Even if you have zero aspirations of being a professional MMA fighter, you can still get a great workout and learn the basics of combat and self-defense at home with the right equipment. You could also join a gym, but that’s kind of pricey, less convenient, and intimidating for most people who aren’t looking to actually spar or train super seriously. So, if you’re just looking to toss some punches and learn the very basics at your own pace, and most importantly to get a great workout, you should consider getting your very own boxing bag and installing it in your home. Don’t get me wrong, if you decide you want to take things to the next level and get more serious, then joining a gym is the right move – but even if you join a martial arts gym, you’ll still want a bag at home, so you’re in the right place to get started either way.
A few considerations:
- We’ll be looking at some of the best bags no matter what your budget is, but you need more than just the bag. You’ll want to grab a pair of hand wraps, some gloves, and decide how you’re going to mount the bag. That’s all you’ll really need, and all-in you can your own boxing bag setup and ready to go for roughly $150, maybe less. If you want higher-end stuff, obviously it’ll cost more and we’ll show you some options for that as well.
- If you have a garage, that’s a popular place to mount your bag so that it doesn’t disturb anybody. In the home, it can cause some minor vibrations when you’re putting in a heavy workout if you have the bag hanging in your basement.
- If you have an apartment, don’t get discouraged, because we’ve got some options that’ll work for you, too. You’ll just need to get a stand for your bag instead of hanging it from the ceiling.
Just in case you haven’t caught on: This is a great workout tool, because it doesn’t matter if you have a home, an apartment, and you don’t need a lot of extra space. It’s also one of the funnest workouts out there, and you can work your whole body by incorporating some kicks. You’ll gain speed, strength, and the confidence that comes along with knowing the basics of how to throw a punch (should the need ever arise.)
First things first, let’s pick a bag…
A punching bag, a heavy bag, a boxing bag… For all intents and purposes, you’re looking at the same thing. There are, of course, different styles of bags. A heavy bag isn’t the same as a speed bag, but you can use them both for boxing. Get it? We’re going to cover all of the different types of bags you might use for boxing training, along with some alternatives like training dummies. Let’s just go over speed bags and training dummies very briefly, because they’re going to have their own dedicated pages soon – and we’ll go a lot more in-depth later on.
Speed bags: These are relatively easy to mount, and they can give you a surprisingly effective cardio workout. Nick Diaz has a famous video where he hits a speed bag for thirty minutes in a row, and anyone who has ever hit one of these knows that’s a huge testament to his cardio and quite the accomplishment.
Training dummies: Who are you calling a dummy?! These guys are nice because you can just fill up the base with water or sand (depending on the model) and practice actually hitting something that looks like a person. This can help with your precision, but you might not get the same footwork training as you would with a bag since the heavy bag is going to swing and sway.
Neither one is as real as an actual partner, and it comes down to preference, but there’s a reason that heavy bags are the most popular and widely used type of boxing bag, so let’s focus on those now.
The Best Boxing Bags
Before we can tell you which one is “the best”, we’ll need to define what we mean by best. We’re basing these ratings off of a few criteria, such as:
- Value (If it’s more expensive, is it actually worth the extra money? Why?)
- Materials (Is it made from quality material that will last you years and years, or will it fall apart?)
- Price (Value is whether or not it’s worth the money, price is just straight up how much it’ll set you back.)
- Brand (Certain brands are known for decades of quality products, other brands have bad reputations. We’ll be sticking to the good stuff.)
- Availability (All of these bags are ones that you can order online right now and have delivered to your doorstep, and despite the size – shipping is surprisingly reasonable, especially from Amazon.)
- Rating (If most people that buy it and use it end up loving it, that’s a great place to start.)
It wouldn’t make sense to recommend bags that you can’t even get in your home town, or from low-quality brands that don’t last long, or bags made with poor materials, or if the price and value don’t align. Taking all of that into consideration, here are 5 bags that you definitely can’t go wrong with.
Here’s our top pick for a speed bag, a couple great free-standing options, and finally some classic Everlast bags. You really can’t go wrong with any of these, whether you’re a beginner or you’ve thrown a few punches already.
Speed Bag
When you’re buying a speed bag (Usually in the $30-$50 range) don’t forget that you’ll also need a platform for it. A platform alone can run into the $100-$200 price range, or you can just buy a set that comes with everything you need. Here’s a set from Everlast that includes a speed bag, gloves, a platform to mount the bag to your wall, a swivel, hand wraps, and a jumping rope. It’s not necessarily pro-caliber stuff, but coming in at a price point well under $100 it’s a safe bet for beginners.
Check out Everlast’s Entry Level 6 Piece Speed Bag Platform Set at Amazon for the best price.
If you want something a little higher-caliber, here’s a stand-alone platform by XMark. You’ll still need to buy a Speed Bag with it, follow the link to see some recommendations.
Free Standing Bags / Boxing Dummies
Free standing bags are a great option if you’re living in an apartment or just don’t want to actually mount a heavy bag anywhere. They’re usually designed more with cardio in mind, rather than throwing massive powerful shots, but you can still definitely give them a beating. You fill up the bottom part with water or sand, but if you’re a bigger person (Like welterweight or bigger, 170lbs+) and you have any experience with kicking, there’s a good chance you’ll be knocking this bag over… but if you don’t plan on going all out on it, you should be alright. It’s great for technique, too.
Heavy Bags
Now, as opposed to the free standing bags, if you just want to be able to go all out on the bag and have it absorb anything you throw at it, you’ll want to look at a traditional style heavy bag that you can hang from ceiling beams. Some people caution against hanging it in the basement or elsewhere in your home because the vibrations from your strikes could damage your home. If you do decide to hang it from your basement, look into getting a spring for it which can help to absorb a lot of the shock and vibrations from the bag. If you’d rather not go through the whole ordeal of mounting your heavy boxing box, and especially if you plan on picking up a speed bag as well, you need to seriously consider getting a stand instead, but we’ll get back to that in a second. first, here’s one of the best bags around if you’re looking for a traditional style punching bag.
The good old fashioned punching bag. You can choose different weights if you want, but this 100lb bag right here is hard to beat.
- It’s made in America,
- Weights 100lbs,
- Extremely durable,
- Comes with a 10 year warranty.
A lot of cheaper bags definitely won’t last 10 years, but this one has a 10 year warranty. Sometimes, you get what you pay for, and this bag by Outslayer is the perfect combination of quality and value. But don’t take our word for it, head over to Amazon and check out the reviews.
Want something a little different?
Here’s the Omni Strike bag by Everlast. It has a few different features that you won’t find on most bags. It’s just a personal preference, really. If you like these additional, it’s an easy choice – if you’re not a fan, then pass on this bag. The bottom portion of this bag is covered in foam so that you can throw knees at it, or put it on the ground to work on your ground-and-pound. There’s also two handles that you can grab on to, meant to simulate a That-style clinch. The Omni Strike is a respectable 80 pounds, and has great reviews.
Using a Boxing Bag Stand Instead
You can use one of these stands to mount your heavy bag and your speed bag at the same time. If you factor in the price for a proper mount for your heavy bag, and a mount for your speed bag, it’s only a little bit more money to just get a stand for both of them. The nice thing about these stands is you aren’t going to disturb anyone by vibrating the house’s support beams .
Here’s a solid choice, once again, by Everlast:
How heavy of a punching bag should you choose?
This is a matter of preference, but chances are that you don’t have a frame of reference. Around 100lbs is a solid choice, that’s kind of a “standard” that you’d expect to find. Professional gyms will have much bigger bags, but when you close your eyes and picture a boxing bag that you’ll have at home, chances are you’re right in the 100lb range. You can go lower, too, if you don’t want one that’s quite as heavy. If you want the bag to move more from your punches, go lighter – if you want to have to hit it harder to get it moving, go heavier.
There are some other items you’ll want if you’re putting together a little boxing gym in the basement or garage. You’ll want an abundance of drinking water, clean towels, an assortment of pads to hit if you’ve got someone over who can hold them for you, and the like. If you’re getting into boxing for cardio training and to lose weight, consider a heart rate monitoring fitness tracker like a Fitbit. A heart rate monitor that also tracks calories will be an excellent way to monitor your progress and to motivate yourself, too. Just a regular step counter won’t really help, since a lot of the workout with boxing involves your hands and upper body. It would count some steps while you worked on your footwork, but having a device that actually monitors your pulse to determine how hard you’re working is definitely the way to go, not to mention one that won’t be too obtrusive.
Here’s what a boxing bag stand looks like in action:
via varagesale.com
Page 1 of 1:
