Silver MMA Gloves
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| Century Silver MMA Gloves top and bottom |
Cost: $18.99
Materials: Vinyl, foam, thread, velcro
For this review, I'll rate several different categories, from strong to weak, with strong being good for that attribute, and weak being bad.
I'll discuss: price, comfort, protection, durability, and aesthetics.
Review:
Price: Strong
I've had these gloves for a few months now, so I feel that its been long enough to review them fully. First thing I was to talk about is the price - you could certainly spend a lot more (going by the retail price), or you could spend less, but honestly, its going to be tough to get much cheaper. That being said, you have to remember that you usually get what you pay for, so don't expect magic from these gloves.
I'll give the gloves a pretty strong price point, since they are certainly one of the cheapest you can get (not counting all those deals around Christmas), but they aren't incredibly cheap that any quality concerns would be overlooked - which I will get into later on.
Comfort: Okay
I'll be honest, I have not purchased numerous other MMA gloves from different makers, but have tried many on from time to time, and these are not the best there is. Of course, that is to be expected, but the fit of these gloves compared to others I have used is not as good.
Maybe its my hand, but the joint in the glove on top (the padding is broken into two pieces as seen in the photo) doesn't actually fall in line with my own joint, and the padding sits further back on my knuckles compared to other MMA gloves I have used, exposing more of my fingers. You can't expect fingerless gloves to cover all the knuckles, but others brands have done more.
However, I do like the tightness of these gloves - in several months using them 4-5 times per week, they have yet to loosen much at all, which is something I like. The fit is okay, and its consistent.
Protection: Weak
The padding itself is pretty thin - this is a pretty bare bones glove. I bought it with that in mind and it suited my needs, so I had no complaints on that end. If you want something with more padding, look at the picture. It covers the knuckles, and thats about it. There are plenty of MMA gloves with more padding.
These gloves are good if you are looking for something to stop your knuckles from impacting your partners face. You can't hide behind these gloves.
Durability: Okay
I've had these gloves for several months now and taken them on and off, used them, had others use them, for well over 50 sessions. There is no wear on the velco, the stitching is intact, and there are no cracks in the vinyl. I've kept them from smelling by taking them out of my bag after every session to air out. So far so good.
I did have one issue upon using the gloves for the first time, that should not have happened. Seen in the picture below, on my first training session a piece of the thread that holds the vinyl tight against the glove ripped. I re-stitched it with stronger thread, and there have been no more issues.
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| Break in the threading that I re-stitched. |
Aside from that, I've had these on and off constantly during sessions, I've had them grabbed when I throw people, and no rips, tears, or anything. Aside from that minor first issue, I'm very happy with the durability of the glove - its the only reason I can't give them a strong in this category.
Aesthetics: Okay
If you want gloves with big logos on them, or a snake, or whatever, go buy Rival or Hayabusa. Personally, I have a soft spot for solid colors and no-frills design. The color consistency is 100%, the color has not bled, and it doesn't look low quality (as subjective as that is).
The gloves match the entire Century Silver Training Line, which is the middle-end set of training products Century puts out. They have the all-leather Gold Line, the blue vinyl Silver Line, and the black-and-red vinyl Black Label Line, the cheapest of the three (though I have had good experiences with Black Label).
If you like a solid color - blue - and no unnecessary logos or designs, than these gloves may be right for you. I give an okay for the look of the product, because one color is restrictive.
Summary:
Price: Strong
Comfort: Okay
Protection: Weak
Durability: Okay
Aesthetics: Okay
If you want something that isn't too expensive with a basic looks and don't want excessive padding, these may be for you. Everything has its purpose, and I've enjoyed training with these gloves. They suited my needs, they may suit yours. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in a comment.
