MMA is essential.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad gear out there. Shin guards that aren’t properly padded, have a loose grip or that makes you immobile.
This is why we have taken it upon ourselves to find the best muay thai shinguards that money can buy.
We have carefully investigated the most popular ones, to see which ones are actually good and for what reason. Because let’s face it, there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to shin guards.
We have gone through the best shin guards for MMA, kickboxing and, of course, Muay thai. So that you can find the one that suits your specific needs.
Best overall: Elite Standup Shinguards by Venum
“Venum’s Elite Standup shinguards offer the best value for your money”
Very popular: Fairtex Competition SP5
“This high-quality synthetic leather also provides the effectiveness and durability of real leather”
Best budget choice: Combat Sports Washable MMA
“They are extremely budget-friendly, yet provide you with good protection and comfortability”
Best premium choice: Hayabusa T3 Striking Shin guards
“The pre-curved design, along with feet protection further adds to the comfort, fitting, and protection.”
Great padding: Venum Predator Standup Shin Guards
“The good-quality, dense foam padding offers shock absorption”
High quality: TopKing Shin Guard Protector
“these extremely lightweight shin guards offer flexibility, enabling swift and easy movements”
Good price: Fairtex SP3 Shin Guards
“Fairtex has also added two layers of foam padding in these shin guards for extra protection”
Great protection: RDX Shin Guards
“They’re incredibly lightweight too, and don’t restrict your movement at all”
Best overall: Elite Standup Shinguards by Venum
- Produced in Thailand
- A large variety of color and size
- Lightweight and durable
- Larger strap
- Full coverage
- Very popular
- Not available in small size
Venum’s Elite Standup shinguards offer the best value for your money. They’ve got the most updated features, made especially for pro fighters.
Elite Standup also provide full coverage. The foot cover is a great addition if that’s what you’re looking for.
Their lightweight build allows you to freely launch your kicks without any restriction of movement. To keep the shin guards in place during a fight, Venum has included two large and wide Velcro straps. With these straps, you can be confident and worry-free as you wouldn’t have to readjust them every now and then.
Like all ankle guards, these guards also have elastic straps that go under the feet, to further ensure a snugly fit.
Along with movement, Venum also offers freedom of color. You can choose from over ten different colors. This range of colors makes the product suitable for all genders and age groups. Moreover, you also get three different sizes based on your needs. The brand provides a size chart to help you decide the right one. These shin guards can be used for other sports as well, like kick-boxing, MMA, etc.
Very popular: Fairtex Competition SP5
- Durable
- Comfortable
- Full coverage
- Manufactured in Thailand
- Affordable
- Available in a variety of colors and sizes
- Not as much padded as expected
You have probably seen these shinguards at the club. They are definitely one of the most popular shinguards today.
These Made-in-Thailand shin guards offer all the required features at a very good price. The previous versions have been re-built with a bunch of improvements. Fairtex has removed all the metal-based features and made them much lighter in weight. It has smoothed out all the rough edges, to enhance the design and appearance. Thus, making it very comfortable to move around in.
Their hard, synthetic leather build, can take up powerful strikes without quickly wearing out. This high-quality synthetic leather also provides the effectiveness and durability of real leather.
You’ll find this shin guard in five different colors on Amazon, so you can pick and choose to make it more personal. Not only that, but you’ll also find a variety of size ranges, to make the product suitable for various physiques and age groups. From big to small.
Along with that, the perfect curvature and double straps fit the shin guards quite snugly to your shins. The extended foot protection adds to the offered security. Despite all those features, the product still makes you taste a little bit of the impact of stronger strikes, which we think is a drawback of the product.
Best budget choice: Combat Sports Washable MMA
- Washable
- Super affordable
- Variety of color and sizes
- Quite flexible and fit
- Not as durable
The Combat Sports Washable MMA shin shields are from the slip-on’s category. They’re super affordable and convenient to maintain. They’re made up of washable material, but are not as durable as synthetic leather, and can rip apart.
They’re quite comfortable and snug to your shin like nothing else. They won’t move a bit from their place throughout the fight – comparred to a lot of more expensive shin guards.
Moreover, their thick foam padding helps you survive hard blows and punches like a pro. Due to their flexible build, they’re quite lightweight and allow greater freedom of movement. They’re also available in a variety of colors and sizes.
Best premium choice: Hayabusa T3 Striking Shin guards
- Offers a variety of colors and sizes
- Better fitting and protection
- High-quality build
- Durable
- Expensive
Hayabusa T3 shin shields are the perfect choice for tough players. These shin pads are made up of great-quality synthetic leather that gives a better feel and performance than pure leather. This well-planned engineering of the product makes it effective and durable.
They’re also lightweight to offer you flexibility in your movements. So you’ll be able to move without any additional pressure holding you down. This makes the fighter confident and swift in movement, which is crucial in both muay thai and kickboxing. Well, for any martial art, for that matter.
Moreover, the T3 shin guards feature a double strap for maximum security and convenience. The straps keep the shin guards in place for long hours. Their non-slippery build prevents them from moving during the fight, so that you can focus on the match without having to worry about their adjustment.
These guards are available in a variety of colors and sizes, too. They’re not restricted to a particular age group and can also be worn by kids. They look classy and stylish as well. One major downfall of these shin guards is their price. Based on the offered features, these shin shields are a little too expensive for our taste. But if it’s within your budget, it is definitely a great buy.
Great padding: Venum Predator Standup Shin Guards
- High-quality build
- Shock-resistance
- Lightweight and durable
- Good fit
- Doesn’t offer color variety
- Only available in medium and large sizes
- Pricey
The Predator Standup shin shields are another amazing product by Venum. They are made with the finest materials in their land of origin, Thailand.
They’re lightweight and well-padded. The good-quality, dense foam padding offers shock absorption. Their instep coverage offers additional protection to the feet, without applying extra pressure. They enable you to move easily and swiftly with no restriction.
To ensure a secure fit, the brand provides large Velcro straps, which are slip-resistant and stay in place throughout the fight. This product is mainly designed for teens and adults so it isn’t available in small sizes. Their multi-purpose build, makes them suitable for MMA and kickboxing too.
High quality: TopKing Shin Guard Protector
- Durable and tough build
- Variety of colors and sizes
- Lightweight
- Pricey
These TopKing Muay-Thai Shin protectors are manufactured in Thailand, and are among the highly traditional shin guards present in the market.
They feature dense foam padding, along with high-quality synthetic leather for extended durability and comfort. Their tough build enables them to easily take up hard punches and kicks without wearing away. They are also a bit narrow, which leaves the sides of your lower legs exposed. However, the padding on the feet offers maximum coverage and is quite effective.
Moreover, these extremely lightweight shin guards offer flexibility, enabling swift and easy movements. This reduces pressure on your muscles and helps you have an enjoyable fight.
For better fitting, TopKing has used the traditional double straps that fit your leg quite tightly. Despite that, they just need to be adjusted once or twice during a long session. They’re available in a variety of sizes and colors too, making them suitable for all age groups and genders.
Good price: Fairtex SP3 Shin Guards
- Thick padding
- Good quality leather
- Variety of colors and sizes
- Manufactured in Thailand
- Affordable
- Straps need improvement
Fairtex is among the best fight-gear producers in the world, and this is their second model on our list.
Since Fairtex is a Thailand based company, it unquestionably offers quality products with practical features, and this Fairtex SP3 is no different. These solid guards are made up of synthetic leather, which is super durable and comfortable.
For full coverage, the shin guards also cover the sides of the lower legs. This reduces any chance of you going home with painful bruises. Moreover, they’re not bulky, so they don’t restrict your movement in any way. Instead, their lightweight build enables quick responses.
These guards also feature Velcro straps that are firm enough to keep the guards fitted to your shin, and don’t require constant adjustments. They have elastic straps to slide under the feet. Along with that, they’re available in three vibrant colors and four different sizes, ranging from small to extra-large.
Great protection: RDX Shin Guards
- Affordable
- Shock-absorbent gel padding
- No-slip strap
- Variety of sizes
- Multi-functional
- The gap between shin and instep can cause injury
- Comes in a single color
RDX is a UK-based brand that aims to provide affordable and high-quality sports-gear. The American and Japanese company goods are found to be expensive. They’re the only shin guards on our list that are made of original leather. They’re remarkably tough and durable. You don’t have to worry about their wearing off because their quality build enables them to endure powerful strikes quite easily.
They’re incredibly lightweight too, and don’t restrict your movement at all. With them, you can be as quick as you want to
Their thick padding features a gel-core, for shock-absorption and enhanced protection. These shin protectors are quite comfortable and fit snuggly to your shins. Moreover, the non-slippery straps make sure to keep the shin guards in place, regardless of how sweaty you get.
RDX shin guards come in various sizes ranging from small to extra-large, making it a good choice for a variety of physiques and age groups. Their multi-functional nature makes them suitable for other sports too, like kickboxing or MMA. However, you’ll only find them in a single color on Amazon.
Find the best muay thai shin guard for you
The thought of doing Muay-Thai without shin guards alone would be enough to give you goosebumps. Under no circumstances, should anyone enter the ring without proper gear. They’re crucial for young players and beginners, to get out of the ring in one piece.
When buying Muay-Thai shin guards, it’s preferred to visit a brick and mortar store, where you can check the quality, size, color, weight, coverage and all other essential factors. This will eliminate any chance of getting an inappropriate product. To help you with both your online and offline shin guard purchases, we’ve presented a complete guide. It highlights all the factors that must be considered to always make the right decision.
Size
Getting a shin guard larger or smaller than your actual size is utterly useless. A larger shin guard would constantly move out of place and will have to be adjusted every time. However, shin guards can leave parts of your legs exposed, putting them at risk of tasting the pain of hard kicks and strikes. A right-sized shin guard, as the name suggests, is meant to cover your shin completely, which is the area between your knee and ankle. Therefore the size of the shin guard should be according to your shin size.
For most fighters under 5.8 ft., medium-sized guards have proven to be ideal. Large shin guards fit people with a height of over 5.8 to 6 ft. It’s recommended to visit a physical store for buying these guards as there you can try and check your shin size. It highly reduces the chances of getting the wrong sized shin guards. Do remember that these guards should only cover your shin and not your knees. To ensure this, buy one that is two-inches below your knees.
When it comes to size, you’ll also come across two options: narrow and wide. This is also quite important to consider. Wider guards protect your entire leg, covering the sides too. You can go for such guards if you are fighting a low kicker. Narrower shin guards offer lightness and flexibility. However, with these guards, you are more prone to getting a bruised leg and a swollen ankle.
Material
Muay-Thai shin guards protect the fighter from painful strikes during fights. So, they should ideally be thick and robust, especially at the center. Thinner materials wear down quite quickly and can’t provide the required protection. Most shin guards consist of fiberglass, cotton, foam rubber, leather, and a few more materials. Out of all these, thick leather is a highly preferred material as it’s durable and effective. It can withstand powerful kicks quite easily, compared to other material choices.
Types of Guards
You’ll find three types of shin guards, namely: ankle guards, slip-in guards and sleeve guards/shin socks.
Ankle Guards
The ankle guards offer additional protection on both sides of the ankle. These shin guards have stirrups that go under each foot, to keep the guards in the correct position. To snugly fit your calf, they offer elastic bands or straps. These types of shin shields are suitable for beginners and intermediate fighters. For experts and professional fighters, some brands provide detachable ankle guards, enabling them to use the shield only.
Slip-in Guards
A slip-in Muay-Thai shin guard is like a shield that you place under your socks. These guards are lightweight and offer freedom of movement. For slip-in shin guards, you’ll need socks that are tight enough to keep the guards in place. You can also use tape or compression sleeves. This type of shin guard is a preferred choice for high-end fighters.
Sleeve Guards/Shin Socks
Shin socks are socks with sewn-in shin guards. You don’t have to wear these guards separately or worry about their movement during the fight. They’re to be worn like normal socks. Its convenience has made it a common choice for young players.
Weight
For shin guards, or any other type of protective gear, the more protection they offer, the heavier they get. This is a conventional phenomenon, associated with the weight of shin guards. But that’s not what you should be looking for. For a good fight, you need a lightweight yet protective shin guard. So, you can have a balance between protection, freedom of movement and comfort. Heavier shin pads add extra pressure on your shin and feet, making it difficult to move. If you are a beginner, you should start with a lighter weight, and then you can move to heavier ones later.
Brand
There are a lot of purchase decisions made just over the brand’s name. However, that can’t be the case with Muay-Thai shin guards. When buying these guards you have to be more particular about their size, comfort, and weight rather than the brand. Different brands offer different features in their products, but the most preferred brands for these guards are the ones that offer Thailand-made products.
Muay-Thai is the national sport of Thailand. The kids there start practicing it from the age of 4, which might be the reason that the country produces the best gear that is more reliable than the ones produced in any other part of the world. Thailand-made products have been proven to be the most durable and best-suited for the sport. You can acquire a variety of quality products if you happen to visit Thailand. However, there are manufacturers and distributors, bringing the products manufactured in Thailand to other lands. In the US, you’ll find Fairtex, Hayabusa, and TopKing as the best alternatives.
Conclusion
Muay-Thai without shin guards is very risky and dangerous. We recommend you to take necessary precautions, by buying yourself effective and worthy shin guards with the help of our buying guide. We’ve highlighted all the required features and have discussed them thoroughly for your understanding.
For further help, we’ve also provided a list of eight best Muay-Thai shin guards that you can consider before opting randomly for any. Fairtex Competition SP5 shin protectors are great overall. Their practical features are quite impressive. Venum Elite Standup shin shields are a good value for your money if cash is not an issue. However, if you want something more affordable, then we recommend the shin guards by Combat Sports. And if you particularly want an original leather-based product, then the RDX shin guards should be yours for the taking.