Although it is the highly preferred method of training. Not everyone has the option of hanging a sturdy heavy bag in their home. For many a free standing punching bag has been the perfect alternative.
Of course you can always look to your basement ceiling or garage for a reinforced beam that can manage that kind of weight and force. But heavy bags can get pricey and installation can get overwhelming.
What Is A Free Standing Punching Bag?
The popular choice for home boxers to get their boxing fix is with a standing punch bag. Instead of hanging from a ceiling. A standing punching bag is placed directly on the floor, with the base ready to be filled with your choice of water, sand or gravel. The bag portion is either slid on or attached to the to the top of the base.
This design makes it versatile for all individuals who like to have a boxing workout at home. Being a portable unit, a standing punching bag can be easily positioned and slid out of the way when not in use.
Free standing punching bags also require minimal setup. If you’re looking for a no tools and small pieces to setup a punching bag.
How To Choose A Free Standing Punching Bag
Before selecting a free standing punching, an important consideration is what your goals are. Figuring out the reasons why you want to get started, is a good way in finding which bag would be right for you.
Are you looking for something to build speed? coordination? or just looking for a workout. There is a type of bag that can help fit any of those roles.
Also figuring out the type of space you have and need would help in giving you a better experience. Although these free standing punching bags typically do not take up a lot of space itself. Factoring in your own movements and what you would be doing should also be considered.
A general rule I follow is having about 3 feet of open space around the bag to give ample room during your workout.
Century Wavemaster
The first to ever do it. The Century Wavemaster freestanding bag, was the first to be on the market where having a punching bag didn’t require drilling holes or installing support beams in order to get a boxing workout at home.
The Wavemaster is probably the most popular among home boxing aficionados. From a company that has being making these bags for over the last 20 years, I think it only shows they know what they’re doing and that a certain level of quality is there.
Century Wavemaster Product Description
Century Wavemaster punching bag comes with a wide range of adjustable heights. The bag fits over the base along set tracks that allows you to easily adjust the height and lock into place as needed. Suitable for many sizes, the heights range from 47″ – 68″ at its tallest.
The bag itself is made up of multi-layer foam and wrapped in vinyl, measuring at a height of 24″ with a 13′ diameter. Plenty of cushion, easy to clean and stays durable.
The base is made with plastic and can be easily filled with water or sand. When filled at capacity with water, the unit will weigh around 270 pounds in total. Roughly add another 100 pounds if you choose to fill it with sand.
Keep in mind, you may eventually need to empty the base or move the bag to another room. So not overweighing the unit would make it easier later on. It’s also better to have alittle movement on the bag during use, this would help disperse the impact and not feel like hitting a solid rock.
You can check out our full review of the Wavemaster here.
Ringside Cobra Reflex Bag
With a reflex bag you are able to develop coordination, timing and distance. Better suited for someone that has a little bit more experience than a complete beginner.
Reason being that the reflex bag will sway with every hit, mimicking movements of a real opponent. The harder you hit the faster the bag will sway and potentially allowing the bag to hit you back which helps in working on your slips and defensive movements.
Ringside Cobra Reflex Bag Product Description
The Ringside Cobra Relflex freestanding punching bag is made of synthetic leather. And it attaches to a steel alloy pole which is connected to the plastic base. The spring that allows the bag to sway is near the mid point of the bag.
The height of the bag is adjustable to accommodate every boxer. With heights available from 49″ to 69″.
The spring being at the mid point causes a bigger sway and for some it may not be a right fit if you wanted to work on quick combos. If that is what you’re looking for, then a double ended bag may be the better option.
The base of the reflex bag is made of plastic and can hold 125 pounds of water or 240 pounds of sand. If thats still not enough to keep the bag from moving, the surface of the base is also flat enough to place sand bags or heavy weights.
Century Body Opponent Bag
If you’re looking to have more realism in the features. Century bob is designed to resemble a real human with the details designed on this standing punching bag.
Having these features makes a great sparring partner, helping you to punch or kick at realistic targets of the body. This is a popular choice among individuals who train for self defence or just prefer to hit something with more character.
Century BOB Product Description
Similar to the other options, the BOB is wrapped in vinyl and stuff with high density urethane foam. There is a internal hard plastic cylinder that gives this punching bag structural support.
The BOB sits on top of the base, similar to the other Century product – The Wavemaster. That has a screw off top you can fill with water or sand and can hold about 270 pounds.
Comes with 7 adjustable heights that range from 60″ – 78″ tall. The popular “BOB” is suitable for all types of ages and size.
Uppercut Wavemaster Standing Punching Bag
Century has made a style of free standing punching bags that helps accommodate those who want to practice their kicks and uppercuts as well.
The cone shape design makes it ideal for getting in close to practice the knees and elbows. And with the top portion as the wider part of the bag. It allow you to hold on to the top and get a a good angle on the bag.
Also with an added number feature right on the bag, that helps coordinate numbered combos and increases hand eye accuracy.
Century Uppercut Wavemaster Product Description
The Uppercut Wavemaster has a generous 7 height adjustment ranging from 47″ to 68″. The bag itself has a diameter of 20.5″ at the top and tapers down to 13″ at the bottom.
The total weight of the free standing punching bag would be about 270 pounds when filled with water and over 350 pounds when filled with sand.
Ringside Tornado Free Standing Punching Bag
A good mix for you if you’re looking for something in between a reflex bag and a hanging heavy bag. The Ringside Tornado is equipped with a punching bag that is similar to the Wavemaster but instead of just sitting on a plastic base it’s attached to an industrial spring which allows it to sway and move after being hit.
With this type of standing punch bag, you will get a bit of a heavy workout with the swaying of the bag. It’s also a perfect option for those looking to build strength and coordination in their punches.
Ringside Tornado Product Description
The measurements of the punching bag are pretty much identical with other standing punching bags on the market. With a 24″ measurent in length and 11″ diameter it sits even with competitors such as Century and Everlast.
It’s wrapped in a vinyl shell and stuffed with medium density foam that is a bit on the softer side and pretty forgiving.
Like the other options, you can fill the base with water or sand. With water you would be able to get about 140 pounds of weight and about double if you fill with sand. A nice touch is the ability to open the top of the base, that allows a larger opening and makes it easier to fill with whichever choice you go with.
Conclusion
Finding the right free standing punching bag is not always about buying the most popular one. As you can see, there are various types available that are each specifically designed to fit whatever you needs may be.
As you progress in your work out journey it would even make sense to purchase several of these to really hone in on your workout and develop your skills.
If boxing is a route you are going to take, we have plenty of info at The Basement Warrior to get you started. Starting with this article and if you’re looking for more information on free standing punching bags, we go through how to choose one in this article. And if you start finding your punching bag is shifting too much during use, check out our solutions here.
