Stats
Manufacturer: Grant
Price: 124.99 from grantboxing.com; 109.99 from ringside.com
Weight: 12oz
Type: Super Bag glove
Color: only comes in black, white, and red
Composition: High quality leather, cloth/canvas interior, foam fill, velcro enclosure
My Experience
I shelled out the money for Cleto Reyes gloves a while back. I got a pair of 16s that never fit, and a pair of 14s that fit a little better, but just didn't have the support. I heard Reyes gloves were for people who had wide, thick hands & Grants were more for people with longer, more slender hands. Falling into the second category I decided to give the Grant Super Bag gloves a shot.
I remember being so giddy on the day that they arrived after waiting a good 5 days for them to come. They came vaccuum wrapped and looked almost tiny. Popping open the wrap, they had a more distinct leather smell than any of the gloves I'd bought before or since. The leather was soft and supple. Heard a rumor that it was actually goat skin and wouldn't be surprised if it was. These gloves are BEAUTIFUL. I've gotten more compliments at the gym on them than any other pair of gloves, even 2 years later.
Trying them on the first time, the padding was still a bit stiff. Took a little while to break them in. This was actually a good thing though - when the padding was more stiff, it provided more resistance and protection. The fit of the glove was AMAZING. It was like it was contoured perfectly for my hand, super snug fit, and a much better experience than the Reyes gloves. (I like a snug hand compartment that I can break in over time).
The huge velcro strap on the wrist acts like an additional handwrap. Grant puts a high priority on wrist support evidenced by these gloves and their lace up trainers which have some the longest, most supportive lace-up cuffs that I've ever seen.
At 12 ounces, the glove was lighter than what I was used to, and MAN, did they feel like they were FLYING! Kinda like the magic of a great pair of shoes that make you feel like you're going much faster. I'd rip through combos on the mitts. I could feel a satisfying crunch with every shot on the heavybag. My hands were heat seeking missiles on the double ended speed ball.
Over time, the gloves have held up very nicely. The only drawback is that the foam has become softer with use. Not shifting or breaking down, per say, but thinner, less resilient, and less shock-absorbing. In less than 6 months of daily use, I found that I had to wear some sort of knuckle guard when working with these gloves to avoid bruising my knuckles. On the upside, over the last year and a half the foam hasn't changed much; once they reached a certain point, they kinda stayed there.
These are, by far, my favorite gloves and I really don't mind using a knuckle guard or everlast gel wrap in order to continue using them.
Pros:
High quality leather
Awesome construction
Perfect fit (if you like a snug fit)
Attractive Appearance
Great Wrist support
Cons:
Foam could be a little thicker to provide more knuckle protection
Extremely high price for a bag glove
May not be a good fit for those with large, wide, thick hands
Score:
Quality 10/10
Value 8/10
Performance 8/10
Comfort 9/10
Short of shelling out the dough for Winning Gloves, these are some of the most expensive gloves you will find, but they are definitely worth every penny.
Had to take off points for performance and comfort due to the foam not protecting my knuckles enough once I'd broken the gloves in.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I bought these gloves when they cost over $130, so that's a big reason for being so harsh on the price point.