Hey friends, it’s Lizzie! My first ever pair of boxing gloves were basic pink Everlasts. I’ve been kickboxing for ten years now and I train in Hayabusa, so this is a comparison I can actually make from owning both — not from reading spec sheets.
The short version: they’re not really competing for the same job.
The quick answer
Everlast makes a perfectly reasonable first pair of gloves. If you’re about to try your first class and you don’t yet know whether you’ll still be doing this in six months, buying cheap is a completely rational decision and I’d never talk someone out of it.
Hayabusa is what you buy when you’ve decided you’re actually doing this. The gap isn’t really about how they feel on day one — it’s about how they feel in month eight.
What Everlast genuinely gets right
Let me be fair, because I think people are unnecessarily snobby about this. Everlast is everywhere, it’s affordable, and it’s often the only brand you can walk into a shop and buy the same afternoon. For someone who just wants to try a class without spending real money, that accessibility matters more than any performance detail.
They also make nicer versions than the pair I owned. Mine were the basic pink ones — the entry-level end of their range — so I want to be clear that’s what I’m comparing, not their higher-end lines.
Where mine fell down
They didn’t last. That’s the honest headline. I replaced that pair much sooner than I expected to, and the problem wasn’t that they felt bad at first — it’s that they stopped holding their shape. Padding compresses, the glove loses its structure, and the thing you actually bought quietly stops being the thing you own.
The same thing happened with a grey pair of Venums I had later, so this isn’t a grudge against one brand. It’s a tier.
The Hyundai and the Bentley
The way I describe it to friends: it’s like comparing a Hyundai to a Bentley. The Hyundai isn’t a bad car. It gets you there. But one of them has a perfected formula and stays timeless, and you feel that difference every single time you use it.
With Hayabusa, the thing I notice most is the wrist. It’s a longer cuff and a closure that actually locks your wrist in place, and after ten years of training that’s the feature I’d give up last.
What the price difference actually buys
Look at cost per year rather than cost at checkout. A cheap pair replaced every several months and a premium pair that holds up for years land closer together than the price tags suggest — and you spend far less time shopping for gloves. I broke that math down properly in is Hayabusa worth the money.
My code LILO takes 10% off, and it matches whatever site-wide sale is running if that’s bigger, so you never do worse by using it.
Shop Hayabusa with code LILO →
So which should you buy?
Buy Everlast if: this is your first class, you’re not sure it’ll stick, or you genuinely can’t justify the spend right now. That’s a real answer, not a consolation prize.
Buy Hayabusa if: you’re training more than a couple of times a week, you’ve already replaced one cheap pair, or you’re doing anything with contact. If you’ve worn out gloves before, you already know which side of this you’re on.
If you’re going Hayabusa and don’t know where to start, I compared two of the models I train in over in Hayabusa T3 vs E1, and sizing trips more people up than model choice — read my sizing guide before you order anything.
Where my experience ends
Worth being straight about the limits here. I owned the basic pink Everlast pair, so that’s what I can speak to — not their premium models, which I haven’t trained in. My Hayabusa assessment comes from years of my own use. Weigh those two things accordingly rather than treating this as an equal head-to-head of every glove both brands make.
Price, side by side
This is where the comparison gets clearer than most people expect, because “Everlast” covers an enormous range.
- Basic Everlast — the sporting-goods pairs, typically well under $50. This is what I owned.
- Everlast Elite Pro leather — around $179.99
- Everlast 1910 Pro leather — around $299.99
- Hayabusa E1 — $99.99, about $90 with my code
- Hayabusa T3 — $169, about $152 with my code
So the honest framing is this: my pink Everlasts were competing with nothing in Hayabusa’s range, because they cost a fraction of it. Everlast’s premium lines actually cost more than the T3 — and I’ve never trained in those, so I can’t tell you whether they’re worth it.
Which Hayabusa if you’re switching from Everlast
If you’re coming off a basic Everlast pair, the E1 at $99.99 is the natural step. No break-in, single strap so you can get in and out on your own, and softer padding that’s forgiving while you build up volume. Full E1 review.
If you already know you’re staying with the sport, go to the T3 and stop buying gloves for a long time. It’s my favourite pair — enough protection while still letting me feel where my punches land. My long-term T3 review.
Torn between them? T3 vs E1.
How Everlast compares to the other budget brands I’ve owned
This is the part I can speak to that most comparisons can’t, because I climbed the whole ladder with my own money.
I also owned a pair of Sanabul (currently $17.99–$34.99) and the grey Venum Contender (about $45–$50). Ranked honestly against my basic pink Everlasts:
- Everlast (basic) — the most available, the least impressive of the three.
- Sanabul — slightly better than the Everlasts, and it cost less. That surprised me.
- Venum Contender — the best of the budget pairs. I kept these for about two years.
Full write-ups: Venum vs Everlast, Everlast vs Sanabul, and the whole story in four glove brands in ten years.
Is Everlast good for beginners?
Genuinely, yes — with one caveat. Their real strength is availability: you can buy a pair today, locally, without waiting for shipping or thinking about it. For someone who just wants to get into a class this week, that matters more than any performance detail.
The caveat is that if you already know you’re committed, a basic Everlast pair is a stepping stone you’ll outgrow. The most expensive way to buy gloves is to buy cheap ones three times before admitting you’re staying.
What makes any glove last longer
Regardless of which you buy, the thing that decides how long it survives isn’t how hard you hit — it’s whether it dries out. Gloves that live zipped in a gym bag stay damp, and damp padding breaks down and starts to smell.
Mine come out of the bag the moment I get home. It’s free, and it’s done more for my gear than any purchase. More here, and how I clean mine.
Sizing between brands
Don’t assume your Everlast size carries across. Hayabusas run snug before break-in and the fit changes once you’re wrapped. Sizing guide, and this one for smaller hands.
Price and the code
My code LILO takes 10% off Hayabusa in the US, and it matches whatever site-wide sale is running if that one’s bigger.
Shop Hayabusa with code LILO →
Outside the US? Use code LIZZIE on the Hayabusa Europe store, or shop my Australia storefront.
I compared Everlast against the other budget brands I owned in Venum vs Everlast and Everlast vs Sanabul.
Outside the US? Use code LIZZIE on the Hayabusa EU store for the UK and Europe, or shop my Australia storefront.
Worth a read if that’s where you are: Hayabusa vs cheap boxing gloves and the best boxing gloves for beginners.
Your Questions, Answered
Are Everlast gloves bad? No — they’re entry-level. For a first class or occasional use they do the job. My issue was longevity once I was training regularly.
How long did your Everlast gloves last? Noticeably less than I expected. They stopped holding their shape well before I was ready to replace them.
Is Hayabusa worth it for a beginner? If you already know you’ll keep training, yes. If you’re still deciding whether the sport is for you, start cheap and upgrade when you’re sure.
Does code LILO work on Hayabusa? Yes — 10% off, or the current sale price if that’s bigger.
Is Hayabusa better than Everlast? Against the basic pink pair I owned, clearly yes. Against Everlast’s Elite Pro or 1910 leather lines — which cost more than a T3 — I genuinely can’t say, because I’ve never trained in them.
Is Everlast good for beginners? Yes, mainly because you can buy it locally today. It’s a starting point, not a forever pair.
What’s the cheapest glove actually worth buying? Of the budget pairs I’ve owned, the Venum Contender at around $45 — or a Sanabul from $17.99 if you need to spend less.
Which Hayabusa should I buy coming from Everlast? The E1 at $99.99 if you’re stepping up, the T3 at $169 if you already know you’re committed.
Do Everlast gloves last? My basic pair went soft faster than I wanted. How you store them matters as much as what you paid.
