When it comes to training routines, everybody knows that there are some things that are pretty much mandatory for any self-respecting boxer. And one of them includes heavy bag work.
In order to be able to train at home, many boxers are starting to use free-standing punching bags rather than ones hanging from the ceiling. The set-up for those bags is much, much easier.
The problem is that there are a lot of crappy free-standing bags, many of them move when you hit them, which is really annoying.
Because of this, I have created a list of the best free-standing heavy bags on the market. The following bags will give you the best combination of pricing and functionality, making these the best choice no matter if you are a boxer or a mixed martial artist. Anyways, I hope you find this article useful!
Things You Should Look For In A Free Standing Punching Bag
Since there are so many crappy free-standing bags in the market today, there are a few things that you should really look for if you are looking for a new one for your home or gym. Remembering these points will help you make the best purchase possible.
- Stability: The most annoying thing when practicing on free-standing bag is the bag moving around as you hit it. A good bag should have a heavy base so it doesn’t move no matter how hard you hit it.
- Materials: If you are interested in purchasing a free-standing bag in the future, one of my main recommendations would be buying one that is wrapped in high-quality vinyl or leather. This is because such bags are going to last you a much longer time.
- Pricing: From what I have seen, one of the main problems of most free standing punching bags is that they are way too expensive for what they are. In fact, I have seen crappy bags at more than 80 bucks. So it’s important that the pricing of the bag that you are looking for is consistent with the general specs of it.
- Sizing: The size of a freestanding punching bag is also very important, and ideally, you are going to want to avoid extremes. Getting a bag that is too small might affect your technique when practicing on it, and getting one that is too big might make it too cumbersome to practice hooks and looping punches.
The Best Free Standing Punching Bags
#1 Century Original Wavemaster Freestanding Punching Bag – For Serious Trainees Only!
I have used several free-standing punching bags over the years, but no one has come close to this one. This punching bag made by century has everything that you look for in a freestanding bag: it’s very sturdy, it feels and is very dependable and will probably last you a long time, and it’s not even that expensive when compared to other similar bags on the market. In short, this is overall the best bag on the list. Highly recommended!
Most people like that it’s very sturdy when you hit it. This bag is really stable. This makes it a great choice for people looking to practice long powerful combinations, and this particular bag is perhaps the best one at it. If filled with sand, this bag will not move at all, but you could also fill it with water and it will stay also relatively planted.
Another thing that I really like about this particular bag is the fact that it feels like a hanging bag and it sounds like one too when hit. Typically, freestanding bags tend to feel a little bit more hollowed out when compared to hanging bags, and this is one of the few ones where that didn’t happen. This one sounded just like a punching bag should when hit: “whack!” which is cool. I like a bag that gives me some sort of feedback when hit, and this one definitely does that.
There are just a few things that I do not like about this free-standing bag, and one of them is the fact that the base is just a little bit too big for my taste. Sometimes, I like to get up and close near the bag to try and simulate a clinch, and the oversized base of the bag kind of gets in the way of doing so. Not a big deal, but just something to keep in mind. I think the price was less than $150 last time I checked but you can check the current price on Amazon.com.
| PROS | CONS |
| ✔ Very sturdy, planted freestanding bag perfect for powerful combos | ✘ The base is a little bit too big |
#2 Dripex Adult & Kids Freestanding Punching Bag – The Hotshot!
This is definitely one of my favorite bags on the market today. Dripex is a company that has been making quality gear for some time now, and I personally have used many of their stuff in the gym that I go to. But overall this is the best piece of equipment that they have made, and this is because of the fact that the bag itself is so well made.
The PU leather is very supple and high-quality, and this bag is perfect for any taller, longer fighter that wants to practice his straight punchers. Overall, you are looking at one of the best freestanding bags on the market today, and you definitely should have this at the top of your buying list.
If you buy this bag for yourself, the first thing that you are going to notice is the fact that it’s so well made. Dripex did a great job with the quality control of this bag, and you will notice that in the PU leather that they use as the covering. It’s very supple, smooth, and when I first touched it, I actually thought that it was real leather. The material used on this bag will very likely last you a long time, making this a great choice if you are looking for a heavy-duty bag that will be used by more than 1 boxer.
Also, another thing that I really appreciate about this bag is the fact that it has a suction cup base, improving it’s already great stability when being hit. Now, this is great for heavy punchers and people that are going to be filling the base with water, but if you are going to be filling this with sand, then the suction cup will probably not serve you at all. There’s another crowd of folks that will also find the suction cups very useful: people using the bag on slippery floors. You can check the availability of this bag on Amazon.com
| PROS | CONS |
| ✔ Very well made, high-quality bag ✔ Suction cup does a great job of holding the bag in place | ✘ Bag doesn’t sound as good as other bags on this list when you hit it |
#3 Everlast Power Core Bag – Smaller Bag For Smaller Boxers
One of the most popular freestanding bags out there, there’s a high chance that your boxing gym has one of these. And good thing they do, because this everlast bag is one of the best products in the entry-level range. I found this bag to be much better made than what the price suggests, and as long as you are fine with a hollower bag with less padding, this is definitely a winner, and one of the best bags for newbie boxers.
The reason you buy this is that you want something well built that won’t break the bank, and when it comes to that, this bag is definitely not going to let you down. Everything from this bag is well made, from the plastic base to the bag itself. The bag’s cover didn’t have any signs of crappy manufacturing, and the graphics on the cover itself looked very crisp. Everlast has been doing a great job with their stuff lately, and this is also their case with their freestanding bag line.
The bag itself doesn’t have as much filling as I would personally like, but I know there are some boxers that are going to like this. This bag will be more suited to lighter boxers that will not need a bag that is as padded as this one, plus the reduced padding seems to improve the sound this bag makes when hitting hard.
The only thing that I do not like about this bag is the fact that the bag itself is pretty short, limiting the space where you can hit it. This is something that will mostly affect kickboxers, but I personally found it really annoying too. I like ripping heavy hooks downstairs, and I had to modify the usual trajectory of my punches because I was going to be punching plastic if I didn’t. Still a great bag, but the cons that it has drops it down a notch. Everlast products usually are cheaper than most other brands. You can check the price of this bag on Amazon.com
| PROS | CONS |
| ✔ Great for newbie boxers that are looking for something with less padding ✔ Surprisingly well built ✔ Affordable for the quality of the product | ✘ Not the best choice for bigger, taller or more powerful boxers |
#4 Title Boxing Hydro-Flex H2O Freestanding Bag – Premium Quality, Premium Price
If you love to practice close fighting on the bag, want something that will last the apocalypse and you aren’t afraid to spend freely, this freestanding bag from Title boxing deserves a serious look. This bag is a great product when filled with water, and it’s made for that purpose in mind, but when filled with sand, this bag strangely doesn’t provide as much stability as I was expecting. Still a great bag worthy of your money.
Let’s talk about my favorite thing about this bag: you can actually get close and practice in-fighting. As you probably noticed from the other bags on this list, the bases of them are quite bulky and big, which is great for securing it in place, but it also means that you are going to have a hard time simulating a clinch or simulating inside work. This bag doesn’t have that problem, so if you have used other bags before and want something that actually allows you to work inside, this one is for you!
Aside from that, this is a really well-made bag. The vinyl cover is very sturdy and very functional, and the general build quality of this bag suggests that It’s going to last a long time. There’s just 1 caveat though: it’s a really expensive product. There are products out there that are just as good as this bag and they can be found at 60% of what this costs. Again, still a great bag, but the steep pricing will drive some folks away. You can check the price on Amazon.com
| PROS | CONS |
| ✔ Smaller base means that you can get closer to it than other bags ✔ Not too soft, not too stiff ✔ Beautiful, edgy styling will appeal most fighters | ✘ Expensive ✘ Doesn’t provide as much stability as expected |
#5 Century BOB Body Opponent Training Bag – Best Bag For Precision Punching?
Are you looking for a lifelike target? Do you box for self-defense? If you said yes to those questions, then you really should take a look at this punching bag. While technically this is a punching bag in the traditional sense of the word, this is something more used by martial artists and people looking to hone their self-defense skills. It doesn’t have as much foam padding as a traditional bag, but it’s still a great bag to practice combinations on, especially if you do not have somebody to do mitt work with.
The main benefit of owning a freestanding bag like this one is the fact that working combinations are going to be so great on this bag. Hitting this is even better than working the mitts because you know exactly which areas to attack, and many boxers report improved levels of punching precision after using this bag for a few weeks. You could work on both body and head punches combinations and since this is a very accurate model of a male human upper body, it will seriously improve your accuracy when doing so.
When it comes to the bad things about this bag, we need to point out the fact that it’s very expensive (check the price on Amazon.com). Many people are going to skip this because of that fact, which is a bummer since this is such a great option for boxers. If Century lowered 100 dollars off this bag, it would probably sell like hotcakes, but they seem to keep prices very constant.
Also, this is not a good bag if you are thinking of circling the bag like a traditional heavy bag. This might be a pro or a con depending on how you do heavy bag work, but if you are looking for a more conventional bag that is completely cylindrical, then this is not for you!
| PROS | CONS |
| ✔ Very accurate model of an adult torso, perfect for body punching | ✘ Super expensive ✘ This bag isn’t as good if you are looking to circle around it |
#6 U’King Adult & Kids Freestanding Punching Bag for Heavy Boxing Training – Best For Boxers On A Budget
Possibly the best bag for people on a budget – check the current price on Amazon.com. But do not underestimate this bag just because it doesn’t have a brand name or it looks a little bit more generic than the other products on this list. This is a very respectable product and while it has its flaws, it’s pros more than makeup for them. I would recommend this freestanding bag if you are on a budget or want to save some money to buy some good boxing gloves.
Let’s talk about the best thing about this freestanding bag: Its foam padding is much better than what the pricing suggests. This gives you a lot of benefits, such as a more satisfying sound when punching the bag, and the fact that you won’t hurt your hands when hitting hard. The truth is that many freestanding bags tend to be filled out very inappropriately, and this is not the case with this bag. I would really recommend this bag if you are looking for a cheapish freestanding bag that doesn’t skimp in that department.
Aside from this, this bag is just ok. Something that I hated about this bag is the fact that the suction cups didn’t really do a good job of holding the bag in place. I filled this bag up with water and that wasn’t enough to hold the bag, and while it’s better when you fill it in sand, there are still better products out there that will not move as much when you hit them.
| PROS | CONS |
| ✔ Pretty affordable for what you get ✔ Foam padding fools you into thinking you paid more for it than what you actually did | ✘ Suction cups aren’t very high quality |
what are some good techniques for females to use while in a fight that are legal?
Do you mean in boxing or in fighting in general? If you mean boxing, there isn’t a big difference between man and women technique-wise. The only thing is that most of the women don’t have enough punching power to knock their opponents out. So if you are a woman who competes in boxing you should focus on beating your opponents on points rather than knocking them out. Try to out-box them with a volume of punches from long-distance.
And if you mean fighting in general in street fight situation, for example, there is no such thing as legal and illegal techniques. If that’s the case, I suggest using elbow and knee strikes because they can generate more power than the punches and you’re more likely to knock your opponent out by using them if you are a woman. Or in case you are fighting with a man who is bigger than you (or bigger woman), I suggest getting the outside foot advantage, as we discussed in the southpaw strategy article, and overwhelming your opponent with a volume of punches to the head. That way you will be in a relatively safe spot where you can hit your opponent without getting hit.