Best Free Standing Punching Bags

Last Edited: 28 November 2024

Anyone who is serious about combat sports will either have or be looking to add a decent quality punching bag to their training arsenal. In this article we are going to be assessing the best free standing punching bags.

There are of course other types of punch bags on the market which you might also want to consider – but for most, either a freestanding or heavy bag is the best piece of kit available.

Free standing punch bags are ideal for those of us who struggle for space to hang a traditional heavy bag, or who want to train with it in different places (as they can be fairly mobile).

Choosing the right free-standing punching bag for your needs is not easy. There are so many on the market and making the right decision is key as getting it wrong can result in injury due to poor quality kit or wasting your money – or both!

11 Of The Best Free Standing Punching Bags

We have put together our favourite 11 and there should be something to suit all budgets, needs and skill levels – from punching bags for beginners to punch bags that will keep a more experienced combat specialist on their toes.

Best Overall

Century Wavemaster XXL

Best for those who need a large striking area

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Budget Pick

Dripex Free Standing Punch Bag

Best budget option

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Editors Favourite

Century BOB

Best for true body combat sparring

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1. Century Wavemaster XXL

Top of our list is a Century product, and it comes in the form of the colossal Wavemaster XXL.

Standing at 175cm and with a diameter of 45cm, this standalone punchbag actually has the largest striking surface area of all free-standing punchbags in the UK.

It features a fillable base (sand and water), and when filled is extremely sturdy and is more than capable of withstanding your most powerful kicks and punches.

If you are looking for more of a standard punch bag rather than a human-shaped one like the Century BOB (position 4 below), then the Century Wavemaster XXL is about as good as it gets.

You will pay a premium for the XXL, but it is made from premium materials with a high-quality vinyl to the outer and a high-density foam to the inner.

At 20kg unfilled, the Wavemaster XXL is pretty portable – but once filled you will struggle to move it as it will weigh closer to 100kg. This does mean you get one of the most stable free standing punching bags available though.

Century is pretty much considered to be the leading brand for punching bags, and you can’t go wrong here so long as you can stump up the price tag. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option then take a look at our second top pick…

2. Dripex Punch Bag

The Dripex free standing punch bag is without a doubt one of the best value for money bags on the market thanks to its quality design and manufacturing and its absurdly low price point.

There are both child and adult versions of the this punching bag, although we only tested the adult version which stands at a pretty impressive 175cm in height. Unfortunately the height is not adjustable, but the base does have some nifty features that we have rarely seen on other brands.

PVC shock absorbers are included to minimise shock and noise, although these are removable if you want a more responsive bag.

There are also 12 suction cups on the base to help keep the bag in place, although you will still need to fill the base with sand or water (the former preferred as usual).

The addition of the suction cups does make this bag super stable even for the bigger hitters.

In terms of the bag quality, we have to say we were pretty impressed here too. 2mm of synthetic leather covers the outer layer of the bag, with a fabric buffer then sitting between the outer layer and the EPE high-density foam to the inner.

The bag felt good to use, was responsive, and the impact from our strikes felt well balanced with shocks being absorbed well. The Dripex withstood our punches and kicks well and there was no sign of damage after a good few sessions. Reviews from customers seem to back this up on the whole, and for the price the Dripex is without a doubt a winner.

3. Gallant 6FT Punch Bag

If you are looking for incredible value for money but don’t want to compromise on quality, then Gallant is an excellent option. This 6ft version of the Gallant punchbag is about a third of the price of the Wavemaster XXL, yet you are getting much more than a third of the quality.

The base of the Gallant is a little narrower than some of the competitor brands, so although you could use water to fill it, we recommend you use sand it is advised to fill this with sand.

The advantage of the thinner base is that you can get much closer into the bag – this is good for being able to throw short range punches and kicks and will help those with shorter limbs.

The bag is surprisingly good quality considering the price. It is double stitched and made from high-quality synthetic leather with a 5cm layer of EPE foam on the inner. We were able to give this a real kicking (and punching) and the bag held firm each time with no signs of damage whatsoever.

Unfortunately the Gallant is not height adjustable, but there is a smaller 5.5ft version of this bag which could be a preferred option, and it’s also a little cheaper (the direct link for that one is in position 10). For most people the 6ft version will be perfectly adequate and is without a doubt the best value bag in this category.

4. Century BOB – Freestanding Punch Bag

The Century BOB – the ultimate free standing punch bag for accuracy and realism in your punches and kicks. It’s easily one of the best ones out there and I think it looks brilliant in a gym, too.

It’s definitely not the cheapest, but you can see why. For combat sports such as boxing and MMA there is no better alternative.

BOB stands for Body Opponent Bag, and although the name might be a bit cheesy it’s a seriously high-end product that will not only stand the test of time but will also become one of your most important training aids.

Made from a vinyl skin on the outside and filled with high-density urethane foam on the inside, this piece of kit can take some serious hits. You will need to fill the base with water or sand which will total a weight of around 120kg. Basically, once you set it in position, you’ll have a job moving it anywhere else.

The material is not harsh at all so it can be used with or without training gloves/leg guards, and as the most lifelike bag on our list it is great to use to improve the accuracy of your strikes – whether that is with hands or feet.

You can also adjust the height of BOB pretty easily between 60 inches and 78 inches tall, so you can train for your next opponent based on their height as well as yours.

We can’t really offer any criticism of this punch bag. If you have the budget then go for the best – you won’t need to buy another.

5. Lonsdale Unisex Omni-flex Punch Bag

One of the nicest-looking punch bags on the market and one that fares very well in customer satisfaction surveys and reviews. The design might not suit every combat sport, but for boxing and MMA it is an excellent training aid.

The Lonsdale Omni-Flex is height adjustable with a maximum height of 170cm, and features a fairly narrow base which makes it great for smaller spaces.

The base is designed to be filled with water or sand and the bag itself offers a good degree of flex when you land your strike. This makes for a more interesting and engaging training session.

Made from synthetic leather and vinyl, the overall quality is excellent and if you are looking for a bag that can withstand and give you a high intensity workout, then this is a very valid option.

6. Everlast Powercore

The Powercore free standing punch bag from Everlast is another very decent candidate in our top 10 list, and is also one that is in the mid-range price bracket, delivering a perfect balance of quality and affordability.

Perfect for most combat sports and also for casual workouts, the Everlast Powercore comes with a solid, sturdy base that can be filled with water or sand. It’s also height adjustable, with a heigh range of 132cm tall up to maximum of 165cm.

Unlike some of the other bags featured here, the Powercore features a steel plate and a shock absorbing collar that is branded as a Power Transfer Ring collar.

This is designed to withstand some serious impact – and indeed, it does this job admirably.

One point we would make though is that the Powercore is not the quietest when it comes to taking punches; but that being said, it does provide a nice amount of recoil which makes for a good responsive bag.

I don’t mind the noise it makes, whatsoever – but if you have thin walls your neighbours might not be thanking you.

The bag is well made externally and internally, with the inside featuring a tri-disc foam structure that disperses the energy from each strike in a balanced way into the bag. If you are a moderate to powerful hitter then we would recommend filling the base with sand rather than water or you may find you get more movement from the base than you’d like.

7. Century Versys VS1 Fight Simulator

If you need a free standing bag for combat sports that require more than just punches and kicks, then the Century Versys VS1 is going to be the best option for you. It is also a great option for anyone looking for a more portable bag, as it features a pre-filled base weighing in at around 50kg in total.

If you need your punching bag for elbows, knees or even takedowns then the VS1 is perfectly equipped for that as the most flexible bag on our list. It also features top handles which makes it even easier to perform those knee strikes.

The only negative to the VS1 is the price, as it is one of the more expensive punching bags in our top 10 – but if you need an all-round sparring partner that allows you to work on standing and groundwork then the VS1 is brilliant.

At just 35cm in diameter, the VS1 is one of the best for storage but still features a good surface area. It is extremely well made, with synthetic leather to the outer and a high-density foam to the inner – it can really take some abuse.

Although great for storage, you will need some space around you when training as it is possible to knock the bag over completely with a very powerful kick or punch.

Overall, the VS1 is just about the most versatile freestanding multi-combat sport bag on the market and is perfectly made for aerobic conditioning as well as technique training. We have to say, we absolutely love this one, we just wish it was a little bit cheaper.

8. Lions 5.5ft Free Standing Bag

If budget is an obstacle, the Lions 5.5ft free standing bag could be a very good solution.

At around £95, this is about as good as it gets at the lower end of the price range. And although some elements of this bag have cheaper looking materials (mainly the base), the bag itself is actually pretty damn impressive.

The base itself is very sturdy and although its is quite a narrow base, it is more than enough to hold the 160cm (total height) punching bag.

The bag itself is made from a synthetic leather material for the outer and high-density foam for the inner, with a good level of energy dispersion evident upon striking.

The Lions bag was capable of taking some very powerful strikes and we gave it a pretty good bashing from a kickboxer who really did give it some – the bag withstood this no problem.

As we only tested the bag for a week we were sceptical as to its longevity under constant workouts; but our research mainly led us to happy customers who had used this bag for 6 months plus with no significant sign of wear or tear.

The base will need to be filled with sand or water and as always we recommend sand – although the total weight is not as heavy as other bags. The striking surface of the main bag is 87cm and the bag circumference is 90cm, which provides plenty of striking area for your workout.

This Lions bag was a favourite of ours at the lower end of the price range and will suit most casual combat sport enthusiasts – anything more than that though and you might want to go for something a little higher end.

9. U’King Punch Bag

Any free standing punch bag for less than £130 is worth a look in our book, so we tentatively took delivery of the U’King model.

Having fairly low expectations it probably wouldn’t have taken too much to impress us – but impress us it did. It features 12 suction cups on the base just like the Dripex bag, and the base is also fillable with sand or water.

The bag, which is filled with high-density EPE foam, provides a good firm striking surface and the bag itself is around 30cm in diameter so you get plenty to aim at. The synthetic leather outer is also well made and the stitching is up to the standard of more well known brands.

We gave this bag a good test each day for a week and by the end of it the bag still looked as good as new.

Suitable for MMA, kickboxing and boxing sparring, this free-standing bag is well made and should last for years. It doesn’t quite compare to a punching bag stand with a separate heavy bag – but it’s not far off!

The base is made from highly durable rubber and the suction cups can be loosened to allow you to move the bag easily into another space. Overall, we liked this punching bag although would probably opt for Everlast or the Lonsdale over this just because of the brand.

10. Gallant 5.5ft Punching Bag

The Gallant 5.5ft free-standing punching bag is a top-quality bag at a low price point.

The only reason we have put this at the bottom of our list is because we have already featured the 6ft version earlier on – but if you don’t need the extra height and are on a tighter budget, then the 5.5ft version is a top choice and one that could easily make our top 3 overall.

Unlike some of the other budget punching bags on this list, the Gallant has 5cm of EPE high density foam, making the strike energy dispersion even better and a little kinder on your joints.

The solidity of this bag means that even the most powerful of strikes will struggle to move the bag too much and even though the base is narrow, the stability of this bag is excellent. Like the 6ft version, the narrow base allows you to get in close to the bag to allow you to practise those short distance punches.

At its price point it is hard to find fault with this punching bag, and at 160cm in height it gives many of the others on this list a run for their money in this regard too.

If the aesthetics are important to you then you are in luck with the Gallant, as there are no less than 4 designs to choose from. This is the perfect addition to your workout and will suit those who are already into combat sports as well as those looking to include some combat into their aerobic training.

11. Body Power Striketube

Body Power are well known in the fitness industry for creating high-quality equipment, and their timely release of the Striketube is just what we needed.

There are three versions to choose from, but this one stands at 165cm in height (5’6″) and has a pretty sizeable strike area that is ideal for kicks and punches that are high and low.

Like most freestanding punching bags, the Striketube has a base that can be filled with either water or sand. Even with just water this bag is stable, weighing around 65kg.

It comes with a 2-year warranty and the materials are all top quality, as you might expect from BodyPower. This is the budget version and if you want even more padding you can opt for the Striketube Pro. Or, if you want more height you can choose the Striketube Pro XL. All are currently in stock and available with an added saving when using our link below.

Conclusion

As always, there are factors to consider when choosing which gym equipment to invest in. With a free standing punch bag, think about storage, where you’ll keep it, and how often you’ll need to move its location. How portable do you need it to be?

How frequently you intend on using it will also be something to think about, as well as your own ability. How hard are you going to go on it? Is going for a cheaper bag really cost-effective if you’re going to smash it to pieces within just a couple of years, or would it have been worth investing in one that can withstand more for longer, with better-quality materials?

How accurate does your attack need to be? The BOB is of course excellent for this, as are bags that have targets marked out on them.

Here, I think we’ve managed to cover all bases. There’s something for everyone’s goals and budgets, and if you pick which one works best for you, I think you’ll be very happy with any on this list.

Latest Updates – 28 November 2024: Images renewed, resized, or improved. Links checked. Prices checked. Availability and dimensions checked. Reformatted text for easier readability.