The Best Punching Bag For Home Gym Owners – Our Guide

 

If you’re a home gym owner, then you’re always looking to improve and upgrade the equipment of your gym. One of the best additions you can make to your home gym is a punching bag.

Boxing can be a great activity to incorporate into your workout routine. You can do it between the sets, instead of just sitting around. Or, you can practice your boxing skills and master them to perfection.

In any case, it is an effective calorie-burning activity. In an hour, you’ll burn around 800 calories with the punching bag, which is more than swimming, running on a treadmill, or even cycling.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the best punching bags for home gym that you should be aware of.

Don’t Want to Wait? Here’s Our Favorite

 

Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Pro Impact Punching Bag – Best Overall Punching Bag

The Pro Impact punching bag is one of our favorite punching bags for home gyms. It’s a high-quality punching bag that’s great for both beginners and for advanced boxers.

It allows you to practice MMA, Muay Thai, and other boxing disciplines. We like how well it is built and its durability, and also the versatility that this punching bag brings to the table. That’s why it’s our overall best punching bag on this list.

Review

First of all, there are two different choices when it comes to this punching bag: a single punching bag or a double-ended punching bag. The double-ended punching bag has more surface area and is better for kicking, too. There are two sizes to choose from: the 7†version and the 9†version.

The biggest selling point of this punching bag is its durability. It’s a heavy-duty bag that will last you for a long time, even if you intend to use it a lot. It has an exterior that’s made of genuine leather, and the interior – the bladder, is also made for heavy-duty purposes. The bladder also prevents the loss of air from the punching bag.

The bag forces you to perform rapid movements. It’s not a substantial punching bag, which means that it moves around quite quickly – this means more calories burnt. It comes with bungee cords and two S-hooks in the package, which allows you to install the bag easily without having to buy additional accessories.

Pros

  • Heavy-duty punching bag made to last
  • Durable bladder inside prevents the loss of air
  • Two sizes to choose from, and two types of punching bags available
  • Bungee cords and S-hooks included
  • Versatile

Cons

  • The bungees are made of rubber, meaning they can get torn easily
  • It moves around quickly and it can wobble quite a bit

Ringside (RINAV) Hydroblast Heavy Bag – Best Heavy-Duty Bag

If you’re after something heavier and more heavy-duty, then the Ringside heavy bag is the punching bag to go with for your home gym. It’s a water-filled punching bag that will give you a complete boxing practice – from kicking to boxing.

It’s a great punching bag for home gyms, but you can also use it outdoors if you want to. There are four different sizes to choose from with this punching bag: from 24lbs to 153lbs, meaning that it’s a fantastic option for both beginners and advanced boxers.

Review

The Ringside punching bag excels in its heavy-duty build. It’s made from a durable rubbery material that’s made to withstand heavy punches. This rubbery material can emit very strong smells though, which is something many users have reported.

It’s this rubbery material that makes punching the bag a very life-like experience. It feels like you’re punching a competitor.

But it doesn’t come without its own flaws. There’s room for improvement in the design department. We’ve already mentioned the smells, and there’s also a problem with the color of the bag. If you select the red bag, be very careful because the color is very bright, which can confuse you.

Overall, though, the punching bag has four different size choices – the 24lbs bag is great for beginners, while the 153lbs version is meant for advanced boxers. It’s a great, versatile boxing bag that’s designed to last you ages.

Pros

  • Heavy-duty build
  • It feels like you’re punching a competitor
  • Four different size choices
  • Durable and long-lasting
  • Portable

Cons

  • It emits strong rubbery smells
  • The red color can be too bright for some boxers

Protocol Punching Bag – Best Budget Option

The Protocol punching bag brings a lot to the table for its asking price. It’s an affordable punching bag that will allow you to have a great boxing workout. It features adjustable sizing, the option for juniors, as well as a premium option.

It’s an easy punching bag especially for beginners, as it offers a low entry-point where everyone can learn boxing at home. It’s also very easy to use. All you need to do is inflate it and you’re done, as it’s a self-standing punching bag.

Review

The Protocol punching bag comes with a stand included, which makes it easy to use. All you need to do is inflate the punching bag and then you can start boxing. We believe this bag is better suited for beginners rather than advanced boxers.

That’s because the bag probably won’t withstand heavier punches without the knob loosening. And when that happens, you’ll need to adjust it again. But the bag is still good enough to enable you a great cardio workout, although it will be slightly harder to gain muscle with this bag.

For supplementing your home gym, this boxing bag is one of the best options. It’s an affordable boxing bag, and you’re getting a lot of joy for the asking price. However, if you’re a beginner, we suggest you go for the Premium option, which is slightly more heavy-duty and will withstand heavier punches better.

Pros

  • A great affordable punching bag for home gyms
  • Will allow you to put a great workout in
  • It’s easy to set up and use
  • A fantastic option for beginners
  • The premium option is great for advanced boxers

Cons

  • The standard option won’t withstand heavier punches, as the adjustable knob will get loose
  • The stand is also not great for heavy-duty boxing

RDX Punching Bag – Best for Advanced Boxers

The RDX punching bag is better suited for those who are looking to practice a variety of boxing sports – from MMA to Kick Boxing, to other types of martial arts. With this bag, you won’t have to worry about it getting out of place or getting destroyed by your punches easily.

It’s a complete package when you purchase this punching bag. In addition to the bag itself, you’re getting gloves and all the necessary accessories included, which allows you to start using the bag right away.

Review

If you’re a bit more serious about boxing and want to practice other martial arts as well, then you should consider this punching bag very seriously. It comes with everything you’ll need to get started, including the chains to hang the bag, a stand, and boxing gloves.

The punching bag features a heavy-duty build with a lot of surface area for boxing, which allows you to perform both boxing and kicking. The bag is made from leather, making it durable and it will easily withstand your punches for long.

It’s one of the best punching bags for home gyms, but be mindful that you’ll need somewhere to hang it, so the installation can take a bit. It’s also not very portable once you install it, unlike some other bags on our list.

Pros

  • A great punching bag for advanced boxers
  • Versatile
  • It comes with all accessories necessary
  • Made for durability

Cons

  • The installation can take some time
  • Not very portable

Punching Bag for Home Gym Buying Guide

Are you still not sure which punching bag should you pick for your home gym? Then read our buying guide that will help you choose the best punching bag for a home gym. These are the things you should consider when choosing your bag.

Size

One of the first things you should consider is the size of the punching bag.

Smaller punching bags tend to be more portable and easier to set up. Larger bags are heavier and require more setting up, but they are also more durable.

Small bags allow you to perform punches and also high kicks, but they are not the best for low kicks. You have to consider what type of boxer you are, and how advanced you are with your progress.

If you like to practice low kicks and want a heavier bag, then choose bigger bags. If you want more portability and faster movement, then smaller bags are better.

Durability

Beginners probably won’t consider the durability factor too much, but more advanced boxers will find this category very important.

That’s because durability is an important aspect that allows for heavy-duty use. If a punching bag is more durable, you’ll be able to use it for longer and perform harder punches, too.

Take time to assess the materials that the bag is made of, and see which one is the most durable.

Weight and Shape

Weight also goes hand-in-hand with size and shape; normally, larger bags are also more substantial, although that’s not always the case.

If you’re looking to build muscle with the punching bag, then you should certainly consider a heavy punching bag. For cardio, lighter bags are better.

The bags are also shaped differently. Ball-shaped and cylinder-shaped bags are the most common. Usually, cylinder-shaped bags offer more surface area for boxing, which makes it better for performing kicks.

Price

Lastly, consider the price and what you’re willing to spend. There are some bags that are slightly more affordable, although you will inevitably be compromising on a couple of features.

FAQs

Are punching bags good for building muscle?

Heavy punching bags are great for building muscle, especially the shoulders, arms, and back muscles. If you perform the right movements, punching the boxing bag will provide you with a complete upper-body workout.

Does boxing help lose belly fat?

Boxing is a great calorie-burning exercise – some statistics show that it’s even the best in its area. And because of that, many boxers do it purely for this benefit. It will help you lose fat overall, which can result in a reduction of belly fat, too.

Can I kick a punching bag?

If the bag is big enough, you definitely can kick it. When you do kicking movements, you’ll be experiencing secondary benefits of punching the bag – you will activate your legs more as well as your core.

How many times a week should I hit the punching bag?

1-2 times per week works very well for building muscle and losing fat. Although if you’re more serious about boxing and want to practice some skill moves, then you can practice even more frequently. You’ll find that short and intense sessions usually work the best.

Does boxing give you abs?

If you incorporate kicks into your boxing routine, then your abs will most certainly go through an intense workout. But even if you only do punches, the rotational movement of your torso forces the ab muscles to get activated, which results in boxing giving you abs.

Final Thoughts

Punching bags for home gyms can be a great addition to help you build additional muscle and lose weight, build stamina, and get in shape fast.

We believe that the best punching bag for home gyms is the Pro Impact Punching Bag. We like it because of its high-quality build and the versatility it brings to the table. It’s also extremely easy to use.

If you’re after a more affordable option, we suggest the Protocol punching bag. It’s a great entry-level punching bag with a premium option if you’re more serious about boxing.