As someone who is constantly holding mitts and trying to help others with their striking, a body protector seemed like a reasonable purchase. Now I solely picked the TITLE Classic Body Protector on price alone. It was the first one I used but to be fair for the price I paid three or so years ago, I’m still happily using it to this day.
Protection and Padding
The padding of this body protector is very thick and solid all around due to it being a multilayer foam. Because of that you don’t feel much at all unless the person is either 200lbs+ or just truly ripping every punch they throw. Now mind you even just using this with a person who weighs around 150lbs my body feels sore the next day.
I remember the first time I noticed the soreness it felt like I was doing ab workouts the day before. It’s not a pain whatsoever, it’s just that dull and tight feeling. I don’t mind it at all and honestly just embrace it because I managed to get a little workout in from just getting punched around.
The protection is great against punches, not perfect though and like I said you will feel those heavy punches but they won’t put you on the ground or anything. Think of a headgear, it takes a lot of the sting off but those good punches can still get through no matter how much padding there is. I do not recommend this particular protector for knees and kicks though unless the striker is going light but a good knee or kick will most likely go right through the shield.
Even though it is advertised for all strikes including kicks, I personally don’t use it that way and 95% of the time I use it to work on Boxing and I recommend the same for anyone looking to buy it. Perfect for punches, decent to bad for kicks and knees. Half the protection or effectiveness of these things comes from the user too. Don’t expect to put any protector on and then just tank punches, no matter what I use I tighten my abs and brace myself as the strikes come.
Comfort
I’m 5’5 and this thing fits me perfectly, maybe a little bit long/big but perfect for me and better for people around 5’10. The straps are very easy to adjust and the plastic clips are thick and durable, easy to set up and most of the time I can do it with no help. The straps themselves have padded sleeves as well so the straps sit on your shoulders without feeling obnoxious or digging in. The liner is also very good, it’s not rough or anything but when you wear a shirt you won’t be feeling it either way.
Quality and Durability
This thing has held up through years of rounds and I’ve kept up with it so even to this day it still looks brand new. The colors are still vibrant, the stitching is still intake, the padding feels solid still, the straps are perfect. It’s held up just fine, absolutely no complaints and job well done by Title. The quality for the price is excellent, I honestly didn’t expect it to be this good. The shell is synthetic leather but it looks very nice and the colors are bright and clean. The actual construction is top notch, I don’t have any glaring mistakes or anything. When it comes to quality and durability this thing passes the test with flying colors.
Design
This body protector has a very standard design. Mostly made up of three individual red sections on top of a solid black section. The three red parts are the two sides and the midsection. There are no fancy elevated sections or targets, the closest thing you get to targets are the TITLE T’s on the sides. The design is minimalistic and overall basic but that’s what I like about it. The colors are also a great combination as you can’t beat black and red. My only gripe would be the TITLE logo on the midsection as it’s not soft leather but instead more of a plastic logo. Either way no gear has been ruined by the logo so it’s not a big deal but u consider it unnecessary.
The protector is also a one size fits most type of thing but I think it’s better suited for bigger people. Maybe around 180 and average height or so. Ive let people use it who were all shapes and sizes and it works just fine it just feels a little loose for smaller people no matter how much you tighten it.
There are three straps on the back, two for the arms and one for the body. The ones for the arms can be crossed or just strapped vertically depending on how you want to wear it. Because I personally like to, “hold,” the protector with my elbows I usually wear those straps vertically as I don’t have to tighten it all the way and it’s easier to put on. As I mentioned the straps also have padded sections that move around which is a plus because the straps alone can rub the skin and burn after awhile. Nothing serious though, you barely feel it but the pads definitely do help.
Cost
The cost was one of the major selling points of this body protector. It’s a perfect price for what you get and I haven’t regretted my purchase at all.
