Boxing Bag Size Guide (With Cheat Sheets!)
There are hundreds of excellent boxing bags in the market. So a quick search on Google and it would be easy to find many great heavy-bags, standing-bags, and aqua-bags of all shapes and sizes. But this is where the issues begin. Firstly what kind of boxing bag do you want? Or which size bag do you need in relation to your height and weight?
It’s difficult to recommend any single bag to people because everyone has different needs, sizes, and spaces. Here I’ve compiled a list of boxing bags at all different increments to make a clear guide as to which type of boxing bag is suitable for different individuals, taking into consideration variables like weight, height, and usage.
Heavy bags
By far the most popular type of boxing bag is the heavy bag. This is the traditional bag that would come to mind when you think of boxing. A heavy bag is hung from the ceiling and can be used to improve technique, power, and footwork while also being a great exercise for general fitness.
If you’re looking to buy a boxing bag for the following reasons, then the heavy bag is probably the bag for you:
- Loosing weight
- Sharpening general boxing fundementals
- Power-punching
The standard recommendation is to find a heavy bag that is around half your weight so when it is punched, it swings slightly. However, there are a few caveats to this ideology, firstly some of you will be naturally gifted with power, so moving up a few sizes would be more suitable.
Secondly, the size of the bag will have a profound impact on the amount of space it will occupy. If you’re quite heavy but don’t have lots of room for a punching bag, then going down a few sizes will also be fine, providing that you use it for technique rather than power. These are simply guidelines rather than set-in-stone rules.
| Weight-class | Boxer’s Weight | Ideal heavy bag weight |
| Minimumweight, Light Flyweight, Flyweight, Super Flyweight, Bantamweight | 105-118lbs | 50-55 pounds |
| Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, Super Featherweight, Lightweight, Super Lightweight | 122-140lbs | 60-65 pounds |
| Welterweight, Super Welterweight, Middleweight | 147-160lbs | 70-75 pounds |
| Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight | 168-175lbs | 80-85 pounds |
| Cruiserweight | 200lbs | 100 pounds |
| Heavyweight, unlimited | 225lbs + | 115 pounds + |
Below I’ve compiled a list of heavy bags ranging in diameter and moving up incrementally in weight as you go down the list. The bags also range widely in price. The larger bags are particularly expensive and are usually only found in boxing gyms rather than at home.
I have been selective with these choices by leaving out a lot of budget bags but in my opinion, a heavy bag is worth stretching a little for just to avoid a lot of the low-quality bags that don’t hold their structure and typically start to tear and disintegrate after a few months.
| Heavy Bag | Weight | Diameter |
| REEBOK 4FT PU PUNCH BAG | 44lbs | 12 inches |
| RDX AR 3-IN-1 ANGLE PUNCH BAG WITH GLOVES SET | 53lbs | 18 inches |
| HATTON HEAVY BAG 30 KG | 66lbs | 16 inches |
| VENUM ORIGINS HEAVY PUNCH BAG KIT BLACK/BLACK | 70lbs | 11 inches |
| EVERLAST C3 FOAM HEAVY PUNCH BAG | 70lbs | 14 inches |
| HATTON HEAVY BAG 35 KG | 77lbs | 16 inches |
| HATTON HEAVY BAG 40KG | 88lbs | 16 inches |
| TOP TEN HEAVY BAG 50KG | 110lbs | 14 inches |
Aqua/Water Boxing Bag
A great alternative to the heavy bag is the “aqua bag” otherwise known as the water bag. Like a heavy bag, it allows fighters to focus on strong punches but because they are filled with water and the skin is made of vinyl, they often cause less joint pain on impact.
Due to its composition of materials, the aqua bag’s weight plays much less significance than a conventional heavy bag. This is because the water absorbs most of the impact so regardless of how hard you punch the bag, it doesn’t move that much. Just take a quick look at the undisputed super middle champion, Canelo Alverez working the Aqua bag.
However, because of their spherical shape, aqua bags are predominantly used for throwing hooks and uppercuts. I’ve also found them to be more forgiving than heavy bags when hit hard, I’ve occasionally hurt my hands from throwing hard shots at heavy bags with improper technique but I’ve found that this is far less likely to happen with aqua bags.
| Weight-class | Boxer’s weight | Ideal size – Inches |
| Minimumweight, Light Flyweight, Flyweight, Super Flyweight, Bantamweight, Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, Super Featherweight, Lightweight, Super Lightweight | 105-140lbs | 16 inches |
| Welterweight, Super Welterweight, Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight | 147-175lbs | 18 inches |
| Cruiserweight, Heavyweight | 200-225lbs+ | 22 inches |
The issue I have with aqua bags is that their starting prices are typically much higher than heavy bag prices and for the majority of people who are looking to take up boxing at home as an exercise, it’s difficult to justify.
If you are going to be practicing power punching predominantly, then an aqua bag may be a better option, but otherwise, I think for the vast majority of people the heavy bag is more reasonable, especially if you’re deciding between the two.
Below we’ve compiled a shortlist of aqua bags that we think would be suitable for the vast majority of people, but as a side note, most of these bags are expensive and require work to keep and maintain. So unless you feel that this bag would add substantial value to your training, then I’d recommend a heavy bag instead.
| Aqua bag | Size – Inches | Weight |
| HEAVY HITTERS 16″ WATER PUNCH BAG | 16 inches | 71lbs (filled) |
| AQUA PUNCHING BAG 18 INCH | BAD BOY BLUE | 18 inches | 120lbs (filled) |
| HEAVY HITTERS 22″ WATER PUNCH BAG | 22 inches | 198lbs (filled) |
Free Standing Bag
The free-standing boxing bags have gained lots of popularity recently and they are the bags that you’re most likely to see in general fitness gyms and boxercise classes.
For someone who is just looking at boxing from a fitness perspective, then the free-standing bags make a compelling case for themselves. However, if you were to actually take up boxing as a sport, then I’d definitely recommend conventional heavy bags.
Free standing bags are typically used for boxercise and if points below best describe your usage of the bag, then the free-standing bag could be a good option:
- Sharpening general boxing fundementals
- Cardio & Fitness
- Light punching
One of the redeeming points of the free-standing bag is that their size and weight play much less relevance. Since all the actual bags are fairly light regardless of their size (the weight is stored in the base), hitting them hard will cause them to move around a lot regardless of how powerful you are.
However, because of their structure, your height in relation to the bag will have an impact on how much it moves. Since the weight is stored at the bottom, hitting it low doesn’t cause much movement, while hitting it at the top will cause lots more movement.
This is why for free-standing bags, we’ve split them via length rather than weight:
| Boxer’s Height | Ideal Free Standing bag Height |
| 4.5-5.4ft | 165cm |
| 5.4-5.7ft | 175cm |
| 5.7-6ft | 185cm |
| 6-6.4ft | 195cm |
| 6.5ft + | 200cm |
I’d generally recommend that most people, regardless of their experience or usage go for conventional heavy bags because they are so much more versatile and useful as you progress in the sport. However, there are some good free-standing bags we’ve listed below for people who want to use boxing as a pure fitness drill or to learn the basics.
| Free Standing Bag | Height |
| BODY POWER STRIKETUBE PRO | 168cm |
| DRIPEX ADULT FREE STANDING BOXING PUNCH BAG | 175cm |
| RDX KT RONIN | 185cm |
| BODY POWER STRIKETUBE PRO XL | 195cm |
FAQs
Does height matter when choosing a bag? – For heavy bags, your height usually isn’t relevant unless you are remarkably short or tall. However, it is an important factor to consider with a free-standing bag because of its structure and weight distribution.
Is the brand of heavy bag important? – Technically, no because anyone could make a good bag but I’ve found that the more reputable manufacturers do tend to offer better quality. However, I would avoid a lot of the low-end bags, I’ve found lots that struggle to stay together after consistent use.
Which is the best bag? – There is no “best bag” as they all have different use cases but holistically, I think the traditional heavy bag is the most versatile piece of equipment.
