best puching bag

5 Best Punching Bag That Can Change Your Results

With the right punching bag, you can reap the benefits by improving your coordination, strength, and overall physique.

Finding the right bag to suit your needs can take some time as there are a lot on the market, and not all of them can hold up over time. We have taken the time learning about a variety of bags to develop this review to find the best punching bag that can fulfill all of your needs.

At A Glance: Best Punching Bag

First on the list is Century The Original Wavemaster Freestanding Training Bag, which is ideal for beginners and children. The weight and height can be adjusted, and the rebound and resistance can be good for performing speed drills.

The Boxing MMA 100lbs Heavy Bag Filled is a firm, heavy bag that can pack a punch. Purchasing it you have a 10-year warranty to cover damages, and as it’s filled with cloth, it typically will not settle.

Everlast Nevatear Boxing Heavy Bag is in the running for the title as the best heavy bag as it just that: a heavy bag. The firmness of it requires users to buy the right type of gloves to fully protect their hands. The material is durable, however, to withstand intense punches and kicks.

The Muay Thai Heavy Punching Bag can be used beyond the sport mentioned. Practitioners of MMA, kickboxing, or those who just want a cardio workout can find use in it. The weight can be adjusted up to 300lbs for a more intense exercise.

Lastly, the Century BOB XL with Base Unit works best for those who want to practice training on a real person without using a real person. Designed in a head and torso, life-like shape, Bob has a sturdy build designed to hold up against light and powerful hits.

Reviews of The Best Punching Bag

Century The Original Wavemaster Freestanding Training BagBest Punching Bag - Century_The_Original_Wavemaster

The Original Wavemaster by Century can weigh around 250lbs when filled, and the base should be filled with either sand or water. The base has been rounded in order to make it easier to roll away.

The bag also provides rapid rebound with optimal resistance, features that can assist in building up muscle mass while improving coordination.

Beyond punches, this bag can work for those practicing low kicks such as in karate. Depending on how much the base is filled, weight-wise, it can serve both adults who may be on the shorter side and children.

The seven height adjustments (47-in. to 68-in.) provide further versatility in who can benefit from using the bag. With the rebound it offers, the bag can work well for speed drills.

Things We Liked

  • Rounded base can make it easier to move the bag around when needed
  • Adjusting the height and the weight of the base lets the bag be useful for various ages and skill levels
  • Has good resistance and rebound to provide a decent cardio workout

Things We Didn’t Like

  • Bag can easily move around if struck too hard or with improper technique
  • Foam is not very dense, so you may be able to feel the plastic when you kick
  • Strong linear strikes like uppercuts may rip the padding and break the bag

Purchase this bag on Amazon

Boxing MMA 100lbs Heavy Bag FilledBest Punching Bag - Boxing MMA

This 100lb bag comes with a 10-year warranty to cover damage (with the exclusion of damage from weather or sharp objects), a coverage that anyone can feel content with in the event of wear and tear over time.

The company even ships the bag in a heavy duty vinyl cover to be used for moving and storage. The bag has a standard 55-in. height and the length of the straps can provide an additional 10-in.

The bag has good internal distribution due to the cloth material inside that doesn’t settle like bags with sand tend to do. It can perform with those who practice Muay Thai, MMA, general fitness, and traditional boxing. The bag gives enough to be versatile for beginners and heavy-hitters.

Things We Liked

  • Lack of settling as it is filled with cloth rather than sand
  • Made with a durable material that will show minimal to no signs of wear over continued use
  • Versatile in its use as those who practice fitness can benefit just as much as those who practice Muay Thai

Things We Didn’t Like

  • Can be too heavy and firm for some, which may lead to injuries if not careful
  • Constant use can lead to some aesthetic blemishes such as the graphics fading
  • Swings a lot as it doesn’t come with a D-ring, so that has to be requested separately

Purchase this bag on Amazon

Everlast Nevatear Boxing Heavy BagBest Punching Bag - Everlast Nevatear

The Everlast Heavy Bag lives up to its name as it can be a rather hard bag. It is durable enough to take quite the beating. The bag holds up well to hard punches and kicks.

Its construction is vinyl, and the filler helps to provide shock absorbency. It comes with extra items needed to hang it such as heavy duty chains.

This bag should integrate with ease into a home gym. It holds up for those who want to do drills just as much for those who simply just want something hard to punch. Note that the zipper on the bag is purposely broken as the manufacturers don’t want you to adjust the filling as that can void the warranty.

If you wish to, you can still open it to adjust the filling if you want to soften the bag a bit more. If so, remember to lay the bag on its side and roll it around so that the filler distributes evenly.

Things We Liked

  • Tough construction helps the bag hold up after a hard workout
  • Filler absorbs and relieves shock
  • Comes with necessary chains to hang the bag

Things We Didn’t Like

  • Bag can be too hard on the hands, so invest in serious gloves before use
  • Purposeful removal of the zipper to try to prevent users from adjusting filling
  • Sand bags in the bag may not be durable and can shift

Purchase this bag on Amazon

Muay Thai Heavy Punching Bag Red (130lb)BEst Punching Bag - Muay Thai

The Muay Thai Heavy Punching Bag reaches 72-in. and is approximately 130lbs when filled. 72-in. increases by 12-in. with the straps and D-rings. Concerning the weight, you can increase it up to 300lbs if you desire as the durable material is capable of withstanding it.

It is filled with only fabric, a feature that helps prevent hollow and hard spots. The straps have four layers, so purchasing chains to hang it isn’t required.

Like the other Outslayer bag on this list, this comes with a 10-year warranty for protection against damage not caused by weather or sharp objects.

Subjectively, it can come across as rather hard, but working the bag will toughen your muscles and break the bag in. Also, although it’s labeled as a Muay Thai bag, users who practice MMA or want to develop a boxing routine can find use in it as well.

Things We Liked

  • Filling with fabric aids in preventing hard and hollow spots
  • Is versatile in how it can be used from Muay Thai to MMA work
  • Can increase over 300lbs without worry due to the firm material it’s made out of

Things We Didn’t Like

  • Straps are not adjustable, so it may not fit everyone’s ceiling clearance
  • For leg work, the filling may dent and leave ridges
  • Process of filling the bag may be difficult as the opening is just a straight zipper on top

Purchase this bag on Amazon

Century BOB XL with Base UnitBest Punching Bag - Century Bob

This freestanding heavy bag is designed in the shape of a life-like torso. It has a large striking surface to make it easier for you to practice head and body shots.

The body has a urethane foam filling and is high in strength. As for the base, it can hold up to 270lbs of water or sand, and it rolls for simpler transport.

Bob works well as a training partner. It has optimal coverage around the back for better circle work, and the additional padding gives it some ground-and-pound options if you wish to remove Bob from the base.

The base is sturdy enough to hold over heavy hits. A solid shot can send it back to about 45 degrees, and it can snap back into place without damage.

Things We Liked

  • Base is easy to transport, and you can remove Bob for ground work
  • Heavy duty material allows the bag to hold up over extreme hits
  • Wide area of coverage so you can work various parts of the body with ease

Things We Didn’t Like

  • Base is better stabilized with sand; when filled with water, it can move
  • Head can be a little soft for some users
  • The fill cap can be small, especially when filling with sand

Purchase this bag on Amazon

What to look for in Punching Bag?

Different Types for Different Needs

Although just about all punching bags are covered with leather or synthetic materials, there are different types based on mounting method, size, and use.

Speed bags are among the smaller types, and they’re anchored parallel to the ground. Smaller ones generally focus on improving timing, speed, and coordination, while larger ones require more force to hit, so they’re useful for endurance.

Maize bags are around the size of speed bags, but they require less force and focus on improving your capability to dodge an opponent’s punch. Likewise with similarities to speed bags are swerve balls. They have a cable system attached to both the floor and ceiling. Once hit, the bag swings fast toward you, giving you practice in dodging and swerving.

An uppercut bag helps with uppercut practice as well as helping you punch at different speeds and lengths. You can get further uppercut practice and even hooks with a wall bag.

As for the majority type of punching bags reviewed in this article, heavy bags are large and usually suspended by chains or variants. They’re best used to develop power and toughen hands.

Within the heavy bags are pedestal bags, and they’re mounted on a weighted pedestal rather than hung. These are capable of being pushed over to use for ground-and-pound.

Also typically attached to a weighted pedestal and discussed in this review is a body opponent bag. They stimulate a living opponent to practice vital strikes that would usually hurt a living person.

Physical Benefits of Using a Punching Bag

Heavy bags can be used as cardio exercise. With sustained aerobic activity for around 10-15 minutes, you should be able to reap the benefits of intense workouts. It’s suggested that even the act of moving around the bag while punching equates to an aerobic activity.

This can help you burn calories, and coupled with the resistance from the bag, can aid in toning muscles throughout your body to increase muscle mass.

Heavy bags can also help with strength and teach you how to punch harder. Bags grant you the chance to focus on perfecting technique using as many muscles as possible. Specifically, hooks and uppercuts focus on the back and arms, while straight punches target the chest and shoulders.

If you are looking to work on your coordination, then punching bags can help in that as well. To keep the focus on a heavy bag, it requires you to circle it, using your entire body in most cases while striking with various combinations. This, in turn, helps with coordination and balance.

Size Matters

To get the results you want, look to the height and weight before settling on any bag. Lighter ones are useful for those who want to improve precision and speed, while heavier ones give focus to landing punches. Bags over 6 ft. offer extra resistance and give you a wider attack range, while bags around 3 ft. are appropriate for beginning women boxers or light training sessions.

The Winner: Century The Original Wavemaster Freestanding Training Bag

After looking over all the bags, we have settled on the Century The Original Wavemaster Freestanding Training Bag to top the list as the best punching bag. It works well for those who cannot hang a heavier bag, and with the height and weight adjustments, it can be designed to fit a variety of users.

The rebound helps with coordination, and the resistance helps tone muscles for better muscle mass while also improving power. It is an all-around bag that can greatly serve a beginner while also keeping a seasoned user on their toes.

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