Top 13 Best Punching Bags [Buying Guide]
If you train Muay Thai, MMA, boxing or any other combat sports then you need to be in top physical shape. This requires hard training and one of the most important parts is training on a punching bag.
That’s why we made this article to help you choose between the top picks on the market. Continue reading to see the full reviews.
Table of Contents
Best Heavy Bags Reviewed
Combat Sports Muay Thai Heavy Bag
- Synthetic leather construction
- Includes heavy-duty chain
- Weight: 100lbs
- Size: 12″ x 72″
Combat Sports designed the Muay Thai style heavy bag specifically for training combinations found in Muay Thai.
The bag is made of durable synthetic leather that combines the good feel of the real leather at a good price. Also, it’s really easy to clean and maintain. The item is filled with sand and natural fibers which helps to maintain the original shape for a long time.
It weighs 100lbs which is enough for the majority of athletes.
However, if you are bigger and stronger puncher you might want to look for heavier options which we will review down the list.
Overall, this is a good choice for Muay Thai fighters.
Ringside Leather Heavy Bag
- Heavy duty construction
- 65 – 70lbs
- Measures 14″ x 42″
- Heavy Bag Chain and Swivel are included
The Ringside Leather Heavy Bag is a heavy-duty bag perfect for fighters who are looking to build muscular endurance and improve technique in their power strikes.
However, this is bag is not suitable for kicking as its striking surface is smaller compared to the previous punching bag. If you are a power puncher you might want to look around for a heavier option.
Overall, this is a great bag for boxers and for a good price you get real durable leather.
Combat Sports Leather Thai Bag
Combat Sports engineered the Muay Thai striking bag with resiliency for training kicks and knees inside professional MMA gyms.
- Inch thick closed cell foam lining
- Full grain leather construction
- Size: 13″ x 68″
- Weighs 100 lbs.
- Includes heavy-duty chain and swivel
Although the price is a little higher this is a top-quality heavy bag. The leather gives a nice and realistic feeling when punching and the weight of the bag is suitable for almost every fighter.
This is a perfect universal bag – it can be used both for boxing and kicking.
Century Tidal Wave Hydra Core Heavy Bag
- 14″ Diameter x 52″ Tall
- 120 lbs. when fully filled
- Durable vinyl exterior
- Water core
- Four web straps support steel chains and a 2″ ring for hanging
These bags offer the same heavy bag training benefits as a traditional heavy bag but the consistency of the feel as you hit the bag is far superior.
This punching bag is for heavy hitters. However, you can always adjust the weight by removing and adding water.
The traditional heavy bags usually have one problem – after a long use their filling settles and it starts to feel like you are punching a tree.
On the other hand, the Hydro Core has a heavy plastic core to give it the amount of weight you want, surrounded by a thick high-density foam, which never settles or causes any issues. Additionally, since the outer core is foam it gives a more realistic feel and reaction.
This bag is a perfect choice for both boxing and kicking and also provides the upside of the adjustable weight.
Century Original Wavemaster Training Bag
- Vinyl cover and high-density foam
- Easy roll relocation
- Eight height adjustments from 47” to 68”
- The base can be filled with sand or water and weights around 270lbs.
This is one different option on our list. A free-standing training bag has some advantages over the regular heavy bags. It’s easier for relocation, takes less space and you don’t need to hang it from the roof.
One of the big upsides this punching bag is that the height is adjustable from 47” to 68”. Because of its price which is a lot cheaper than the others this is a preferable option for a lot of people.
Century made the vinyl cover to be heavy-duty and you can expect that it will last a long time without getting tears or holes. However, the surface might be a little rough so we recommend you to always wear gloves and wraps.
The designers made this bag smaller (only 13 inches diameter) and if you are a bigger person or have powerful kicks and punches you might want to look around for a bigger bag. People above 6 feet tall will find it unstable when the bag is adjusted to their height.
See also: Best Free Standing Punching Bags
Century Sparring BOB
- The “skin” is constructed of high-strength plastisol
- Inner cavity is filled with high-density urethane foam
- Base can be filled with water or sand and weigths around 270lbs
- 7 height adjustment from 60” to 78”
- Base included
- One year limited manufacturers warranty
This is an excellent choice for a punching bag as these B.O.B ( Body Opponent Bag ) gives you a realistic target and will help you for your precision as good as it will help you for power training.
The base can be filled with 270lbs. of water or sand. As a result, this secures you a nice training without worrying that you will easily knock down the heavy bag.
If you already trained on regular heavy bags you will notice that when you hit BOB bag it gives much more resistance. That is because it’s designed to take a heavier punch and to feel like you are punching a real opponent.
However, the surface is not so smooth as other heavy bags and we recommend always using gloves and wraps when hitting it.
One minor drawback of the BOB is that the body is attached to the base by 6 screws and these screws could loosen up over the time so make sure to tighten them up good.
Ringside Large Leather Heavy Bag
- Soft Shredded textile filling provides a comfortable hitting surface
- Helps avoid sore knuckles or hands and helps reduce muscle strain on wrist, elbows, and shoulders
- Weight: 130 lbs
- Measures 16″ x 48″
- Soft fill only
- Heavy Bag Chain and Swivel are included
The Ringside Large Leather Heavy Bag provides a bigger target to mimic a more imposing opponent to push around. The larger size also helps build strength and power in your strikes, making this bag a must-have for anyone looking to improve their game.
This is really one of the best heavy bags on the market. Weights enough and even if you are power puncher the weight will keep the bag from swinging.
The padding is much better than the traditional bags which is very important for your protection. Super durable, quality leather.
The only drawback this bag has is that it needs a very secure mounting location because it’s heavy.
Century CREED Teardrop Heavy Bag
- Ideal shape for throwing knees, elbows, and punches from the clinch!
- Web straps are attached with genuine leather tabs with specialized, reinforced stitching to withstand repeated impact
- Lace closure top and reinforced nylon straps for added performance and strength
- Extra thick vinyl provides stable and strong surface for a variety of combinations
- Size: 18″ x 35″
- Weight: 60lbs
While the traditional heavy bags are used generally for developing power, the teardrop heavy bag is used to help fighters develop their speed, timing, and accuracy.
Because of the bag’s shape and weight, it’s also perfect for training close distance strikes. The teardrop heavy bags allow boxers to train uppercuts, short hooks, and body shots. Also, it allows you to train Muay Thai clinch, knees, low kicks, and elbows.
The weight gives enough resistance to increase your shoulder, torso, and legs strength while light enough so the swing helps you work on your footwork and fighting rhythm.
Combat Sports Double End Heavy Bag
- Double-end attachment for quick rebounds while training uppercuts
- Made of synthetic leather
- Reinforced nylon straps
- Dimensions: 34in tall x 12in diameter x 9in bottom diameter
- Weight: 45lbs
A very good quality double end heavy bag made from durable synthetic leather.
For those of you who don’t know what a double end bag is – it’s a heavy bag that can be attached at both ends to the floor and to the ceiling.
Every fighter should use double end heavy bags because it’s a perfect tool for developing punching skills and overall boxing ability.
Which are the benefits a double end bag has?
- Timing – a double end heavy bag is not stationary like the standard punching bag. It moves more realistic and therefore it improves your timing.
- Accuracy – the double end bag smaller and also you have to hit it only in certain areas. It isn’t like the heavy bag just sitting and waiting for you to hit it wherever you want.
- Reflexes – if forces you to use your eyes all the time and be aware where exactly is the bag. This develops fast eyes and reflexes which are needed when you fight with real opponents.
- Speed – this type of bags move quickly requiring you to throw fast strikes in order to hit it.
A great choice for a heavy bag if you want to take your boxing skills to the next level!
See also: Best Double-end Bags
Century CREED Heavy Bag
- Web straps are attached with genuine leather tabs with specialized, reinforced stitching
- Lace closure top and reinforced nylon straps add strength during continued heavy training
- Extra thick vinyl provides durability and a stable striking surface
- Size: 15” Diameter X 50” Tall
- Weight: 100 lbs
This bag is perfect for serious combat sports training! Century knows what they are doing!
With the perfect stitching and extra thick vinyl, you can be sure it will last you a long long time.
The weight is enough to keep the bag stable even for the hardest punchers and the bag is suitable for both boxing and leg kicks.
Combo Hitter
- Assembled in the USA
- Created by Brad Kohler of Hitter Systems Training Products
- Noise-reducing buffer system
- Color: Black
- Easy to assemble
- Weight: 39lbs.
This is an option that we wanted to share although it may look strange to some of you.
The Combo Hitter is a unique wall-mounted boxing / MMA tool that allows athletes to train effectively, and safely on their own.
Developed by former UFC heavyweight competitor Brad Kohler, this punching bag enables a limitless combination of attacks—jab cross, upper-cuts, hooks, elbows, reverse back-fists—with immediate bounce-back response times.
Rather than relying on a partner to hold a traditional heavy bag or focus mitts, or waiting for a swing-back of the bag in the middle of a combination, the Combo Hitter allows continuous in-rhythm training. This is beneficial not just for boxers and mixed martial artists, but athletes of any background looking to improve their upper body strength, hand-eye coordination, and explosiveness.
The Combo Hitter is adjustable for any height so you don’t have to worry about if it will be suitable for you. The advantage that this non-standard bag has is that it can be hit from many different angles.
The main plate where the hitter is attached to is a thick steel plate and overall the Combo Hitter is very well built. The hitting pad is firm and yet soft enough to hit without gloves. However, we always recommend using at least wraps.
Century CREED Muay Thai Heavy Bag
- Web straps are attached with genuine leather tabs with specialized, reinforced stitching for durability
- Lace closure top and reinforced nylon straps for added performance and strength during continued heavy training
- Extra thick vinyl provides a strong and a stable surface for a variety of strikes
- Stable striking surface
- Size: 14” Dia. X 70” Tall
- Weight: 100 lbs
Maybe the best muay thai heavy bag on the market! Extra tall for all kinds of strikes – from punches and elbows to low kicks and knees.
It really gives you a sparring-like experience and if you are muay thai fighter this is the best option for you!
You can also check this video for a review of the Century CREED Muay Thai Heavy bag:
Century Versys VS.1 Fight Simulator (With Base)
- Larger striking surface than traditional hanging heavy bags
- Top handles enable knee strikes
- Durable heavy-duty vinyl construction
- Pre-filled base
- Base weight around 100lbs.
This is the most versatile product on the market. Ideal for both stand-up and ground training.
Century’s team designed the bag to be versatile and it really provides a lot more opportunities for training. You can use it for sparring as well as using it for grappling training and tossing it to the ground.
Another good feature the Century Versys VS1 has is that the base if pre-filled. Most of the free-standing training bags come empty and you have to fill it. Let’s face it – sometimes sipping 270lbs of sand or water in the base is unpleasant so they solved this problem for us. The VS1 weights around 100-110lbs and that means it’s easy to move the bag around your house or gym.
An important note is that this line of bags is not designed for developing power and the base is smaller. Therefore the bag may not keep stable if you are punching and kicking with full power.
If you are Muay Thai or MMA fighter the top handles are a nice addition to practicing knee strikes. Also, the bag has decent padding so you don’t have to worry about hurting your shins when kicking or your fist when punching, although we always recommend using gloves and wraps.
Great for fighters who want to practice grappling drills as well as striking.
Why do you need to choose a good heavy bag?
First of all, it will significantly improve your striking. Also, it will help you improve your quickness, strength, and cardio. These are all areas that you should be working on hard if you want to have any success in combat sports.
A good punching bag is an essential piece of equipment if you want to do any kind of training at home. The best thing about heavy bag workouts is that you can train a lot of different things.
For example, you can train for cardio – doing high-intensity training and throwing a lot of punches. You can train for power – throwing hard punches and kicks which you usually can’t throw when sparring with a partner because you will hurt him. And also, you can train for technique – slow punches, focusing on the right form. You can even train for grappling exchanges with a grappling dummy!
That’s why choosing a quality punching bag is a very important decision that will have a huge impact on any athlete’s training.
How to choose the best punching bag for your needs?
Everybody has their own needs and that’s why there is no such thing as one size fits all heavy bag. Although, all the bags on our list are an extremely good quality you need to choose the one that’s best suited for your training and budget.
Choosing the perfect punching bag for you depends on some factors you need to consider. First of all, as we already said, the heavy bag must be suitable for your budget. What we mean with that is you can always buy a cheap bag for 40-50$ but keep in mind that a good heavy bag is at least 100-200$ and it will last you a lot longer especially if you intend to abuse it with high-intensity training or if you are a big and strong person.
What we mean with that is you can always buy a cheap bag for 40-50$ but keep in mind that a good heavy bag is at least 100-200$ and it will last you a lot longer especially if you intend to abuse it with high-intensity training or if you are a big and strong person.
That’s why in order to help you find the best punching bag we will break down the most important factor when buying a heavy bag.
Price and quality
When first starting to look for a heavy bag you might be tempted to order some cheap bag for 50$ online or from the local store. That is not necessarily a bad thing if you first started training martial arts. However, if you intend to do serious workouts you need to look at a little different price range. By spending a little more money you can get a bag that will give you better quality and good feel.
Don’t let that disappoint you. It’s pretty possible to find a good quality punching bag at a very good price and that’s what we are trying to do.
Freestanding or hung
A perfect option for people that don’t have a lot of free space in their home is a free-standing punching bag. These punching bags have a built-in base that can be filled with water and sand. The downside is that it’s more unstable than the regular type and are usually more expensive.
The other option is a regular type, hung from the ceiling heavy bag. This is probably the best option for you if you have enough space and a place where you can hang the bag.
Padding
The padding that one bag has is critical when choosing what to buy. Without proper padding, you can injure your hands or shins when striking the heavy bag.
Padding is usually made from heavy foam or some kind of soft compressed fiber material. Heavy foam is the most popular because it does a pretty good job absorbing the energy of the strike and protecting you.
A heavy bag with good padding is important to keep your hands protected.
Size
This is one of the most important things about a bag. If you are buying a punching bag for a kid you can go with a smaller and lighter bag. However, if you intend to kick and punch hard make sure to get a heavier bag so it can absorb the impact and not swing too much.
When you get a bag that is the right weight it will allow you to work on your technique and power without constantly trying to stop the bag from moving.
When it comes down to height usually the standard size is 4-5ft tall but there all always different options better suited for leg kicks or for boxing.
Material
Usually, the heavy bags are made from leather, synthetic leather or canvas. The best option is to get a leather but it is also the most expensive option. We don’t recommend getting a canvas because it feels terrible when you hit them and also don’t feel good on the skin when you kick them.
Synthetic leather is the most popular material because it feels good and it’s also a cheaper option than the leather.
What is our choice for the best punching bag?
The best punching bag in our opinion is the Combat Sports Muay Thai Heavy Bag(100lbs). The good thing about it is that it can be used for any kind of striking – there is no punch or kick that you can’t throw on that bag. However, we are talking in case you don’t know exactly what kind of bag you want.
If you want punching bag specifically for something for example training on hooks and uppercuts – your best choice is the Hypnotik Wrecking Ball Bag.
Or you want a bag for your apartment that can be moved quickly – then you should go with the free-standing punching bags on our list. Specifically, if you want to make grappling drills like suplexes and throws – there is nothing better than the Century Versys VS1.
In conclusion, we would like to say that choosing the best punching bag is critical for your workouts and developing as an athlete. We hope that this step by step buying guide and our reviews make the decision easier.
Look at me. I am so tough and I will kick your ass.
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