If you are looking for a robust and quality-made free-standing punch stand, you should look no further than getting a Century punching bag! For the last 40 years, Century has been at the forefront of martial arts innovation and one of their best inventions is their very own freestanding training bags.
In this review, I’ll give you a bit of background on Century, why you should buy their bags and some options for you to consider.
Who Are Century?
Before I get into the Century freestanding bag options, here is what Century is all about in its own words.
“Century was founded in 1976. Although we were on the small side then – just one man working out of his garage – we’ve since grown into the worldwide leader in martial arts equipment. Along the way, Century has been responsible for some major innovations within the industry.
We were one of the first martial arts companies to create a website, allowing our customers to easily place orders and access digital resources. Century has also designed some of the best known and most iconic pieces of martial arts gear, like the Wavemaster®, the original freestanding training bag, and the BOB® body opponent bag”
Why Pick a Century Punching Bag?
As mentioned above Century has been at the forefront of martial art innovation for the last 40 years. These days the bags are so ubiquitous you might have seen one without knowing it came from a Century bag.
All training bags used to be hanging heavy bags which are still very popular and useful. However, nowadays they do possess problems for gym owners who don’t have the right structure or those who didn’t want to drill into their ceilings. More and more people are also working out from home or making their own gym in their home or garage creating further problems in installing hanging heavy bags.
Free-standing gag stands partially alleviate that problem, but they are hard to move and don’t let you work all the way around the bag.
But Century’s Research and Development team members are problem solvers and In 1995, they released the world’s first freestanding bag, the Wavemaster®. It was a hit! Today, we offer an entire line of Wavemasters, from the Cardio Wavemaster® to the heavy-duty Wavemaster® 2XL Pro. In 1998, we introduced another game-changer – BOB® the Body Opponent Bag. Nowadays you will no doubt so see a whole range of different type of brands now creating free-standing punch bags and Century was the first to do it.
Since then they have continued to develop and improve their products, creating some of the best free-standing punch bags to help benefit each martial artist.
(Make sure to use the coupon code ‘15OFF50‘ to get 15% off when you spend over $50)
8 Best Century Free Standing Punch Bags
1. Original Wavemaster
Ideal for cardio kickboxing workouts, the Cardio Wavemaster features a 40-inch tall bag made of durable, high-density foam and a poly denier shell. The longer bag and low-profile base allow for more kicks and strikes, while the base fills with sand or water and is rounded for easy roll relocation.
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here.
2. Wavemaster 2XL PRO
Made with high-density foam padding for maximum impact absorption, the Wavemaster 2XL Pro features the most padding of all the Wavemaster bags, plus a longer striking area for practicing kicks and punches. The tapered base allows for an unimpeded stance for athletes of all sizes. Bag and base lock in place, while the base can be filled with water or sand.
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here.
3. Cardio Wavemaster
Ideal for cardio kickboxing workouts, the Cardio Wavemaster features a 40-inch tall bag made of durable, high-density foam and a poly denier shell. The longer bag and low-profile base allow for more kicks and strikes, while the base fills with sand or water and is rounded for easy roll relocation.
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here.
4. Kid Kick WaveMaster
Ideal for young martial artists, the Kid Kick Wavemaster features four height adjustments from 37″ to 52″ and a rounded base for easy roll relocation. Made of durable nylon with inner high-impact foam, it is great for practicing punches and strikes.
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here.
5. Original BOB – Body Opponent Bag
A great partner for sparring techniques or target work, the original BOB – Body Opponent Bag is a life-like mannequin with a vinyl “skin” for more realistic self-defense training. BOB features seven height adjustments from 60 inches to 78 inches tall. BOB is ideal for punching and strikes. Made for home use
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here.
6. BOB XL – Body Opponent Bag
Get realistic training with BOB, the Body Opponent Bag. BOB XL has a longer torso than the original BOB, giving you a more striking surface for body shots and kicks. The base fills with water or sand and is rounded for easy relocation.
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here
7. Versys VS.1
The Versys VS.1 is a revolutionary fight simulator made for every type of athlete. Its durable vinyl construction includes a pre-filled base that creates a natural rebound, plus a top and bottom handle for practicing techniques ranging from knee strikes to throws. Recommended for traditional martial artists.
Learn more on Century’s website here or on Amazon here.
8. Torrent T2 Pro
Train hard with the Torrent T2 Pro and upgrade to the T1 Torrent! The T2 was made with innovative product features, like a two-part stem and hook-and-loop tension lock that attaches the cover of the bag to the base, to give a more realistic feel when struck.
Learn more on Century’s website here.
Final Thoughts
Century, in my opinion, is without a doubt one of the best martial art equipment companies in the world, and in terms of their free-standing punch bags – they could be the best.
Buying a free-standing punch bag is a big commitment as it will cost you a bit of money, I always recommend you pay that little extra for an overall quality product, and with Century you will get that.
I hope you have enjoyed this review, make sure to let us know in the comments below which option you might go or tell us your own experience of using them.
You can check out more boxing equipment reviews here or why consider some other related articles below:
Hi
The topic and the article is excellent and the content is well organised.
The free standing bags have full descriptions and the important links next to each and every bag,that’s awesome and professional knowing the details of the product.
The layout of the article including the pictures of the products are of high quality.
Thanks
Antonia
Thanks for your kind words Antonia, glad to hear this article is useful. 🙂
Hello i must say that i am amazed at this website. there is so much attention to detail and this article that you have created on some of the best free standing bags is awesome. the wavemaster 2xl pro is one i have used and i think that it is perfect. th others are awesome too but i have not had the opportunity to engage them
Thanks for the comment Kirkman! Really appreciate the kind words. The Wavemaster 2xl is great option to go with especially if you want to practice kicking as well.
J
Hey, I didn’t even know free standing boxing bags existed. This great, thanks for the reviews. I had been doing some boxing workouts at my local gym, before lockdown happened. Now that I workout at home I thought about a boxing bag, but didn’t really have a place to hang one.
Turns out I don’t need to set up a hanging boxing bag after all, I can get a free standing bag. Will come in handy as I’ve been considering taking up some martial arts too. Guess I don’t have any more excuses to putting it off, fitness first.
Thanks for the comment Johan! Glad you have found this blog useful, many people forget that there is alternatives to heavy bags and Century have definitely made some quality options for you to consider!
Thanks
J
Great review! I noticed that there aren’t many videos posted on the Torrent 2 Pro. We need a heavy bag that can handle heavy kicks without tipping over. Do you have any experience punching / kicking the Torrent 2 Pro? We can’t decide between the:
– Torrent 2 Pro
– 2XL Pro
– XXL Wavemaster (Is this an older version of 2XL Pro?)
Which would you recommend for adult muay thai training.
Thanks!
The 2Xl wave master and XXL have always been classic freestanding bags which most go for. Where as the Torrent 2 Pro is part of their newer bag range which looks to adapt from those previous standing bags from toppling over. Here is Century’s product video where they show some people kicking the Torrent 2 Pro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg-QcBsfB-k
Hope this helps
Thanks
J