Harbinger 320 Bag Glove WristWrap (Black) Review

I've used many pairs (7+) of these gloves over the last 5 or 6 years for heavy bag workouts (~5 hours a week). Including look-alikes marketed under different names which are essentially identical.

After about 8 months of use, the interior dye starts wearing off, so your knuckles turn black. Serious scrubbing after a workout to remove the color.A month or so after that, they start to stink and end up having to be thrown in favor of a new pair, although the gloves themselves show little sign of wear at that point. It's a regular, predictable pattern.

Tried glove dogs, careful drying, "BO" sprays, etc. The spray is useless, the glove dogs can extend it a few months before the gloves become biohazards, but that's not the real problem -- buying new gloves every year isn't so bad.

The problem is, every once in awhile, you get a pair which for some reason, are less effective protection.Switch to the new pair and knuckles start bruising big time immediately.Go back to the old pair, or get a different new pair, and the bruising stops. Same size, same feel, different protection results. There's something about a percentage of these gloves that isn't quite right and you end up with inadequate protection.

So I've started looking for something else -- it's too hit and miss. If you get a good pair, they will still go sour pretty fast and you're back to square one.

Possibly if you use them less often and get lucky with your first pair, these things won't be a factor.

UPDATE: Ringside's "Gel Shock Thunder Bag Gloves" seem to address the disadvantages of this style of glove. Partly open palm (still w/grip bar) means they dry fast (a couple minutes) so may not stink up as fast. The impact protection seems better. No XL size, it seems. Only question is how they hold up over time. We'll see.

FURTHER UPDATE: The Gel Shock's started transferring dye and stinking profoundly even faster (two months), despite the open palm. The good news is I've found rubbing baking soda into every part of the gloves solves the smell problem. Wouldn't you know the cheapest solution is the one that works best. So much for expensive sprays, glove dogs, etc.

However, the dye on the Ringsides tends to come off externally. So you leave red and blue marks on your clothes as well as anything you touch with the gloves. Never happened with Harbingers.Some of the red coloring on the Ringside's apparently isn't dye, since it has also begun "flaking off" to reveal black underneath.In fact, 2.5 months in, you can rub the red coloring off with your finger, like it's some sort of latex paint on the surface -- but not quite. Better protection, but a mess to deal with.Will see what more I can get out of them, but suspect they are destined for the trash faster than Harbinger's.

Another update:Also tried Primetime MMA-4 gloves mentioned by another reviewer.Nicely made gloves that hold their dye, but not ideal for heavy bag work.The padding is so thick, bouncy and shaped such that bag strikes tend to be "deflected" and bounce away.Makes for a very unsatisfying work out, stresses wrist, etc.These gloves seem better suited to grappling or flat hand work than a fist and head-on impact.

I've been switching between Harbinger's, Ringside Thunder bag gloves, and Primetime MMA-4 and find I am glad when the Ringside's come up in the rotation since they feel the best and protect the best.Too bad they bleed color all over everything. If they used more synthetics on the interior (less leather), better dye or no dye, they'd be the clear choice.

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Product Description:
This glove is for every level cardio-kick-boxers, martial arts and boxing enthusiasts. Patented WristWrap stabilizes the wrist joint with adjustable but gentle pressure. Hinged thumb allows for full range of motion, while positioning the thumb directly along side the fist. NoSweat lining wicks moisture away from your skin.

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