One of the most fun way to exercise has to be piecing together a nice combination on punching bags, which makes this one of the best ways to exercise. The Lift Bible team are huge believers that exercise should be fun!
In this article, we are going to be researching & finding the best free standing punching bags on the market in the UK. We are also going to take a slight detour into the other types of punch bags that are available, in case those might be more beneficial to you.
If you're struggling to find a designated spot to hang a punching bag, a free standing punch bag sounds like the solution for you. It's also quite handy if you plan on training in different places, for example if you have are a Student and want to take it to and from University.
There's quite a few variants of free-standing punch bags, so it can make it a confusing item to purchase. This also makes it hard to compare each one, leaving you with the potential of having wasted your money. Fortunately, we can point you in the right direction & help you make a well-informed decision on your new punching bag.
Gallant Sport Punching Bag
Gallant 5.5ft Free Standing Boxing Punch Bag - Excellent Quality Heavy Duty Adult Punching Pedestal Bags Stand Kickboxing, Martial Arts,...
- ✅ FREE-STANDING DESIGN – Traditional punch bags require you to hang them from the ceiling, which can be messy and create holes. No nuts and bolts are needed for this punchbag, which can be pushed to the side when you’ve finished training.
Specification
- Height: 160 cm
- Weight: 20 kg
- Bag material: Synthetic leather
- Bag filler: High density foam
- Best filled with: Sand
Gallant 5.5ft Punch Bag Review
When the Lift Team are on hand to pick the best equipment, value for money is a huge concern. If you're also a value hunter, you have an excellent option in the Gallant 5.5ft punching bag. It has a narrow base, which might look worrying, but once filled with Sand this will be solid.
The narrow base also allows for closer movement around the bag, without fear that you'll kick it & potentially trip over it.
The design of this takes me straight back to Rocky 2, it just has that classic boxing livery which can only motivate you to go for one more round.
For just under £100, this is a fantastic punching bag, and will be perfect for a boxer, kickboxer or martial artist that's looking to improve their skills.
The bag is double stitched, with a 5cm layer of EPE Foam. What makes this our favourite punching bag, is that you can work around the bag thanks to its narrow base, striking it naturally. The striking surface of the bag is around 12″ and the faux leather handled everything that we offered it, during multiple sessions.
The bag physically joins to the base using a bolted rubber housing, which provides the much-needed, but minimal flex to withstand the hits. It's worth noting that 12oz gloves were used in this punching bag test. We also filled it with sand to ensure maximum stability.
This Gallant punch bag also comes in a few different colours and styles, including a ‘target' livery, which gives you numbers based upon areas of the bag. This is ideal if you have a training partner who will be running you through specific drills.
This is a fixed bag, so if you're over 6ft you may be better off with their 6ft heavy bag, which costs a little more… but that's also available above. We've hit the ground running with this one as our best budget punch bag, and it will prove one that's quite hard to beat!
Century Versys VS1 Fight Simulator 100LB
- Discover a whole new way to train with the Century Versys VS.1 Fight Simulator. INSPIRING A NEW FITNESS EXPERIENCE: The most VERsatile SYStem on the market
- the Versys VS.1 Fight Simulator is ideally suited for aerobic conditioning
Technical Spec / Information
| Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Size | One Size |
| Item display length | 62 inches |
| Material type | Foam |
| Number of pieces | 2 |
| Sport | Boxing & MMA |
| Brand | Century Martial Arts |
| Product Dimensions | 152.4 x 25.4 x 25.4 cm; 6.01 Kilograms |
Century Versys VS1 Review
This is the most expensive punching bag we've reviewed today, but it definitely has a place on our list. This is a specialist punching bag, which can actually be placed on a base or whipped off for some ground and pound.
If you're a boxer, you're probably not going to be ‘sold' by this item, as it certainly caters more-so for Mixed Martial artists. It's one of the most versatile free standing heavy bags that I've actually laid eyes on. It's not quite a free standing punch bag, but it's also not a dedicated grappling dummy. It weighs just over 100lbs, which translates to a shade over 50 kilograms.
You will have no problem whipping this over your hips, throwing it to the ground & practicing your combination strikes on. You can even practice clinch moves, or your high-knees with the attached grappling handles. These are located at the top & the bottom of the bag. They will be what you use for grappling, throwing & takedowns.
The whole of the surface area is covered in foam, shock absorbing to take every impact. This means that you can go crazy on it, striking from different height levels, throwing both punches and kicks too.
It's not one of the cheapest free standing punch bags on the market, but it does offer a versatile workout, alongside great build quality. Century are well-known for their product quality, having built some fantastic martial arts equipment (a few pieces which actually made this list!).
The Versys fight simulator is no exception, with a highly durable coating which protects the bag itself, and foam padding to protect your wrists during a high intensity workout.
You don't have to waste time filing the bag with sand or water either, which will save you making a mess of your home gym. The VS.1 is Centurys starter model fight simulator, but it's one of my personal favourites.
Century BOB Freestanding Punch Bag Height Adjustable 60-78 inches
- More realistic training for many different techniques.
- Original by Century.
- Also for the gym.
- For men and women.
- For many combat sports, boxes, etc. suitable.
Technical Specification / Information
| Size | Adjustable 60-78 inches |
| Sport | Boxing |
| Brand | Century |
Century Bob Review
I like to try out fitness equipment & this Century Bob was one of the items I've had at the top of my list for a while. I had to justify spending a little bit extra on a punching bag, purely because it looks like a person instead of a lump of sand.
I've got to say, this is definitely something that's worth an ‘eventual upgrade'. I opted for the standard century bob, but there's also a century bob XL which offers a realistic striking experience for your home gym.
I've already actually highlighted the Century Versys above as one of my go-to fight simulators. This Century Bob also shows the quality that Century provide, with this bag actually used by Conor McGregor himself.
His names not Bob, it stands for Body Opponent Bag & it's a realistic punching bag which fighters use to train their accuracy & technique. As i've mentioned above, there are 2 sizes available, standard and Bob XL.
Is Century Bob better than a traditional punching bag?
The first thing I noticed when I was striking the Century Bob, was that it takes the punches on the chin, quite literally. On a traditional punching bag, the bag would rock around & I'd be left waiting for it to return to a more natural striking position.
Punching the Century Bob is almost like punching one of the strongest bouncers you'd find in a nightclub, you just can't move him. If he had arms, I'd probably have a black eye by now!
Now, you can see this as a positive or a negative, as it means that you won't need a gym partner to hold the punch bag to stop it flying around. This means you can unleash more kicks and punches onto the heavy duty face of Bob. The downside? You may find yourself moving around less, as you will just be standing and punching the striking surface of your punch bag.
Setting Bob up was really easy, as it came in two pieces. You should fill the base with either water or sand, then proceed to screw the body on.
Although striking a normal heavy bag would develop you as a fighter, the Century Bob is designed to help you take things to another level. You can target your punches specifically, so you can practice exactly where you're going to land those punches. On a free standing punch bag, you'd be left thinking “that would've hit his nose, right?”.
The adjustable height was also very impressive, as quite a lot of punch bags are being developed now as fixed 6ft designs. If you aren't blessed with height (join the club!), you have the option to adjust it from 5 foot… all the way to 6 foot 6″.
Again, if you're a fighter in a training camp, you can adjust this to match the exact height of your opponent. This is bound to give you an advantage in the ring.
You can't ignore the price of this, but it has been specially designed to offer the most realistic free standing heavy bag available. Although it may seem like a gimmick, the benefits of having a physical face to launch your punches and kicks justify the costs. It's probably not suited for a beginner, so I'd probably advise the above Gallant if you're buying a free standing heavy bag to see if boxing is your thing.
RDX KT Ronin 6ft Free Standing Target Punch Bags With Mitts
RDX KT Ronin Review
The KT Ronin is a quality product, which doesn't break the bank at £149.99. It's made with multi-layers of Maya Hide Leather, alongside high density foam padding. This helps to ensure that the bag can take everything you can throw (or punch) at it, whilst not damaging your hands either.
It's quite a big punch bag, with a large base, but it's definitely suited for beginners and experienced fighters as their livery contains a target system. This is becoming very popular now and it's focused for a sparring or training partner to give you drills. For example, the bag has areas which are numbered, 1 being the head area, 5 and 6 being the lower ribs.
In total, there are 10 focus points, and you could run a drill such as 1,1,1,5,6 which would throw three punches to the head area, and one to either side of the body. The bag itself comes in 7 colours, but we used the triple black one, as it suited my home gym the most.
On first inspection, this RDX Punch bag looks like an absolute monster. When you get up close to it, not only does it tower above you, it also has a wide surface area making it quite intimidating. This is quite good though, as it gives you a bit of extra motivation to try and knock it over!
It's the craziest base of any standing punch bag i've seen, with 8 extendable legs to make the low profile base a whopping 88cm. This helps with the stability of the bag, as it's quite the unit itself. Not only does the bag feature shock absorbing technology, it also has noise control technology which is built into the bag, reducing the noise of impact.
This is a great option for a fighter that's light heavyweight or above, as the frame will be reaching the realism of your weight class. That doesn't mean that it's no good for lightweights, as it's a brilliant free standing punching bag.
Everlast FIT Free Standing Punch Bag, Rope, Ab Wheel and Bag Gloves
- Includes skipping rope, ab wheel and bag gloves
- The high-density plastic neck provides maximum flexibility and resilience
- PowerCoreTM steel plate technology improves the overall strength
- Power Transfer Ring collar offers superior impact and absorption and recoil
Everlast PowerCore Review
Although this looks fairly basis, this is actually one of my favourite designs. It's just a standard free standing punch bag.
Everlast are a brand which make fantastic boxing equipment & they've done it again with this set, offering a bundle of items which a beginner would really benefit from. This includes their best free standing punching bag, a set of boxing gloves, skipping rope and an ab roller. This is a great little setup to help you find your feet and build a little workout circuit.
It's a very affordable set at £175, and it's a candidate for the best free standing punching bags for sure. It's not going to break the bank & it should last you years before it needs replacing.
It's height adjustable, raning from 132cm to 165cm & the base can be filled with either sand or water. As always, we recommend sand. It's a high quality heavy bag that you would probably find in most amateur boxing gyms, so it's going to be sufficient for your home gym.
The powercore model features a steel plate alongside a shock absorbing collar, designed to withstand heavy impact. If you're a heavy hitter, you don't have to worry about this heavy bag becoming a victim of your power.
Everlast have included a ‘Tri-Disc' shock absorbing foam technology, which is a high density foam that disperges the energy you apply onto the bag. It also features a recoil system which means that you won't need a training partner to hold the bag.
Comparing the Above Punching Bags
| Pre-workout | My Rating | Price | Fill With? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallant Sport Punching Bag– Best ‘Cheap' Punching Bag | 5 | £104.99 | Sand or Water |
| Century Versys CS1– Best for Cross-Discipline Training | 4.7 | £369.99 | Pre-Filled |
| Century Bob – Best for Immersion | 4.6 | £379.99 | Sand |
| RDX KT Ronin – Best for Larger Spaces | 4.5 | £149.99 | Sand |
| Everlast Powercore – Best Kit for Beginners | 4.4 | £199.99 | Sand or Water |
What is a Free Standing Punch Bag?
A pre-workout is a supplement that people take before exercising, as a way to get a boost of energy and focus. Its most common form is powder inside a tub, but capsules are also quite popular (albeit lower in effectiveness).
A pre-workout is designed to increase your stamina, but also your strength. It's a completely legal supplement, there's nothing inside of these that would get you banned from even competing on stage.
They aren't a cheat sheet though getting impressive gains though, as they simply just alter your energy levels, which would then result in you training harder, for longer.
Free Standing Punching Bag vs Hanging
If you're buying a Punching Bag for home use, it's more beneficial to choose a free-standing variant. As you won't need to physically drill holes or secure this to a wall, it immediately becomes the more convenient option. If you don't have a great deal of space, you'll be able to pick this up and store it away once you've used it. This simply isn't possible with a hanging heavy bag.
A free standing punching bag will also cater for more strikes and combinations, which is beneficial if you're a kickboxer. You'll be able to practice your lead leg kicks and much more with a free standing bag. Low kicks aren't as easy on a hanging bag, unless it's hanging to the floor!
Filling Material of Punching Bag
Most punching bags will be delivered in two parts, and you'll be expected to fill them up. There's quite a few different filling materials, which all contain advantages and disadvantages.
Sand is the best option for filling, as it allows you to put maximum weight inside the bag. This means that it will be much more stable than other methods.
Another option is water, which is conveniently available in almost all homes. However, it's not as stable as sand, due to it ‘sloshing around'.
Surface Material of Punching Bag
In general, punching bags are made of synthetic material such as vinyl or plastic. In the professional range, they're generally leather. The leather ones are more traditional and I'd argue they're more durable to an extent, too.
The problem with being a little bit more premium, is that the price tends to start increasing rapidly. Most synthetic bags will be able to do the exact same job as a leather one, so I'd definitely consider synthetic free standing punch bags.
Punching Bag Weight
Your primary considerations for choosing your punching bag size will be the fighters age and height. You should try and match your bag with your height, to get the most from your workout. A punchbag will come in various sizes, from 2ft to around 6.5ft, with various weights. Typically, the heavier a punch bag, the more quality that it possesses. Some professional punching bags also have weight adjustable mechanisms, which mean that you can make the bag lighter, or heavier.
There's no set rule regarding what weight your punch bag should have, but you should be trying to find one that's around half of your weight. There's nothing worse than picking a really light bag, that falls on the floor every time you punch it. On the flip side, if it's too heavy you can end up hurting your wrists, as it will feel like punching a brick wall!
The options we've provided above are good for most ranges, so I would advise you check those
Remember your gloves!
Don't, don't, don't hit a punch bag without any gloves on! These are designed to withstand a beating and they are likely to take your knuckles as victims if you decide against wearing gloves. 6oz gloves should suffice if you're into MMA, but we tested the punch bags with our 12oz favourites.
Average costs of Punching Bags
Depending on the build quality, punching bags will have a wide range of prices. You should expect your Floor standing heavy bags to be able to handle every strike you throw at it. Some bags are built to flex a little, but this sometimes comes down to if they're filled with water instead of sand.
A quality heavy bag will cost between £90 and £200, but some of the best ones are closer to £350.
Other Types of Heavy Bags
There are quite a few different punching bags to consider, which are all focused towards different training methods.
Summary
You don't need to be a boxer to work a punching bag. It's one of the best forms of exercise, allowing users to exert lots of energy in exchange for a rush of endorphins. You can train on a punch bag whilst you're also lifting weights, you don't have to make sacrifices.
Although you feel tired after boxing, it doesn't feel tedious whilst your throwing hooks and jabs, as it's super fun to hit the bag. At the same time, it's fantastic for your heart, increasing the blood flow circulation and reducing body fat.