After your first sparring, you’ll start setting up new goals – eventually, you find out your speed or reflex is terrible. Putting your hands on a reflex bag might be a fantastic way to train your reflexes and jump into the ring more confident next time.
I’m a martial art enthusiast (Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing), and I’ve been through all sorts of different gear relating to sports over the years. I can spot the differences between a good and a bad product.
In this post, I’ll show you an in-depth look at several best reflex bags that will help you improve your speed no matter if you’ve stepped on the mat yet. These bags will be an excellent option for boxers and people looking to get into shape at home.
Top Picks!
| Best For | Beginners | Realistic Training | Casual Training |
| Product |   |   |   |
| Product Name | MaxxMMA Advanced Cobra Bag | Ringside Fitness Reflex Bag | Everlast Hyperflex Strike Bag |
| More Info | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Who Should Get This?
Reflex bags are mainly used to practice punches and strikes, although people also use them to improve their footwork and dodging.
Training on the reflex bag is all about coordination and concentration – don’t expect to get stronger. Watch out for how your timings and speed improve.
All the best reflex bags (based on our opinion) are listed in this article. Investing alone in the product won’t get you the results, but put your efforts and time into it, and you’ll be able to see much of an improvement.
What do you need to consider when choosing the best reflex bag?
Height
Almost every reflex bag has an adjustable height (the average is 50-65 inches). The ball should be placed at your chin level so that your striking goes in front of you.
Weight
The bigger the base, the more stable it’s gonna be. Usually, a base can be filled with either sand or water, making up to 140 lbs on average. To prevent the base from moving, put a rubber mat below.
Speed settings and spring location
Beginners should choose models with the spring at the bottom – this makes the rebound action slower, and the bag is easier to hit.
For intermediate users, having the spring at the bottom will make it swing less but move faster.
If a bag has the spring at the top, the movements will be small but really quick.
Some models are equipped with three springs (top, middle, bottom) that you can lock/unlock whenever you feel like.
Material
The typical material for a reflex bag is synthetic leather, as it’s durable and easy to clean.
The cheaper bags that are inflatable contain a bladder. You gotta be careful when choosing a cheap bag, as they tend to leak.
The best bags come with high-density foam, making them very durable, making you able to use them intensively without breaking.
5 Best Reflex Bags
1. MaxxMMA Advanced Cobra Reflex Bag (Best For Beginners)
Key Features:
- Different tension settings
- Core weight bag for extra stability
- The ability to function as a punching bag
- Hand Wrap Gel Gloves Included
Specifications:
| Outer Material | PU |
| Height | 52”-65” |
| Weight | 30 lbs of water of 50 lbs of sand |
| Age Range | Kid and Adult |
The MaxxMMA Advanced Cobra Reflex Bag is one of the most popular choices amongst both novice & advanced boxers. The kit comes with additional gloves, so it’s a cool bonus if you’re just starting.
This bag gives you the possibility to adjust its height from 52 inches to 65 inches. As a tall fighter, I love this option!
So if you’re looking to get more people to train on this bag rather than just you – then this is a no-brainer.
You can also change the tension settings, which helps you adjust the difficulty as you get better over time.
The producer guarantees that the bag should “survive” up to 120,000 hits, and if you were to ask me – yup, that’s a lot.
As for the rod of this bag, it’s made of steel, while the bag itself has a high-quality PU.
2. Everlast Hyperflex Strike Bag (Best For Casual Training)
Key Features:
- Everlast warrants the product for 120 days to be free from defects in materials and workmanship
- Two adjustable springs
- High density plastic base
Specifications:
| Outer Material | PU |
| Height | 48”-56” |
| Weight | 42 lbs of water |
| Age Range | Adult |
The Everlast Hyperflex Strike Bag is made of compressed foam, and it’s at a reasonable price. The maximum the base can take is 42 lbs of water.
This bag is better for casual routines rather than “full-mode” training. It’s made to improve your cardio, agility, and speed. Still, it doesn’t really make you focus on your punching strength and accuracy.
As you’d expect for this price, it contains high-density plastic instead of steel.
To get the most out of this bag, move a lot around the bag between each strike. Everlast worked on this one to make it realistic, and in fact, you may sometimes feel like in sparring.
It also has three speed settings – one for practicing your footwork skills, one for accuracy, and another for speed.
3. Ringside Fitness Reflex Bag (Best For Realistic Training)
Key Features:
- Mimics pretty well the movement of an actual opponent
- Easy to clean durable synthetic leather
- Easy to set
Specifications:
| Outer Material | Faux Later |
| Height | 49”-69” |
| Weight | 125 lbs of water or 240 lbs of sand |
| Age Range | Adult |
Ringside has been a popular choice amongst boxers for the past years when it comes to boxing equipment. They have a loyal customer base.
The Ringside Fitness Reflex Bag represents top-notch quality. The sturdy synthetic leather construction will ensure that you’ll be able to train on it for a long time.
The base is made of plastic, but it takes up to 240 lbs of sand or 125 lbs of water. You can adjust the height between 49 and 69 inches.
There’s also a chrome-based spring which makes the bag feel more realistic.
The only defect of this bag is that the ball is known to shred apart.
4. Title Boxing Rapid-Reflex Boxing Bar Tri-Bag (From Lightweight to Super Heavyweight)
Key Features:
- The reflex bar is made of padded stainless steel
- Comes with complete rubber cups under the base
- The striking ball is dense molded foam which makes it ideal for all kind of strikes
Specifications:
| Outer material | PU |
| Height | 60”-78” |
| Weight | 250 pounds of water or sand |
| Age Range | Adult |
The Rapid-Reflex Boxing Bar Tri-Bag is a multifunctional bag designed for all kinds of weights and heights. If you’re looking to achieve lightning speed punching and “inhuman” reflexes, then look no further.
The bag is more complex than the previous ones I’ve covered in this article. The construction includes a spinning bag, a spring-mounted strike ball, and a paddle target, which means you can train your punching and defense.
The base can be both filled with water or sand. The spinning bar is made of stainless steel with padded stainless steel grips, and the bag feels super stable.
5. Ringside Cobra Flex Adjustable Punching Bag (Best For Fast Reflexes)
Key Features:
- Strong industrial quality steel alloy spring
- Solid steel body
- Mimics the movement of an actual opponent
Specifications:
| Outer Material | PU |
| Height | 49”-69” |
| Weight | 125 lbs of water or 240 lbs of sand |
| Age Range | Adult |
This Ringside bag is a little different from the other one you’ve seen before in this article. Instead of having the spring at the base, it’s in the middle of the construction.
Thanks to that, the bag moves much faster than any other bag. This will put your reflexes to serious training!
The bag is also very easy to set up. The total weight of the base goes up to 140 lbs.
When working out, try to focus more on your reflexes than your strength – this bag is known for ripping apart if hit too hard.
The stand is stainless steel, and the speedball is made of EPE foam. Overall the structure is high-quality.
Final Verdict
When you get a reflex bag, you want to make sure it’ll help you improve your speed & reflexes.
In my opinion, the Ringside Fitness Reflex Bag is one of the best choices around. A reflex bag needs to give you some sort of realistic feel, and their chrome spring does the job.
Although, if you’re new to boxing or you’re just looking for some casual workouts, get the MaxxMMA Advanced Cobra Bag Kit. The bag is able to take up to 120,000 hits without breaking, and in the kit includes a pair of gloves you can use.
In the end, the best reflex bag you can get is the one that will be ideal for your tempo, weight and won’t rip apart after a few sessions. I’ve covered 5 of the most popular and best options for you in this article.
Remember, though, always do your own research and check those bags out by yourself!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask below in the comments section.
Wanna choose a good pair of boxing gloves? Check out: 13 Best Boxing Gloves Reviewed in 2022
Reflex Bag FAQs
What is a reflex bag?
A reflex bag is an essential element of a boxer’s workout. Whenever you strike your reflex bag, it bounces back to you, forcing you to hit again or to step aside.
If you want to train at home and with minimal space, a reflex bag can be a great option; these bags are freestanding and you can place them anywhere you’d like.
How to train on a reflex bag？
It’s up to you how you train on your reflex bag. If you’re into Muay Thai, you can use elbows or knees and focus on your defense, and striking.
Play around the bag and throw some jabs and hooks to improve your boxing abilities. Move closer to the ball if you want to increase the intensity of your training.
Reflex bag or a punching bag: which is better?
The main difference between a reflex bag and a punching bag is how it rebounds. The reflex bags rebound much quicker, and it helps way more in developing your reflexes than training on a punching bag.
Although you shouldn’t use as much force as you would with a punching bag – otherwise, you might rip it apart.