I don’t know about you, but sometimes I really—and I mean, really—need to blow off some steam. Whether it’s a hard week at work or, well, any of the other stressful things going on (gestures widely at political landscape, pandemic woes, etc.), stepping in the boxing ring is a great way to channel your emotions. No matter what mood you’re in when you put the gloves on, you’ll  walk away with the feel-good endorphins that always come with a sweaty workout. And hey, that’s never a bad thing—so we rounded up the best punching bags for beginners.

Best punching bags for beginners at-a-glance

• Best for cardio: Everlast Cardio Fitness Bag
• Best for speedwork: Pro Impact Speedbag
• Best extra large: Century XXL Wavemaster
• Best all-in-one-set: RDX Punching Bag Heavy Boxing Bag
• Best heavy bag: Outslayer Filled Punching Bag
• Best lightweight: Tech Tools Punching Bag with Stand
• Best splurge: Liteboxer Floor Stand Pro
• Best double-end bag: Everlast Double End Striking Bag
• Best high-tech: FightCamp Personal
• Best speed bag set: Everlast Speed Bag Combo Package
• Best for Muay Thai: Muay Thai Heavy Bag
• Best stable: FITVEN Freestanding Punching Bag
• Best canvas: Elite Canvas Punching Bag

Before we dive into some of the best punching bags the internet has to offer, a word on why boxing is so great in the first place. Research shows that boxing doesn’t just help us process difficult emotions, it also strengthens your upper body and core, and improves your hand-eye coordination. Plus, because boxing can be a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you can also count on all those jabs and right hooks to strengthen your heart and increase your endurance.

Ahead, shop the best bags you can hang up in your apartment, garage, at-home gym, or living room—no matter how few square feet you have to work with.

Best punching bags for beginners

Best for cardio: Everlast Cardio Fitness Bag — $100.00

This beginner bag doesn’t pull any punches. Simply roll the setup to your chosen spot, fill the base with water, and start working on your reps. The base weighs about 32 pounds when filled with water, so it’s not a pain to drag around the house.

Pros

• Easy to assemble
• Responsive, good for cardio
• Lightweight

Cons

• May not be sturdy enough for strength punches

Best for speed work: Pro Impact Speedbag — $36.00

This bag comes in durable leather and three different sizes to choose from. You can start with a larger model, then work your way down as your hand-eye coordination gets better. Just take note that you’ll need to buy the stand as well.

Pros

• Leather
• Comes in multiple sizes
• Durable with triple-enforced seams

Cons

• Need to buy a stand to use

Best extra large: Century XXL Wavemaster — $400.00

The Wavemaster deems itself the “largest kicking and punching surface of any training bag on the market” at 69 inches total in height. (That’s just under six feet.) And thus, if you want to best simulate a real boxing match at home, this bag’s your best bet. To boot, its also a great option if you want to incorporate some Muay Thai-style kicking into your workouts.

Pros

• High density foam
• Stable base can be filled with sand or water
• Large surface area for punching/kicking

Cons

• Takes up a lot of room

Best all-in-one set: RDX Punching Bag Heavy Boxing Bag — $116.00

Want to kit out your at-home boxing setup? RDX is making it easy with this robust kit that comes with everything you need to get started (including boxing gloves and a jump rope for warming up).

Pros

• Comes with bag, bag mitts, hand wraps, jump rope, hand gripper
• Heavy, leather bag

Cons

• Needs to be mounted to the wall

Best heavy bag: Outslayer Filled Punching Bag — $250.00

This heavy duty bag will fit effortlessly in your garage, and comes with over 700 five-star reviews on Amazon. The company offers a 10-year warranty—so if you manage to tear a hold in this baby, congratulations, you’re getting a brand-new one.

Pros

• 100-pound bag
• Bag is filled with fabric and not sand, so it won’t sink
• Uses sturdy straps instead of chains (so is quieter)

Cons

• Needs to be mounted

Best lightweight: Tech Tools Punching Bag with Stand — $75.00

This standing punching bag requires a little more space to account for the swinging it will do in between punches, but it’s totally worth it. As one five-star reviewer writes, “My favorite purchase during quarantine! Solid product, great for stress relief—especially during these times. It’s also a fun workout, like it really does get your heart rate up and blood flowing!” Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me.

Pros

• Comes with a stand/bag, pump, and gloves
• Adjustable height
• Good for teens and adults

Cons

• Not for hard punches

Best splurge: Liteboxer Floor StandPro — $1,795.00

While the Liteboxer is an investment, it’s one that’s certainly worth your while. This all-in-one kit comes with gloves, wraps, resistance bands, a non-slip mat, and expert-led guidance via a tablet. While reviewers are extremely pleased with their purchase, some note that the positioning of the screen isn’t ideal—so keep that in mind if you want to watch the trainer step-by-step (er, punch-by-punch).

Pros

• Includes Liteshield, stand, mat, gloves, wraps
• Has trainer-led sessions and music built-in (requires membership)
• Fun way to work out

Cons

• Expensive
• Can be hard to watch video for classes
• Requires subscription to access workouts

Best double-end bag: Everlast Double End Striking Bag — $29.00

This frugal punching bag is made of faux leather and requires minimal effort to install. “[This] bag will take a beating and keep coming back for more,” writes on reviewer.

Pros

• Good for speed work
• Durable bag
• Affordable

Cons

• Requires mounting on ceiling and floor

Best high-tech: FightCamp Personal — $999.00

Bring the studio to your living room with FightCamp, a boxing bag that tracks your punches and shows your real-time progress via an app. You’ll go from beginner to pro in no time with the library of on-demand workouts and see how your punches get stronger over time.

Pros

• Includes free-standing bag, gloves, quick wraps, punch trackers, and bag ring
• Access to expert trainers and a library of on-demand workouts (includes boxing, kickboxing, core, recovery, and more)
• Bag is heavy

Cons

• Requires subscription to access memberships
• Expensive

Best speed bag set: Everlast Speed Bag Combo Package — $80.00

Install this set into your wall and enjoy thousands of future workouts. You’ll also get gloves and a jump rope, so you just need to bring your boxing skills.

Pros

• Includes wooden platform, speed bag, jump rope, hand wraps, bag gloves
• Good for speed work/cardio

Cons

• Doesn’t come with a pump for the bag
• Requires mounting on the ceiling

Best for Muay Thai: Muay Thai Heavy Bag — $125.00

This classic heavy bag requires a good amount of space, but will last basically forever. While technically it’s designed for Muay Thai, this bag works for boxing, too. The construction of the model keeps it from swinging violently around, so you won’t risk knocking things over in your workout room either.

Pros

• Heavy bag (90 lbs)
• Has shock absorption so you can use your hands, elbows, and legs
• Good for speed work/cardio

Cons

• Requires a stand/mounting

Best stable: FITVEN Freestanding Punching Bag — $200.00

When you’re throwing hard punches, the last thing you want is your bag sliding around. This freestanding bag has a stable base with 12 suction cups to keep it in place on smooth floors. The base has removable springs and 360-degree shock absorbers to decrease vibration and noise. And you don’t have to buy a new set of gloves; the stand comes with a pair.

Pros

• Includes heavy, freestanding punching bag and gloves
• Doesn’t take up much space
• Base has suction cups to keep it in place

Cons

• Have to fill the base

Best canvas: Elite Canvas Punching Bag — $40.00

Opt for a canvas punching bag to save money on leather. The heavy-duty canvas bag has sturdy chains for hanging. You can fill the bag with whatever you want, to your desired firmness.

Pros

• Portable
• Fillable bag

Cons

• Canvas may not be as durable as leather
• Requires mounting

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