Choosing a punching bag is an easy task, right? Not really. If you have a clear goal in mind, choosing a punching bag that suits your needs perfectly can be a tough task. That’s because punching bags come in different shapes, sizes, and forms, with each having its pros and cons. Sand and sawdust bags are popular across the world. But in this guide, we are specifically going to find out which are the best water punching bag choices.
What Is A Water Punching Bag And How Does It Work?
As the name suggests, a water punching bag uses water as the material for filling, instead of sand, sawdust, or old clothing. One of the major advantages of an aqua training bag is that the water inside the bag absorbs kinetic energy, helping you make use of your force and strength to the fullest.
A water punching bag is super easy to set up. The only hard part is going to the market to buy one. But you can make things much easier for yourself if you buy your bag online. The bag takes literally less than 10 minutes to set up. Simply hook your empty bag to a solid stand or ceiling mount, and start filling it with whatever amount of water you require.
Remember, the less the water, the softer the bag and vice versa.
Pros Of A Water Punching Bag
There are a number of advantages, and slight disadvantages, of using water punching bags instead of those which use sawdust, sand, or old clothes as filling.
1. Portability
First of all, water punching bags are super easy to carry around. If you want to move your bag to a more suitable place, a sand or sawdust bag will be much harder to carry.
And even if you empty the bag, it will create a lot of mess. Moreover, most traditional punching bags are large, while most of the water variants are smaller in size and are super easy to move around. You can conveniently drain out the water and fill it in again whenever needed.
Unlike sand and sawdust, water is easily available almost everywhere too.
2. Variety Of Designs
Water punching bags come in a variety of shapes and designs, much like most traditional punching bags. The most common and popular one is the teardrop shape, as it provides a high level of accuracy when punching at high volume.
These bags also come in human shape, which is again a great way to improve punching technique, power, and work on areas of a human body.
These bags come in pill-shaped designs as well, which is great for both punching and kicking. This particular design is very popular among MMA, Muay Thai, and Kickboxing practitioners because they can mix their strikes up really well.
The water variant also comes in the shape of heavy bags.
3. Safer Than Its Counterparts
Traditional body bags can put a lot of strain on your hands if you go too hard, as they harden with the passage of time, and with wear and tear. Water variants are a lot more forgiving, and soft compared to their counterparts.
You can go as hard as you want with these punching bags, without facing the risk of injuries. Furthermore, these bags are a great way to resume training again after injury.
Cons of A Water Punching Bag
1. Are Heavy And Can Leak
The drawbacks of these bags are that they can be very heavy when completely filled. These bags can also leak, which not only creates major issues for the user but also render these bags useless.
Water vs Sand Punching Bags
Each punching bag has its advantages and disadvantages. It totally depends on what you’re looking for, and what suits you best.
1. Portability
As mentioned above, a water punching bag is easier to carry around than a sand punching bag. Water is much easier to drain out and refill than sand. Sand is much harder to deal with, as it is heavier, and even after you drain it out, you’ll be left with a mess that you’ll need to clean.
2. Cost
Please keep in mind that we are not talking about the bags here. Instead, we're referring to the filling costs. Water is free unless you argue that you’ve got to pay the utility bills, which is a fair argument. It’d still be cheaper compared to sand, which can cost around $5-6 per 50lbs bag.
Normally, one bag of sand would fill in one foot of your bag. Apart from spending your hard-earned money on purchasing the bag, you’ll also have to spend extra on the sand.
Not to mention the headache of bringing those bags from the market and then pouring them in your bag carefully. With the water variant, you’ll simply have to walk to the nearest tap.
3. Usability
Sand punching bags can harden over time because sand can settle in the bottom over time. A harder punching bag makes your hands more vulnerable to injuries. On the other hand, the water variants are softer than sand punching bags and water also doesn’t settle in the bottom.
How To Choose The Best Water Punching Bag
There are a number of different things you have to keep in mind before purchasing a punching bag.
1. Size And Weight
The size of a water punching bag totally depends on your requirements and skill level. If you are a beginner, you should go for bigger bags as you are still learning the basics and require a larger surface area to practice. However, if you are a professional, a small bag would suffice. In fact, it will allow you to further polish your accuracy.
The height of the bag also plays a role in the kind of strikes you will practice. Smaller bags are used for punches, whereas larger bags help you practice a wide variety of strikes, including punches, kicks, elbows, and knees.
Another important factor to take into consideration is the weight of the bag. Heavier bags are better when it comes to practicing power punches, whereas lighter bags are more efficient for speed training. Newbies and beginners mostly use heavier bags, while professionals use lighter ones.
2. Shape
The shape is another factor you need to pay close attention to because it will affect what sort of strikes you are going to practice. Each shape has its pros and cons.
For example, if you purchase a punching bag in the heavy bag shape, you can practice power punches and kicks, but you wouldn’t be able to practice uppercuts or knee strikes.
On the other hand, if you go for the teardrop or ball-shaped bag, you will be able to practice uppercuts, and knee strikes, but you won’t be able to practice kicks.
The pill-shaped bags hang lower to the ground and allow the practitioner a wide range of strikes. Furthermore, the human body-shaped bags provide a real-life striking experience.
3. Material
When it comes to punching bags, pure leather is the king. It's expensive compared to the other materials but it's the most durable. However, if you are not willing to spend a lot of money on your punching bag, and are looking for an alternative, look no further than synthetic leather. It is less expensive than pure leather, but it’s very durable nonetheless.
Water punching bags are also made from canvas, plastic, vinyl, and rubber, which are cheaper alternatives, therefore, quality is slightly lower than pure and synthetic leather.
4. Mounting Equipment & Filling Attachment
An additional thing to note when buying punching bags is whether the seller provides mounting equipment, filling attachment, gloves, or other accessories along with the actual product. It’s always good to get the complete package for yourself.
The 5 Top Water Punching Bags
1. MaxxMMA Water/Air Heavy Bag
The three-foot-long MaxxMMA Water/Air Heavy Bag comes with an exclusive patented design and MaxxMMA Softstrike technology. It’s a great water bag for those looking to strengthen their strikes. The bag can carry up to 140lbs of water.
The bag can easily be used to practice kicks as well as punches since it hangs to the ground. However, since it is a heavy bag, you will need to have quite a lot of space for it.
Everlast HydroStriker Water Bag comes with a synthetic leather composition and a greater capacity than many of its competitors.
It can hold up to 100lbs of water, but it does work against it as well, since the bag can become very heavy, and hard to move around when it’s filled.
The Hydrostrike bag's punch and vital stability are great, and it can absorb heavy shots without flinching. It’s a great product to practice power punches as it has a high strike absorption potential. The Everlast Hydrostrike is very durable. The only drawback of this water bag is that it cannot be used outdoors or during winters.
If you are looking to sharpen your boxing skills, look no further than the Aqua Training Bag Haymaker. The product is made with durable vinyl, is UV resistant, and waterproof.
The teardrop-shaped water bag comes in different colors, and four different sizes: 9 inches 15lbs, 12 inches 35lbs, 18 inches 120lbs, and 21 inches 190lbs.
The Aqua training bag's teardrop shape makes it a great product for you to practice power punches, uppercuts, and knees. It is also suitable for speed training and is extremely durable. The product cannot be effectively used for kicks, however.
The RingSide Hydroblast Water Heavy Bag is very similar to the Aqua Training Bag Haymaker, but with slightly more features.
The RingSide heavy bag can hold up to 153lbs of liquid, without showing any signs of weakness. It is a pill-shaped training bag that hangs lower to the ground, which means you can practice a variety of strikes, including kicks.
It is one of the most durable heavy bags out there, which can be used at home or in a gym. The two drawbacks of this heavy bag are that it cannot be used for low kicks, and it comes with ridges across its surface, which can cause injuries if you train without hand wraps or gloves.
Century is one of the most popular punching bag manufacturers, which provides some of the best heavy bags in the market.
The Century Hydro Core Heavy Bag comes with anchor points on top and bottom, which means you can both keep it swinging freely or keep it in a fixed position.
Made from vinyl, the heavy bag comes in an extra-large size. It is a challenging task to load the bag. Due to its large size, it’s difficult to move around, and takes up a lot of space in your home or gym.
It’s also on the expensive side due to its size, so it isn’t recommended unless you are purchasing it for commercial purposes.
It is a quality product that guarantees durability, however, and comes with two anchor points.
Commonly Asked Questions
1. Are Water Punching Bags good?
They are great! In fact, water punching bags are good for both beginners and professionals. They are safer than traditional bags, so as a beginner, you will have less risk of injuries.
They are also very durable and help in strengthening punches and speed, which is great news if you’re a professional too.
2. What Size Aqua Bag Should I Get?
It totally depends on the discipline you practice. For example, a teardrop-shaped training bag will be great for you, if you are looking to train in boxing. But if you are looking to pursue MMA or Muay Thai, you might want to have a bag that’s larger in size.
3. Can I Fill A Water Punching Bag With Sand?
Yes, you can fill a water punching bag with sand. The bags are very durable as they are made with both pure and synthetic leather. While sand is heavier than water, the difference isn’t too much.
You can always adjust the quantity of sand or water according to your needs. However, if you are spending your money on a water punching bag specifically, it's better to go for the filling the bag is made for.
Conclusion
We have learned about the hydro punching bags, their advantages, and disadvantages, how they compare to their sand counterparts, and the five best products available in the market.
But you must be wondering which one’s the best water punching bag. It totally depends on what you require. However, the RingSide Hydroblast Heavy Bags are our best choice, because although they are a little expensive, they are very durable and come with a greater surface area, so you can work on a variety of strikes.