The 10 Best Muay Thai Shin Guards For Training
When it comes to training Muay Thai, you need to wear shin guards. As the name suggests, the role of a shin guard is to protect your shins. In general, you can hurt your shins when throwing and taking kicks. As Muay Thai spends a big portion on kicks, shin guards are something you should buy early on. The last thing you want to do is get injured and spend weeks or months out.
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Shin Guards protect your shins and leg muscles
For instance, imagine receiving a nasty calf kick and getting a huge hematoma on your muscle. This could easily be stopped if you wore a shin guard. In even more extreme cases, some Nak Muay have even broke shins if they hit hard enough without wearing the proper protection. In other words, you’d be silly not to wear them. Even the best, toughest Muay Thai fighters in the sport will commonly be seen wearing shin guards.
Shin Guards should offer flexibility
Of course, you shouldn’t trade protection for lack of mobility either. Imagine training with really heavy, bulky shin guards. Whilst your legs would be protected, the trade-off would mean that you could barely move or throw a kick properly. With this in mind, the best option is to wear a shin guard that is both protective and easy to move in. Ideally, it should feel like you’re barely wearing anything at all which gives you the freedom to move lightly and throw kicks with ease whilst also offering shin protection.
Things to look for in Muay Thai Shin Guards
Quality Materials
Most shin guards will be made of a combination of leather and foam. Typically, they will have foam on the inside and leather on the outside. In general, if your pads are made out of other materials then this could be an issue (of course, there are always rules to the exception). A good way to check the quality of the materials is to check the stitching for any frays and generally, you’ll be able to tell if the quality is good after a few sessions anyway.
Price
Remember, buying budget shin guards isn’t always the best idea. Sometimes, you may fall victim to a false economy. This is when the customer is lured in by a bargain price, only for the quality to be lacking. Here, we’ve handpicked the best shin guards so even the cheaper ones don’t come with any nasty surprises. In short, it is possible to get a good deal whilst the quality still holds up.
Design
For some, design is quite important, and looking good is as well. Thankfully, these days there are a lot of different designs to choose from and plain black isn’t the only option. For instance, some of the Sanabul shin pads are very colorful. When talking about design, we’ve also looked at the practical side of things. This means looking at things like the straps on the back, as well as the mobility and coverage that the shin pads provide.
Best Muay Thai Shin Guards
Fairtex SP5
By some way, Fairtex are the best-known brand when it comes to Muay Thai. There’s a reason too, as their reputation is built on quality products. In this sense, the SP5 shin guards won’t disappoint and you get what you pay for. In other words, these will last you years even if you do wear them regularly. Made from leather and foam, they will protect your shins and calves from the hardest of strikes. Another positive is the stitching. You can see this is very tight and it won’t come apart. If you’re in training for the long haul and are serious about Muay Thai then these are a solid pick.
Arguably, these are also some of the best-looking shin guards as well which means that you can kick people in the head in style.
Venum Challenger
Another brand with an elite reputation is Venum, who have sponsored the UFC for a while now. These Challenger shin guards are made from 100% leather which means they won’t fall apart after a couple of uses and are legitimately built to last.
They also come with three straps, including one around the heel which is a nice addition and means they won’t slip off during sparring either and will stay compact. Designed in Thailand, these were literally made with Muay Thai in mind and as they’re also priced competitively, they should be a strong consideration.
Elite Sports
One of the main benefits of using the Elite Sports shin guards is that they have adjustable velcro straps which means you can move them up or down your leg for your own benefit. This means even if they’re a little big then it shouldn’t a problem.
These are also easy to wash so you don’t need to worry about them falling apart in the wash or smelling if you’re afraid to wash them. Unlike most shin pads, these also have a stretchy material that sits behind the foam meaning they fit nicely on your legs and stay tight. This is also a plus in terms of circulation and is a feature that most shin guards are lacking.
Meister (budget option)
If you’re on a budget then these Meister shin guards are probably the best out there that offer quality at a discount price. For the record, Meister does actually sell Muay Thai shin guards at higher prices. Nonetheless, these are under $20 which is about as good as it gets for price and affordability.
These are made from elastic and foam, as opposed to leather. At the same time, these still do a good job of protecting your legs. A hidden positive is also that the elastic covers around the ankle which in turn acts as support. In short, if you don’t have much to spend then they should be considered.
Hayabusa T3
Hayabusa have been involved in martial arts for years and with this said, it’s no wonder that their T3 shin guards are some of the best. One of the main positives of these shin guards is that their inner lining is made from anti-odor materials. If you’ve had a hard sparring session whilst wearing shin guards then you’ll know that they can smell pretty bad. Even if you wash them, sometimes the smell lingers. This is a welcome bonus, especially for those of us who are extra sweaty.
Aside from this feature, they’re also made from the standard combination of leather and foam but another good part of the T3’s is their curve. These are made to wrap around the leg and give you extra protection on the sides of the legs which is very helpful. They also have a whopping four straps on the back for extra grip on the backs of your legs.
Sanabul Essentials
Moving away to a less expensive brand is Sanabul. These have come up with their Essentials series which is based on affordable shin pads. With this said, these are some of the cheapest on the market. These use a hook loop system for the straps on your calves which makes them secure and weigh well under a kilogram which makes them ideal for training and for travel.
Like many on this list, these can also be used for other martial arts such as MMA and kickboxing if that’s what you’re into. Arguably, these would make a good case for a spare pair or your first pair of shin guards due to their low cost.
RDX
The RDX shin guards are a decent option and come with hook strap support and anti-sweat material on the inner lining. However, one of the main features of these is the design around the forefront. Unlike most shin guards, these are less bulky around the ankle and tibia which allows for greater mobility when throwing kicks.
Ultimately, this depends on your own preferences though as some people may prefer more padding for less mobility. Aside from this, these are also fitted with four layers of foam and are made from leather. In other words, they’re like many of the shin guards around but with a different style surrounding the foot.
Yokkao Matrix
Yokkao is another known brand that is strongly associated with Muay Thai. Like Fairtex, you know you’ll be buying quality with this name. These are made with three layers of internal foam to protect your shins and muscles from any bruises or hematomas. On the inside, they’re also made from cow leather.
What’s also nice about the Matrix shin guards is that they’re available in multiple colors so they also look the part. Lastly, the straps on the back are fairly large and thick so you won’t have to worry about these falling off either. As these are direct from Thailand, you know you’re getting the real deal as well.
XN8
Although XN8 isn’t the most known brand for shin pads, they’re still up there with the big boys when it comes to quality. Not only this but they’re also priced significantly cheaper than others on the market which is useful if you’re after a bargain.
Like many others, these are designed with four layers of protection and foam inside the shin guard. They’re also pretty easy on the eye and cover the entirety of the lower leg. With this in mind, what more is there to ask for?
Sanabul Funk Strike
If you’re looking for something completely outlandish to train Muay Thai in – then the Sanabul Funk Strike shin guards should fit your bill. As seen, these are very flamboyant, to say the least, and sport a very eye-catching tie-dye design. It’s no wonder then, that UFC star Sean O’Malley has been spotted wearing Funk Strike gear. In fairness, the rainbow colors do match his interesting hairstyle.
First and foremost though, Sanabul are a solid martial arts brand with a good reputation. This means that in terms of practicality – these are not going to let you down and aren’t just good-looking either.
Muay Thai shin guard size chart guide
Before committing to purchasing shin pads – you should keep in mind the size required for your body. Obviously, everyone is different and we all have certain builds and sizes. When it comes to shin guards, it’s important to keep this in mind.
As a general rule, it’s best to go with small shin guards if you’re under 5’4 feet tall and to go with extra large if you’re over 6’2 feet tall. The other sizes will usually fit somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum. Typically, most shin guards will have their own sizing chart that you should study before buying. However, sometimes they don’t. In this case, we have devised our own Muay Thai shin guard size chart which can be seen below. Remember, this is just a rough estimation though, and may not be inch perfect.
