Upper extremity injuries are common in combat athletes, and are highest in the hand/wrist. Although protective hand gear is used, there is a paucity of research investigating its effectiveness. This study addressed this knowledge gap by measuring the level of force transmitted to the hand during striking using two types of hand wraps. This prospective cross over study included six combat athletes. A load cell was placed over the proximal phalanges/metacarpophalangeal joints and was used to measure sustained peak force during striking while covered with either standard linear or gel-reinforced hand wraps and boxing gloves. The gel reinforced wraps consistently had a lower level of force measured at the hand in all six athletes. This finding was more pronounced in athletes with higher experience levels. These results suggest that combat athletes should utilize modern hand wraps with gel reinforcement to absorb impact and provide improved hand protection.