Boxing is one of the most versatile workouts you can do. Not only does it combine cardio and strength to get you absolutely shredded, it involves hand-eye-coordination, speed work, and of course is a test of toughness and grit. Some of the toughest boxers include Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury, Ryan Garcia, Floyd Mayweather, Canelo Álvarez…and most recently, Eddie Hall and Thor Björnsson. And you can’t forget Muhammad Ali, whose iconic workouts and diet is often emulated by YouTube fitness bloggers. (This guy ate and trained like Muhammad Ali for a day.)
Hollywood has also jumped on the boxing boat, with many actors using it to get in shape for various roles.
Tom Holland
has been using it to prep for his role in Spiderman: No Way Home. Jason Mamoa used it during his Aquaman 2 training. And of course, actors starring in boxing movies require them to go all-out in boxing training. Michael B. Jordan got absolutely jacked with boxing for his roles in the Creed movies, and Jamie Foxx implemented it while training for his role as Mike Tyson.
Hopefully we’ve convinced you that if you’ve never tried boxing before, you should. And one critical piece of equipment you’ll need to get started is a punching bag to practice your punches and jabs. (These workouts will get you started once you have your home boxing setup.)
Ready to get boxing? Here are 18 punching bags that will complete your home boxing setup, plus some great options for gloves.
Everlast Omniflex Freestanding Bag
No sturdy ceiling mount for your heavy bag? No problem. This free-standing unit from Everlast can stand up to a beating, and you can adjust the height to make your punching even more efficient.
FITVEN Freestanding Punching Bag
FITVEN
amazon.com
$249.99
$191.99 (23% off)
This 210-pound heavyweight punching bag is a #1 best-seller on Amazon. At 70″ tall, it’s plenty sturdy and won’t budge thanks to 12 strong suction cups that help keep it in place. Plus, a pair of gloves come with it.
Everlast 70-Pound MMA Poly Canvas Heavy Bag
This 70-pound canvas bag is a great starter for any basement ring setup. It comes filled and designed for maximum shock absorbency, with sturdy nylon straps for hanging.
TITLE Heavy Bag/Speed Bag Stand with Bags
If your boxing workouts are more like serious training than a stress relieving hobby, this full setup could become your best friend. You get a heavy bag and a speed bag on one rig without having to hang either from your ceiling—as long as you have the space for it.
FightCamp Personal Package
joinfightcamp.com
This smart, free-standing bag is more tailored to the novice puncher interested in taking up boxing for general fitness, but even seasoned fighters can have some fun with the interactive device. The wraps are designed to include tracking devices, so you can log real-time punch speed, count, and output during sessions, and you can take classes and compete with users around the country, à la Peloton.
American Fist Boxing Reflex Ball Set
This isn’t quite a heavy bag, but if you’re really strapped for space to train, this headgear might be your best option. Hone your hand-eye coordination and punching speed, then move on to bigger heavy bags.
Outslayer Muay Thai Heavy Bag
amazon.com
This fabric-filled 6-foot monster is not for casual jabbers—only consider this bag if you’re really set on giving fight training your all. The vinyl construction should hold up, though, since there’s a 10-year warranty.
Century Wavemaster Freestanding Bag
centurymartialarts.com
$199.99
The OG freestanding bag allows you to train your punches and kicks without taking up too much space in your home. Fill up the base with water or sand to weigh it down, then start hitting.
UFC Body Action System
Take your home fight to the next level with this pad system developed by MMA legend Bas Rutten. Pads represent an opponent’s head and torso, while attachments allow you to hone your hooks and uppercuts with more accurate placement to simulate sparring.
Century BOB Body Opponent Bag
We would never advocate that you take a swing at anyone—other than BOB here. This freestanding bag is molded to look like an opponent so you can have a more realistic boxing experience.
Ringside Apex 100 LB. Heavy Bag
This leather bag from Ringside offers up nothing but the basics—which is great, because that’s all you really need for a good home boxing session. All you need is a sturdy ceiling mount and you’ll be ready to go the distance.
RDX Punching Bag
This heavy bag from RDX comes with a chain to hang and gloves for good measure, so you’ll be able to set it up and start swinging ASAP. Just make sure to fill the bag up so you’re hitting something with substance, since it comes empty.
Everlast Hyperflex Strike Bag
Practice your strike and aim reflexes with this standing punching bag. It’s equipped with a solid plastic base for stability.
Everlast Hydrostrike Water Bag
amazon.com
$149.99
$101.58 (32% off)
This next-gen heavy bag is made to absorb contact, which isn’t surprising since it’s filled with water, not foam. Hang it, fill it, and get to striking.
Century Wavemaster XXL
Century
amazon.com
$379.99
This extra-large bag is 69” inches tall with a diameter of 18” inches, so it really is substantial. It’s built to withstand, and it’s covered in 2mm thick hand-sewn vinyl that is tear-resistant.
Power Strike Punching Bag
This heavy-duty punching bag can handle your hardest hits. It has a durable cross-stitched canvas and is filled with a blend of a poly-micro fiber and sand. But the best part is the secure hanging features, like the double-layer nylon straps, panel steel chains and carabiner snap hooks to keep it locked in.
Nexersys N3 Elite Personal Boxing Trainer and Sparring Partner
Nexersys
amazon.com
$2,495.00
This interactive Nexersys system will teach and train you all the boxing skills, including strikes, combos and defensive moves. It also tracks your power, accuracy, speed, score and strike count, and offers trainer-led workouts so you can improve your skills.
Everlast 4318 Punch Mitts
These durable punching mitts will help any boxer sharpen their technique. Made of synthetic polycanvas, they’re antimicrobial to keep away smells and bacterial growth.
Sanabul Essential MMA Hybrid Sparring Gloves
Free up your fingers with these MMA-style sparring gloves from Sanabul. There’s still enough padding that you won’t mess up your knuckles when you attack the bag, while the lock-down velcro system keeps the fit tight.
Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves
amazon.com
These high-quality gloves from Hayabusa will protect your knuckles and support your wrist while you’re throwing hands at home. A dual-strap closure ensures a snug fit, while multiple layers of foam absorb the impact.
Fairtex Muay Thai Boxing Gloves
Some of the best boxing gloves in the world come out of Thailand, designed for the national sport that adds kicks, knees, and elbows to fist strikes. You can depend on these gloves to hold up over a long time, even if you’re only using them to pound away at the bag.
Brett Williams, NASM
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running.
Emily Shiffer
Emily Shiffer is a freelance health and wellness writer living in Pennsylvania.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io