BOXING IS one of the most versatile workouts you can do. Not only does it combine cardio and strength to get you absolutely shredded, it involves hand-eye-coordination, speed work, and of course is a test of toughness and grit. Some of the toughest boxers include Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury, Ryan Garcia, Floyd Mayweather, and Canelo Álvarez. And you can’t forget Muhammad Ali, whose iconic workouts and diet is often emulated by YouTube fitness bloggers. (This guy ate and trained like Muhammad Ali for a day.)
Read more: Best Home Gym Equipment
In the past several years, Hollywood has also jumped on the boxing boat, with many actors using it to get in shape for various roles. Tom Holland used it to prep for his role in Spiderman: No Way Home. Jason Mamoa used it during his Aquaman 2 training. Chris Hemsworth for Thor: Love and Thunder. And of course, actors starring in boxing movies go all-out on the heavy bag training. For example, Michael B. Jordan got absolutely jacked with boxing for his roles in the Creed movies and Jamie Foxx implemented it while training for his role as Mike Tyson.
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Best Leather Punching Bag
Retro Heritage Brown Leather Heavy Punching Bag
Modest Vintage Player
Hopefully we’ve convinced you that if you’ve never tried boxing before, you should. And one critical piece of equipment you’ll need to get started is a punching bag to practice those punches and jabs. (These workouts will get you started once you have your home boxing setup.)
Read more: Best Adjustable Dumbbells
Ready to get boxing? Here are 20 punching bags that will complete your home boxing setup.
Best Traditional Punching Bag
Ringside
100-pound Powerhide Boxing Punching Heavy Bag
Weight | 100 lbs |
---|---|
Dimensions | 14″ x 14″ x 43″ |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Filled |
Best Freestanding Bag
Everlast
Omniflex Freestanding Bag
Weight | Overall weight with water will reach about 130 lbs |
---|---|
Dimensions | 24″ x 24″ x 67″ |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Must fill base with water |
Amazon’s Choice
FITVEN
Freestanding Punching Bag
Weight | Overall weight with sand base will reach up to 205 lbs |
---|---|
Dimensions | 55.51″ x 9.84″ x 9.84″ |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Have to fill base with sand |
Best Leather Punching Bag
Modest Vintage Player
Retro Heritage Brown Leather Heavy Punching Bag
Weight | Recommended fill weight up to 92 lbs |
---|---|
Dimensions | 16″ x 16″ x 60″ |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Unfilled |
Best Heavy Bag With Stand
Everlast
Powercore Dual Bag and Stand
Weight | Bag weighs 80 lbs |
---|---|
Dimensions | 66.5″ x 47.6″ x 86.2″ (entire setup) |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Filled |
Best Investment
Ringside
Heritage 90-pound Genuine Leather Boxing Punching Heavy Bag
Weight | 100 lbs |
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Dimensions | 16″ x 16″ x 48″ |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Filled |
Best Long Punching Bag
Hayabusa
Heavy Bag
Weight | Up to 12 lbs (recommended by Hayabusa) |
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Dimensions | 5 ft long |
Ships filled or unfilled? | Unfilled |
13 More Punching Bags We Like
Everlast
70-Pound MMA Poly Canvas Heavy Bag (Black)
Everlast
Power Core Freestanding Punch Bag
RDX
Punching Bag Heavy Boxing Bag, 12pc
Century
Wavemaster Freestanding Bag
Century
BOB Body Opponent Bag
Body Action System
UFC Body Action System X2 Model
Power Strike
Punching Bag
For the past three years, we consulted with Men’s Health‘s Fitness editors and writers on the best punching bags and heavy bags for boxing. Experts, including our fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, put a number of heavy bags to the test to evaluate their design, performance, durability, and price point. We also considered how easy each punching bag was to set up, as some require more than one person to help with the installation.
Brett Williams, NASM
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running.
John Thompson
Gear and Commerce Editor
John Thompson is the Gear and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where he covers fashion, grooming, gear, and technology.