Michelle
How to wrap hand wraps for women: your step-by-step guide
Your first time wrapping hand wraps feels like knotting a bracelet with one glove already on your other hand. Too loose and they fall off halfway through the round. Too tight and your fingers go numb. Sound familiar?
In this guide you learn the fixed 5-step wrapping order, how to check your wrap fits, when The Lazy Handwraps are the smarter choice, and how to keep your wraps fresh. Ready?
In short
- Your wrist first, then your knuckles. You never flip that order.
- 5 steps: thumb loop and wrist, over your thumb, knuckles, between your fingers, close on your wrist.
- 4.5 metres gives most women's hands enough fabric for wrist and knuckles.
- No time to wrap? The Lazy Handwraps pull on like glove-slip.
- A good wrap feels compact, not caught. Make a fist and you know.
- Wash your wraps regularly, or the gym bag turns into the one smell nobody wants.
Why a good wrap is more than a routine
Your wrap protects your wrist and knuckles right where your boxing glove does not.
Your hand holds 27 small bones, connected by joints and tendons. A boxing glove absorbs the impact on the outside, but it does not hold those bones in place. Your wrap does. It stabilises your wrist, spreads the impact over your hand, and keeps your fist compact as soon as you close it. Hit without a wrap? Then you train on borrowed time. Put it on, every session.
Still choosing between a wrap and an inner glove? Read our comparison wrap or inner glove: what is better for you? first.
Wrapping or The Lazy Handwraps: what do you pick?
Wrap when you train hard or spar. Pick The Lazy Handwraps when easy beats maximum support today.
A wrapped bandage gives the most control. You decide where the extra fabric goes: tighter around your wrist, a thicker layer over your knuckles. That is what you want for bag work, pads and sparring. Just back from work and class starts in five minutes? Then The Lazy Handwraps save you. Pull them on like a glove and you are done. Same kind of protection, no wrapping time.
Our rule of thumb: learn to wrap anyway, even if you usually wear the Lazy version. Then you always have a back-up when your wraps are still in the wash.
What do you need?
For most women's hands a 4.5 metre wrap works best.
Shorter wraps around 2.5 metres are usually for children or very small hands. At 4.5 metres you have enough fabric for your wrist, knuckles and fingers, without running out halfway. Our Bloody Burgundy, Green Machine and Black-out Zebra are all 4.5 metres long. Browse the whole hand wraps collection to pick your print.
How to wrap hand wraps in 5 steps
Keep your fingers slightly spread while you wrap. Then the wrap sits exactly right as soon as you make a fist.
Step 1: thumb loop and wrist
Put your thumb through the loop and lay the fabric over the back of your hand, with the velcro going to your wrist. Wrap three tight turns around your wrist first. That is your basis. A sloppy wrist is something you cannot fix later.
Step 2: over your thumb and back
Go diagonally over the back of your hand, once around your thumb, and back to your wrist. That anchors the whole wrap so nothing shifts when you punch.
Step 3: over your knuckles
Bring the bandage up over your palm and wrap three turns over your knuckles, right under your fingers. Hand flat, fingers slightly spread. This is the layer that soaks up the hits.
Step 4: between your fingers
From your knuckles, weave between your fingers: between pinky and ring finger, back to your wrist, then between ring and middle finger, and between middle and index finger. Weave the fabric through your palm back to your wrist each time. That keeps your knuckles separated and nothing slides.
Step 5: close on your wrist
Cross the last piece over the back of your hand to your wrist and wrap the rest around it. Close the velcro on your wrist, never on the back of your hand. Make a fist. Feels compact and strong, without tingling fingers? Then it is right.
How do you check the fit?
A good wrap feels compact when you make a fist, not caught.
- Your fist feels strong, your fingers still move normally
- No tingling or discoloured fingers
- Your wrist cannot tuck sideways
- Nothing shifts when you open and close your hand
- The velcro sits on your wrist, not half over your palm
Fingers tingling? Too tight. Rewrap the last rounds. Fabric shifts the moment you pull on your glove? Too loose. Start with a bit more tension at step 3.
The most common mistake
Start at your knuckles and forget your wrist. Such a shame, because your wrist is exactly the thing that catches a whole lot when a punch does not land exactly square. That is why the order is fixed: wrist, thumb, knuckles, fingers, and back to your wrist.
Wash your wraps, or your gym bag becomes a problem
Wash them at 30 degrees in a laundry bag and let them hang dry.
- Machine wash at 30 degrees, in a laundry bag like The WashGuard, otherwise you get a wrap ball
- Fold the velcro closed before washing, otherwise it chews into your other laundry
- No fabric softener, it eats the elasticity
- Not in the dryer, hang dry keeps the stretch
- Straight out of your bag after training, wet wraps in a closed bag are a bacteria feast
Hit two to three times per week? Rack up new wraps every four to six months, as soon as the stretch goes or the velcro does not hold anymore. A second pair on standby is smart: then you always train with dry wraps.
Ready for the next step
Wraps tied, gloves on. Not sure about your glove size yet? Take the fit quiz and in five questions you know which boxing glove fits you. Or check out the whole hand wraps collection and pick the print that matches your gear. Want everything sorted at once? The Burgundy starter set puts gloves and wraps together in one go.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a hand wrap be?
For most women's hands 4.5 metres works best. Wraps around 2.5 metres are mainly for children or very small hands.
Should I start at my wrist or my knuckles?
Always at your wrist. Those first three laps are your base. Start at your knuckles and you will run out of fabric for your wrist at the end.
How often should I wash my wraps?
At least every two to three training sessions, at 30 degrees in a laundry bag. More often if you sweat hard or train daily.
Can I use an inner glove instead of wrapping?
For technique training or a trial class, yes. For bag work, pads and sparring a wrapped wrap gives more wrist support. Read more about it in our blog wrap or inner glove: what is better for you?.
What if my fingers tingle while wrapping?
Then your wrap is too tight. Rewrap the last rounds and make a fist halfway through. Can you still squeeze normally?
Have you got your technique down already, or are you still practising on the sofa in front of the mirror? 😉
