Which of our punching bags should you choose?
Choosing the right model of punching bag is essential to adapt your training to your discipline and fighting style. Even if our bags aren't among the most expensive, it's still an investment, so to help you make the right choice we've classified our bags by type of filling and technical specifications.
Water punching bag
The water punching bag is renowned for its soft impact sensation. Water not only absorbs shocks but is also highly reactive, simulating the impact of a real opponent and allowing you to train without putting too much strain on your joints. If you're looking for dynamic training, this type of bag may be just what you're looking for. Apart from that, the advantages of water are numerous: it's practical because it's easy to transport and install when empty. This type of bag is suitable for everyone, but we particularly recommend it if you're a beginner. In general, water bags can also be filled with sand in a secure PVC tank to prevent leaks.
Sand with adjustable weight
Sandbags, or rather bags that can be filled with sand, as opposed to water, are much more suitable for those who want to work hard, build power and get stronger. Sand, as you'd expect, feels much harder. The main advantage of these adjustable weight bags is that they are perfectly adaptable to your training.
For a lightweight bag that balances well and doesn't require too much striking force, choose a mix of sand and rags, for example, with a majority of fabrics. Conversely, if you want a rigid bag that won't budge, fill it to the maximum recommended weight with a majority of sand or sawdust interspersed with a few layers of cloth in the middle of the bag (also works, but is messier).
Professional punching bag
Although our bags are tough, not all of them will suit your pace and intensity of training. For boxing and MMA gyms, where dozens of people will be pounding on the structure, you need much more robust bags - professional punching bags. Think of it as a long-term investment. The hardened PVC coating on our pro models makes them extremely resistant. If you're an individual, you can of course also choose to buy a professional bag, but if you don't practice intensively, you can opt for the more affordable models we offer in this category.
Striking Dummy
Although not a punching bag in the true sense of the word, we've added a Striking Dummy bag to our range. In all disciplines, and particularly in MMA, knowing where to place your punches can make all the difference, and working on a simple bag may not provide this dimension. The Dummy punching bag puts you in a more realistic combat situation, allowing you to visualize your strike, which will meet more or less flexible resistance depending on the degree of filling.
If you want to practice intensively, repeatedly and focus on precision, this is a good choice.
What's the best punching bag?
In our opinion, the best punching bag depends not only on its composition, brand and price... but above all on which bag you choose for which type of combat sport and training. We'll give you a few criteria to choose from, based on your respective sports.
Do you practice English boxing?
If you're an English boxer, you'll want a long, relatively heavy punching bag. Why long? Because it will enable you to work costs at different levels of striking: low, medium and high, and vary speed and combos. Choose a bag with good resistance to help you develop power and endurance, and a weight that offers sufficient absorption without swinging too much (like our adjustable-weight model).
Do you practice Thai boxing?
If you're a Thai box er, you'll know that your punching bag session will include kicks (low kick, middle kick, high kick) as well as knee strikes. You'll need a punching bag that's long enough (over 120 cm) if possible, that can touch the ground (to be adjusted at the attachment point) and that's strong enough to absorb the impact of your kicks. We recommend our 150 or 180 cm professional bag. The advantage of this model is that the seams are on the inside, providing a perfectly smooth surface for greater comfort during intensive practice.
MMA bag
An MMA bag should be as long as possible (around 180 cm), just like a kick boxing or box Thai bag - in short, a striker's bag! That way, you can perform all types of strikes and work on your projections. We'd recommend our pro model again, but not only if you want to work on your ground throws and clinches.
Grappling bag
If you're into grappling or looking to work on your technique to become a more complete fighter, you need a long, sturdy, heavy-duty bag. Our grappling bag is designed to offer the strength and flexibility needed to simulate realistic combat situations, work on your projections, groundwork and clinches...
FAQ: all the answers to your questions
Are your models suitable for children?
Depending on age and level, you'll need to choose a punching bag that's suitable for children. There are no models specifically designed for children in our range, as a bag needs to be progressive and durable. We therefore recommend the hydro air punching bag. It's affordable, durable, seamless and, above all, you can fill it with air, making it extremely light and therefore suitable for your children. As they grow, you'll be able to increase the proportion of water to make the bag heavier and more stable.
Can I install my bag outdoors?
Yes, you can set up your punching bag outdoors, provided you choose the right material: bags made of hardened PVC, like our Pro range, are recommended for their robustness in a wide range of weather conditions. Hardened PVC is fairly resistant to UV rays, rain and temperature variations from one season to the next. Our other bags are made of PU, known for its flexibility and resistance to cracking. So it's also a good option, especially for long exposure to the sun. In any case, protect your bag with a cover when not in use to extend its life, and if possible, store it under cover.
What to fill your punching bags with?
There's no single best way to fill your punching bags, as each has its own characteristics: sand for a heavy, stable weight, water for a more realistic punching sensation, or fabric scraps for a balance between flexibility and density. At Crossliftor, we recommend a mixture of fabric scraps and sand to obtain a bag that's both firm and flexible. This will prevent the sand from settling over time and ending up at the very bottom of the bag.
What weight should I adjust it to?
To adjust the weight of your punching bag, take into account your own weight and the type of training you want to do. In general, we recommend that the bag should weigh about half as much as you. As we said earlier, for heavy, powerful strikes, the bag should be heavier, and conversely, if you want to work on speed, agility and repetition, a slightly lighter bag is preferable.