The Wavemaster XXL does everything better than it’s siblings from the Wavemaster line. It’s larger, heavier, and offers more utility than many free standing punching bags. But is it the best choice for you? How does it compare to a hanging heavy bag?
- Pros
- Best alternative to a hanging heavy bag
- Comfortable, soft striking surface
- Extremely tall and suitable for any fighter
- Heavy, stable and durable
- Cons
- Less resistance than a hanging bag
Features
At a first glance, the most noteworthy thing about the Wavemaster XXL is it’s size. Being 18 inches wide and 69 inches tall, it offers a lot of utility, and is the perfect size for boxing MMA, Muay Thai – and just about any sport that requires a longer bag for a complete workout. The height is a good fit for martial artists of all sizes. A creative MMA fighter can remove the bag from the base, and use it for ground and pound practice as well.
The vinyl cover material seems extremely durable, and some buyers we surveyed claim that their Wavemaster XXL is in pristine condition after years of heavy use. The weight of the entire bag is distributed perfectly. The striking surface is very soft – the soft foam just under the cover makes this heavy bag one you’ll either love or hate.
The Wavemaster XXL feels different than most heavy bags; we found it much more comfortable and easy on the knuckles, but it doesn’t really offer the same amount of resistance a regular punching bag does. For fighters that prefer a hard striking surface, this could be a problem.
Like every other Wavemaster punching bag, it has a solid plastic base that can be filled with water or sand. When filled, the total weight of this heavy bag is around 270lbs. The base is shorter than it is in most free standing heavy bags, making the striking surface more accessible and the whole construction more stable. Unfortunately, even with it’s superior stability, the Wavemaster XXL can still give in, and bounce around after a powerful punch. We recommend you to put a thick rubber mat under this punching bag to protect your floor and prevent the base from making noise when it rebounds.
It’s very easy to assemble, and despite being one of the heaviest punching bags out there, the Wavemaster XXL is easy to move around – all you have to do is drop it on the side and roll it around.
We found the XXL model to be more stable, and much more versatile than the original Wavemaster, the Powerline, or the Aerobic Wavemaster. Unlike it’s smaller siblings, the XXL model has no height adjustments – but it doesn’t need any, either. In comparison to hanging heavy bags, the Wavemaster XXL holds up well. It offers more utility, takes up less space, and doesn’t run the risk of destroying your ceiling. On the other hand, it doesn’t offer the same amount of resistance a hanging heavy bag does.
Tips For Using the Wavemaster XXL
Fill the base with sand instead of water
The force shift of the water will result in less stability than sand. If you plan to use your Wavemaster punching bag in a garage or outdoors, during winter the water can freeze and damage the plastic base. However, if you do decide fill the base with water anyway, the cap holds on firmly and you shouldn’t have any problems with the water leaking out.
Place a thick dense foam pad under the punching bag
Like every single free-standing bag, hard punches or kicks can cause the Wavemaster XXL to bounce around. While it bounces back in place with minimum movement, this can be very noisy and can damage your floor. A thick foam pad under the base will will stabilize the punching bag while canceling out the noise.
Always wear gloves
Even though the Wavemaster XXL very soft, scraping your knuckles against the hard vinyl surface can leave a trail of your skin on the bag. A pair of cheap boxing gloves will offer sufficient protection for your knuckles and keep your joints safe from injury.
Conclusion
The Wavemaster XXL punching bag is an excellent tool if you’re a seasoned fighter, or just want to get fit with a good cardio exercise. It’s superior size allows for a complete upper and lower body workout, and even though it’s taller than most punching bags, it has superior stability and doesn’t topple over as easily as many of it’s competitors.