Century are one of the most elite names in the world of combat sports. Their bags are some of the biggest selling the world over, especially their realistic free standing BOB (standing for Body Opponent Bag) model of heavy bag. The BOB XL has become their top selling bag worldwide, and we have got our hands on one so that we can give you the honest truth on what looks to be one of the highest quality bags we have ever tested.
When we first put BOB together, we where amazed by how easy the assembly was. It literally took no time at all, and we where soon filling him with water. Sometimes we have found water does not do the job with some free standing bags, and we have needed to choose sand, but because of bobs large base, water was more than adequate for the job.
Moving around the unit was easy, and the base did not hinder our training on footwork or movement technique. In fact we found it kept us at the perfect distance to practice effective offensive, both on the inside, and outside. The quality of strike is what Century really pride themselves on. The realistic torso material is designed to replicate striking perfectly. It is easy on the hands so can be used without gloves if you really wanted, but we would advise at least using wraps when training with it.
In terms of stability, BOB does not go down easily. When filled to the brim with water we could kick it at full power, both front and roundhouse without toppling it. You will get some wobble on it, but if you fill it with sand that negates most of that. So keeping it sturdy is no problem at all. The height adjustable base is great and can really improve training. Especially if buying it for business use as it can be adjusted for lots of different users. If you are using if for competition you can practice against taller and shorter opponents. It really does improve your fighting experience and replicates a fight scenario like no other bag we have found. Also the BOB XL has a longer torso, meaning increased body punching area, which is perfect fro knees and low kick work. The increased striking zone is very welcome and we found it to be possible the biggest plus point of the Century BOB XL. You get six different height levels from 60” to 78”. More than enough to give you a very full training experience.
Bob is very durable, and the quality of the material did not start to deteriorate over weeks of heavy use, and looking ta other reviews online, they report the same after months of day to day heavy usage. We would recommend covering the Century BOB up though if you leave it outside, as you will not want to expose him to the harsh elements too much, as this will diminish the life of the bag.
BOB XL is great for all types f combat sports, and is an elite bit of striking equipment. Boxers will benefit massively from the adjustable height, durability and realistic striking feel, as well as the ability to do increased and realistic body work. MMA is the real winner with BOB XL though. You have the stability to launch hard strikers with both hands and feet from a realistic distance.
This is an expensive bag, there is no doubt in that, but in terms of what you get we still think it offers fantastic value. The quality, striking experience durability and versatility really can not be replicated by any other free standing bag. Any product that has close to 30 reviews on a reputable sight like Amazon and averages a full five stars, shows what other people think of it as well. The best free standing bag of its kind we have ever used, and a highly recommended purchase for serious combat sport enthusiasts. Perfect for boxing and perfect for MMA. 10/10
