The Best Heavy Bag

Our Top Pick for 2019: Everlast Omni Strike Heavy 80-Pound Bag
Amazon

You want a heavy bag that is going to hold up to the abuse you’re putting it through. You’ve put a lot of effort into building muscle and packing strength behind those punches, and you want to be sure that your bag will keep on taking a beating no matter what you do to it. Thankfully, there are plenty of bags on the market that will stand up to whatever you put them through. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a lot of bag for your buck. In fact, some of the best bags are known for their performance and quality, not for their price tag.

Let’s Have a Quick Look of Our Top 4 Picks:

Amazon

The Everlast Omni Strike is a bag built for mixed martial artists, kickboxers, and anyone else who wants to do more than just take a swing at a punching bag. It stands out from the others in its class with features that are designed specifically for people who are going to get real, solid use out of their bags. It doesn’t just have the smooth punching surface made of synthetic leather that you associate with every punching bag that you’ve ever laid hands on. It’s built tough with plenty of extra features that help you go the extra mile with your training.

The Omni Strike comes complete with a bottom panel wrapped with C3 to offer additional padding for low kicks or knees—a definite advantage whether you’re sweating out a bad day or practicing for a match. This extra padding is perfect for absorbing some of the shock associated with hard, long training sessions, allowing you to keep training longer. You’ll be able to hit harder and give it your all thanks to this additional padding where you need it most.

The bag also comes with knee handles that enable you to grab on and drive your knee into the surface of the bag, ideally into the softer padding provided by the C3 wrap on the bottom. These handles make the bag easier to throw around: use them to pick up the bag and move it around, to turn it around when you’ve tossed it to the ground for a ground and pound session, or to provide an extra support when you’re trying to hang the bag. No more dipping under it and wavering precariously when you try to hold on; instead, you can hold the bag up by these convenient handles, making it perfect for those days when you need to move the bag in order to train properly. Some users do note that the handles get in the way when training on the ground, but simply shifting the bag removes them from the target area once more.

When it comes to durability, the Omni Strike fits perfectly with the rest of the Everlast series. The stitching is known for holding up well over time, making it the perfect bag for long-term use. Even once the padding starts to deteriorate and the bag starts to break down after months or years of use, the Omni Strike will keep on giving the kind of performance you expect from your heavy bag. A little tape, a little extra padding, and it will be ready to use all over again.

It is recommended by many reviewers that the bag be hung properly in order to maintain the integrity of the upper part of the bag; however, like most Everlast products, it’s designed to stand the test of time and keep on going. Keeping the bag stabilized will also allow for a better workout, especially when you’re digging in hard and giving it all you’ve got. Since the Omni Strike weighs in at only 80 lbs, it will move much more freely than a heavier bag without that stabilization. Once it’s properly hung, the bag will allow you to dig in and give it your all, hitting harder and longer than you ever imagined possible. At 36” tall, this bag is great for hanging in a room with a low ceiling, making it perfect for your garage or basement.

The Omni Strike makes its name as the Gold Pick in the heavy bag category thanks to its versatility, toughness, and added features. From the extra padding in the kicking area to the handles that make it easier to hold on to the bag and practice knees, ground and pound, and other techniques, this is a bag that mixed martial artists, kickboxers, and other athletes will appreciate. It’s the perfect bag for hard, daily use, holding up well even under extreme circumstances.

Outslayer is proud of the fact that they provide professional-quality martial arts equipment whether you’re planning to use it in the gym or you’re only planning to use it in your own home. It’s designed for hard-core, professional use. Most 100-lb bags are specifically designed with martial artists, boxers, and other professionals in mind, and Outslayer took that into consideration when they designed this heavy bag.

The Outslayer heavy bag doesn’t just pay lip service to the fact that it’s designed as a professional quality bag. It means it. This is a bag built tough and built to last. After months of regular use, most reviewers have found that the bag is still holding up perfectly: no hard spots, no uncomfortable redistribution of the padding, no hard spots or lumpiness that would make the bag difficult to use over time. It’s a strong, tough bag that delivers on the Outslayer promise. With its ten-year warranty that covers everything but piercing and weather damage, the Outslayer bag is built to handle everything that you can throw at it.

Unlike most heavy bags, the Outslayer bag isn’t filled with sand or with filler that might be considered toxic by the state of California. Instead, it has a heavy cloth filling. This filling contributes heavily to both the long-term use of the bag and the excellent punching texture of the bag: tough enough to withstand every punch you throw at it, but with enough give that it’s comfortable even when you hit with all of your strength behind it.

The Outslayer bag does not come standard with an attached D ring at the bottom, but if you would like to be able to attach your bag to the floor, you can request it from the manufacturer. The D ring on the bottom allows you to hold the bag in place, either by tying it to the floor or by attaching it to a plate or other surface. When you’re practicing kicks, throwing heavy hooks, or delivering substantial force to the bag, the ability to hold it in place takes the performance up a notch—and allows you take yours up a notch to go along with it. At 55” tall, this bag is tall enough for it to reach nearly to the ground for low kicks depending on how you hang it.

If loud, jangling chains set your nerves on edge or you’re trying to exercise quietly, without disturbing the kids or the neighbors, you’ll be relieved to hear that Outslayer has the answer: no-tear canvas straps that come already attached to the bag, sewn into place in a way that prevents them from ripping or shredding away over time. You’ll love never having to listen to loud, jangling chains again.

The Outslayer heavy bag is the perfect punching bag for anyone from fitness enthusiasts to professional martial artists. The tough exterior and special cloth interior combine to make it the type of bag that will stand up to everything you can put it through. It even comes in a carrying bag that many reviewers have found to be one of the best features of the bag, a ten-year warranty, and everything else you could need to make your training more successful.

The Ringside Powerhide bag isn’t just a high-quality bag that is designed to last. It’s a bag that has combined comfort and style to create the perfect striking experience. This 100-lb bag is built for hard use, but it’s designed to be comfortable, too.

With its soft 2” foam liner, the Ringside Powerhide heavy bag is perfect for serious martial artists, boxers, and fitness enthusiasts who are hoping to give it their all against the bag without coming away with sore joints that last for days. This bag is designed to make boxing practice easier than ever before. It’s also the perfect bag for beginning martial artists, who haven’t yet developed the endurance to deal with the shock that comes from each punch, and boxers and martial artists who have experienced injuries to joints or other sensitive areas. This bag, however, is far from soft. Instead, it’s tough enough to handle the force behind your punches with a solid feel that you’ll love.

The Powerhide synthetic material is slick, making it necessary for users to focus on their form with every strike. Improperly placed strikes may glance off the bag, leading to scraped knuckles if you’re striking without gloves. As you adjust to the material, however, you’ll discover that it has a number of advantages—first and foremost, the fact that it’s hardy enough to stand up to serious use over time. Many reviewers found that after years of use, their Powerhide bag was still just as functional as it was the day they took it out of the box.

The Powerhide bag comes complete with a D ring on the bottom to help anchor it in place. The D ring is an excellent addition for anyone who needs extra stability for their bag. It also has a heavy bag chain and swivel that ensure that it’s ready to be used straight out of the box: no extra equipment is required in order to get this bag up and ready for business.

At 42” tall, the Powerhide bag is a great choice for hanging in a basement with a low ceiling. It’s still large enough to toss to the ground for a great round of ground and pound, but it’s also short enough to be functional no matter where you want to use it. This tough, versatile bag will go wherever you need it to in order to build the best possible home gym for your needs.

This is a high-quality bag that is built tough enough to last while still taking your comfort into consideration. The all-over padding means that you don’t need an additional layer near the bottom for kicks, while the smooth, sturdy surface ensures that you won’t have to worry about wear and tear over time. Many users do suggest the Powerhide material over the more traditional leather, as it is less likely to sag or cause other problems over time. In short, this is a great bag with plenty of promise, perfect for hanging in your basement, garage, or right in the living room for use by every member of the family.

You don’t always have the option of choosing your heavy bag based on brand name or on the features that you need the most. Sometimes, you need a budget option that you can set up in a hurry. The Everlast 70-lb bag is the perfect option for martial artists and boxers on a budget. Ideal for smaller individuals or children and teens, the Everlast bag will nonetheless stand up to the pounding a grown man can put it through while you save up for a heavier bag.

The bag is stuffed with a combination of sand and natural and synthetic fibers. Over time, they may settle and form hard spots; out of the box, however, this 70-lb bag is a great choice. The rugged polycanvas material of the surface might be hard on the knuckles, but that’s why the heavy bag kit comes complete with gloves that will help you protect your hands while you’re protecting your wallet. Not only that, it makes it tough enough to hold up over time.

70 lbs of hanging bag sounds like a lot when you first look at it, but you may quickly discover that it doesn’t have the resistance you need to give it your all in training. This bag, however, is prepared for that. It comes complete with a bungee cord to help add extra resistance and keep it from moving quite so vigorously during your training sessions. It’s a shorter bag, coming in at around three feet in length, but is still large enough to provide a satisfactory workout.

As a budget option, this Everlast bag is a great choice. It’s much less expensive than professional-quality bags, giving you the opportunity to see if you’ll really use a heavy bag on a regular basis before you commit to a pricier purchase. Not only that, however, it’s an excellent starter bag in general. With 70 lbs of resistance behind it, this bag is perfect for breaking into martial arts or boxing, honing your skills, and learning how to hit harder and longer.

Pre-purchase considerations

Weight

If you’re a serious martial artist, you need a punching bag that is the ideal weight for you. Too light, and the bag will swing out of control every time you punch it, making it difficult to practice more than a single strike at any given moment. Too heavy, and you’ll find that you struggle with sore wrists, bruised knuckles, and a higher potential for injury any time you go all out. In general, 100-lb bags are considered ideal for boxers, mixed martial artists, and others who put serious force behind their punches. Lighter bags are more appropriate for most individuals.

You’ll also want to take your height, weight, and overall fitness level into consideration when choosing the weight of your bag. In general, most companies recommend choosing a bag that is approximately half your weight. If you’re extremely fit, you may need to start with a heavier punching bag than someone who has only recently decided to give up the couch potato lifestyle. Women may not need bags that weigh as much as the ones men will need. Take the opportunity to try out a bag or two at your local gym to help you learn the weight that will work best for you or estimate based on your weight, conditioning, and the length of time you’ve spent in martial arts or boxing.

Additional Features

Carefully consider the “beyond the basics” things that are really important to you when choosing a punching bag. When it comes right down to it, you can make any bag work for your needs. Finding that perfect bag, on the other hand, is a different story. Do you want a padded bottom to allow some extra shock redistribution for your kicks and knees? Canvas straps instead of chains for a quieter punching experience? Handles that will make the bag easier to haul around or improve your ability to throw knee strikes? The extra features that are important to you won’t be the same as the features that are important to others, so take a minute to consider why you’re purchasing the bag, what you intend to use it for, and what features will take it from “acceptable” to “excellent” in your mind.

Durability

Are you an occasional martial artist who wanders out to use your punching bag a couple of times a month, or a frequent boxer who spends an hour every evening swinging at the bag? Sure, you want a high-quality, durable bag regardless, but if you’re using it frequently, you’ll need a tougher bag than one that is hanging from the ceiling, unused, throughout most of its lifespan.

If you’re using your heavy bag every day, it’s more than worth the extra cost to choose one that’s designed to take a beating for a lifetime. Take the time to check out the warranty on the bag, too: if you get one that won’t last through your regular workout, what options do you have? Will the manufacturer stand behind their product? All of these are important considerations when selecting a heavy bag that you’ll use to improve your overall training for years.

You’ll also need to consider the amount of force you’re putting behind the bag when you use it. Just like your weight factors into the weight of the bag you’ll need, your force helps determine how durable your bag needs to be. A 200-lb man who needs the bag to withstand his hardest punches will need a more durable bag than a 150-lb woman who has recently taken up kickboxing and doesn’t have a great deal of strength to put behind her strikes. The harder you punch, the faster your bag has the potential to wear out, from developing hard or lumpy spots to splitting along the seams.

Padding

Young boxers and martial artists may not consider padding a serious factor. After all, what’s a few bruised knuckles? As they get older and start to hit harder, on the other hand, many martial artists discover the benefit of padding in their bags. They quickly discover that the more they can redistribute force, the better it is for their bodies. Not only that, injuries add up over time, taking their toll and making it necessary for many older martial artists to pursue better padded bags in order to handle the force they’re putting behind each punch.
It’s important, therefore, to consider what type of padding you need in your heavy bag and where you need it.

Some people simply prefer an additional layer of padding around the bottom, where it will help absorb the extra shock from knees and kicks. Others need a thicker layer of padding in the bag as a whole to help absorb the force of their strikes and protect their joints. Think about where you’re hitting the bag hardest and how you use it most frequently. Are you keeping the bag hanging at all times, or do you want to be able to bring it down to train on the ground? What kind of strike placement do you prefer? Your height may also factor into this decision: a punch at eye level is very different for a 6’ tall man and a 5’2” woman.

Carefully consider the amount of force that you’re going to be putting into your punching bag and how it has the potential to impact your body over time.

Conclusion (Wrapping it up)

Choosing a heavy bag is a process that is unique to every martial artist, boxer, or fitness enthusiast. Everyone has different techniques that they need to practice more frequently, different amounts of force that they put behind their strikes, and different needs concerning the bag. When you look for the bag that will work the best for you, it isn’t just about the price or the way it looks hanging in your garage—though those things may certainly play a role in your final decision. It’s about the surface of the bag, both the material it’s made of and what’s beneath it. Most of all, it’s about the bag’s durability and toughness as you use it for years to come.

When you know what features you want from your bag, you’ll make choosing the right bag for you a much smoother, easier process.