I’ve enjoyed using Ringside heavy bags, Muay Thai bags, and gloves over the years, so I was excited to try out the Ringside Tornado Punching Bag. This bag is free-standing and combines elements of a heavy bag with a double-end bag.
In the box you get the empty plastic base, the stand and spring, the bag, and all hardware and instructions needed to put everything together.
The base comes in two halves, and you can fill each half with sand or water. I filled my base with sand, and this was a tedious process as the holes are very narrow–I recommend using a funnel (not included) to make things easier. Once filled, the two halves clip together and a cap screws on to cover the filling holes. The picture shows the clipped together halves right before I added the cap.
The metal stand is secured to the base with four bolts. A hex key to tighten the bolts is included. Remember to put the plastic black cap covering the filling holes to prevent spilling water (or sand) before you mount the stand to the base.
What sets this punching bag apart is the heavy metal spring that connects the punching bag to the base and stand. When punching a traditional heavy bag, there is some movement as the bag swings on its chain, but for the most part the heavy bag does not force you to react. However, with the Tornado, when you punch the bag the spring causes the bag to swing back at you, forcing you to react to each of your own punches. The spring causes the bag to bob for some time, meaning you will need to actively target the bag with your punches, similar to having to track the double-end bag.
The bag itself has a foam core covered with a durable vinyl shell. The bag dimensions are 24" tall by 11" diameter. Fully assembled the bag is 68" tall. I wish the bag was height adjustable, though to be fair I guess a given opponent is not height adjustable either! Also note that the bag itself is not as dense as a heavy bag.
All in all I enjoy using the Ringside Tornado Punching Bag, though you need to keep in mind that it is not meant to be used like a heavy bag–the spring and bag do not provide much resistance, so it is not really meant for power punches. Rather, it is a tool meant to help with your punching speed, precision, and timing. I found the quality of the materials high, like with the other Ringside products I have. The only issue I have with this bag is that the spring unscrews from the stand if you throw too many left hooks. The spring just screws into the red plastic connector on the metal stand–a left hook causes the bag to rotate counter-clockwise, which unscrews the spring. Having the bag fall off the stand in the middle of a round can really interrupt your workout. Because of this flaw I would say this should be used in the home only and I would not recommend this for use in a gym.
- Pricing and Availability on Amazon: Ringside Tornado Punching Bag
NOTE: I am an independent product reviewer–if I don’t like the product I say so, and if I do like the product I say so. If you end up purchasing something from a link on my site, I may receive, at no additional cost to you, a small commission. Thank you for your support!