Esprit Boxe rangeOpen faceReal leather
The essentials: Esprit Boxe open face headgear in black real leather lined with suede, filled with high density foam. A wide face opening for maximum field of vision, with protection across the forehead, crown, temples, ears and cheeks, held by a rear hook-and-loop closure and chin straps. Gold Esprit Boxe badge, reinforced stitching. 2 sizes: M and L. €59, free standard delivery.
This is the most widely used headgear format in amateur boxing, and not by accident. Heavily closed headgear is reassuring, but it narrows what you see coming. This one does the opposite: it opens the face wide so nothing masks your partner's shoulders, hands and footwork. You see it coming, so you slip it. This is the headguard for a boxer who wants to develop, not only to absorb.
Field of vision is protective equipment
People often reason as if protection and visibility were two independent sliders. They are not. A shot you see leaving is a shot you can slip, block or absorb by taking your head back — a shot that never reaches its full energy. A shot coming out of a blind spot arrives whole.
That is exactly the reasoning that led to headgear being dropped from men's olympic boxing from the 2016 Games: research suggested that better visibility, and therefore better anticipation, reduced certain kinds of impact. This model applies the same principle without giving up protection: the foam stays where the shots land, and the line of sight is freed.
What this headgear covers
- Covered: forehead, crown, temples, ears and cheeks, with a generous forehead roll that takes straight shots.
- Open: the nose, the lower jaw and the whole central line of sight. The face opening is markedly wider than on a full face model.
- Fastening: hook-and-loop at the rear, completed by straps that pass under the chin. They are what stops the headguard tipping backwards, the role played by the closed chin guard on full face models.
That architecture has a direct consequence: it is lighter and far better ventilated. Over a long session, the difference in heat against a wrapping headguard is clear.
Real leather with a suede lining
Real leather moulds to the head over the weeks and ends up not moving at all, which no synthetic does as well. The suede lining grips skin and hair slightly, which limits slipping, and stays soft even soaked. The padding here is high density foam, sized for technical sparring and regular training. For heavy sparring or daily club use, the triple density build of the full face leather headgear is the better fit; its page also details the care of the leather, which applies to this model.
Choosing your size
This model comes in M and L only. Measure your head circumference with a tape, around 2 cm / 0.8 in above the eyebrows, and if you are unsure take the smaller size: leather relaxes slightly over the first uses. The size ranges sit in the size guide for the range.
If your measurement puts you below M, this headguard will not suit you: look at the microfibre model, available in S. Headgear that is too big rotates on impact, and on an open face model that means the forehead roll drops in front of your eyes at the worst moment.
Technical specifications
Worth knowing: this headgear sharply reduces cuts and bruising, but it does not remove the risk of concussion, and no headgear does. Its wide opening leaves the nose and lower jaw exposed: if you have already broken your nose, or if you are stringing heavy sparring together, take the face bar model. It also exists in neither S nor XL. And if it is intended for competition, check the approval requirements of your federation: the open face format is the one they ask for, but approval depends on the rules in force.
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Completing your protection
Frequently asked questions
Open face or full face headgear: which should I choose?
Open face headgear frees the face and lets you see your partner's shoulders, hands and footwork: it is the format that develops you, because it makes you slip. Full face headgear wraps the jaw and cheeks, giving more coverage with a harder read on incoming shots. For technical sparring and coaching work, take the open face; to take volume, the full face.
Does a wider opening mean less protection?
Less surface covered, yes: the nose and lower jaw stay exposed. But protection and visibility are not independent. A shot seen leaving can be slipped, blocked or absorbed by taking the head back, so it never reaches its full energy; a shot out of a blind spot arrives whole. In technical sparring, the balance leans towards visibility.
Is it suitable for amateur competition?
It is the right format: amateur rules call for open face headgear, with no bar or grille. Approval, however, depends on your federation and your discipline, and it changes. Check with your commission before a show or a championship rather than relying on the format alone.
It only comes in M and L — what if I measure smaller?
Do not take an M and count on the straps to take up the slack: headgear that is too big rotates on impact and its forehead roll drops in front of your eyes. The microfibre model in the range comes in S and offers good visibility too. That is the one to go for with a slimmer head, for women and for teenagers.
What are the chin straps for?
They stop the headguard tipping backwards, the role played by the closed chin guard on a full face model. Tighten them so you feel light contact without restricting the jaw, mouthguard in: that is the configuration you will box in. Well adjusted headgear does not move when you shake your head firmly.
Is it cooler than wrapping headgear?
Markedly. The wide face opening lets air move and the whole thing is lighter, which tells from the third or fourth round. It is an underrated argument: accumulated heat tires you and drops the guard, a very real effect over a long session.
Real leather, suede and an open face
An Esprit Boxe selection, with free standard delivery to France, Belgium and Switzerland.
