Beginner picks · Heavy Bags
Best Punching Bag Filler
Almost every complaint about a heavy bag — hard at the bottom, soft at the top, lumpy, wrecks your wrists — is a filling problem, not a bag problem. Shredded textile is the answer and sand is the trap. Two fillers you can order, four bags that arrive done properly, and how to pack a shell so it stays right.
Written by Mike M. · Owner, Iron Mako Media
Published
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Part of the Heavy Bags hub.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  Combat Corner Punching Bag Fill Material (shredded textile) Shredded remnant denim, cotton jersey and khaki — no sand at all, which is the fill that never sets hard at the bottom. | Anyone who kicks, or who has already ruined one bag with a sand-heavy fill | 8.1 | |
| 02 |  Spirit Combat Sports Heavy Bag Filler (100 lb) A 100 lb box that is already blended for you: roughly 90 lb of finely shredded post-consumer fiber plus 10 lb of sand, which is the ratio you would otherwise have to guess at. | Filling a bought-unfilled shell, or re-packing a bag that has gone soft at the top | 7.9 | |
| 03 |  Outslayer #01 Muay Thai Punching Bag (6 ft) The banana bag to buy once: 6 ft of striking surface, fabric-only fill so the bottom third never turns to concrete, and a 10-year warranty. | Low kicks, knees and long combinations in a garage with the height for a 6 ft bag | 8.1 | |
| 04 | Century Creed 100 lb Foam Lined Muay Thai Heavy Bag A foam layer over a sandbag core — the construction that keeps a long bag evenly firm top to bottom instead of settling into a brick. | Someone who kicks hard and does not want to re-pack a bag in a year | 7.6 | |
| 05 | Ringside Soft Filled Powerhide 100 lb Heavy Bag A 14 × 42 in, 100 lb bag with a soft foam liner under a synthetic shell — the comfortable hitting surface the sand-filled bags lack. | Adults over ~165 lb who want a softer strike surface | 7.2 | |
| 06 | Aqua Training Bag 15 in / 75 lb A teardrop bag you fill from a garden hose to 75 lb — ships at 9 lb, has no hard spots, and drains for a move. | Apartments and anyone who moves — or whose knuckles hate a hard bag | 8.2 |
Scores are our editorial judgment from published specs and manuals, weighted for a first home setup — not lab measurements. We have not tested these units.
The one thing to understand about filler
Gravity sorts your bag for you. Anything dense and granular in the mix — sand, grain, pea gravel — works downward through the fiber every time the bag is struck, and ends up concentrated in the bottom third. That is the exact part of the bag your body shots and low kicks land on. A year in, the top is soft and the bottom is effectively a brick, and people blame the bag.
So the ranking on this page is simple and it is mostly about sand: the less dense material in the mix, the better the bag ages. Shredded textile alone is the best answer. A small proportion of sand is an acceptable compromise to reach a high weight in a small volume. A sand-heavy bag is a bag with a shelf life.
| Filler | Feel | Settles? | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded textile (denim, jersey) | Firm but giving; rebounds | Barely | Best. What professional bags use. |
| Textile + ~10% sand | Firmer, denser, heavier per inch | Slowly | Fine. The gym standard. |
| Foam liner over a core | Even top to bottom | Core moves, shell doesn't | Best engineering answer. |
| Water | Soft, gives on impact | Cannot | Best for hands and shins. |
| Old clothing / rags (whole) | Lumpy, hard spots | Badly | Avoid — pieces are too big. |
| Sand (mostly or all) | Rock hard within months | Severely | Avoid. Wrecks bags and wrists. |
| Sawdust / wood shavings | Compacts into a solid mass; absorbs damp | Severely | Avoid. |
Why buying a shell unfilled is usually the smart move
A filled bag is a freight shipment, and you pay for that. Buying the shell unfilled and a box of filler is commonly cheaper than the same bag pre-filled, and — the part that matters more — you control the pack. A bag you packed hard, in thin layers, is better than a factory bag packed loose, and it is the one variable entirely in your hands.
The cost is an afternoon. Filling a 6 ft bag properly is genuinely a couple of hours of repetitive work, and doing it badly gives you a lumpy bag you will want to redo. If that trade does not appeal, buy one of the correctly-filled bags further down this list instead.
How to pack a heavy bag so it stays right
- Hang the shell first. Fill it hanging, not lying down. A bag packed on the floor settles into a different shape once it is vertical.
- Work in thin layers. Four to six inches at a time. Anything more and you cannot compress the middle of it.
- Compress every layer hard. A length of timber or a broom handle, pushed down around the edges as well as the middle. This is the step that decides whether the bag is firm or lumpy, and it is the step everyone rushes.
- Tear fabric into strips. If you are using your own clothing rather than bought shred, cut it into strips a couple of inches wide. Whole T-shirts and towels create exactly the lumps you are trying to avoid.
- Keep any sand in a sealed inner bag, in the middle. If you use sand at all, double-bag it and suspend it in the center of the fill rather than pouring it loose. Loose sand is what migrates.
- Over-fill the top. The top always settles most. Pack it harder than feels necessary and top it up after the first week.
Maintaining the fill you have
Two habits keep a fiber bag honest. Rotate it — unclip and re-hang it upside down every few months, which redistributes the fill instead of letting it compact in one direction. And punch the bottom third loose deliberately from time to time, working around it rather than only hitting the sweet spot at chest height. If the bag has a lace or zip top (Century's Creed line does), open it and top up annually rather than accepting a soft top.
How this list is ordered
By our published bag filler and heavy bag rubrics — for fillers, feel once packed at 30%, resistance to settling at 25%, then coverage per order, ease of filling and value. The two bulk fillers come first because this page is about filling; the four bags below them are here because buying a correctly-filled bag is a legitimate alternative to doing it yourself. We have not tested any of this, we own no test units, and the packing method above is standard practice rather than a measured result. Every spec comes from the manufacturer page cited under each card, checked on 28 September 2026.
The picks in detail
Every pick, reviewed
Key specs
- Material
- Shredded denim, cotton jersey, khaki remnants
- Sand
- None
- Use
- Heavy bags, throwing dummies, ground-and-pound bags
Scores · editorial, out of 10
- Feel once packed
- 9
- Resistance to settling
- 10
- Coverage per order
- 6
- Ease of filling
- 6
- Value
- 7
Pick 01 · Heavy bag filler · REF HEA-01
Combat Corner Punching Bag Fill Material (shredded textile)
Combat Corner
Shredded remnant denim, cotton jersey and khaki — no sand at all, which is the fill that never sets hard at the bottom.
Best for
Anyone who kicks, or who has already ruined one bag with a sand-heavy fill
Why it is #1. Shredded remnant denim, cotton jersey and khaki with no sand at all — the fill that cannot sort itself into a brick at the bottom, which is the single biggest thing that ruins a bag. Combat Corner state this is what they use to fill professional-grade bags. Two honest catches: no sand means more volume for a given weight, so budget more than one order for a big bag; and Combat Corner state it does not qualify for free shipping and is non-returnable.
Pros
- Textile-only, so there is nothing dense to migrate to the bottom and turn the lower third to concrete
- Combat Corner state this is what they use to fill professional-grade bags
- Denim and jersey give a softer, more rebounding feel than tightly packed rag
- Also rated for throwing dummies and ground-and-pound bags, not just hanging bags
Cons
- No sand means you need more volume to reach a given weight — budget more than one order for a big bag
- Combat Corner state it does not qualify for free shipping or coupon codes, and is non-returnable
- No published weight per order on the listing, so calculate coverage before you buy
Specs from Combat Corner — Punching Bag Fill Material, Shredded Textile (materials, uses, terms).
Key specs
- Contents
- ~90 lb shredded fiber + 10 lb sand
- Fills
- One 100 lb bag
- Use
- New unfilled shells and refills
Scores · editorial, out of 10
- Feel once packed
- 8
- Resistance to settling
- 7
- Coverage per order
- 9
- Ease of filling
- 6
- Value
- 9
Pick 02 · Heavy bag filler · REF HEA-02
Spirit Combat Sports Heavy Bag Filler (100 lb)
Spirit Combat Sports
A 100 lb box that is already blended for you: roughly 90 lb of finely shredded post-consumer fiber plus 10 lb of sand, which is the ratio you would otherwise have to guess at.
Best for
Filling a bought-unfilled shell, or re-packing a bag that has gone soft at the top
The pre-blended box, and the refill answer. Roughly 90 lb of finely shredded post-consumer fiber plus 10 lb of sand — about a 9:1 ratio, which is the sensible proportion you would otherwise be guessing at, in one 100 lb box that fills one bag. Sold explicitly as a refill as well as a first fill, so it is the fix for a bag that has gone soft rather than a reason to buy a new one. Finely shredded packs more evenly than rag.
Pros
- The fiber-to-sand ratio is pre-blended, so you are not eyeballing how much sand is too much
- Finely shredded fiber packs more evenly than rag or old clothing, which is what causes lumps
- Sold specifically as a refill, so it is the answer to a bag that has settled rather than a whole new bag
- Buying a shell unfilled plus a box of filler is usually cheaper than buying the same bag pre-filled
Cons
- Filling a 6 ft bag properly is an afternoon of work, in layers, compressing as you go
- Spirit Combat publish no fiber length or density spec, so you cannot compare it on paper to a rival fill
- Any sand at all will migrate downward over years — less than a sand-heavy fill, not none
Specs from Spirit Combat Sports — Heavy Bag Filler 100 lb (contents, fiber/sand split).
Key specs
- Size
- 6 ft tall · approx. 14 in diameter
- Filled weight
- Approx. 130–150 lb
- Fill
- Compressed fabric only — no sand
Scores · editorial, out of 10
- Weight fit for beginners
- 9
- Setup & space demand
- 6
- Strike surface & feel
- 9
- Stability & swing
- 9
- Value
- 8
Pick 03 · Heavy bags · REF HEA-03
Outslayer #01 Muay Thai Punching Bag (6 ft)
Outslayer
The banana bag to buy once: 6 ft of striking surface, fabric-only fill so the bottom third never turns to concrete, and a 10-year warranty.
Best for
Low kicks, knees and long combinations in a garage with the height for a 6 ft bag
The bag that already got this right. Outslayer state compressed fabric only, no sand, and back it with a published 10-year warranty. If you want the outcome this page is about without spending an afternoon on it, this is the bag — and it is available unfilled, soft-filled or filled, so you can still choose to pack it yourself. Needs real ceiling height at 6 ft.
Pros
- 6 ft of surface means low kicks land on bag, not on the floor below it
- Outslayer states compressed fabric only, no sand — the usual cause of a rock-hard bottom third
- Heavy-duty straps in the same material as the shell, so no chain noise
- 10-year warranty published on the product page
- Sold unfilled, soft-filled or filled — soft-filled runs roughly 20–30 lb lighter
Cons
- Needs real ceiling height: 6 ft of bag plus straps and a swivel wants a tall garage or basement
- Filling it yourself is an afternoon of work if you buy it unfilled
- A 130–150 lb bag needs a joist or beam mount, not a light stand
Specs from Outslayer — #01 Muay Thai Punching Bag (height, diameter, fill, warranty).
Key specs
- Weight
- 100 lb
- Liner
- Reinforced performance foam over a sandbag core
- Shell
- Ultra-durable vinyl, lace-closure top
Scores · editorial, out of 10
- Weight fit for beginners
- 8
- Setup & space demand
- 6
- Strike surface & feel
- 9
- Stability & swing
- 9
- Value
- 6
Pick 04 · Heavy bags · REF HEA-04
Century Creed 100 lb Foam Lined Muay Thai Heavy Bag
Century (Creed)
A foam layer over a sandbag core — the construction that keeps a long bag evenly firm top to bottom instead of settling into a brick.
Best for
Someone who kicks hard and does not want to re-pack a bag in a year
The engineering answer to settling. A reinforced performance foam layer over a sandbag core, so even as the core moves the shell keeps its shape and the strike surface stays even. The lace-closure top means you can open it and top up the fill, which almost no bag at any price allows. About double the plain vinyl bag, and Century publish no length or diameter for it.
Pros
- Century states a secondary reinforced foam layer over the sandbag core — the fix for a hard-bottomed bag
- Lace-closure top means you can open it and top up the fill
- Reinforced nylon straps attached with leather tabs and reinforced stitching
Cons
- Costs roughly double the plain vinyl Muay Thai bag
- Century publishes no length or diameter for this model
- Oversize return shipping is charged at a flat fee on Century's own terms
Specs from Century — Creed 100 lb Foam Lined Muay Thai Heavy Bag (liner, core, shell).
Key specs
- Weight / size
- 100 lb · 14 × 42 in
- Surface
- Powerhide shell over soft foam liner
- Hardware
- Chain and swivel included
Scores · editorial, out of 10
- Weight fit for beginners
- 6
- Setup & space demand
- 6
- Strike surface & feel
- 9
- Stability & swing
- 8
- Value
- 8
Pick 05 · Heavy bags · REF HEA-05
Ringside Soft Filled Powerhide 100 lb Heavy Bag
Ringside
A 14 × 42 in, 100 lb bag with a soft foam liner under a synthetic shell — the comfortable hitting surface the sand-filled bags lack.
Best for
Adults over ~165 lb who want a softer strike surface
The gym standard, pre-filled properly. Ringside's soft-filled line uses shredded textile for a firm, even strike surface that does not punish knuckles — this is the fill a commercial boxing gym hangs. Boxing-first rather than kicking-first. The trade is freight and mounting: a filled 100 lb bag is a serious shipment and needs a serious fixing.
Pros
- Soft foam liner between shell and fill — easier on wrists and knuckles than fiber-and-sand
- Chain, swivel and a bottom D-ring included
- Standard 42 in length fits an 8 ft ceiling with room to swing
Cons
- 100 lb is too much bag for most beginners under 150 lb
- Shipping surcharge on a 100 lb box
Specs from Ringside — Soft Filled Powerhide 100 lb Heavy Bag (specs).
Key specs
- Filled weight
- 75 lb (ships at 9 lb)
- Fill
- Water, via garden hose
- Hangs from
- Ceiling mount or the ATB stand
Scores · editorial, out of 10
- Weight fit for beginners
- 9
- Setup & space demand
- 9
- Strike surface & feel
- 8
- Stability & swing
- 7
- Value
- 7
Pick 06 · Heavy bags · REF HEA-06
Aqua Training Bag 15 in / 75 lb
Aqua Training Bag
A teardrop bag you fill from a garden hose to 75 lb — ships at 9 lb, has no hard spots, and drains for a move.
Best for
Apartments and anyone who moves — or whose knuckles hate a hard bag
The fill that cannot settle at all. Water has no grains to migrate and no fiber to compact, so the problem this page exists to solve simply does not apply — and it gives under a strike, which is the kindest surface here on hands and shins. It also ships empty and fills from a hose, sidestepping freight. It is a teardrop rather than a full-length bag, so no low kick, and a bladder carries a small puncture risk fiber does not.
Pros
- Water fill means no settling and no hard bottom third
- Ships light and drains in minutes — the only heavy bag that fits a walk-up apartment
- Made in New York; 1-year warranty
Cons
- Teardrop shape is shorter than a straight bag — low kicks and some body-shot angles feel different
- A puncture is a wet floor; keep it away from anything sharp
Specs from Aqua Training Bag — 15 in 75 lb Aqua Punching Bag (specs).
Buying guide
How much filler do you need?
More volume than you expect, and the honest answer is that it depends on the shell and how hard you pack. A 100 lb box fills one 100 lb bag, which is why Spirit Combat sell it that way. With sand-free textile you will need noticeably more volume to reach the same weight, because textile is less dense — so if you are buying fabric-only fill for a tall bag, plan for more than one order rather than discovering it half way up. Neither manufacturer publishes a volume-per-weight figure, so we are not going to invent one.
Using your own clothing
It works, it is free, and there is one rule: cut everything into strips a couple of inches wide. Whole garments and folded towels create voids and hard lumps as they compress against each other. Strip it, mix textures, and compress every layer. Remove zips, buttons and anything rigid. This is exactly what the bought shredded fills are — they are just already cut.
Should you use sand at all?
Only if you need a high weight in a small bag, and only sealed in an inner bag suspended in the middle of the fill. Never loose. The Spirit Combat box uses roughly one part sand to nine parts fiber, which is a reasonable upper bound — anything approaching a sand-heavy bag will be hard within a season. If you kick at all, skip sand entirely and read Muay Thai heavy bags.
Mistakes to avoid
- Pouring sand in loose. It will be in the bottom third within months.
- Filling the shell lying on the floor. Hang it first.
- Packing in big layers. Four to six inches, compressed hard, every time.
- Using whole clothing instead of strips.
- Sawdust or wood shavings. They compact solid and hold damp.
- Under-filling the top and accepting a soft shoulder on the bag.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to fill a punching bag with?
Shredded textile — denim, cotton jersey, khaki — with little or no sand. It stays firm and even, rebounds properly, and does not sort itself into a hard mass at the bottom the way any dense granular material does.
Should you put sand in a punching bag?
Only sparingly, and only sealed in an inner bag suspended in the middle of the fill. Loose sand migrates downward every time the bag is struck and ends up concentrated in the bottom third. Roughly one part sand to nine parts fiber is a sensible upper limit; if you kick, skip it entirely.
Why is the bottom of my punching bag so hard?
The fill has sorted itself. Dense material works downward with every strike and concentrates at the bottom. The fixes are to re-hang the bag upside down periodically, punch the lower third loose deliberately, or re-pack it with a sand-free textile fill.
Can you fill a punching bag with old clothes?
Yes, and it works well — provided you cut everything into strips a couple of inches wide and compress in thin layers. Whole garments and folded towels create voids and hard lumps. Remove zips and buttons.
Is it cheaper to buy a bag unfilled and fill it yourself?
Usually, because a filled bag is a freight shipment. You also control the pack, which matters more — a bag you packed hard in thin layers beats a factory bag packed loose. The cost is an afternoon of genuinely repetitive work.
How do you stop a punching bag from settling?
Use a sand-free textile fill, pack in thin compressed layers, over-fill the top, and re-hang the bag upside down every few months. A bag with a foam liner over the core, or a water bag, sidesteps the problem by design.
Can you use water to fill a punching bag?
Only in a bag designed for it — a water bag has a sealed bladder and a shell built for the load. Do not put water into a fiber bag's shell. Water cannot settle or go hard and is the kindest surface on hands and shins.
Next in your kit
Best heavy bag mounts and hangers →Keep reading
Related guides
- Best punching bag brands →
Which brands get the fill right.
- Best heavy bags for Muay Thai →
Where a hard bottom hurts most.
- Best heavy bag for beginners →
Pre-filled bags, ranked.
- Wrist and knuckle pain after the bag →
A hard bag is a common cause.
- How to hang a heavy bag →
Hang the shell before you fill it.
Sources
- —Combat Corner — Punching Bag Fill Material, Shredded Textile (materials, uses, terms) · combatcorner.com
- —Spirit Combat Sports — Heavy Bag Filler 100 lb (contents, fiber/sand split) · spiritcombatsports.com
- —Outslayer — #01 Muay Thai Punching Bag (height, diameter, fill, warranty) · outslayer.com
- —Century — Creed 100 lb Foam Lined Muay Thai Heavy Bag (liner, core, shell) · centurymartialarts.com
- —Ringside — Soft Filled Powerhide 100 lb Heavy Bag (specs) · ringside.com
- —Aqua Training Bag — 15 in 75 lb Aqua Punching Bag (specs) · aquatrainingbag.com