RDX Boxing Heavy Punching Bag Review

RDX Boxing Heavy Punching Bag (formerly RDX Zero Impact G-Core Boxing Heavy Punch Bag) Review

Brand

RDX is one of the UK’s most widely known fight brands, who are now pushing their products over to the US, as well as already having popularity in a large number of countries. They have a reputation for producing quality gear for any level, with reasonable price tags. They’re often people’s first choice for equipment when they’re starting out in martial arts.

Note: Since we originally wrote this review, RDX have made some minor updates to the product name and printed logos. As a result, some details may not be fully accurate, although the review is still representative of the current product.

About the Heavy Bag

RDX currently have a range of 5 heavy bags, with both 4ft and 5ft versions. The 4ft versions are useful for most martial arts, however the 5ft bag also allows you to add in low kicks to your training, as well as adding a bit more weight to the bag. These come pre-padded and according to RDX weigh in at around 22-24kg for the 4ft bag, and 25-28kg for the 5ft version. We’ve tested out the 5ft version through personal use in a home environment, which does mean it won’t have suffered as much punishment as a heavy bag in a gym which would get used much more regularly.

Visuals

As mentioned previously, the RDX Punching Bag comes in a range of visual options; a black version, a white version, an alternative black version, a version with pink highlights and a version with gold highlights. Personally we went with the gold highlight version, partly to match with the RDX Power Fighter Leather Sparring Gel Boxing Gloves but also because we feel that overall it has the nicest design. The graphics are printed really well, and the gold even has a slight shimmer to it. The colours match up really well with the gloves, and we can’t help but feel that RDX could have made a bigger deal of this combination.

Materials and Craftsmanship

The heavy bag is made up with two layers of Maya Hide leather, which RDX claim gives it extra stability and resilience. The leather also has a really nice feel to it, and after many sessions worth of use, even the white section of the bag still looks brand new. Inside, the textile padding is soft and gives the bag weight without being too firm. The stitching is all really tight and secure, along with a heavy duty zip at the top. The construction of the bag in general seems really sturdy, and I have no worry that the bag might split.

Use

The problem a lot of the slimmer heavy bags face is that after a while they start to crumple and bend beneath blows. While the RDX bag is fairly slim itself, the double layered Maya Hide leather clearly has other benefits too, as the bag keeps it’s shape no matter what, despite not being as heavily packed or as weighty as some other bags. The firmness of the bag isn’t too hard either, and striking the bag has a small amount of resistance without feeling rock hard and overstuffed. I would say this is probably a good level of feedback for beginners, however I have found that the filling isn’t quite evenly distributed, and sinks to the bottom a little bit. Fighters who want a slightly fuller or harder bag have the option of adding extra filling or replacing the filling entirely if they wish.

Where the bag isn’t overly weighted, it can sometimes swing a bit too much, especially when practising kicks, however there’s a hook on the bottom allowing you to either weigh the bag down or tie it down if this is a bit too much movement for your liking. The bag also comes with a set of steel chains to attach the bag to whatever bracket you have. These do the job, however are a little noisy when you start to put some power behind your strikes, and the hooks that attach to the bag have a tendency to come off every now and again.

Cost

RDX are known for producing high quality products at competitive prices, and with this RDX Punching Bag currently coming in at around £50, this is clearly following the same trend. RDX also offer a number of bundles, including brackets, bag gloves, and other accessories for equally great prices. I would usually be cautious about bags around this price range, however RDX have delivered a great product here.

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