The Everlast Elite Speed Bag Platform Kit is an excellent speed bag platform for your home.
It’s sturdy, has a 24″ drum, and it is adjustable.
For full details, check out our review from the YouTube channel:
What gear is on display? Here’s the details.
By the way, these are affiliate links – so if you purchase after clicking through, we get a small commission – at no extra cost to you. That helps support the work we do here at Speed Bag Labs.
Everlast Speed Bag Platform – Overview
What’s good about this unit?
For starters, it’s stable.
And stability is the key to a good speed bag punching experience.
There can be some movement in the drum (the circular part the swivel is attached too), but there can’t be too much. Otherwise it throws off the rhythm of the bag.
(That’s the big problem with every free standing speed bag unit, by the way – they simply sway and rock too much to be usable in a serious capacity).
This unit is meant to be wall mounted – and it’s conveniently set for 16″ on center walls – which means it’ll work just about anywhere.
As tested, I mount these to a robust, free standing rack – because I have to swap out equipment on the regular – and that’s tough on the walls of the garage (oops, I mean lab) otherwise.
The drum is a full 24″ – and that’s good – because it’ll fit nearly any size of speed bag.
24″ is the minimum diameter I’ll consider for a speed bag unit – otherwise you run the risk of punching the wall when passing the hands through the bag (and punching from the backside – as shown in the video).
It is a particle board (“manutactured wood”) drum – but it works well. The aesthetics are not as nice as oak or maple – but the drum performs well.
The drum is 1 1/4″ thick – which is plenty – in my experience.
The drum is pre-drilled for the standard Everlast swivel screw/bolt pattern.
The only complaint I have about this unit is that if you change swivels frequently (as I do) – you are going to strip out the screw holes quickly.
The easiest way to prevent this on other platforms is to use bolts with washers and nuts instead – but the metal support is in the way on the top of the drum.
For normal people (who don’t change swivels like their underwear) it’s not going to be a problem.
Get a good swivel, put it up, and use it – that’s my advice.
The other great feature about this platform is that it is adjustable.
You get a full 12″ of vertical adjustment – just loosen the ergonomic star-shaped knobs, slide it up or down, and tighten them again.
The height adjustment is continuous – you can raise or lower anywhere within the range of the motion. There’s no pop-pins or holes that you have to align with.
This let’s you make precise, exact adjustments in height.
The other thing that makes this unit so nice is that beefy V-support at the top. It’s built like a tank.
Shipping weight on this unit is 47 lbs – it’s not a lightweight.
You’ll pay more for shipping, but it is worth it – because stability is the key feature we need in a speed bag platform.
By the way, this item is actually manufactured by Balazs Boxing, in Honeybrook, PA.
That’s right – it’s made in the USA.
Balazs makes very high-quality speed bag platforms – and they don’t just make these for Everlast – they sell them under their own brand too – as the Balazs i-Box Speed Bag Platform.
And – both are great.
Everlast Speed Bag Platform – Specs
Here’s the relevant specifications for this platform.
| Drum Diameter | 24″ (1 1/4″ thick) manufactured wood |
| Adjustable Height? | Yes, 12″ of adjustability |
| Weight | 47 lbs. |
Arc Swivel
Let’s take a closer look at the Arc swivel used in the video review.
These are small batch created by a speed bag enthusiast.
Why? Because it’s hard to find commercial “ball hook” swivels nowadays.
The key features of the ball hook swivel are a ball and a hook – and this combination lets you attach a bag – and strike the bag from any angle and still get a proper rebound.
When punching from the sides and angles other than the front/back a ball hook swivel makes for a much more consistent punching experience.
Being made mostly from plastic, this is also an exceptionally quiet swivel – there is no metal on metal contact.
This means you hear the bag beat rhythm rather than a clanking (or squeaking) metal swivel.
The other key feature of this swivel is the innovative tri-hook – it’s made from a flexible material and has a keeper metal ring – it’s very, very easy to quickly and easily change speed bags with this swivel.
(This matters if you punch a lot of different speed bags.)
Everlast Speed Bag Platform – Professional Swivel
This unit comes with a swivel too – an Everlast Professional unit.
This is a beefy, tall U-bolt style swivel.
It’s great for punching from the front of the bag (or the back), but as with all u-bolt swivels, it’s not the best option for punching from the sides.
There’s a bit too much mass in it that has to rotate when you hit from the sides – and that can cause quite a bit of inconsistency.
The 2nd factor with this swivel – once you get the speed bag on it – it’s not coming off.
That’s good while we’re punching, but it also makes it challenging to swap speed bags – you’ll need a small set of pliers to work with that cotter pin – especially when your hands are sweaty.
Overall it’s a nice piece and gives you everything you need out of the box to get started (except for a speed bag).
You can always upgrade the swivel later if you need to.
Everlast Speed Bag Platform – In Summary
The Everlast Speed Bag Platform is a great speed bag platform for your home or garage.
It’s not the cheapest option – but it is the best combination of stability and adjustability currently on the market.
Whether you buy this as the Everlast model, or the Balazs i-Box series platform – you won’t be disappointed.
Photo Credits
Some product photos on this page are property of the manufacturer.
This website is not affiliated or associated with CrossFit, Inc. CrossFit is a registered trademark of CrossFit, Inc.
Affiliate Disclaimer
We are an affiliate of Everlast, GORUCK, and Amazon. If you buy gear after clicking the links in this article, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us to bring you in-depth information and content on this speed bag equipment.
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