We Tested The Best Heavy Punching Bags (2024): Home Gym, Beginners, & Freestanding

For any martial artist, the heavy bag is an indispensable tool. All forms of martial arts make constant use of punching bags. They are an essential component of every fitness center and an appealing feature of any home gym.

But choosing the best heavy bag for your needs is not always easy. What if your home is small? Or you can’t suspend anything from your ceiling? Then it matters if you only box or want to kick, and at least half a dozen other factors you need to consider. 

Be calm because we’ve got you covered with options for every scenario.

• Best Heavy Punching Bag: Revgear Pro Series 6-Foot Heavy Bag
• Best Heavy Bag For Home Gym: Revgear 5-Foot Heavy Bag
• Best Punching Bag For Beginners: Everlast 70-Pound MMA Bag
• Best Heavy Bag For Muay Thai: Yokkao Heavy Bag XL
• Best Freestanding Heavy Bag: Century Wavemaster XXL
• Best Heavy Bag For MMA: Fairtex HB6 Banana Bag
• Best Punching Bag For Boxing: Outsayer 100lbs Heavy Bag
• Best Heavy Bag For Apartment: Century Versus Fight Simulator

Best Heavy Punching Bag

Revgear Pro Series 6-Foot Heavy Bag

The Revgear Pro Series 6-foot heavy bag is ideal for punching and kicking with maximum power. It is equally suitable for professional fighters and garage warriors.

This bag is 6 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds, meeting the gold standard for MMA and Muay Thai heavy bags. The good news is that this is not the capacity or recommended weight but the factory-filled weight of this USA-made model.

Filling a heavy bag is not difficult, and I’ve done it. However, matching a pre-filled bag’s ideal density and distribution is practically impossible, and with Revgear, you won’t even have to attempt it.

The Pro series Revgear bag is made of 22-ounce vinyl-coated nylon and has triple-stitched seams, so durability is guaranteed.

Reinforced nylon straps take care of the hanging. If you use a professional bag hanging system (also available from Revgear and other retailers), I am confident you will never have problems. Revgear also trusts its product and offers a ten-year warranty if the bag is hung correctly and utilized.

As a USA-made product, the Revgear bag is extensively used and loved in major gyms nationwide, including The LAB, CSW, Sityodtong, Kings MMA, and many more. If you’ve worked out in a few gyms, you’ve probably seen Revgear heavy bags before.

This sounds fantastic. However, the heavy bag would be less appealing if it was expensive. At $300, you get an unbeatable value for a pre-filled professional-level 6-foot heavy bag. Only genuine leather bags may be worthy competitors, but they are usually twice as expensive.

Best Heavy Bag For Home Gym

Revgear 5-Foot Heavy Bag

When deciding on a heavy bag for use in a home gym, size and budget are more important factors than they would be if choosing for a commercial gym. While a six-foot bag is perfect for kickboxers, many prefer four-foot ones for home boxing.

On the other hand, the Revgear 5-foot heavy bag is the middle-ground alternative to our top-rated heavy bag and is perfect for use in a basement or garage. It can still be suspended from a lower ceiling, and at 5 feet tall, it’s also suitable for kicking.

You won’t have to lift a finger because the heavy bag is already filled, which is a huge convenience. These bags are American-made rather than imported, making buying them filled possible. Bags filled in the factory tend to be higher quality than those filled by hand.

With a weight of 100 pounds, this Revgear bag is just the right size for boxing. Reinforced nylon straps are used for hanging, which isn’t quite as long-lasting as chains, but they are still preferable for a home gym because chain clanging can be too noisy.

The Revgear bag comes with a 10-year warranty. With 22 ounces of vinyl-coated nylon and triple-stitched seams, the product can withstand years of abuse, and the company is confident in its durability.

If only one household uses the bag in the garage gym, I don’t see you ever needing a replacement.

If you’re looking for a heavy bag for your home gym, you won’t find a better option than this one, especially considering all the features.

Best Punching Bag For Beginners

Everlast 70-Pound MMA Bag

A beginner’s heavy bag must meet at least two requirements: it should be lightweight and affordable. The Everlast 70-pound MMA bag is ideal for those new to fighting sports or wishing to hit the bag to get in shape.

At 70 pounds, this bag is lighter and won’t be too heavy for smaller individuals or those with less skill, but it’s heavy enough to offer some resistance.

The bag is composed of synthetic poly canvas, which will last for its intended use. Just ensure to wear boxing gloves when punching it otherwise the rough material will skin your knuckles quickly.

The design is basic and tidy, with heavy-duty nylon straps securing the bag.

The pricing is really cheap, and the 2,000+ reviews on Amazon confirm that this Everlast bag can be a good pick for a first heavy bag.

Remember that if you are an adult male, you will quickly outgrow this and need a replacement, but this bag will be sufficient for women and kids.

Best Heavy Bag For Muay Thai

Yokkao Heavy Bag XL

Yokkao has transformed the Muay Thai and combat sports equipment markets since its founding in 2010. Yokkao is primarily a Muay Thai brand, so it’s unsurprising that they have made the greatest Muay Thai bag.

The Yokkao heavy bag is the gold standard for punching bags. It’s manufactured in Thailand using premium, high-grade leather. The quality is exceptional, and while it may sound exaggerated, the Yokkao heavy bag will last for decades.

To this day, genuine leather remains the perfect material for heavy bags and most combat sports gear. This bag’s construction further ensures extraordinary durability.

Yokkao heavy bags come in three sizes to suit your demands, which is another advantage. The smallest measures 100 centimeters and weighs 77 pounds, making it suited for beginners or fighters in lower weight divisions.

The intermediate size is 120 cm, which is ideal for boxing and some Muay Thai training. Although it is heavier than the little one, it can still swing.

The XL size is equivalent to 6 feet and 120 pounds. This size is ideal for punching and kicking at any level and is what you will find at elite Muay Thai gyms.

I highly recommend the 6-foot bag for the art of 8 limbs.

Yokkao’s website also offers options for an empty bag, which may be a better option for saving on shipping costs, which can be considerable given the weight of heavy bags.

While Yokkao heavy bags aren’t cheap, they’re the finest option for any gym looking to stock up on professional-grade equipment.

Best Freestanding Heavy Bag

Century Wavemaster XXL

Freestanding bags, or bags with a stand, are typically lighter and more suitable for living spaces. Century is the undisputed leader in the market, with numerous alternatives. Of the whole bunch, the Wavemaster XXL is the best option for dedicated martial artists.

The XXL freestanding bag, as the name implies, is massive. This size eliminates most standing bag limits and is ideal for kicking and punching at all levels.

The Wavemaster XXL is great for anyone, even those with a lot of punching power, because it weighs about 270 pounds when filled. This stand-alone bag features high-density foam that is both firm and flexible, covered in a long-lasting vinyl.

Taekwondo practitioners prefer freestanding bags because they don’t swing like hanged bags and can be used for successive rapid kicks. They, karatekas, and other fast kickers will love the Century extra-large bag.

Best Heavy Bag For MMA

Fairtex HB6 Banana Bag

The Fairtex HB banana bag is one of the staples in Muay Thai gyms, but the shape and size are also perfect for MMA. MMA fighters need their low kicks every bit as Nak Muay does, maybe even more so because they heavily use calf kicks, so a 6-foot bag is a must.

Few brands make better banana bags than Fairtex, and none do it while matching the price. The HB6 is made from synthetic leather, which feels close to the real thing, and the nylon lining provides an excellent feel when hitting.

The bag is dense and offers solid resistance, but at the same time, it gives in a bit, and your skin won’t get burned like it would on a vinyl bag. 

The 36 cm width is the proper middle ground for punching and kicking. The heavy-duty nylon straps are super durable and lack the annoying chain clanging. The whole bag construction is flawless, and I am confident this can last years of abuse.

All Fairtex products are made in Thailand, which guarantees quality, but in the case of heavy bags, this may also be a con because you will have to fill the bag yourself.

The upside is that you can buy the bag for a great price, then find cheap rags and have a pro-level bag for a lower price than you would have to pay otherwise.

Best Heavy Bag For Boxing

Outslayer 100lbs Heavy Bag

Because of its excellent density, longevity, and quality, the 6-foot Outslayer bag is a staple in many MMA gyms.

However, their 100-pound bag is perfect for boxing as this is the preferred weight by many boxers, and the 55″ length makes the bag swing less than the typical shorter models.

These bags are handmade in the USA and are not imported. Another benefit is that if you are in the USA, you get free shipping even on the filled bag if you buy from Outslayer’s official website, which is a great deal.

One of the best things about Outslayer heavy bags is their well-rounded density, which is a problem with many heavy bags from lower classes. There is minimal possibility of hard or empty areas because the filler is made entirely of cotton and contains no sand.

This big bag is made in the USA, and its quality is further guaranteed by the four-ply hanging straps, which eliminate the annoying clacking sounds of chains and quadruple hand stitching.

Best Heavy Bag For Apartment

Century Versus Fight Simulator

Heavy bags are generally not appropriate for apartment use. Noise and vibration are the significant challenges, although mounting is also an issue.

While freestanding bags are better suited to apartment use, most models still make too much noise for many people’s living situations.

In these circumstances, I can offer a different type of freestanding heavy bag – The Century Versus fight simulator.

The quietest piece of gear may still be considered a heavy bag. It’s also remarkably adaptable, serving as a ground-and-pound dummy.

The low weight of this product limits full-power striking, but you have to make compromises when you still want to train in an apartment.

Still, for limited space training, it may be ideal for honing striking on the feet and ground and pound. The Century Versus fight simulator is simple to set up and even easier to put away and store.

How To Choose The Best Heavy Punching Bag

Type

The most crucial consideration when selecting a heavy bag is the type. The two basic types are hanging heavy bags and freestanding heavy bags.

Hanging ones are the norm and preferred by all combat athletes. Freestanding bags aren’t quite as versatile but are easy to install and move around, making them the preferred option for many home gyms.

There are other design distinctions between the two groups. Hanging bags come in a variety of shapes, lengths, and weights.

We only reviewed regular heavy bags, not teardrop-shaped, uppercut bags or other distinctive varieties. They have their use, but usually in a big gym, while at home, it’s best to choose the tried and trusted classic shape. 

Other models, such as wall-mounted bags, doorway bags, and double-end bags, are frequently mentioned in similar articles. Nonetheless, they are not particularly heavy, literally, and regarding the training you can do with them.

Materials

The materials determine the longevity and the experience of using the heavy bag. Genuine leather is the most durable heavy bag material, followed by synthetic leather, while vinyl materials sit at the bottom of the quality range.

Heavy bags can be filled with fabric, sand, water, rubber pieces, and other materials. High-quality bags are filled with fabric pieces because rubber and sand, in particular, leave some areas hollow while hardening others, similar to concrete.

Water-filled bags, on the other hand, are lightweight and easy to fill, but they have the potential for bursting or spilling.

Martial Arts You’re Practicing

The martial art you practice additionally affects what type of bag you need. If you only want to box, the traditional size is adequate.

A banana bag is better if you wish to low-kick with force. Taekwondo practitioners need to train rapid kicking, so a solid freestanding bag is often the ideal option.

Price

The price is typically indicative of the quality of all equipment. Punching bag prices are determined mainly by the materials used. Leather bags are the most expensive but also the most durable.

Fabric filling offers the optimal density and can be easily manipulated to preference. Still, it is more expensive than rubber, which has the bad habit of making certain areas as hard as concrete.

Hanging bags are less expensive and superior for training than freestanding bags, but not everyone has the space to hang a bag and leave it there. Freestanding bags are easier to mount and transport but require more materials to be produced and are, therefore, more expensive.

When setting up a home gym, a mid-quality bag is usually sufficient. Purchasing a cheap, heavy bag is never a good idea. It will wear out faster and be irritating due to excessive sinking and bulging.

Premium models, on the other hand, are overkill for a garage gym unless money isn’t an issue. If this is the case, acquire the best gear available.

Frequently Asked Heavy Bag Questions

Summary

The Revgear Pro Series 6-Foot Heavy Bag is at the top of our best heavy bag list due to its superior quality and design.

It is the finest option for experts and those seeking the best equipment. The high price will put some customers off, but there are plenty of other solutions for different needs on the list.