Introduction:

*Review written by Chris at Couch To Runner*

I received a pair of Elite Sports Pro Style MMA Half Mitts for free from Elite Sports in exchange for an honest review of the product. Originally, I was going to test these during my Krav Maga and MMA sessions, however due to the current situation with COVID-19, all classes were cancelled. As such, this review is based on using the gloves at home on a freestanding punch man.

The gloves retail at £7.99 direct from Elite Sports online (UK / US / AU stores available).

First Impressions:

The packaging wasn’t overly branded or anything special, however the gloves felt of decent quality. They looked exactly like the online pictures, with a nice contrast between the black and red colourways. There was no bad stitching or issues that were noticeable. The branding and colours made them immediately look like a more expensive product. If you actually put them side by side with a more expensive competitor, it would be hard to tell which was which without immediately recognising the logos. The Elite Sports logo can be found in a few places on the gloves, and is well styled.

The second wrist strap was a bit tricky to fasten when I had already put one glove on. These straps are handy though as they provide some light wrist support and reduce the amount that the gloves can move or loosen.

Materials:

Looking on the Elite Sports website, the gloves are listed as PU PVS Leather under the materials tab.

Use:

The padding feels really firm; this can be a positive or a negative depending on your intended use and personal preference. Typically, padding will soften after a few uses anyway. As these aren’t labelled as full striking gloves then the firm padding isn’t an issue. I should also note that I was testing these without hand wraps as that is how I usually train. With the added padding from wraps, the firmness would also subside a little as they are designed to go over hand wraps. I used these on a hard punch buddy bag which is firmer than most bags anyway. The gloves have held up perfectly in the month that I have been trialling them.

My hands never got too hot in these, which is a nice bonus as I tend to get warm when I train! The ventilation was good and my sweat never felt uncomfortable or made the gloves feel like they were going to slip.

Sizing:

I had requested a size medium, as that is my standard size. In hindsight, I would probably have been better off with a size large. The gloves felt a bit tight, but it wasn’t too much of a hindrance and wasn’t worth exchanging them for. It comes down to personal preference and I just prefer a little more room for grappling and floor work. With a size medium, my fingers felt a little restricted in some movements, but the material will most likely adapt a little after a few sessions anyway. The website does state that the gloves are “moulded to fit your hand”, so perhaps I just need to adjust to a different style of glove.

Conclusion:

I was pleasantly surprised with the Elite Sports Pro Style MMA Grappling Gloves. Granted, I should have sized up, but even then, I found the gloves adequate for my training. I didn’t test them with hand wraps as mentioned above. My one concern is that I would struggle for room if I was to wear the grappling gloves over them as designed due to the lack of space in the size medium.

For a recommended retail price of £7.99 then I am definitely impressed. That’s not to say that I haven’t used better gloves, but they were also at a higher price point. For someone like me who trains a lot then cheaper gloves can be a lifesaver when you need to replace them or misplace them. I would recommend these gloves, especially if you are on a budget or are just getting into MMA and aren’t sure if you are going to stick it out. They are also a great option if you only train occasionally and don’t want a large outlay to start out or know your padding and fit preference.

Photos: