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When it comes to getting in a great cardio workout at home, many think about stationary bikes, rowers, treadmills, or a run outside. These are all great forms of exercise, but boxing workouts are a great way to relieve stress and enjoy some powerful health benefits.
You may have seen or used a punching bag at your local gym, but unless you’ve spent time training in a dedicated boxing gym with professionals, understanding the differences between the types of bags can be confusing.
Choosing a punching bag may seem simple, but the wide range of shapes, styles, and weights available can make finding the perfect bag feel confusing. There are durable bags versatile enough for most uses, specialty bags for professional fighters, and everything in between.
If you’re feeling confused, we’re here to help. Our team spent time testing a variety of punching bags, using our equipment testing methodology to assign a final score to each bag. We threw light punches, heavy punches, kicks, and elbows, testing every aspect of the bag.
In this guide to the best punching bags, I’ll share our top picks according to our expert testers and our shopping guide to help you find the perfect bag for your home or garage gym.
Best Punching Bags
- Best Overall Punching Bag: Everlast 1910 Heavy Bag
- Best Punching Bag for Beginners: Hayabusa Heavy Bag
- Best Budget Punching Bag: Fairtex Banana Bag
- Best Speed Punching Bag: MaxxMMA Speed Bag
- Best Free-Standing Punching Bag: FITVEN Punching Bag
- Best Punching Bag for Kickboxing: Outslayer Filled Punching Bag
Best Overall Punching Bag: Everlast 1910 Heavy Bag
Good for: Anyone who wants the best heavy bag from a reputable brand
Best Overall
Everlast Heavy Bag
Product Highlights
Pros & Cons
Pros
- High-quality material
- Heavy
- Includes chain for mounting
Cons
- Expensive
- May be difficult to install
- Only one weight available
Bottom Line
The Everlast 1910 100lbs Brown Heavy Bag is an old-school, durable punching bag made of genuine full-grain leather. It features top-mounted metal d-rings, a balancing strap system, and even includes a satin cover for storage.
If you’re looking for the best punching bag we tested and are willing to spend a little extra for quality, we recommend the Everlast 1910 Heavy Bag.
Everlast is one of the biggest names in boxing, and for good reason—they offer durable, high-quality boxing gear at a variety of price points. This is one of the more expensive bags from Everlast, but the quality of this heavyweight bag speaks for itself.
The bag features an old-school style and is made of genuine, full-grain, vintage-style leather. According to our tester, GGR Performance Editor Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, it feels as good as it looks.
Anthony said, “This was certainly the best out of the bunch from the ones I tested because it felt durable and was stable. It’s also just a very classic look that I think would complement any boxing home gym.”
He also rated the durability a 5 out of 5, noting that it felt both tough and stable.
“Even when I launched some harder/faster punches, it withstood everything without much movement,” said Anthony. “This might be due to the fact that the bag is pre-filled, so it had a better interior than the other bags we tested. It certainly felt like something you’d find in a boxing gym.”
At $399, this is the most expensive bag on our list but also the nicest one we tested. It includes a self-balancing strap system to prevent excess movement, durable straps and a chain-mounting system, and even a satin dust cover to keep your bag clean between uses.
| Price | $399 |
| Height | 53.5” |
| Weight | 100 lbs |
| Material | Full grain leather |
| Warranty | 120 days |
Best Punching Bag for Beginners: Hayabusa Heavy Bag
Good for: Those shopping for their first punching bag
Best for Beginners
Hayabusa Heavy Bag
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free shipping for the continental United States
- Designed for home and commercial use
- Affordable
Cons
- Limited customer reviews
- Bag is unfilled
- The zipper broke for some customers
- Only 45-day warranty
Bottom Line
The Hayabusa 5-foot heavy bag is an affordable option for people searching for a heavy bag. However, the cheaper price does mean you will have to fill the bag yourself upon arrival. Some customer reviews said the zipper broke after they filled the bag.
If you’re just getting into boxing and aren’t quite ready to spend nearly $400 on a heavy bag, the Hayabusa Heavy Bag is a fantastic budget-friendly option. I tested this one myself, and I was very impressed.
While it doesn’t have genuine leather (most affordable bags don’t), the synthetic leather feels very nice. It doesn’t feel too rough or cheap, and it isn’t too painful, even when I punched it wearing only wrist wraps.
Durability is hard to assess after only one session, but I don’t have any concerns about giving this bag a 5 out of 5 for durability. I’ve worked in commercial gyms that have bags that feel much cheaper yet still last for years without any issues.
One issue is the fact that the bag swayed quite a bit and one of the mounting straps kept coming unhooked from the stand. The swivel felt durable, but it didn’t stay attached to the stand very long. For this reason, I gave the bag a 3 out of 5 for stability.
It’s worth noting that we simply placed the hooks on the stand, but it was a stand specifically designed for boxing. This is probably an easy fix if you’re using this in your home gym, but since we were testing multiple bags, we didn’t want to use a locking chain. I wasn’t punching or throwing particularly hard boxing combos, and I had to stop to re-attach the straps every four to five punches.
That’s my only issue, though, and for the price, I think this bag is a steal, especially if it’s your first punching bag. Not to mention, it has the sleek Hayabusa branding that MMA and martial arts fans may know and love.
| Price | $159 |
| Height | 60” |
| Weight | Varies, bag ships unfilled |
| Material | Not disclosed |
| Warranty | 45 days |
Best Budget Punching Bag: Fairtex Banana Bag
Good for: Anyone shopping on a budget
Best Budget
Fairtex Banana Bag
Product Highlights
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Versatile size
- Durable for synthetic leather
- Can ship unfilled
Cons
- Customer support is hard to reach
- 89-pound maximum weight may be too light
Bottom Line
The Fairtex Banana Bag is a durable, versatile bag that’s affordable. It can be filled to a maximum weight of 89 pounds, which may be too light for some, but you can purchase the bag unfilled to save money.
For those who want an affordable bag to get started, we recommend the Fairtex Banana Bag.
Handmade in Thailand, the Banana Bag features a slim yet durable design, making it quite versatile for a variety of striking styles. Whether you’re a kickboxer, Muay Thai fighter, or simply a fitness enthusiast looking to integrate boxing into your workout routine, you’ll love this bag.
Lauren Strong, CPT, gave this bag a 4 out of 5 for durability, noting that it feels very durable and thick, with sturdy hanging straps for mounting the bag.
She also scored it a 4 out of 5 for versatility, saying, “The size makes this super versatile, but the weight could be a limiting factor for more experienced boxers (89 lbs).”
Those who need a heavier bag may need to choose something else, but at this price point, it’s going to be hard to beat the quality of the Fairtex Banana Bag.
It’s also available in 10 colors, though pricing and inventory may vary throughout the year based on the color you’re looking for.
| Price | $139.99 |
| Height | 72” |
| Weight | Varies, ships unfilled |
| Material | Synthetic leather |
| Warranty | Only covers products that arrived defective |
Best Speed Punching Bag: MaxxMMA Speed Bag
Good for: Those who want a small bag for fast punching
Best Speed Bag
MaxxMMA Speed Bag
Product Highlights
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Adjustable height design
- The platform is also compatible with speed bags from other brands
- Affordable
- Includes platform and speed bag
Cons
- Unclear if mounting hardware is included- customer reviews differ
- Speed bag poorly reviewed
- Some customers were sent incorrect pieces
Bottom Line
The MaxxMMA Speed Bag Platform provides almost everything you need to start incorporating a speed bag into your workout. The product includes the platform and speed bag. However, only some customers received the hardware required to mount the platform to their wall. The customer reviews found the platform to be very solid and the speed bag to be poor quality. Most reviewers shared that their speed bag bladder either never held air or stopped holding air within the first year of use.
For those who’ve never used a speed bag, the bag is designed specifically for fast, quick punches. You’re not going to be loading up your heaviest punch and swinging at this, but if you want to work on hand speed, the MaxxMMA Speed Bag is our top pick.
Similar to a double-end bag or reflex bag, speed bags are designed to move quickly and return to the starting position, unlike heavy bags, which may sway but mostly stay in place.
Even though it’s small, it still earns a 5 out of 5 for durability. Our tester, Caine Wilkes, OLY, USAW-L1, is an Olympic weightlifter who’s competed for Team USA. He’s far stronger than the average person, and even he felt it was very durable.
Caine said, “I mean, this speed bag is made to wobble around, since it’s hanging. BUT it’s held at one point, and I never thought it was coming loose while punching it. And I tried to punch it hard a few times.”
It’s worth noting that you’ll need to mount this to a wall with studs for durability, so you don’t have quite as much freedom when choosing your location. However, the small size still saves plenty of space, and if you’re looking for a speed bag, this is the best one we tested.
| Price | $199 |
| Height | 10” |
| Weight | 30 lbs |
| Material | Faux leather |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Best Free-Standing Punching Bag: FITVEN Punching Bag
Good for: Anyone who wants a free-standing bag that doesn’t need to be mounted
Best Free-Standing Bag
FITVEN Free-Standing Bag
Product Highlights
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Boxing gloves also included
- Easy to assemble according to reviews
- Four layers of cushioning on a punching bag
- Available in black and white
- Freestanding – so there is no need to hang punching bag
Cons
- Base and bag ship separately and may arrive at different times
- Suction cups don’t work well, according to customer reviews
- Customer reviews said the base was unstable when filled with water
Bottom Line
FITVEN Freestanding Punching Bag also comes with 12 oz boxing gloves. The base and bag ship separately and may arrive at different times which frustrated customers. According to reviews it was easy to set up. However, customers noted the suction cups were not helpful and recommended filling with sand because it was not very stable when filled with water. FITVEN does recommend filling with sand.
One of the biggest drawbacks of using a punching bag at home is the mounting and installation. Sure, you can order a heavy bag stand, or you may be able to mount it from the ceiling if you train in a basement or garage.
However, for those with limited space who don’t want to permanently hang a heavy punching bag from their ceiling, a freestanding heavy bag is the best option. With a sturdy base designed to keep the bag securely in place, while still allowing the flexibility to move the bag wherever you want, the FITVEN Free-Standing Punching Bag is our recommendation.
RELATED: Best Compact Exercise Equipment
Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, tested this bag and was impressed with its stability, rating it 4 out of 5.
“This is a heavy punching bag, but the experience changed based on the surface it was on,” Anthony explained. “On rubber gym flooring, it was stable but moved a little bit on heavier punches. On concrete, this thing stayed STUCK and was a 5/5. You could hit it with all your strength, and it would stay still.”
However, Anthony had one call out, noting that the water-filled base was leaking on the floor when he started punching harder. He said that it wasn’t a ton of water, but he felt this was worth calling out, especially as the base wasn’t filled all the way, yet it still leaked.
Water leakage aside, which may have been an issue unique to our bag, is a very durable, stable, free-standing bag, and we were extremely impressed with its quality.
At the time of writing, it’s priced at $179.99 on Amazon, but it may go on sale throughout the year, and we’ve seen it as low as $149.99.
| Price | $179.99 |
| Height | 70” |
| Weight | 143.3 lbs |
| Material | Multi-layer synthetic leather |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Best Punching Bag for Kickboxing: Outslayer Filled Punching Bag
Good for: People who want a great bag for kickboxing
Best for Kickboxing
Outslayer Filled Punching Bag
Product Highlights
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very durable material
- Multiple colors available
- Available in multiple weights
Cons
- Requires stand or mount for installation
- May take time to break in
Bottom Line
The Outslayer Filled Punching Bag is a durable, versatile bag that can be used for a variety of purposes. Whether you’re boxing, kickboxing, or practicing MMA, this bag is built to last.
If kickboxing is your thing and you don’t feel the need to throw fists, the Outslayer Filled Punching Bag is an excellent choice.
Emily Thomas, GGR’s SEO associate, has owned this bag for over six months and regularly uses it. She says she’s extremely impressed with its durability and gives it a 5-out-of-5-star rating.
“This bag has gone above and beyond in terms of durability,” said Emily. “It has taken consistent hits and boxing workouts for over six months with no settling or warping of the bag’s shape. There are no soft spots or any signs of wearing, and it looks just as good as the day I got it!”
Emily also loves the versatility and stability of this bag, saying, “It really depends on your preference, but I personally like a solid bag without too much movement, and the Outslayer is just that. For people who like their bag to swing around a bit, you’ll still get this bad boy moving with a high-intensity or power-focused workout.”
The Outslayer bag is our top choice for kickboxers, but it’s versatile enough for any style of striking.
| Price | $194.95 without bottom D-ring, $224.95 with bottom D-ring |
| Height | 55” |
| Weight | 100 lbs |
| Material | Heavy duty vinyl |
| Warranty | 10 years |
Other Punching Bags We Researched
We chose our top six bags after completing our testing, but there was one in particular that we almost included but had to leave off due to the cost—the FightCamp Bag.
While we love the idea of a bag that’s integrated with virtual classes, the price was simply too high to be included on our list, considering the bag isn’t noticeably better than the other options.
You can read our full FightCamp review to learn more about this bag.
How We Picked and Tested the Best Punching Bags
Many boxing bags look very similar at first glance, so we wanted to test them ourselves.
We ordered and installed each bag, carefully putting them through a variety of tests. We punched and kicked the bags from a variety of angles, tried to move them, knock them over, and see how durable they felt.
Our testers also punched and kicked each bag with and without hand protection to assess its feel. Several of the bags had been installed for months, so we were able to test their durability over an extended period of time.
After our testing, we used our equipment testing methodology to assign a score to each bag. Each punching bag was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in a variety of categories, which was used to calculate our final score.
Benefits of Using a Punching Bag
Throwing punches, kicks, elbows, and knees at a punching bag has plenty of benefits, even if you’re not involved in professional combat sports. If you’re looking to improve your mental and physical health and reap the benefits of regular exercise, here are some of the top benefits of boxing.
Mental Health Benefits
If you’re ever stressed or frustrated, throwing a few punches at a heavy bag may seem like the best way to relieve stress, and this is supported by research.
A 2023 study1 published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that non-contact boxing was a powerful tool to improve mental health. Hitting a punching bag not only relieves stress, it provides a long list of additional mental benefits.
The authors said, “Non-contact boxing exercises, usually in a high-intensity interval training group setting, provided a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Non-contact boxing provided a cathartic release of anger and stress, with evidence of improved mood, self-esteem, confidence, concentration, metabolic burden, strength, and coordination.”
Cardiovascular Health
Throwing a hard punch certainly requires strength, but repeated punching, kicking, and moving on your feet will certainly elevate your heart rate and provide a great cardiovascular workout.
If you’re looking for a new form of high-intensity interval training to spike your heart rate and break a sweat, boxing is worth a try.
One study2 compared the effects of high-intensity boxing to the effects of moderate-intensity, brisk walking in adults. The boxing group significantly improved body fat percentage, blood pressure, V02 max, physical function, and vitality, while the walking didn’t experience any changes in clinical outcomes.
New Movement Patterns
As nobody on the GGR staff is a professional boxer, we decided to bring an expert to share his opinion and spoke with Tommy Debo, a certified boxing and MMA coach at RockBox Fitness in Huntersville, NC.
Tommy said, “Not only is boxing a great cardiovascular exercise, it also incorporates all planes of motion into the exercise which is extremely important for our day-to-day movement. Boxing is something that can be performed at any age, even into your elderly years. When working a heavy bag, it helps and creates fluidity in your punches, as well incorporating a great workout.”
Since most traditional lifting exercises don’t include multiple planes of motion, especially on your feet, boxing can train your body to move better in all directions. Even if you’re not sparring with an opponent, there’s still plenty of movement when going through a bag workout.
If you’re not sure of the best way to move or throw a punch, be sure to check out our guide to the best boxing stance.
Experts Who Contributed To This Article
- Caine Wilkes, OLY, USAW-L1
- Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC
- Lauren Strong, CPT
- Emily Thomas, Garage Gym Reviews SEO Associate
- Tommy Debo, Certified Boxing and MMA Coach
Buying Guide: How to Choose a Punching Bag
There truly is no one-size-fits-all recommendation, as everyone’s needs, preferences, and budget will vary. We can’t choose a bag for you, but we can share the most important buying points to consider before picking up any boxing equipment.
Training Style and Experience Level
How you plan to use the bag matters, as does your current experience level with punching bags. There are several different types of punching bags, so you’ll want to choose one that matches your training goals.
A speed bag that only trains your hands may not be appropriate for someone to practice punches, kicks, and varying heights. A bag that’s too heavy and dense may not be comfortable for beginners, who would prefer something a little softer, with more give and cushion.
Most bags should work well for general fitness training. However, if you plan to compete in an event like boxing, Muay Thai, or kickboxing, you may need a specialty bag, so be sure you’re choosing the one that fits your individual goals.
Budget
As with most pieces of equipment, punching bags can be expensive across brands and styles. That’s why we chose bags at various price points, ensuring there’s an option for everyone.
However, don’t just look at the cost of the bag; think of what else you may need. Many punching bags need to be mounted, so you may need a bag stand or hanger if you can’t install it on the ceiling. Unfilled bags will need to be filled with something like sand or foam.
If you’re just starting out, you may also need to purchase boxing gloves, hand wraps, and other accessories, which can add to your total cost.
Space and Installation
The next thing to consider is your current setup. In particular, you’ll want to figure out how and where you’ll be installing your punching bag.
Hanging punching bags can be very heavy, so unless you’re very confident in your ceiling’s ability to support the weight, you may need to use a bag stand, which can take up significantly more space.
You’ll also need plenty of space around the bag. While most home gym machines are stationary, footwork is a huge part of boxing and MMA, so you’ll want to make sure you have enough room to freely move around your bag.
Bag Weight
Some bags ship pre-filled and have a fixed weight. Others ship unfilled, and you’ll need to fill it yourself, which can impact the weight and durability.
For example, we filled an empty bag with foam padding material instead of the recommended sand. This resulted in a cushioned feel, and the bag was significantly lighter as it wasn’t packed with sand. Those who want the firmest and heaviest bag may need to order a pre-filled bag, but if you want to customize the bag weight yourself, you’ll want to choose an unfilled bag.
The Best Punching Bags: FAQs
Which material punching bag is best?
Leather is the most durable but also the most expensive. Many bags are made of synthetic leather, which can be nearly as durable and generally costs significantly less, making it a great choice for anyone who’s not a professional boxer.
Is Everlast a good punching bag?
Yes. Everlast is one of the biggest names in boxing, and they offer a variety of punching bags in different sizes and materials, as well as accessories like boxing gloves, bag stands, apparel, and more.
Should I get a 100-pound punching bag?
A 100-pound punching bag will be heavy and durable, with little movement when installed correctly. This is an appropriate size for many adults, especially stronger individuals, but if you prefer a little more movement in your bag, you may want to choose a lighter option.
References
- Bozdarov, J., Jones, B. D. M., Daskalakis, Z. J., & Husain, M. I. (2022). Boxing as an Intervention in Mental Health: A Scoping Review. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 17(4), 589–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276221124095
- Cheema, B. S., Davies, T. B., Stewart, M., Papalia, S., & Atlantis, E. (2015). The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing training versus moderate-intensity brisk walking in adults with abdominal obesity: a pilot study. BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 7, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-1847-7-3
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