Today, we’ll be taking a look at Everlast’s new Omniflex freestanding Heavy Bag!
If you’re training at home, and you don’t have the room for both a speed bag and a heavy bag, then Everlast’s Omniflex freestanding Heavy Bag may just be the thing for you. As a fighter, it’s crucial to develop both speed and strength, but if you’re training at home – the space for this will be limited.
Even if it isn’t limited, you might be operating on a budget and can’t afford more than a single piece of gear. During these trying times of the coronavirus, most people are working from home and most gyms are closed, meaning that it’s highly unlikely any of us will be hitting the bag unless we do it at home. That’s why this bag might be a great choice.
In this article, we will be taking a closer look at this bag, what are the advantages and disadvantages of buying it, and deciding whether it’s the right choice for you. Let’s get started!
Omniflex Heavy Bag Overview
- Nevatear outer shell provides durability and functionality
- Omniflex neck allows for maximum impact absorption and reduced base movement
- Low profile base design for punches and kicks
- Approximately 130lbs when filled with water
- High grade, shock absorbing foam construction
Design
This particular bag was made using durable and long-lasting materials, ensuring that it can take a beating for a long time. The last thing you want happening is purchasing a bag and then having it rip open just because the manufacturer wanted to save money on the materials. That isn’t the case with this bag, as it’s sure to keep taking the abuse you give it for a long time.
When designing the outer lining of the bag, the manufacturers used the Nevertear material. This is pretty much self-explanatory, but as the name suggests, the material never tears. The bag is actually inside of shock-absorbing foam. This foam is wrapped around the bag, and it helps to cushion the impact of your blows. However, this doesn’t mean that the bag itself isn’t hard, so you should still be wearing gloves when using it.
The base is an instrumental feature of any freestanding heavy bag, as the bag is going to move in all directions and you don’t want it to tip over. This base can be filled with either sand or water, ensuring that the bag doesn’t move.
The neck is actually the first part of any freestanding heavy bag to go, as it’s going to be flexing a lot of the time. That’s why many owners of these bags decide to change the neck after a few years of use. However, this freestanding heavy bag utilizes a flexible neck joint to ensure that it can withstand the punches for a long time.
When you punch the bag, it will swing back and forth. What this does is allow you to practice your head movement by ducking and weaving from side to side of the bag as it swings towards you. This also allows Muay Thai and MMA fighters to practice throwing punches and strikes from a clinch. You can grab the bag and practice throwing your knees and elbows.
The downside to the flexible neck makes it slightly vulnerable to explosive kicks, as it can sometimes tip over regardless of how heavy the base is.
Height
Being able to adjust the height of your bag is a great asset for any fighter, as sometimes the bag can be too high up or too low, depending on your height. This allows you to practice throwing strikes at different height levels. You can practice at your own height, or you can practice taller or shorter strikes if you’re going to fight an opponent that’s noticeably taller or shorter than you.
The bag will measure roughly 67 inches at maximum height.
The Setup
Being a freestanding heavy bag, the Omniflex is very easy to set up. Unlike a hanging bag – you don’t have to drill any holes or do any work that’s going to affect your housing greatly. Instead, all you have to do is assemble it wherever you want to put it and that’s it.
Another great feature of this is that you can move your heavy bag freely wherever you’d like. This way, you have the freedom to keep your training ground wherever you’d like it to be. This portability is a great asset.
Weight
This setup is very compact, as it doesn’t weigh a ton like some other home setups, and you can move it around easily. When you fill the base with water, it weighs around 130 pounds, and to move it around, all you have to do is empty it and refill it once you’ve moved it.
However, this is the reason why Omniflex can’t withstand explosive kicks – the base is too light and it’s tipped over easily.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| the Omniflex is very portable and very easy to set up | the bag is easy to tip over because of the light base, and it can’t stand strong strikes |
| it’s ideal for home gyms and enclosed spaces | the bag isn’t good for low strikes, as it doesn’t cover the whole area |
| the height is adjustable | it’s not recommended to be used in the outdoors |
| the bag is made using high-quality materials and it can withstand a lot of abuse | |
| it’s inexpensive |
Our Verdict
The Omniflex is a great bag if you’re looking for something for the indoors, and something that isn’t going to be taking hits that are too strong. However, if you’re planning on using it outside and to beat it heavily, we wouldn’t recommend this bag.
