How do I choose a heavy bag for my home gym?

Whether you are a beginner or a long-time martial artist/boxer, hitting a bag at home is an excellent way to get more reps and practice in on the days where making it to the gym isn’t an option. There are many types of bags out there, so picking the right one can seem overwhelming. Consider the following two questions when choosing your home-gym bag, and then get to work!

1-What sport do you primarily practice? Someone who does Muay Thai, Kickboxing, or MMA is going to have different needs than someone who is a boxer. A boxer doesn’t necessarily have the same need for a 6’ foot bag like a kickboxer does.

For a Kickboxer, a 6’ bag is typically ideal, such as the Fairtex HB6 Banana Bag to be able to practice essential kicking, knees, and more. A boxer may be more interested in something smaller and more suited for punching only, such as the Aqua Training Bag 12”, 35 lb HeadHunter, which allows for uppercuts and gives more realistic head movement in return, or even the 4’ Everlast Powercore Heavy bag.

2-What space do you have? Do you have a place to hang a bag? Or do you need something that can be moved in/out of a space? If you are needing something that is more easily storable, or a non-hanging option, something like a Century Wavemaster will allow for boxing, kicking, AND the ability to roll it back into a closet when done. This type of bag is also a great option if you live in an apartment or somewhere else where mounting a heavy bag is not permitted.

Once you’ve asked yourself these two questions, you should be able to narrow down your bag choice quite a bit to find the perfect bag for your home gym.