If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best freestanding heavy bag for kickboxing workouts is, then I’d recommend the Century Wavemaster XXL Training Bag as the best one.
Kickboxing is a great way to build muscle, develop martial arts and self-defense skills, and simply stay in shape.
As you build up your home gym, it’s important to have a quality heavy bag to get your workouts in.
We’ve reviewed five top-selling products to help you find the best freestanding heavy bag to suit your home gym and exercise routine.
Here are the top freestanding heavy bags we’ll be reviewing:
- Century Wavemaster XXL Training Bag
- Everlast Power Core Bag (EA)
- Dripex Adult and Kids Freestanding Punching Bag
- Ringside Freestanding Boxing Punching Heavy Bag
- Century BOB XL with Base Unit
Freestanding Heavy Bags – Buying Guide
Before you purchase any freestanding heavy bags for kickboxing, there are some features to consider that separate high-quality bags from those that are not so great.
The following guide addresses aspects like material grade, the overall durability, the size and weight, and any additional design and style features.
Types of Material
Generally, heavy bags feature some type of vinyl for the cover. Some even use leather, but that tends to be more expensive.
The quality of the cover can determine how hard or soft it’ll feel when you strike the bag.
It can also determine whether or not you can hit the bag with or without protection like wraps or gloves.
As for the filling, some of the bags feature high-density foam. Depending on the foam, it can add good shock-absorbing qualities to the bag.
You’ll find freestanding heavy bags filled with the likes of high-density foam.
In an effort to add some stability to the bags, some of the platforms are capable of being filled with water, sand, or both.
A quality base is usually reliable enough so that it won’t leak.
Design and Style
Freestanding heavy bags commonly resemble their hanging counterparts. They’re cylinder-like shaped and reside on some sort of platform.
These are simple styles that can allow you to get in a typical kickboxing workout routine.
However, there are some that are build to resemble the upper torso and head of a person.
If you’re looking to get in some real self-defense training, then you may want to consider this type of heavy bag design.
This allows you to versify your exercises, giving you different moves to try out on different parts of the body.
The Role of Size and Weight
The size and weight of your freestanding heavy bag will help you figure out just how hard you can strike it without it falling down.
As far as these types of bags go, it’s inevitable that they will move. They’re not intended to take too much of a beating.
However, certain sizes and weights hold better, so it may be best to keep in mind exactly how intense your training will be before choosing a freestanding heavy bag.
Benefits of Using a Freestanding Heavy Bag
These types of bags are easy to knock over, and they may not have the full durability of standard, leather hanging punching bags.
So, what advantages do these bags have?
Well, when it comes to bringing your kickboxing routine home, a freestanding heavy bag can prove to be a more affordable option.
It is also more user-friendly than a hanging bag. There’s no need to search around your home for a supportive beam to hang it on.
In addition, once the base is emptied, it is relatively easy enough to move the bag out of the way.
This can help you save on space and not have it clutter up your home gym when it’s not in use.
As for the physical benefits you may see, punching bags in general can be a great way to reduce stress and help you feel better after your workout.
There are numerous of other advantages you’ll get from consistently working out with a heavy bag.
You can see an improvement in your strength and physique. Aspects such as your balance and reaction time can also improve.
Best Freestanding Heavy Bag – Top 5 Reviewed
Century Wavemaster XXL Training Bag
The Century Wavemaster XXL Training Bag is considered by many to be the best freestanding heavy bag for beginners at home.
There’s a large striking surface, and it’s designed with a low-profile base to make it easier to kick lower.
It’s made with a reliable vinyl cover and features a forgiving high-density foam fill. If color’s important, you can choose from black, blue, or red.
Standing at 69in. tall, this training bag is standard enough for the average sized person.
There is good weight stabilization in an effort to help minimize how much this moves. When completely filled with sand or water, it weighs around 270lbs.
Although it’s straightforward to setup, the hole for the filling could be bigger. Otherwise, it can take a long time to fill it up with sand.
Also, if placed on a hard floor, the bag does get loud, especially with more intense training. A mat underneath may help reduce the noise and even keep it in place better.
Pros
- Integrity of the bag holds well
- Provides good feedback
- Low-profile base can make it easier to kick lower
Cons
- Fill opening could be bigger
- Can get noisy
Everlast Power Core Bag (EA)
Another freestanding heavy bag that can benefit those of you just starting out in your kickboxing journey is the Everlast Power Core Bag.
It’s inexpensive compared to other heavy bags, and it is easy and quick to setup. The bag is easy enough to hit as well.
The bag features an air foam chamber that offers a good amount of cushioning so it’s easy on your shins when you kick.
You can also adjust the height from 54in. to 65in. to better suit your size and needs.
However, there is a chance that the bag can slip down from your set height. This might depend on how hard you strike it though.
You can fill the bag with either water or sand, but it is known to eventually leak if filled with water.
The weight is different for both also.
With water, it can reach a weight of around 250lbs. Filled with sand, it can weigh around 370lbs.
Pros
- Good amount of cushioning
- Ability to adjust the height
- Easy setup process
Cons
- Bag can slide down
- Chance for it to leak when filled with water
Dripex Adult and Kids Freestanding Punching Bag
Many view the Dripex Adult and Kids Freestanding Punching Bag as the best freestanding heavy bag for a variety of different users.
You can purchase the 69in. version in black or red for taller users or the average adult, or you can go smaller with the 47in. version in black, red, or blue.
This is built slightly different than other freestanding heavy bags as it features a unique shock-absorbing design.
There are springs as well as TPU absorbers that also help in reducing the noise so you get a relatively quiet workout experience.
You can even remove the springs as you advance to get a more intense strength training workout.
Although the rounded, ABS base is stable, it can be tough to load it up with sand as the hole seems too small.
Also, the design of the bag and the base make it difficult to successfully practice low kicking drills.
Even so, the freestanding heavy bag is durable to last you through a number of workouts over time.
There’s a tear-resistance, PU leather striking surface and a high-density EPA foam filling.
Pros
- Makes minimal noise
- Provides an ideal balance between resistance and mobility
- Good sturdiness in the base
Cons
- Difficult to fill up with sand
- Unable to practice low kicks
Ringside Freestanding Boxing Punching Heavy Bag
The Ringside Freestanding Boxing Punching Heavy Bag can be useful for those of you just starting out as it offers a generous level of give.
This can make it easier to strike. Coupled with the padding, the bag is easy against your knuckles and shins.
There is even a base pad that gives you another layer of protection when throwing out kicks.
You can fill the bag with water to reach a weight of around 140lbs, but it can take a long time to properly fill it up as the holes doesn’t seem to have a user-friendly design.
Also, depending on how hard you strike it, the bag does have more wobble than you think it would. It may not fall over completely, but it might move around a bit.
Even if it does have some movement, the bag does appear to be well made. There’s shock-absorbing foam inside, and it is all encased in a durable shell made of vinyl.
Pros
- Generous amount of give
- Cover is built durable
- Padded well so you can hit without gloves
Cons
- Can wobble more than anticipated when struck hard
- Time-consuming to fill
Century BOB XL with Base Unit
The Century BOB XL with Base Unit is the go-to freestanding heavy bag for those of you looking for a more realistic target.
You can practice a variety of different techniques with this, and it is also a good way to work more on your accuracy.
You can adjust the bag as needed from 60in. to 82in. tall to make it more useful to users of a wide height range.
Since this is built with self-defense in mind, it is capable of taking quite the beating.
So, as your skills improve, you can add to the intensity of your strikes without worrying about the plastisol body tearing.
The urethane foam inside is reliable also. However, it can come across as too soft sometimes for more advanced users.
Also, even though you can fill the base up to 270lbs with water or sand, it is likely that the bag will move or lift up off the ground under some intense hits.
On the other hand, it is easy to move this when you need to set it aside as you can roll it.
Pros
- Able to adjust the height as needed
- Can roll to make moving for storage or transport easier
- Ability to practice a variety of techniques
Cons
- Base can still lift off the ground
- Might be too soft for some people
And the Winner is…
We all understand just how much kickboxing can amp up your exercise routine by helping you develop accuracy, strength, and even some self-defense techniques.
However, none of this would be possible without a quality bag to use.
For your home gym, we feel the best freestanding heavy bag for kickboxing is the Century Wavemaster XXL Training Bag.
The bag is designed with a large striking surface so you can land your hits better, and it even has a low-profile base so you don’t have to worry about striking the tank when you focus your kicks lower.
Its high-density foam filling holds well and it’s forgiving enough to not damage your shins.
For beginners or those of you only using the bag for light exercises, you may even be able to hit without gloves with next to no pain.
It features ideal weight stabilization so that it minimizes how much it moves around when you hit it.
This way, you won’t have to concern yourself with chasing the bag around your gym.
Even so, it’s not too difficult to move once you need to place it aside when it’s not in use.
