The particular form of martial arts called Muay Thai is a combat sport, also known as Thai boxing, which combines the fists, knees, elbows, shins, elbows. This martial art form is very competitive and dangerous, for which one needs to guard themselves properly to avoid getting severe injuries. It gets fierce and bloody if one does not defend themselves appropriately.
The most vital regions to be guarded are familiar to all Muay Thai practitioners. They associate these kinds of practices with uncertain risks that may arise with intense strikes to someone’s head. The best muay thai headgear is required for a safer method of this martial arts form. There are several reasons to wear a helmet as it can prevent any neurological or muscular injuries. The trauma that a strike to the head can injure the head severely can be lessened.
Using a headgear not only will lessen the intensity of the strikes or blows to the head but also enable a safe practice of the martial art form. Never forget to wear a headgear, even if it is a practice session. You must follow this guide to choose the best muay thai headgear for your Muay Thai practice sessions.
Top 7 Best Muay Thai Headgear Reviews
1. Fairtex Headgear Head Guard- HG10
This headgear is a compact Muay Thai headgear that protects you from any attacks, especially elbow strikes that are most lethal. The helmet covers the ear, cheeks, chin, and the back of the head correctly to absorb any hit or blow to these regions of the head. The forehead has extra cushioning and padding as well as on the cheek and the back strap too. The inner layer is soft, while the outer layer is hard with a special high-density multi-layered foam core to absorb shock and provide protection. The headgear, despite its great padding and protection, provides a clear vision.
Pros:
- Comprehensive coverage to absorb all kinds of attacks.
- Available in sizes M, L, and XL
- Has high-density multi-layered foam core to absorb shock
Cons:
- May not suit some head shapes.
- Slips off the chin sometimes if not well-fitted.
Price- $79.68
2. Twins Special Headgear HGL-3 for protection in Muay Thai
This headgear is made by the brand Twins, which is a very famous combat sports brand making compact and well-made headgears, which provide excellent insulation and protection for the face and head. The device comes with a velcro back and several other features. The HGL-3 has excellent visibility as well as is lightweight on your head. It provides good padding and all-round protection for your head. It is made of leather, which is 100% cow skin and is a hardy headgear, therefore, as the most high-grade muay thai headgear, one can buy this product as it offers a lot of good features.
Pros:
- It has china and cheek protection with heavy padding.
- Increased face coverage
- Velcro to attach at the back
Cons:
- It cannot be used in an amateur fight because of the chin padding.
Price- $81.95
3. RDX Maya Hide Leather Protector Headgear
This product is a compact and well-crafted headgear that is recommended by a lot of martial arts, especially Muay Thai practitioners. It fits your head very well and provides full protection with its padding. It is made with their special Maya Hide Leather technology that does not allow the material to get worn out no matter how harsh the training is. It is also made with the thick TRI-slab padding to absorb and provide support to your head. The shell shock gel lining works the same way, absorbing any strike or blow to the head. Thus, this product is the most desirable muay thai headgear.
Pros-
- Compressed EVA-Lution sheet to provide impact resistance
- Quick EZ Hook-and-Loop Closure to get an adjustable and perfect fit.
- TRI-slab and shell shock gel lining to absorb impact
- Maya Hide leather to not get worn out for a very long time.
- Ear Padding
- Removable face grill
Cons:
- The visibility is compromised.
- It can be too tight on the cheeks, even if the head fits.
Price- $39.99
4. Winning Headgear The FG2900
The brand Winning is very famous as it is used by professional boxers and is the appropriate training gear. You can be assured that this product will provide you with the best protection for the head. It is a solid investment you will be making with the purchase of this product. It is made for pure martial arts and boxing sports sparring to absorb continuous strikes and blows to the head or a punch. It provides a comfortable fitting, super crafting, and overall protection without compromising the visibility of the headgear. Thus, being the most excellent muay thai headgear, it is the best purchase you can make.
Pros:
- It is available in medium, large sizes.
- It is very lightweight.
- Super craftsmanship as made in Japan
Cons:
- The cheeks get wet for the padding.
- Visibility might be compromised.
Price- $349.89
5. Ringside Competition- Headgear Without Cheeks
With this headgear, you can assure yourself that you are purchasing headgear purely for competitions. It offers you the best when it comes to visibility because of the open face structural design in the ones without the cheek padding. You must purchase headgears that provide the best visibility so that it does not interfere with your performance in the competition. It is also true that proper gear also has its weaknesses when it comes to cheek padding interfering with the visibility of the player. Therefore, the cheekless structure of the best muay thai headgear can give you the best vision. It is lightweight, thus, helps you in moving around.
Pros:
- It is made out of durable leather, so it does not get easily worn out.
- Not very expensive
- Best visibility
- Lightweight
- Sleek molded structure to protect
- Most recommended for Muay Thai.
Cons:
- It may get a bit snug, so the fitting may not match, so the size chart is to be watched.
- Not approved by USA boxing
Price- $55.99
6. Venum Challenger 2.0 Headgear
The Venum headgears are outstanding as they come with booming features packed in one headgear. They come in one size but are still sold out slowly for the well-promised features it provides you with. It has a great look to it. It has a wide movable velcro fixing/fastening to make sure your headgear is attached correctly. It absorbs shock three times better as it is stuffed with close contoured foam. The best part is that it has a 180-degree vision, which is perfect so that one does not get a tunnel vision. This is a great muay thai headgear that one can purchase.
Pros:
- It is incredibly lightweight.
- It has a two-way flexible Velcro closure.
- It is a universal size so that it can be adjusted to all head sizes.
- It is made of contoured triple density foam.
- Constructed with Skintex leather
- Open top helps one to sweat and breathe better.
Cons:
- It is not available in different sizes.
- It may not be well-manufactured when shipped.
Price- $44.69
7. TITLE Gel World Full-Face Training Headgear
The TITLE Gel Full-face training headgear makes it pretty obvious with its name that it is meant to be used for training. The headgear comes with a proper gel lining to absorb shock or any strike or blow to the head. It has a multi-layered foam design to absorb the shock as well as give it a very firm fitting. The cheeks are well-padded as well the forehead, the back, and the ears, with a very wrap-around fitting. Being the best muay thai headgear, it is appropriate for training. It gets recommended a lot by Muay Thai practitioners all around the world as it provides maximum protection and coverage, among other training headgears available.
Pros:
- It has a gel lining with multi-layered contoured foam.
- It comes with fully padded ears, back, cheeks, and forehead.
- The closure is a hook-and-loop at the back and elastic top.
- The build is all-leather.
Cons:
- Not available for international shipping.
- Many customers face an error with the manufactured product. Some may not have the features.
- It may slide when sparring.
Price- $99.99
Buying Guide
Having gone through the six different headgears for Muay Thai, you must now think and boil down to the point that what type of muay thai headgear one can purchase. Here are the factors based on which you must buy a headgear specifically for Muay Thai form of martial arts.
1. Velcro closure or Lace-up-
This is a severe factor to look into as one has to consider what suits them the best. If you are willing to choose the amount of snugness you would want the headgear to have, you must get a lace-up headgear to adjust that. If you’re going to get a secure fit to avoid the helmet to waste time wearing the headgear or untying the lace-up, then you must go for a velcro hook-and-loop. It depends upon how you want to work with the headgear you choose. It also depends if you are purchasing a helmet for training or competitions.
2. Type of leather
The leather can be of two types found in headgears- synthetic and real. Real leather is meant to last for a long time and feels better on the skin. However, one cannot merely deny how the quality of synthetic leather has immensely improved with advancing technology. Therefore, you may give synthetic leather a try always but cannot let go of the longevity, soft touch, and breathable real leather headgear. If you are someone who does not tolerate animal-cruelty, you shall not worry as synthetic leather has improved a lot.
3. Design/Size
There are three types of headgears available in the market- The Open-Face headgear, the Cheek Protector, and the Full-Face (with chin guard) headgear. These three styles are practical. It just depends on what you want. If you’re going to get good coverage as well as visibility, you should go for the cheek protector. If you want full coverage, then go for a Full face with bar headgear. The only drawback with this type is that you do not get full visibility. If you want full visibility, then you must go for the Open-Face headgear, but it cannot provide you with full coverage. Thus, cheek protectors are a good choice to get a good balance. However, Competition headgears must be mostly open-faced to avoid compromising on your vision.
4. Weight
Heavy headgears can offer very good protection from all the strikes and blows to the head, but it may constrict your vision and reaction for the next move not to get hit. It may get uncomfortable and hinder you from performing well. Thus, you must look for lightweight, yet good coverage headgears that absorb the shock but do not make mobility difficult for you. However, too many lightweight headgears tend to be not so effective as a shock absorber. They have the least coverage or made with less foam. One should not compromise their safety by wearing lightweight headgears. Thus, an optimum balance between coverage and weight would be the best choice. Competition demands for lightweight headgears. Thus, Cheek Protectors, in this case, is the best choice.
Conclusion
Even if these products are all great, you can help yourself to choose the best out of them and have a pleasant experience with the best muay thai headgear you purchase. You must keep yourself safe and sound even when practicing the Muay Thai form of martial arts so that you don’t attain any whiplash injuries or any nerve-related damages. The head is the most important portion of your body, which should stay guarded in such a deadly form of martial arts no matter what the circumstances are. Even if you are training, you should wear headgear.