Customer Reviews

Harbinger 320 Bag Glove WristWrap (Black)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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: 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.

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 thick, bouncy and shaped such that bag strikes tend to be "deflected" and bounce/roll 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.

It seems the Gel-Shock's are the clear winners, just be sure they dry completely between use, else the odor problem accelerates and you can even get dye-transfers. I have 4 pairs in rotation so use a given pair only about once a week.

I have had these gloves for quite some time now (over 3 years), and I have used them for various training exercises such as Heavy Bag Workouts (what I originally purchased them for), JKD sparring/focus mitt work, and MMA grappling. They have worked well for me and have been very durable. To be honest, I am torn over buying another pair of these and saving money, or springing for a more-expensive pair of PrimeTime Level 4 gloves.

As for one reviewer's comments on smell, I can't say that I have experienced the same problem, and I tend to sweat quite a bit, but I can see how it can be a problem for some because they are not open palm. Of course, and with all due respect and not trying to assume anything, not stuffing them into a cramped unventilated gym bag right after an intense workout plays a role in reducing any smells. However, one reviewer mentioned getting scrapes on his knuckles, and I found this to be absolutely true when doing a lot of heavy bag work (particularly on the pinky knuckles). I found that taping up the hands with a bit of athletic tape relieves this, although it can be a bit constrictive and annoying until one gets the hang of it. I also haven't had a problem with black dye on my hands, although perhaps I avoided that issue during the break-in period by using the aforementioned tape.

As for the qualities of the glove, it allows for good transition between striking and grappling drills (once you make some modifications- more on that in a bit). Surprisingly, grip is excellent even in the sweatiest of conditions, although some people may not like that its closed palm. Padding feels firm and not too spongy compared to alot of other MMA gloves in the same price range. Wrist-wrap is supportive and the glove fits well on my hands while feeling light-weight and tactile.

Note that this glove comes with some sort of foam or rubber bar sewn into the palm, which is its biggest drawback. I have always felt it was a hinderance, and even a danger because one could not completely close the fist when striking. Perhaps for the beginner it has some useful quality, but I think it leads to a lazy fist and potential injuries (which is why I removed it in the first place). Also, forget about using it for MMA if the bar is still there. Thus, one needs to go through the *careful* process of undoing the stitching with a needle or small scissor point and removing the bar. I say careful because you can tear the leather on the palm if you try to rip off bar with brute strength. Also, perhaps poking small holes with the pin along the stitching would help the glove "breathe" somewhat better.

Overall, this is a middle of the road glove that is better than most gloves at this price range. I wouldn't use these for competition, just training purposes. 3.5 stars, if I could.

this glove is awesome.theres padding on the whole back of the hand and 3/4 of the fingers.it doesnt say on the box but i`ve seen in the king of the cage alot of fighters using them.the gloves provide a snug fit around your hand.and anothwer thing i love about this glove is the grip bar in the palm.this provides comfort for my hand and doesnt make my fingers cramp up.if u want a long lasting gloves with both comfort and style.its worth the money.

I bought this gloves so I wouldn't have to wrap my hands to protect my wrists everytime I went for a bag workout. One reviewer is clearly confused. They said that there was a metal bar in the glove to prevent fatigue in your hand. Turns out there is no metal bar in it, but instead it was plastic or something similar. Then when using these gloves on my 100 pound punching bag I wound up with blood blisters all over my knuckles. This has never happened to me before and I have been working out with punching bags for over 15 years. Yeah sure you might get some skin torn off from your hands rubbing on the inside of the leather everlast gloves the first couple weeks you use them but blood blisters on your knuckles after your knuckles are use to those kinds of blows for years. Another thing I noticed about these gloves is they wear out fast if you constantly use them on punching bags. They get to the point to where you feel like there is no padding in them. Gave these gloves 2 stars since I liked the idea of being able to wrap these gloves on and go to work. But they need to be greatly improved upon.

I am not a boxer or martial artist or any kind of exercise guru. I'm just an angry dude who wants to punch things. I had an old 75lb punching bag in my backyard and used to take out all my stress on it using cheap-o boxing gloves, but they started to wear thin.

These Harbinger Bag Gloves are just what I wanted. It's impossible to tell if they will fit you by looking at them online, so I went to my local Big 5 and found the exact brand and tried on the various sizes. Even though I have small hands, the mediums seemed to fit me the best. You want your knuckles to be in line with the most padded area of the glove.

Harbinger makes the best bag gloves. When I was at Big 5, I tried on the other brands/models, and they were flimsy and weak. The Harbinger gloves makes you want to start a fight with someone.

My only negative comment about these are the price. $45 was pretty darn high for gloves, but I guess you get what you pay for.

these gloves are far more comfortable than everlast or UFC training gloves. the leather inside is very soft and the stitches don't cut into the hand.
i'm sure these gloves are not a substitute for wraps and full bag gloves in terms of wrist protection, but they are so much easier to take off and put on without help, that they work for me perfectly.
I hit the bag 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes so they work great for me.

I've been kickboxing for almost 2 years and need gloves for class. I had a pair these gloves already, size M. they fit...but after a few weeks of using them 1-2x/week, I realized I needed a pair that really fit. These fit nicely. I have slightly larger hands, but the smalls fit me really well. If it helps, I wear a size M in the rubber dishwashing gloves. 4 stars because they are HOT. I do wish they had some ventilation in the palms. My hands get quite sweaty. However, I haven't noticed them getting any type of funky smell, and I don't do anything special to them. I do have another pair of gloves with the open palm(purchased from a mall store), but these gloves allow me to hit harder and NOT get sore knuckles. Even with the sweat factor, I would highly recommend these gloves!!

These gloves are pretty good for use on speed bags, stand ups, and moderate heavy bag work. I've used them once a day for the last few weeks, and they seem to be durable. The knuckle protection is superb and the wrist support is adequate but I still wrap my wrist with athletic tape for added safety. They're lightweight and fit comfortably on my hands. No staining or odor issues as I hang them outside of my gym bag rather than stuff them in it. Bottom line for anything other than full on maximum power heavy bag usage, these gloves are pretty good.

These gloves really hold the wrists tight and take a pounding. They don't cut the knuckles like some gloves and these gloves last forever. My last pair was so darn good that even after a year of heavy use (4 days a week), some jackass still stole them when I left them on a locker room bench for two minutes. Yep, they are that good. Amazon seems to be the only place to get them, they are a few bucks more than other gloves, and totally worth it.

I recommend them totally.

They fit great, they're comfortable, and the quality is wonderful. With the grip bar and the velcro wrist wrap, they provide good support for punching full strength on the heavy bag.

Size wise, I'm a 5'6" woman who always has difficulty finding gloves that fit. A women's XL is often too small (too narrow, too short in the fingers) when I'm shopping for regular leather winter gloves, but a small fit fine with these (a little snug the first few times I wore them, but now that they're broken in they go on and come off easily) since they're fingerless. I wear them alone with no wraps underneath.