Let Talk About Hand and Wrist Protection

We all use hand wraps in the world of Muay Thai, well, most of us anyway. 
They say that " We need them to protect our knuckles" I believe this to be a myth; As any of you might know from years of training, I have hit the bags bare knuckled so many times, I cant count; Its the wrists that take the punishment, not the knuckles. Look at it this way, if you don't have working wrist, who cares if your fingers or knuckles are fine! For me they are wrist wraps...

So for all practical purposes we need hand wraps for ( Wrist Protection ). That is the main reason you need them! However, some may disagree.
After more than a decade of training and another decade of teaching, I have seem many wrist injuries, but I don't recall anyone complaining their knuckles hurt, ok, I will say, "maybe once or twice" to be safe.
Can you guess how many times you would hit the bags or focus mitts or your brother in arms ( training companions )
(When Sparring, of course). It's Hundreds of Thousands of times that I would guess; That damage from impacts on your wrist will take its toll! Whether wearing 4/5 ounce gloves or 12/16 ounce, you should always wear Hand Wraps; it is a must!

Now let's talk about cleaning and washing your Wraps. Oh, the dreaded machine; Many pro fighters that I had trained with over the years would never wash them; A superstitious bunch to be sure! But I understand, it's kind of like washing out the coffee pot; to some, it's sacred.

Only wash them on "GENTLE CYCLE ONLY," like a handwashing cycle if your washer has one.
If you throw them in with your jeans, on heavy wash, it's over, especially with the elastic wraps or Simi stretchy cotton wraps; I personally never use them! Only the non-stretch with at least 160-200" inches.
Steer clear of the 120-inch wraps; they are not long enough for adequate protection, unless you have very small wrists and hands.

After a few washings, I would throw them out; Maybe I never kept mine long enough to complain about them falling apart! But so many people do complain about them falling apart, or ripping and tearing; I suspect they are washing them wrong.

So it is up to you what route you go, what flavor of wraps you prefer.
All this being said, we decided to do some hand wrap testing, to see how well they each would stand up to punishment.

We took the six best-selling wraps on and used them, with no gloves, wraps on the bag. Typically this is not the way Hand Wraps are meant to be used, but I know everyone does it; I'm guilty as well...

If you are a heavyweight fighter and you have a few hour-long sessions on a heavy bag, with just Hand Wraps, those Wraps are going to take some abuse. Of course now days they PRINT the logos on the bags; Back in the day... they would sew on these big thick patches on to the bags, right about at head height, and hooking your wraps on the corner of the big logo patch, did not help your wraps any. But that's why we always had gloves on, mostly.

The 6 Top Selling Wraps we tested are:
1.  Fairtex
2. Amber Sports
3. Sanabul
4. Meister
5. Pro Impact 180
6. Everlast Regular and  Everlast Pro Series

The criteria for the test was: On Amazon, they had to have
a min of 2,000 purchases and 2% or less in 1-star reviews.
( Amber Sports is the exception ) to this rule. I have used their Wraps for decades, so I had to list them too.

The two longest-lasting Hand Wraps are Fairtex in the high price range -- $20 US per pair and Amber Sports in the mid price range. ; Amber price is $10-15 US dollars, is a good sound choice in a medium price Hand Wrap. Another mid-tier wrap solution is Pro Impact Wrap; And Meister Hand Wraps, at approximately $10 US Dollars per pair, they are a good choice in the price range.

Fairtex sports equipment will always be one of our favorites here at the UWMTA and in the world of Muay Thai. They are high quality and made in the country that invented our favorite Martial Art. Fairtex wraps typically range from $20-30 US Dollars in the States. However, in Thailand, they are considerably less expensive.

And for the budget-minded, there are Everlast Hand Wraps; they are an ok budget solution to start.
You spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on training and equipment; And sometimes Wraps are at the end of that budget they are a ok alternative, typically ranging from around $20 dollars US for three pairs or about $7-8 dollars US for a single pair.
There is also Everlast Pro 180 inch Wraps and they are approximately $15-18 Dollars in the US per pair; It is their Mid-High range Wrap.

Another economical choice is Sanabul; they are around $20 Dollars in the US for three pairs And last for some time; They stood up very well  for a $6-7 Dollars US hand Wrap.

Keep in mind The UWMTA is not affiliated with these sports wrist wrap companies in any way.
We have included Amazon affiliate Links above that the UWMTA may earn from any qualifying purchases.

We encourage you to find the Hand Wraps that work best for you! If you see some excellent Hand Wraps or any products you feel we should let our members know about; please email us at - gotgear@uwmta.org
- Dale Johnson


Thank you!
Remember to Train Hard!
And Muay Thai Fighters - Respect All - But Fear None!