Is a Free Standing Punch Bag Better Than a Hanging Bag?

Whether they're free standing punch bags or hanging bags, punching bags are a staple of any modern gym, martial arts studio, or boxing ring.

Apart from the fact that it just feels good to hit inanimate objects as hard as you can, punch bags are a great way to practice your technique, build your muscular strength, and boost your stamina. Who doesn’t want to feel like Rocky Balboa?

There are two types of punch bags you are likely to see in a martial arts gym or boxing ring. First are the historically popular hanging bags, which hang from the ceiling or a stand from a chain or rope. The second main type, which has become increasingly popular for home gyms, are free standing punch bags, which stand upright in a weighted base on the ground.

Which one is better for home training equipment? Well, more people use hanging bags, but there are advantages and drawbacks to each. We’ll compare free standing punching bags to their hanging counterparts and measure them in terms of resistance, cost, installation, and use cases.

Although not quite as widespread as their hanging counterparts, free standing punch bags, or stand up boxing bags, have become much more popular in recent years. These bags tend to be lighter than large hanging bags, and rather than hang down from the ceiling or a stand, a stand-up punching bag is positioned directly on the floor. Their empty bases are then filled with sand, water, or foam to weigh them down.

Free standing bags have become increasingly popular due to their portability and ease of installation. Here are a few of the other reasons why they stand out:

• Easy installation: standing bags are simple to install. All you have to do is just stick it in the base, and you’re good to go.
• Easier to use: One of the biggest advantages to using free standing bags is that they’re easier to use. They’re easier on the bones and knuckles because they’re made with a softer foam. This makes them ideal for slow striking, and workouts which favor speed and stamina. Consider using them for Muay Thai.

A self standing bag comes with some significant advantages, but also with some notable drawbacks. A few of them include:

• Less floor space for footwork: Because free standing bags take up more floor space, they give you less of an opportunity to move around them like you would in a real match. That means your footwork training will be more limited.
• Less resistance: Free standing bags can withstand less force than heavy bags. They will bounce around more with each strike, and you’ll have to wait for it to stabilize before you hit them again.
• More expensive: Free standing bags are significantly more expensive than heavy bags, not including the stand and/or wall mount. A high-quality free standing bag will cost you at least £200 pounds sterling, and less expensive ones will either be lower quality or intended for children.

Hanging bags, also sometimes known as heavy bags, are more commonly found in most gyms. Different variations exist, such as speed bags - bags meant to be struck at a consistent rhythm.

Hanging punch bags are filled with sand, water, or foam to give it weight and ballast. The best heavy bags have a leather exterior to give it shock absorbency. Hanging bags come in many varieties. Muay thai bags, for example, or typically longer and thinner. Boxing heavy bags, by contrast, are shorter and thicker.

Haitian martial artist and movie actor Emmanuel Buriez is on record as stating that he prefers hanging bags to free standing punch bags, though he goes on to say that bags are for building power and he prefers to focus on technique.

Now that we’ve gone over some of the pros and cons of heavy bags and free standing bags, let’s discuss some of the best ways you can use them.

Your legs should be spread shoulder-width apart. If you’re right-handed, put your left leg in front, jab with your left hand, and strike with your right.

Jabs are a quick, short punch with your non-dominant hand, intended to create an opening in your opponent’s defenses and make an opportunity for a more powerful strike with your dominant hand.

As you extend your non-dominant hand, turn your knuckles towards the ceiling as your arm reaches out.

A cross punch is a power punch with your rear hand. Pivot on the ball of your foot and turn your hips as you follow-through with the strike.

This traditional boxing movement is a power strike at an upward trajectory. Bend your elbows at 90-degree angles and shoulder-width apart, and lower your body into a slight squat. Scoop your striking arm under and up to the left, until you’re in a standing position and your fist is at chin height.

Try practicing each of these jabs on your punching bag. Alternate striking with each arm for 45-second intervals, while taking 15-second intervals in between.

As we discussed above, free standing punch bags rest on the floor with heavy bases to keep them upright. There are, however, some variations in free standing punch bags that you should be aware of.

Bags such as the Century Versys VS.1 Fight Simulator are most commonly seen. Stand up boxing bags like these are great for aerobic conditioning, endurance, and technique refinement.

These standing punching bags allow for a variety of different techniques and strikes, and they’re good at simulating the kind of full-body-contact similar to what you get in the ring. The Century Versys VS.1 Fight Simulator is ideal for a multi-discipline martial arts practice, whether boxing, MMA, or cardio kickboxing.

A common drawback of many free-standing bags is that they’re easily knocked off balance - but not this one. The Versys Fight Simulator has natural rebounding, so that it stands back upright every time you give it a whack.

Sometimes it’s hard to project the thrill of one-on-one combat onto a stationary sack of foam or sand. After all, it’s not as if you’re likely to fight a punch bag either in the ring or on the street.

Having a more realistic target might be useful for that reason. Enter the punching stand man.

The Century Bob Freestanding Punching Bag has a realistic body and shape that can be useful for practicing kicks, strikes, and grapples, as well as using different sparring techniques. It’s made out of a vinyl skin exterior that adds a realistic feel to self-defense training. The softer feel of the bag means you can use it with or without boxing gloves or handwraps.

A free standing speed bag is a great option if you want to work on your timing and accuracy but don’t have space in your gym or your house for a heavy bag.

The Ringside reaction bar bag is a good choice if that sounds like you. These free standing bags take the place of hanging speed bags, and have a similar purpose.

Use this bag to build up your precision, hand-to-eye coordination, and speed. These have a sturdy base to help keep them rooted to the ground, and are spring-loaded so they stand back up-right every time you knock them down. It’s also adjustable and easy to put-together, so installation isn’t a problem.

Handing bags have many different varieties and ways you can use them. Here are some of the more common types.

These heavy bags, such as the Ringside Synthetic Leather punching bag, are like the kinds you see in most gyms around the world. This example includes a four-way chain, a reinforced canvas lining for extra shock absorption, and a D-ring at the bottom.

At a height of 4' and weighing in at 36kg, these bags are good for building up your muscle strength, improving your stamina, and working on your technique.

Just be mindful that these bags don’t fight back, unlike people.

These bags are suitable for muay thai, boxing, or other combat martial arts.

Thai punching bags are longer and slimmer than their traditional heavy bag counterparts. They’re outfitted with a durable synthetic leather finish, and hanging straps to attach to a mount or a ceiling rafter.

The ceiling-to-wall punch bag is somewhat less common, but still very useful. These bags connect from floor to ceiling by way of a bungee cord. Generally, they’re used to improve timing, rhythm, and accuracy.

You can use these to learn to effectively use the power in-between your strikes. Work on your technique, rather than focusing your brute force.

Speed bags are similar to ceiling-to-wall bags- the point of these is to hit the target in the right spot in quick succession. Use these to increase your hand-eye coordination, and practice your footwork. The example pictured here is made from a premium cowhide leather.

While hanging punch bags are generally the way to go, free standing bags also have their uses, particularly in the home gym. It depends largely on what your budget is, how much space you have to work with, what your experience level is as a fighter, and what your training needs are.

To summarize: Hanging bags are often more cost-effective, are better for power and endurance training, and have more variety to choose from, but are harder to use and require a more advanced set-up. Meanwhile, free-standing punching bags can be more expensive,  and take up more floor space, but they are also easier to install, and have a lower barrier-to-entry for beginner boxers and martial artists.

Check out the different kinds of punch bags we have on offer, and pick the one that’s best for you!