This article names the 7 best headgears with cheek protectors. This type of headgear is a fine balance between the open face and face saver headgears. Headgears with cheek protectors are popular because they are more protective than the open face headgears while granting its users with more visibility than the face saver ones. Due to its design, a headgear with cheek and chin padding is a versatile choice that is great for boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts (MMA). The items below are listed in no particular order.

1. Winning FG 2900

This FG 2900 is a top-of-the-line headgear and is the premiere choice for many professional athletes. It is ultra lightweight and has premium padding to cushion the impact during full contact sparring sessions. In addition to solid padding at the front of the headgear, their thick eardrum padding is excellent as well. The laces on the back of the headgear allow individuals to comfortably and securely fit the FG 2900 on their head. A downside of the Winning’s lace design is the lack of rear padding for accidental hits to the back of the head. Overall, the FG 2900 minimalistic design is highly regarded for its comfort and impact absorption capabilities. The FG 2900 is one of the most expensive headgear option available and definitely worth it to anyone willing to spend the money.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

2. Cleto Reyes Headgear

Cleto Reyes is another pricey headgear option. At first glance, the Reyes headgear’s physical appearance may seem simplistic, but its features are excellent for a boxer needs. This headgear is a highly durable product that incorporates authentic cowhide leather. The Reyes headgear utilizes a unique design to keep the headgear secured in place. As shown in the picture above, there are two Velcro straps on the back of the headgear designed to quickly strap on the headgear by yourself. The top portion of the headgear incorporates a lace crown design. The combination of the rear Velcro and top laces grants its users to adjust and fit the Reyes accordingly. The Reyes headgear’s leather chin strap is held in place by a metal buckle. This style of chin strap is more durable than Velcro chin straps, but it is not as adjustable. The protection component of the Reyes headgear consists of latex paddings. In terms of cushioning against the impact of punches, this padding is only rivaled by the Winning headgear.

Overall Rating: 8/10

3. Hayabusa Tokushu Regenesis Headgear

Individuals looking for a full face headgear for striking and MMA should consider this option from Hayabusa. Hayabusa stated that the Tokushu Regenesis headgear has 30% better field of vision than the average headgears. This improvement is excellent for seeing incoming hooks and roundhouse kicks. One of the attributes that makes the Regenesis stand out is its extremely thick padding protection for the chin. It is hard to find full face headgears with a better chin protection, outside of the headgears manufactured by Hayabusa. The mesh material covering the eardrum is breathable and minimizes abrasions against your ears. However, this mesh component does muffle the surrounding sound. Hayabusa exterior is composed of an engineered leather material, which is code word for synthetic leather. Despite it not being authentic leather, their alternative Vylar-2 engineered leather is suppose to be tougher and more abrasion resistance than the real thing. The material touching your face consist of a fabric that will help wick your sweat away. This fabric is also integrated with anti-odor properties to reduce the funky smell build up over time. These features are great for those extra sweaty strikers!

Overall Rating: 9/10

4. Ringside Master's Competition Headgear

This Ringside headgear is approved by the USA Boxing Associations for use by individuals competing in the Master Division of amateur boxing competitions. Even if you have no plans to compete, this headgear is an excellent choice for sparring inside your local gym. The Ringside Master headgear has padding that are thick and soft. It also has raised cheek padding for extra protection for your nose. Those two characteristics of the Ringside headgear is ideal for individuals who like to swarm their opponent and fight in the pocket. However, this thickness does make the Ringside headgear bulky and heavier than the average headgears with cheek protectors. Ringside designed this headgear to have a leather construction throughout for long lasting durability. A disadvantage of the full leather construction is the breathability factor and the higher tendency for the headgear to slip and move around once you start amassing quite an amount of sweat. This Ringside headgear is a quality selection at an affordable price.

Overall Rating: 8/10

5. TITLE Gel World Training Headgear

Title Boxing has a product line of boxing and MMA equipment that integrate a special gel enforced lining. The GEL component reduces the impacts felt with this Title headgear. The Title headgear offers a full 360 degrees range of protection with padding for the eardrum, back of the head and for the chin as well. This Title headgear is one of the bulkier and heavier option. Its Velcro system is extremely convenient for quickly putting on and taking off by yourself. The drawback to Velcro only straps is that it does not provide a secure fit as the headgears that utilizes laces or a combination of laces and Velcro. The Gel headgear has an all leather construction which is great for its long term durability. However, this also means that it lacks moisture wicking capabilities and may get pretty hot during long sparring sessions. This headgear is ideal for strikers who wants a cost effective headgear with great protection.

Overall Rating: 8/10

6. Venum Challenger 2.0 Headgear

The Challenger 2.0 is a popular choice for beginner to intermediate level strikers. It is a budget friendly headgear with a unique design that stands out from the crowd. Part of its relatively inexpensive price is due to it having a synthetic leather exterior and a fabric material interior instead of having an all leather construction. Even though the synthetic leather may not be as durable as authentic leather, the interior fabric material is great for wicking the moisture away and helps keep the headgear in place when you get hit. A special feature of the Challenger headgear is its dual layer of padding where the outer layer is composed of a hard density foam while the inner layer is a soft foam padding. These foam layers are exceptional at softening your opponent’s punches. The weight of the Challenger makes it comfortable to wear for long training sessions. Additionally, the Velcro system used to hold the headgear in place is convenient and easily adjustable. This quality headgear is definitely worth considering.

Overall Rating: 9/10

7. Fairtex Full Coverage Headgear

Fairtex is a well known brand based out of Thailand. They have developed many high quality and handmade products, and this headgear is no different. This Fairtex headgear provides wonderful visibility while still maintaining its protective features. Its multi-layer foam padding is tough and durable. A complaint for this particular headgear is that its padding is not as thick and cushiony as the other options listed previously. Therefore, it may not be a great choice for hard sparring sessions. However, its comfort and fit is amazing for friendly and technical sparring. This headgear will require breaking it in a bit to take full advantage of its features. The Fairtex headgear has quality stitching and utilizes genuine leather. It has a special blend of Velcro straps to rapidly put on the headgear as well as laces on top for a snug fit. The Fairtex full coverage headgear is outstanding for kickboxers, Muay Thai and MMA practitioners.

Overall Rating: 10/10