Collection: Boxing Hand Wraps

Wraps hold the small bones and joints of your hand together as a single unit when you punch, which is what stops the metacarpals spreading on impact. They also support the wrist against bending backwards, which is where most beginner hand injuries actually happen.

The second job is protecting your gloves. Wraps absorb the sweat that would otherwise soak straight into the padding and lining, and a soaked glove breaks down and starts smelling much faster. Most gyms won't let you spar without them.

Traditional wraps are a long strip of cotton or semi-elastic fabric, usually 180 inches for adults, that you wind around your hand and wrist yourself. They take a couple of minutes and there's a learning curve, but you get complete control over how much support goes where. Tighter on the wrist, more padding across the knuckles, whatever your hands need. If you're sparring hard or your wrists give you trouble, these are what you want.

Quick wraps, sometimes called gel wraps or inner gloves, are a slip-on glove with built-in gel or foam padding over the knuckles and a short velcro wrist strap. They take about five seconds to put on. The trade-off is less wrist support and no ability to adjust the fit, since the padding sits where the manufacturer put it.

Quick wraps make sense for bag and pad work, circuit or fitness boxing classes, and anyone who wants to skip the wrapping ritual. Traditional wraps are the better choice for sparring, heavy bag rounds and competition. A lot of people own both and use them for different sessions.

180 inches is the standard adult length and suits most people, giving enough material to cover the wrist, knuckles and between the fingers properly.

120 inches suits smaller hands, kids, and anyone who prefers a lighter, less bulky wrap. 200 inches or longer suits larger hands or people who like a lot of knuckle padding, though be aware that too much wrap can make it hard to fit a glove, particularly a competition glove.

You'll also see Mexican-style wraps, which have some elastic woven through the cotton. They mould to the hand better and feel more comfortable, but they can be wrapped too tight if you're not careful. Pure cotton wraps have no stretch and hold their tension more consistently.

Wash them after every few sessions, and hang them to dry after every session regardless. They soak up a lot of sweat and will start to smell quickly if they live balled up in your gym bag.

Machine wash cold, ideally inside a mesh laundry bag or a pillowcase so they don't tangle around everything else in the machine. Velcro is the main problem here, so fasten the velcro tab to itself before washing. Hang dry rather than using a dryer, which shortens the life of the elastic in Mexican-style wraps and can warp quick wrap padding.

Two or three pairs in rotation is worth it if you're training several times a week, since a hang-dried wrap takes a while to dry properly.