Punching Bag Buyers Guide | All You Need To Know

Reading Time: 4 minutes

There’s a reason you’ll find punching bags in almost every gym in the world.

They’re the best way to perfect new techniques if you’re a fighter and they provide a great workout if you’re just looking for a good sweat.

In this post you’ll discover:

1. Different sizes of punching bags you can get
2. How much punching bags cost
3. Where to buy punching bags
4. 7 Types of punching bags you can buy
5. How punching bags are made and why they’re so expensive

So let’s get into it!

ALSO READ: [ULTIMATE CARE GUIDE] How To Clean And Maintain Punching Bags

How Heavy Are Punching Bags?

Punching bags come in a wide range of styles and weights. They can be as light as 30 lbs and as heavy as 200 lbs or more, depending on your requirements. Heavy bags used for kicking tend to be longer and heavier than punching bags used only for boxing. Choosing the right punching bag for your home or gym is important.

Remember, if you’re hanging your punching bag up in your home you should always make sure the bracket can handle its weight.

Not only the weight of the big itself but also the back and forth swaying that puts additional strain on your mounting system.

How Much Do Punching Bags Cost?

The cost of punching bags depends on if the bag is filled or not. Many companies sell their punching bags without filling or charge separately for them. You can expect to pay around $30 – $50 for unfilled punching bags (filling sold separately), and up to $300 for some of the larger heavy bags with material filling.

Always double-check if you’re buying your punching bag online.

You don’t want to be caught receiving a bag that you still need to buy filling for.

Where To Buy Punching Bags

You can buy punching bags at most sporting outlet stores, or you can buy them online. The best place to buy punching bags online is on Amazon. Most big brands sell their bags on there, so you’ll often find great discounts and bundle offers. It’s also a great way of checking reviews from previous buyers.

Best Punching Bags On Amazon

There are a bunch more, but these are the 6 best punching bags I recommend buying on Amazon.

7 Types of Punching Bags

The world of punching bags has grown by leaps and bounds in the modern era of martial arts.

The 7 main types of punching bags on the market today are:

1. Free-standing bags
2. Mounted heavy bags
3. Double-end bags
4. Speed bags
5. Uppercut bags
6. Wall bags
7. Grappling dummies

Let’s look at a few great examples.

ALSO READ: [ULTIMATE BUYERS GUIDE] Boxing Gloves | Find Your Perfect Boxing Gloves

Free-Standing Punching Bags

Free-standing punching bags are great if you don’t have space to mount a heavy bag.

They use a heavy base that keeps the bag still while you punch and kick it.

Mounted Heavy Bags

Mounted heavy bags are your most common punching bags.

They’re the ones you hang up using a bracket.

Pro Tip: ALWAYS make sure your mounting is strong enough to hold your punching bag or you could get seriously hurt. I learned that the hard way.

Double-End Bags

Double-end punching bags are much smaller than the free-standing and mounted bags.

In fact, you use them for completely different reasons.

You use double-end bags to work on your timing and rhythm, anticipating where a strike will land to effectively counterpunch.

Speed Bags

Speed bags are extremely light bags, normally filled with air and used for working on endurance, timing, and building shoulder and arm strength.

They’re also great for ingraining the habit of keeping your hands up in a fight.

Speed bags are normally suspended from a dropped ceiling or on a wall with a bracket.

Uppercut Bags

Uppercut bags are, as they say, meant for practicing your uppercuts.

But you can use them for far more than that, including jabs and crosses.

They’re a bit awkward for practicing hooks, but talented boxers manage them just fine.

Wall Bags

Also known as wall mounted punching bags, these are used for very focused punching training.

Unlike the bags mentioned before, wall bags don’t have much give when punched.

These are typically used when larger heavy or free-standing bags aren’t feasible.

Grappling Dummies (Punching Dummies)

For a more lifelike experience, or if you’re training MMA, grappling dummies work great for training ground-and-pound striking.

With the added arms, legs, torso, and head, you can really focus your striking while training.

Pro Tip: Stay away from cheaply made grappling dummies. Their arms and legs break off very easily. Again, another hard-learned lesson.

Now you know the types of punching bags you can buy, let’s look at how they can help you.

ALSO READ: [ULTIMATE BUYERS GUIDE] Hand Wraps | Find Your Perfect Hand Wraps

How Are Punching Bags Made?

Punching bags are made using either leather or synthetic leather outer which is strong enough to withstand regular punches and kicks. The outer is created first, followed by adding the inner filling which gives the punching bag its structure and strength allowing you to practice your striking.

Sometimes companies sell punching bags without filling, which makes shipping easier.

But this also allows you to choose the stuffing you’d like to use because your bag filling is what determines:

1. Bag weight – How heavy your punching bag is
2. Firmness – How hard your punching bag is
3. Response – How it absorbs your punches

Beginners do better with softer filling like old clothes, advanced strikers prefer harder filling like sand.

What Are Punching Bags Filled With?

Punching bags have been filled with all sorts of things in the past.

The most common ways to fill a punching bag is by using:

1. Old clothes
2. Sand
3. Rags
4. Rice husk
5. Corn cob
6. Wood shavings

If you’re a beginner, old clothes and rags will work just fine.

Why Are Punching Bags So Expensive?

Generally, punching bags are expensive for one of two reasons. Either they’re more durable and can withstand a lot of impact without breaking or because the bag is being used in martial arts training as opposed to just regular boxing workouts at home.

I recommend staying away from poorly-made or cheap punching bags.

Especially if you don’t want to buy a new one each year because you keep breaking them.

Invest in a good bag from the beginning and you’re good to go for a while.

Are Punching Bags Worth It?

Punching bags are not just for boxers.

You can use them to release anger, anxiety, or stress. Punching a bag is also great exercise!

In the world of fitness, it can be tricky to find something that is worth your time.

Punching bags offer a fun way for you to get some exercise without spending all day at the gym or being stuck in front of an expensive television set with nothing but junk food and soda nearby.

READ MORE: [EXPLAINED] How To Hang Punching Bags | All You Need To Know

Sources

Way of Martial Arts