Standing punching bags are alike, a static target to practice punches, combos, and get a good cardio session in.
The Everlast Axis breaks that mold, freeing you to incorporate kicks and takedowns into your workouts, with a nifty ability to stand upright automatically.
In this review, you’ll see why it’s different and how to get the most out of this fun new hybrid standing punching bag.
Axis Dimensions, Features, and Specs
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- Realistic Height – The Axis stands equivalent to a 5’-3” inch person, so it’s pretty life-like, kind of like practicing with a relatively short person.
- Tough Skin – The entire height is covered in lightweight foam cushioning and poly-canvas skin, so you can punch and kick the entire surface, aside from the base. This is a step up over Everlast’s other standing bags that don’t give as much fighting surface.
- Heavy Base – The 70-lb base (ships pre-filled!) keeps it in place and comes back up when you hit it. The rebound is so good that you can hit it to the ground, and it will pop itself back up.
- Takedowns – One unique design aspect is that you can take the bag down to the floor as you would with an opponent and then practice your ground moves for MMA or wrestling.
So, between having the whole surface to hit and being able to switch between vertical and horizontal moves, this bag gives you a lot of versatility for training.
You have handles on the base and top to help you move the bag around or to hold it as you knee it. This bag is good for punching, kicking, ground and pound, elbowing, kneeing and any other standing or floor move you want to do.
Since the bag itself is lightweight, it moves around a bit as you hit it. This can work to keep you light on your feet, but it isn’t right if you prefer a heavy bag that stays in place as you hit it. Nonetheless, it moves slightly but not much and rebounds well due to its weighted, rounded base.
Axis Review: Pros & Cons
Pros
- Versatile Design – You can move this bag up and down, so you can do both standing and floor moves, and strategic handles make maneuvering simple.
- Large Hitting Surface – The entire height, apart from the stand, is filled with the lightweight punching bag for you to punch, kick and strike from top to bottom.
- Automatic Rebound – The rounded base helps control the rebound, allowing you to control the strength and speed of your punches and combos. The best part is it stands back up by itself!
- Free-Standing – This bag doesn’t require a stand or anything to hang the bag from, as it stands by itself from the sturdy 70-lb base.
- Pre-Filled – This bag and base are pre-filled, so you don’t have to fill them with water or sand. If you’ve ever tried to do this yourself you know how much pain it can be.
- Easy Assembly – All you have to do to set this bag up is zip the punching bag canvas to the base. Be aware the parts are shipped separately.
- Sturdy Enough – This bag is sturdy and can handle the punches you throw at it with its strong poly-canvas material and its weighted base. The Axis is tough enough for most users, power users might consider a hanging heavy bag instead. We like the Everlast Powershot heavy bag.
Cons
- Lightweight Hitting Surface – This bag is covered with foam, so it is lightweight and doesn’t give you the heaviness of a typical punching bag, or the realistic experience you would get from a body opponent bag (BOB). Despite the product name calling it a “heavy bag,” it’s not equivalent to a traditional heavy bag.
- Fixed Height – The height of this standing bag is not adjustable, but then again most are not.
- Indoor Use Only – Unless you have a covered patio area, Everlast doesn’t recommend using this bag outdoors, as the sun and weather will take a toll on the covering.
- Pieces Shipped Separately – Quite a few customers claim that they have received either the bag or the base and not the other part, so this seems to be a downside of the shipping process of this product.
- Not Heavy Duty – This bag seems better suited to beginner and intermediate levels, as those who hit it with high strength or experienced technique levels note that it hasn’t held up to this kind of use.
Using an Axis Punching Bag
A key perk of this standing bag is that it’s simple to set up and get started with. You can do the assembly by yourself, although it might be easier with the help of another person, just because it’s pretty big and the base weighs 70 lbs. You don’t need tools or other equipment to assemble this punching bag.
Here are some instructions and tips that might help:
This bag comes in two pieces: the bag and the base. To assemble it, use the zipper to zip the pieces together. It may take a bit of strength to get the zipper to move and close.
Pick a spot in your home with a good amount of floor space, so you’ll have room to knock the bag onto the ground, roll it around a bit and let it move with the punches when it’s standing.
Consider putting it on top of a mat or rubber flooring so you can hit the floor with it without slamming yourself onto concrete.
You can lift the assembled bag by the handles and move it to different areas if you choose to.
Consider using boxing gloves with this bag because the fabric is tough on the skin, especially if you use the bag consistently. Keep in mind that it’s also tough on the knee and elbow skin.
Everlast Axis vs Century VS.1
The Century Versys VS.1 Fight Simulator Bag has a similar design to the Axis, as they’re both large standing punching bags on a rounded base with the full length acting as a hitting surface. Since they’re comparable products, let’s compare them side-by-side:
- Axis is 8 inches taller, with a height of 63.7” compared to Century’s 55”.
- Similar synthetic shells. The Axis is made with a poly-canvas material, which is generally going to perform the same as vinyl shell, like that in the Century.
- Both the Axis and VS.1 can be knocked down to the floor to practice takedowns and ground strikes.
- The Axis has a MUCH better rebound action that helps keep it off the ground except for the hardest strikes.
In many ways, these two bags are very comparable. They both have foam bags with a sturdy, pre-filled, rounded base. They both move around as you hit them to keep you in motion and light on your feet.
Both have a large hitting surface, and both are free-standing bags without the need for installing them. They are both versatile for training and fitness, and they are fairly easy to move around. The main differences are highlighted above.
Final Thoughts
Is the Axis a good buy? As a versatile standing punching bag that can also be worked on the ground, it’s worth checking out. Its ability to automatically stand back upright is unique and worth trying if you like to mix in takedowns and a little ground & pound.
Product Links & Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last updated 2024-09-20 at 20:52
