Britannia Boxing Equipment (BBE) Heavy Duty 4ft Punchbag Review
Brand
Britannia Boxing Equipment (also known as BBE) was founded in the North East of England in the later part of the 1970’s. They quickly became known for producing quality gear, with fighters like Lennox Lewis and Ricky Hatton using their products. They were acquired by York Barbell UK in 1999 as York wanted to expand the range they had on offer. In 2004 York partnered with the Maloney brothers, one of whom was managing Lennox Lewis at the time, and thanks to connection with the Maloney’s and Sky TV York were able to propel BBE to the forefront of British boxing.
About the Heavy Bag
BBE offer two variations on their heavy duty bag, a standard straight version and an uppercut version, both four feet long and available in a classic dark brown leather.
Aesthetics
To me this bag is basically the definition of a traditional heavy bag. Brown leather with the Britannia Boxing logo and ‘Pro Classic 490’ down the side. It’s simple, but has a classic appeal that I love, and I have no trouble imagining how great it would look great in an old school boxing gym.
Craftsmanship
100% heavy duty leather, there’s not much more to say! BBE have picked great quality leather and treated in with a semi aniline dye wash – meaning the leather of the bag keeps the roughness and imperfections of the cow hide, giving it a natural rough look that ties in with the old school aesthetic perfectly. The D-Rings that fasten this bag to the mount are all welded and nickel plated, which is going to really help their durability.
Materials
This is where the bag really excels – the whole thing just drips great craftsmanship. The materials are all top quality as I said before, and the bag is put together brilliantly. Every seam is double stitched, and round the six D-Rings they’re reinforced with an extra leather pad. The gym that I tested the bags at had 5, all of which had been up for ages taking a regular beating, and none of which showed any signs of wear, other than a couple of scuffs. I got the impression that they’d still be holding together when the gym itself crumbled to dust.
Use
This bag is hard. Each one weighs in at approximately 45-50kg when stuffed, and it tells when you’re striking it. I’m used to hitting lighter bags and using the swing to time punches and kicks, but the BBE bag took a lot of punching power to get swinging. This makes it great for conditioning, you really work your shoulders and arms, as well as your legs and core to generate power.
Cost
BBE price this bag at £319.99, which is fairly pricey, however you’re going to get your money back in the lifetime of this bag, because it’s going to last for ages. If you’re a beginner looking for your first bag I’d say you should look for a cheaper one, such as the RDX bag we’ve previously reviewed, but if you’re serious about your training and have a bit of space to set up a proper training area, I’d highly recommend investing in a BBE heavy duty bag.
Pros/Cons
+ Very well made
+ Classic old school look
+ Great for conditioning
– Single colour
– Quite expensive for a beginner to buy
Looking to buy this?
what is the weight of the bags?
Hi Alexei, the estimated weight of this bag when filled is 45-50kg, however it looks like BBE may have stopped producing this particular bag since our review was written (May 2016)