I have featured RDX boxing gloves on a few of my boxing gloves recommendation lists. It’s time to take deep dive into learning about the UK brand and how their boxing gloves measure up against its competitors.
My review will be based on the RDX F7 Ego boxing gloves. It is the brand’s bestseller and is designed especially for Muay Thai training.
For the TL;DR crowd, let’s address the most important question on your mind before we get into the specifics:
Are RDX Boxing Gloves Good?
RDX offers over 30 different boxing glove models from standard hook-and-loop (velcro) to lace-ups and synthetic leather to a few real leather options.
What gets it going for RDX boxing gloves is the price factor which is the company’s primary focus. RDX’s mission is to offer an alternative to “American, Japanese and Mexican combat sports brands that were too expensive for the average Brit”.
Overall, RDX boxing gloves are decent vegan-friendly, entry-level boxing gloves at under $50 which is a great price point. The overall quality is better than competitors in the budget section including the lower-end Venum models (which I reviewed here), Everlasts, and Sanabul Essentials.
If you want an in-depth review of RDX F7 Ego Boxing gloves regarding the fit, quality and protection, please read on. Let’s see how well they compare against the established Thai brands.
About RDX Sports
We can learn a lot about a company’s products by learning its history as we gain an insight on their key focus.
RDX Sports is a combat sports and fitness brand founded in Manchester, UK in 1999. The brand offers training gear primarily targeted at the price-conscious and mainstream fitness community. The company focuses on e-commerce, so their products are easily available in the UK and the US.
RDX manufactures the whole range of combat sports training gear, equipment and apparel. RDX gear is designed in the UK but primarily manufactured in Pakistan as far as I know. This is the main factor that helps to keep costs and prices low.
Pakistan has a long history of manufacturing fight gear and the quality is reasonable but certainly not comparable to makers in Mexico and Thailand.
The brand sponsors a small team of mixed martial artists and fitness influencers. The sponsored team includes Tony Ferguson (former UFC champion), Mike Chandler (former Bellator champion), Martyn Ford (bodybuilder and actor) and Lyndon Arthur (English boxer).
RDX Boxing Gloves Review
RDX offers a wide range of boxing gloves from higher-end lace-ups to thumbless bag gloves . I will focus on their bestselling RDX F7 Ego Boxing Gloves for the purpose of this review. The F7 Ego gloves are designed for Muay Thai and kickboxing training according to the description on Amazon.
Protection
Let’s start by talking about what matters the most. Boxing gloves are designed and purchased primarily for safety by providing protection for the wearer.
RDX does a great job at using highly-effective marketing terms for their gear-making technology. “Polygonal Fusion Mold”, “Max-Shock Equilibrium Foam”, “Calibrated Impact Diffusion Sheet”, “Infused Shock Dispersion Sheet”, and “SpongeX”.
Fancy names for what is essentially just foam padding and sponge. I have to give the copywriters credit for coming up with their terms.
Sarcasm aside, the RDX gloves are actually really well-padded. They are not as well-padded as most of the Thai gloves but come with enough padding for sufficient protection.
If you are a heavy puncher, I would not recommend these as sparring gloves. The padding is not quite as cushy and would sting your partner’s face when they land.
Fit
Fit is another important factor to consider because boxing gloves from different brands fit differently.
RDX gloves have a snug compartment that is more suited for narrow hands. A number of reviewers commented that they don’t fit very well for long fingers and can be uncomfortable on a long/big thumb.
I have small hands and these fit me snugly but I would not imagine the same level of comfort if you have big, strong manly hands. They also have a stiff grip and take quite a while to break in.
Wrist Support
Muay Thai gloves typically allow for some flexibility around the wrists to facilitate clinching but wrist support should never be compromised. Wrist support is an important feature especially for beginners. A good support and stability will help to minimize stress and injuries.
RDX does well in this aspect with a nice wrist support that outperforms competitors in the same (pricing) class.
The cuffs are longer than your usual Muay Thai gloves and a little closer to Mexican-style boxing gloves. This design gives it more wrist stability. The extra-long velcro straps also do a great job on providing stability for a solid fit and support.
Durability
We have established that RDX likes to use fancy marketing terms. They do this for the leather that they use on the gloves. If you were wondering, “Maya Hide leather” is simply faux or synthetic leather.
Maya Hide doesn’t quite measure up to real leather in terms of quality and feel. It has the typical faux leather smell and doesn’t look as premium compared to real cowhide leather. However, I would like to commend the high-quality stitching.
I believe these gloves will stand up to regular light- or moderate-intensity training. Just don’t expect these to last as long as your Thai or Mexican gloves.
Breathability
Unfortunately, synthetic leather is not as breathable compared to real leather. Many fight brands circumvent this by incorporating mesh palm. RDX has this feature on some of its other gloves but has instead opted for perforated holes on the F7.
This is more of a concern for those of you with sweaty palms. Poor breathability causes your hands to sweat more easily. It can also lead to glove stench easily and especially if you don’t make an extra effort to dry out the gloves after training.
Aesthetics
I would say that aesthetic design is not one of their biggest strengths but I’m sure some of you will dispute that. Aesthetics can be quite subjective.
There is nothing outstanding in the designs. Very basic work that can be done by a design student. If you prefer something simple, then RDX is the right brand for you.
Price
This is where the RDX F7 boxing gloves shine. They are priced at just $45.99 on Amazon which is much cheaper than real leather options from Muay Thai brands like Fairtex or Yokkao.
You do get faux leather and lower quality at this price range. but the overall quality is a notch above budget options from other brands like Sanabul Essentials and Elite Sports.
Verdict
In conclusion, I recommend RDX boxing gloves for beginners or light to moderate training considering the pricing and quality. If you train 1-2 hours of real Muay Thai daily or 3-4 times a week, these will not go very far. I would also not encourage substituting your Thai gloves with these especially if you are looking to spar with them.
Average Rating (674 reviewers): 
(4.6 / 5)
Editor’s Rating: 
(3.5 / 5)
Other RDX Boxing Gloves Models
Besides the F7 Ego, RDX offers many alternatives to choose from. You can choose from high-end competition-level gloves, real leather sparring gloves and other Vegan-friendly synthetic leather options.
S4 Sparring Gloves (Real Leather)
If you want real leather gloves without breaking the bank, this is the best option from RDX. The S4 gloves are made using cowhide leather and are priced just slightly above $70. Compared to the F7, these have better protection, durability, and wrist support. If you are adamant on getting RDX gloves, pay a bit more and get these instead.
Nero Training Gloves (Vegan Friendly)
This is another Vegan-friendly option from RDX. You can expect the same-ish price, quality and protection like the F7. The key difference other than the look is the use of mesh instead of perforated holes. This offers much better breathability and is something to consider if you have sweaty palms.