The heavy bag is one of the best ways to get better at boxing, Muay Thai or kickboxing. When people want to train at home, the heavy bag is the first piece of equipment they will want to get.
Setting up a heavy bag in your house, garage or garden will require you you to drill holes into the wall for a heavy bag mount or to drill into your ceiling beam and hanging the bag around that.
Another option which is far more preferable for many people, is the purchase a heavy bag stand.
Heavy bag stands coming all different designs and they come at different price points from very cheap, 2 moderately expensive to very expensive.
Most people will want to find a balance between quality and price that will give them a perfect setup where they can move around the bag, practice their footwork and hit the bag as hard as they can.
They also won’t want a bag to be too loud where it will rock back and forth and make a loud creaking noises every time you hit it.
Are Punching Bag Stands Any Good?
Punching bag stands can be very effective if you get the right one.
If you want to practice your Kicks on the bag, can you should avoid some of the ones that are made for boxing as the sides will stop you from moving around the bag or throwing your Kicks.
The punching bags designed from Muay Thai, will generally have wider edges to allow you to move around the bag and throw your kicks at will.
If you guess your buying decisions right punching bag stands can offer an experience just as good as the gym.
Size Of The Stand
The first thing you will need to consider is how much space you have the house you’re stand.
The last thing you want to do is order one that’s too big and realise that you can’t set it up. These stands can cost a lot of money and they’re quite heavy, so the shipping cost will be hard to send it back.
Measure your space and check out the product to make sure you have enough space.
The Amount Of Weight They Can Hold
Most producers of heavy bag stands will let you know what weight are designed for.
Most should be able to hold a good 100 lb heavy bag, which should be enough for almost anybody, but it’s something to keep in mind that you should check.
The Height
Another big mistake you could make is buying one that’s too small. If you are 6-ft 5 or 200cm like me, the last thing you want is a bag stand that’s only 6 feet tall.
Check the measurements of the bag stand before you buy it to make sure that it is the correct height.
How Many Bags Can It Hold
If you just wanted to hold one bag, you should have plenty of options. Modifying the bag stand to hold even two or three different bags shouldn’t actually add too much cost to the producer.
If you shop around, you could get a stand that will hold two heavy bags, heavy bag and a speed ball or even heavy bag all, a speedball and a double end bag.
Some of the punch bag stands are even designed for commercial setups and they could even hold 10 bags, but I may need to be permanently mounted into the ground.
One of my personal dreams, is to retire to a quiet apartment on the Costa del Sol with a big terrace and have a perfect heavy bag stand setup with three or four of my favourite bags. That is something I’m working towards so wish me luck.
Construction Quality
Budget
The bag stands come in different quality levels. The cheaper stands will be made of tube metal or steel which is lighter, cheaper to ship and easier to set up.
The downside is, they won’t last as long. They can also rock back and forth making a lot of noise and upsetting the neighbours or your significant other.
One thing you probably want to avoid is your Stand Bag making a lot of noise, so you can wear it down with sandbags or weight plates so it will stick firmly to the ground and doesn’t make noise when you hit it.
Premium
The more expensive bags will be made of solid steel tubing, the shipping cost will be higher but they will generally be more sturdy. They won’t move too much when you hit them so you won’t need to weigh them down.
Some of the more expensive options are really good and they will be preferable if you have the budget.
Wall Or Ceiling Mounted Bag Vs Heavy Bag Stand
Wall mounted bags are probably the ideal option. You need to find a good study supporting Beam, preferably made of Steel or else you need a supporting wall and drill a punching bag mount into the wall to hang your bag off.
The important things to consider here that you need to make sure that the set-up is sturdy, it will hold the correct weight of bag that you want and that you can get it set up high enough sort of bag is that a good height for a punching.
This is the perfect setup as you will have plenty of room to practice your footwork and can attack the bag from different angles which is important in boxing.
Many people don’t like the heavy bag stands, as they move around even when weighted down, some of the designs can impede your foot movement around the bag and they can make a lot of noise.
Buying quality heavy bag stand eliminates most of these issues but it will cost a good bit more then a ceiling or wall mount.
If you don’t own the house and you don’t want to build a walls or risk doing damage, or if there simply isn’t enough space, where the heavy bag stand can be a better choice.
Heavy Bag Stand vs Free Standing Bag
Personally, i’m not a big fan of the free standing punching bags. Some of them can be ok, but as a heavyweight when you hit them hard, they fly all around the room.
The Bob (Body Opponent Bag) punching bags are some of the best I’ve ever seen, they’re good fun to work out on and the mimic a real target. That being said, it doesn’t offer the same quality work out that you can get from heavy bag.
Other issue that iPhone with the Bob, is that the base takes up half the design so you cant practice your low kicks, but you can kick to the body and head.
The other type of freestanding bag that I like recently is the one that I see Ryan Garcia using in the gym. It is called The Cobra freestanding bag and it’s more for working on speed and reflexes but it does look like it’s a really good workout.
This still isn’t a replacement for the power and endurance work you can do whatever you like.
The other type of freestanding bag you could possibly get is the spar bar type, freestanding bag.
Again this is good fun, it works speed reflexes and defence more than power and endurance but it can be a good addition to a heavy bag
Most of the freestanding bags just aren’t that good.
Heavy bag stands, if you get it right, can cost a bit more but they give you a perfect heavy bag setup that you can use for years to come.
How Much Does A Good Heavy Bag Stand Cost
These stands can cost anywhere from $100 up to $1500 plus, for a really good setup.
You’re probably want to spend anywhere from 3 to $400 how to get a heavy bag that you can hit full Force from all angles, that’s high enough and will facilitate a perfect heavy bag workout.
How Much Weight Do I Need To Hold A Heavy Bag Stand
Many of the stands will come with holders where you can place weight plates, so if you put 3 or 4, 45lb weight plates in the holders, that should be enough to keep her held down.
Sandbags might be a better option and if you can get 3 or 4, 50lb sandbags, that might keep away down and make less noise.
Even with the more premium bag stands, they might creak a little bit as the back swing spins around, that is also the case with a wall mounted bag.
How To Set Up Your Heavy Bag Stand
The heavy bag stand should be easy enough to set up. Once you have picked your perfect stand and got an ideal heavy bag to match, you can be up and running in as little as 30 minutes.
To standby should arrive in a large box with all the pieces included and detailed instructions for the setup.
You probably need to have a spanner or wrench to get the screws in tightly so that you can start getting the bag.
The hardest part might actually be getting 100 lb heavy bag attached to the stand bag once it is setup. If you can get a friend or partner, that would be perfect. You can hold the bag up in the air with both hands and they can simply Hook the attachment onto the stand and you will be good to go.
Best heavy bag stand
Century Cornerman
The century cornerman is the best heavy bag stand we have seen to date. It has got a very wide design that allows you to move freely around the bag. It stays in place and has an adjustable height.
Creating angles in boxing is a key element of the game, so this movement is a deal breaking feature we would look for in a stand.
You can also practice all kinds of kicks and combos. This one is big enough to hold a full-length, 100 lb Muay Thai bag without issues.
The bag fits in the corner perfectly, doesn’t make too much noise and it doesn’t move around, standing up the punishment from even heavy hitters.
It costs $450 and is the ideal solution if you can afford to spend that much.
Check out more reviews here:
Best Budget Option
Happybuy Folding Boxing Heavy Bag Stand
The Happybuy folding boxing heavy bag stand is the best that we can see as a budget option. It was either that or the Title boxing double trouble stand.
Both of the designs allow you to work 180 degrees around the bag, which is important for creating angles and practicing kicks.
The happybuy will just about hold a full-size muay thai bag, you might need to make some adjustments at the top, but it should be good to hold 100 lb boxing bag or a 75 Pounder.
The quality is good but it can be a bit more noisy, you will need to weigh it down with weight plates or sand bags. For $175, you can’t really expect the same quality as the century cornerman, which we love.
Check Out More Reviews here:
Premium Stand Bag
Balazs Universal Heavy Bag Stand
The Balazs Heavy Bag Stand is undoubtedly the best on the market that doesn’t need to be mounted to the floor.
This will hold at 300lb bag and will have no problem with a full length Muay Thai bag.
The design of this is basically like a regular wall mounted bag, it offers a full 180 degree access and and it doesn’t need to be weighted down.
The problem with this one is that a cost $1,300 plus shipping, so you might be better off with the century cornerman if you have a good budget but don’t want to spend that much.
The Balazs also takes up less space and this is made out of heavy-duty steel.
Check Out More Reviews And FAQs Here:
Check Out Our Top Ten Heavy Bag Stands Here
FAQ
Can I Hang A Heavy Bag In My Garage
The Garage is probably one of the best place to set it up. You can probably drill into the wall and use a wall mount if it is concrete or you could have a heavy bag stand.
If nobody will mind you making any noise in the garage, that is also a big plus. Just make sure you hang the bag high enough first time around for a perfect workout.
Can I Hang A Heavy Bag From A Pull Up Bar
If the pull up bar is high enough, steady enough and far enough out from the wall, you could potentially hang a heavy bag from it, with some modifications.
I personally wouldn’t bank on this working but if you have a plan you think will work, you could give it a shot
Conclusion:
If you want to have a heavy bag at home, ma your best bet is to find a good steel beam to hanging from the roof or find a supporting we can use a punching bag mount.
This will give you a set up just like the gym, make sure to get the height right.
If mounting it to the wall or the ceiling isn’t an option, a heavy bag stand can be a good bet. Just remember that you will have to put some money in.
The cheap ones might not give you an experience that meets your expectations and you might not be able to work on your footwork.