The best gym bags are built for more than just the gym. Sure, they come with the product specs you’d expect from a bag designed to store your sweaty workout gear—water-resistant fabrics, adjustable shoulder straps, ample shoe compartments—but these aren’t bags made exclusively for exercising.
Even the most technical gym bag can double as a slick weekender on a last-minute summer getaway or a lightweight carry-on—provided, of course, you invest in a style with the right accoutrement. Durability is a must, as is an easy-access side pocket to store your water bottle. A few carefully placed external pockets to hold all your small items never hurt, either. So even if you’re an expert gym-goer getting reacquainted with the day-to-day grind, it’s worth reminding yourself what a game-changer a high quality gym duffle can be, and then tracking down the best one for your routine.
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Best Overall: North Face Base Camp Duffel
The North Face
Base Camp Medium Duffle
Is there anything The North Face’s Base Camp duffel can’t do? It’s one of our favorite duffel bags of all time, and it’s definitely apt at handling your sweaty commute to and from the gym. It has a plenty generous 71-liter capacity (if you opt for the medium-sized duffel) that’s able to pack enough for a 10-day vacation, so go ahead, bring every pair of sneakers you own. Speaking of shoes, there’s a separate zippered compartment for footwear to keep your dirty soles away from your fresh gym ‘fit. You can carry the bag as a duffel or fashion it into a backpack if your arms are a little sore from those bicep curls. And sure, this is all about gym bags, but c’mon, there’s nothing the Base Camp can’t handle.
Best Minimalist Bag: Lululemon 3-in-1 Gym Duffle Bag
lululemon
3-in-1 Gym Duffle Bag 30L
We get it: You work out. You’re already telling everyone about your gym obsession, but maybe you don’t need to carry a bag that screams “I’m about to lift double my body weight for fun.” Lululemon’s duffel bag is a great option for getting to the gym under the radar. It’s a three-in-one bag because it can be held as a duffel or worn as a shoulder bag, and the strap can be fashioned into a yoga mat holder. All of that aside, the spaciousness of the bag is great for storing all your workout gear, shoes, and even a sweaty towel or two. Plus, the separate bag for shoes is always great for the germaphobes among us.
Best for Lifters: KNKG Core Duffel 35L
KNKG
CORE Duffel Medium 35L
For serious lifters, this is our top pick. The KNKG Medium Core Duffel packs a big punch in a relatively small package (though small and larger options are available) that’s perfect for the gym rat crowd. It’s got an external weightlifting belt attachment—our favorite feature—an internal laptop sleeve, an internal shoe compartment, and dual bottle pockets. It’s also designed to fit with the (not included) duffel divider for serious storage nerds. Our tester managed to fit a sporting goods store-ful of gym gear into this sucker, and notes that while you don’t need to lug a ton of stuff to the gym to get jacked, it sure doesn’t hurt. (Read our full KNKG Core Duffel review here.)
Best for Runners: Tracksmith Weekend Duffel
Boston’s Tracksmith needs no introduction by this point—they’ve been crafting some of the best heritage-inspired performance running gear for a decade now, not to mention whipping up dope collaborations with brands like District Vision and Brendon Babenzien’s new-look J.Crew. The Tracksmith Weekend Duffel is a mainstay in our rotation, even if we’re not headed out of town for race weekend. The bag is extremely well made and is built to last, much like the vintage pieces it draws inspiration from. It’s outfitted with a roomy shoe compartment for your stinky kicks or gym clothes, plus comes with a super handy nylon blanket to spread out on race day or in the park on a weeknight.
Best-Looking Bag: Peak Design Travel Duffel
Like all of Peak Design’s gear, it’s centered around photography and travel, but we absolutely love the 35-liter model for the gym. It has an extra-long zipper that makes it easy to rummage around in, is made from heavy duty nylon that can stand up to a beating, and, maybe most importantly, is guaranteed for life against manufacturing defects and any failure that renders the bag unusable. It’s not hard to trust a product that is backed with that kind of confidence—plus, it’s easy to shell out a few bucks on something that looks so sleek.
Best Budget Bag: Nike Brasilia
Nike
