This item was purchased over a year ago. After using it this Cobra reflex bag 2 to 3 times a week for over 365 days I’m ready to give a detailed and honest review of this Pro boxing equipment. First things first, this freestanding reflex bag is a tool like any other. It should not be seen as a substitute for a boxing coach. That being said I purchased this to help myself get in fighting shape for my first amateur boxing match.
Packaging
The box arrived in good condition and I was confident all parts were intact. I saw no visible damage whatsoever. The Free Standing Boxing Reflex bag came with what appears to be an ABS plastic base, the main stand pipe with padding attached, an adjustment lever, a gold colored spring, 3 punching bag attachments, a pump for the punching bags and a needle. It also arrived with suction cups that screw into the bottom of the base.
Putting it together
Assembly was quick and easy. The plastic base of the reflex bag can be filled with sand or
water for weight and stability. If this is something you’ll be moving from room to room, I suggest using water. Sand will provide more weight but will result in the equipment being difficult to move around. If you are using the Freestanding bag on a hard smooth surface, the suction cups at the bottom add additional stability and hold firm. Whether you go with sand or water for the base you’ll want to add additional weight. Despite having 60 pounds of sand weighing it down it will still show some give if suction cups aren’t used. You can slide the padding off and use Olympic weight plates over the main pipe for additional weight.
Two 35 pound plates did the trick for me. Use zip ties to hold the plates together to avoid a clanging noise OR use rubberized bumper plates.
Recoil Spring
The spring is extremely sturdy. If you want to increase your reflex time this is where the magic happens. This bad boy is going to show no mercy. It has very little give and rebounds fast. Unlike some designs I’ve seen, this will not start to unscrew itself with use. Naturally the harder you hit the bag the faster and further the spring will rebound. This is perfect and allows you to switch from increasing hand speed with lighter strikes to harder strikes that incorporate head movement. If you’ve ever seen Ryan Garcia or Kenny Campbell hitting the cobra bag you will see just versatile his professional boxing equipment can be.
Adjustable Height
The free standing bag is adjustable in height. At first I was inclined to have the at eye level which was wrong. The cobra reflex speed bag can be as low as 59” or as high as 79”. Best practice is to adjust it so the top of the bag is just below your nose. This will have you hitting a boxing opponent at your high square in the chin or jawline. It would have been nice to have a 2nd bar of a longer length. A longer bar at the top would increase the reach of the bag during rebound and slow it down just a bit allowing for greater head movement in and out of the pocket.
Punching Bag
All three of the punching bags have a threaded bottom that screws down pretty firmly. The use of a wrench will get it tightened snug but can also damage the bag if too much force is applied. These speed bags take a beating! After a year of use I’ve only broken the seems on my first bag. I was impressed with how well it took my punches. The punching bags hold air fairly well. Expect to pump it up to maximum firmness once in a while as with all speed bags. The reflex punching bag does have a tendency to loosen itself after 10 to 15 mins. I’ve gotten into the habit of making sure its screwed down tight between rounds with a quick hand twist. You can use blue lock tight on the threads but that’s seems like overkill.
9/10 Overall
Overall this Freestanding heavy bag has held up very well with regular usage. It provides a great cardio workout at home. It has increase my hand speed. Its also improved my head movement and response time. None of the screws have broken or bent. Other than one of three bags showing thread breakage, this professional boxing training equipment has no signs of usage. If you are shopping for in home workout that will not get boring or improve your boxing skills, this is a solid option.
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