If you’re looking for a new punching bag to train for boxing, kickboxing or other martial arts at home, or just to build up your fitness and muscle strength, it’s important to get the bag most suitable for your needs.
There are many options to consider when choosing the best punching bag for your training; whether you'd prefer a heavy bag or light, freestanding or hanging, leather or vinyl, foam or water filled.
We’ve done some research into the best punching bags on the market to help you narrow down your search, whether you’re a boxing beginner or you’re just looking for an upgrade on your current punching bag.
Let’s jump in!
Punching Bags Review
1 - Traditional Muay Thai Heavy Bag
An all-round training bag, perfect for training both punches and kicks. Plus, it lets you “attack” the whole body of the bag, making it perfect for practicing Muay Thai or MMA.
2 - Banana Heavy Bag
Banana heavy bags are long bags that often hang with the bottom resting on the floor. They're popular in Thailand and Kickboxing gyms as they’re great for low kicks and can be treated more like an opponent than a loose swinging bag.
3 - Tear Drop Bag
The great part about this bag is that it’s so easily movable and almost a necessity if you’re serious about training. It’s the best bag for training uppercuts and knee strikes.
4 - Wrecking Ball Bag
Particularly good when training punching power. This bag was originally made for boxing, but Muay Thai fighters seem to love it too. Besides, it will teach you how to strike combinations with your fists, without relying on your kicks alone.
5 - Wavemaster Training Bag
Perfect for some MMA training, this one offers the largest kicking/punching surface in the market. Great if you want to work your punch-kick combinations.
6 - Fairtex Bowling Pin Bag
One of the most recognizable heavy bags to this day. Great for knee strike practice and its shape makes it very versatile.
7 - Wall Mount Heavy Bag
Not a lot of space for a regular bag? This one is about 3 feet in height and, depending on where you set it up, it could also be used for knees and body punches.
8 - Century B.O.B
What’s not to love about Bob? No matter whether you’re training for boxing, Muay Thai or any other martial art, Bob will take your punches with a smile (kinda).
9 - Everlast Omniflex
This bag can take a beating, for sure, and you can adjust the height or weight to practice however you want.
10 - 2-Station Gym
If you’re serious about your boxing practice and it’s not just a hobby, it’s worth spending the extra money on a simple, yet amazing 2-station gym to practice different kicks or punches without leaving home.
11 - Reflex Ball Set
Ok, you’re right. This is not a bag. But it’s still amazing training for your reflexes and speed when punching.
12 - Body Action System
So you can practice your punching, kicking, dodging, and a bunch of other techniques. Great if you’re taking your training seriously and want to take it to the next level.
13 - Hyperflex Punching Bag
Great for practicing your strikes, but also your good for reflexes, which is another important thing you need in contact sports.
14 - Hydrostrike Water Bag
As you may imagine, you fill this baby up with water, which makes it great at absorbing contact. So hit it as hard as you can!
15 - Self Standing Punching Bag
A great choice for beginners to start practicing their kicks and punches at home.
16 - Century Wavemaster 2XL
And a choice for the more experienced, this heavy bag provides excellent absorption and durability for training at home.
Punching Bags: A Buyers Guide
The best punching bag for you will depend on a number of factors relating to your chosen activity or your fitness levels.
Here we take a look at the various considerations in more depth to help you choose the right bag for your needs.
Bag Stability and Position
First you must decide where you'll be using your punching bag, so you can make sure you have enough space for it and the right fittings (if required).
If you'd prefer a hanging bag, you need to ensure you have enough space for the bag to swing and a stud beam to attach the hook to.
If you haven't got a suitable space to hang a bag from the ceiling, you could go for a freestanding or wall-mounted bag instead.
With a freestanding bag, be sure to choose one with a solid, heavy base so it doesn't move around when you're training and scratch your floor.
Wall-mounted bags should only be installed on a load-bearing wall that can support the weight of the bag.
Bag Size and Weight
If you're a beginner, then a light, shorter bag might be the way to go. Light punching bags are also great for those who want to work on movement training.
If you're a more advanced trainer, you might want a heavy, more dense punching bag with a bit more length.
If you'll be practicing kicking, go for a longer bag to give yourself a larger striking surface.
Traditionally though, the general rule for punchbags is that they should be around half your body weight.
Bag Material
Look for bags wrapped in more durable, heavy duty materials, such as leather, synthetic leather or a high quality vinyl. They'll have a higher price tag but will last much longer as they'll be more hard-wearing.
Bags with a foam lining will provide a more consistent feel when you strike it.
Bag Filler
The best filling for your punchbag depends on your fitness goals.
If you're just starting your fitness journey or you enjoy a long workout, a water-filled bag (or aqua bag) might be the best way to go as they're great for shock absorption.
Whereas heavy, foam-filled bags will add more resistance to help develop stronger punches and more overall power.
However, if you buy an empty punchbag, you'll need to fill it yourself. Common materials used for filling punchbags are sand, sawdust, rice or rubber mulch.
Alternatively, you could fill your bag with small pieces of old clothing or scraps of fabric, which will keep the bag relatively soft so it's easy on the joints.
Final Thoughts
There are so many bags out there for training in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and other mixed martial arts, so it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to knowing which bag is right for you.
We hope our list of the top bags available, plus our handy Buyers Guide, have provided some useful tips for choosing your next punching bag, whether it’s just for keeping fit or training for your next fight.