Gear checklists for combat sports have a way of spiraling — wraps, gloves, shin guards, a bag, a mount, a mouthguard, headgear. Almost none of that is required to start. Here's what actually matters at each stage.
Once you add a heavy bag — a hanging bag, a freestanding base for apartments, or even a securely mounted banana bag — add two things: bag gloves sized for your hand and the bag's density, and shin guards if you're kicking regularly while your shins are still conditioning. Neither needs to be expensive to do its job.
You genuinely need nothing beyond wraps. A mirror is a nice-to-have for visual self-correction, but it isn't mandatory — an audio callout timer replaces a lot of that self-correction by forcing you to react on a beat instead of admiring your form.
Competition gloves, headgear, and thigh pads are sparring and fight-day gear. Buying them before you've built a consistent solo habit is a common way beginners burn money on equipment that sits in a closet. Let your training habit prove itself first.
Everything past hand wraps and a good callout timer is an upgrade you earn by showing up consistently, not a prerequisite to start. Begin with the minimum, and let your own training tell you what to add next.