The Complete Beginner's Guide to Muay Thai Gear in Canada

Your First Muay Thai Class: What You Actually Need to Buy

You've signed up for your first Muay Thai class. Maybe you've been watching fights, maybe a friend dragged you in, maybe you just needed a reason to stop hitting the treadmill. Whatever brought you here... welcome.

Now comes the question every new student asks within the first week: what do I actually need to buy? This guide breaks it down clearly. No fluff, no upselling you on gear you don't need yet. Just the honest rundown from people who live in the fight community.

 

What You Actually Need to Start

Here's the short list for your first month of training:

Gloves and shin guards are your two single most important purchases.

Gloves you'll use every class — for bag work and pad work. Shin guards matter just as early, because defensive drilling (blocking and checking kicks with a partner) is part of training from week one, and your shins simply aren't conditioned yet. Don't worry — the body adapts quickly. You'll feel your legs getting stronger and more resilient the more you train, but you need the protection while that happens.

For gloves, don't skip buying your own — gym loaners are shared by dozens of people and rarely fit properly. If you're just starting out, we recommend a **14 oz glove**. It's the ideal well-rounded padding size — enough protection for pads, bags, and light partner work, without being so bulky it slows down your technique. It's genuinely the best choice for beginners. Expect to spend $80–$160 CAD for a reliable pair from a brand like Fairtex, Hayabusa, or Yuth.

For shin guards, budget $80–$160 CAD for a quality pair. Fairtex SP3, Fairtex SP5, and Hayabusa T3 are among the most trusted options and will hold up through years of training.

Once you're training regularly, the ideal setup is two pairs: a **10–12 oz glove** for bag work and mitts, and a separate **16 oz glove** reserved strictly for sparring. But for your first pair, the 14 oz is the one to get.

Hand wraps go under the gloves and protect your knuckles, wrists, and the small bones in your hands. A 4.5-metre wrap is standard. These run $15–$25 CAD and are non-negotiable — skip them and you'll understand why within a few sessions.

Wraps do more than protect your hands, though. They protect your gloves, too. Sweat gets absorbed into the wrap instead of soaking into the glove lining, which means your gloves stay drier, last longer, and don't end up smelling like a locker room after a few weeks. Wraps are also easy to clean — toss them in the wash as many times as you need. Wearing them lowers your risk of skin infections and keeps your gloves in good shape for a lot longer without the foul stench.

Mouthguard is mandatory, especially once you start sparring. A decent boil-and-bite runs $10–$50 CAD. A custom-fitted one is better if you're serious, but a quality off-the-shelf option does the job for beginners.

Shop our gloves, wraps, shin guards, and shorts at [mtlfightshop.ca](https://mtlfightshop.ca/collections/all)

Muay Thai shorts are worth buying early too, even if you can train in gym shorts to start. Traditional Thai satin shorts allow full range of motion and don't bunch up during kicks or clinch. Expect $40–$80 CAD for a solid pair from Fairtex, Yuth, or Wicked One.

What to Buy Later

A skipping rope isn't just a warm-up filler — it's key conditioning. It builds calf endurance, sharpens footwork and coordination, and helps minimize injury risk by building a strong foundation under your kicks and movement. If you can, go for a **heavy rope** — it works your shoulders, wrists, and calves far more efficiently than a standard speed rope. A quality rope runs $15–$40 CAD.

Ankle supports, headgear, and a cup are all things you'll eventually want, but none are day-one purchases.

Why Quality Matters (and Why Amazon Gear Will Let You Down)

We see it constantly: a new student walks in with a $30 pair of gloves ordered from Amazon, and within three weeks the stitching is coming apart, the foam has compressed into something resembling cardboard, and their wrists are taking unnecessary stress.

Cheap gear isn't just less durable — it can actually be unsafe. Thin foam on boxing gloves doesn't protect your hands or your training partners. Shin guards that slip mid-round are a distraction and a liability.

The brands we carry — Fairtex, Hayabusa, Yuth, Wicked One, PRIMO, InFightStyle — are used by professional and amateur fighters worldwide. Fairtex and Yuth gear is made in Thailand, the birthplace of Muay Thai, using construction methods refined over decades. Hayabusa is a Canadian brand known for exceptional wrist support and foam engineering. These are products that will last years, not months.

 

Buying Muay Thai Equipment in Canada vs. Importing

You could theoretically order gear directly from Thailand. Some people do. But factor in shipping costs, customs duties, and the risk of sizing issues that you can't resolve from 13,000 km away. By the time you've paid for international shipping and potential duties, the "deal" usually disappears.

Buying from a Canadian retailer that sources directly from Thailand and knows the gear means you get the real thing at a fair price, with no customs headache, and from people who can actually answer your questions.

We're based inside Thai Long Gym at 215 Rue Jean-Talon O in Montreal. If you're local, come in. If you're anywhere in Canada, we ship.