The best gym bag overall
Talking you through all the specs of an Adidas Defender II Duffel Bag won't take that long, so let's do it. The bag has one large main compartment with enough room for a change of clothes and a towel, a water bottle, deodorant and shampoo, and so forth.
Within the main chamber is a smaller zippered pouch perfect for your wallet, keys, phone, and other small valuables. Each end of the bag has a compartment that can fit shoes, sweaty garments, and anything else you want to keep separated. The base is padded to keep your stuff safe, the fabric is rip- and puncture-resistant. The bag has both a shoulder strap and handles.
And that's it. But hey, that's really all you need out of gym bag. So why does this bag cost almost twice as much as other options on our list? Simple. It's remarkably well made. Adidas even offers a lifetime warranty. And when you think about it, that's an impressive amount of faith Adidas is putting in this gym bag. The company knows the thing is going to be hauled back and forth to the fitness center, to the track, the field, and everywhere else such luggage gets lugged.
It also doesn't hurt that the Defender II comes in nearly two dozen different color patterns, so you can easily find a duffel that will not only match your needs, but that will match your personal sense of style, too.
With well over 1,500 reviews logged on Amazon, the Adidas Defender II has a solid 4.3-star average rating. An owner named Brianna calls it "perfect for the gym" and loves how her duffel accommodates "shoes, clothes, water bottle, swim suit, towel, showering stuff and then some." A customer named Dan shared those sentiments, saying the bag earns "five stars in [his] book."
A writer with MuscleRig noted the Defender II's construction out of "thick parachute material that protects it from rain, dust and even scratches," while a video reviewer from SoccerSavings Semper Soccer said the bag offers "loads of storage" and praised the design.
Pros: Lasts for years of heavy use, simple intuitive design, comes in multiple colors
Cons: Medium and large sizes too big for many people
Buy the adidas Defender II Duffel Bag on Amazon for about $24.99 and up (prices vary by size and color)The best affordable gym bag
The Everest Gym Bag costs less than twenty-four bucks if you don't count the tax. That's less than half the price of many similar gym bags, yet don't think for a second that this bag is half the quality.
In fact, the Everest is manufactured out of durable 600D polyester that resists scratches and tears and is even water-resistant. Don't submerge it in a bathtub while your iPad is inside or anything, but also don't worry about some drizzle as you jog from the subway to the gym.
The Everest Gym Bag has a large primary compartment with plenty of room for shoes, clothes, showering accessories, and more. Its twin front pouches are perfect for your phone, wallet, energy bars, and other smaller sundries. A central water bottle sleeve can handle most water bottles.
On one side of the bag you will find a zippered mesh pouch, and on the other, there is a closed compartment. Both can be extended into the main area of the bag, allowing you to stash sweaty clothes or muddy shoes away from the rest of your gear.
The only real drawback with this bag is that the side pockets in which you can store soiled gear must take up room in the main compartment to be sufficiently spacious, so it can be tricky to tell exactly how much room you will use in each area after a workout. After a few trips to the gym, though, you should have the balance down and can pack and plan accordingly.
The Everest Gym Bag has a 4.3-star overall rating among buyers, with one owner calling it "fantastic" and saying he was happily surprised to find it "holding up great" after heavy use despite its low price. A customer named Jessica was thrilled by its "pockets galore."
Wirecutter's review of gym bags ranked the Everest at the top thanks to its multiple pockets, quality material, and the water bottle holder, which were noted as "exceptional features for the price." A TenBestProducts write up called the Everest Gym Bag a "good value for the money" that is "sturdy and lightweight."
Pros: Great low price, dedicated water bottle pocket, keeps gear and sundries organized
Cons: Occasional issues with side pocket tearing
Buy the Everest Gym Bag on Amazon for $18 to $25 (price varies by color)The best gym backpack
Now yes, we just mentioned a lot of stuff that you can fit into a UA Hustle 3.0 Backpack, but to be clear, if you put a pair of sneakers, your gym apparel, a computer, and your wallet, phone, and keys in this bag, it would then be just about full. But that's just fine, because what else do you need to carry with you as you travel from the office to the gym and then home?
And unlike with traditional gym bags that must be slung over one shoulder or carried in your hand, this backpack distributes that weight evenly across your shoulders and down through your core, meaning you can transport all that stuff for miles and miles in comfort if need be.
Anyone with a long trip between the gym and the home or office should consider this gym backpack. Its padded laptop sleeve keeps that invaluable computer safe while the brand's UA Storm technology-treated exterior resists rain, sleet, or snow, keeping your stuff safely dry within. The bottom panel is abrasion-resistant and the entire backpack is rip-stop and puncture-resistant.
And also, the UA Hustle 3.0 Backpack comes in colors ranging from black to blue to pink to orange and more.
The Under Armour UA Hustle 3.0 scores a 4.6 out of five-star rating on Amazon. One customer speaks for many when she says the backpack is this is "essentially [her] carry all." She is able "to [carry] about 6-7 water bottles, a pair of size 9 women gym shoes and a set of gym clothes... all while not being weighed down to one side because [she is] able to carry the weight evenly with little to no strain on [her] shoulders."
In a YouTube review, an UnboxedTV video showed off the quality of the hardware, including the zippers, the padding, and the durable exterior material. The video also showed off special features like the dual water bottle pockets.
Pros: Distributes weight evenly, water-resistant exterior, padded laptop sleeve
Cons: Capacity is too small for some athletes
Buy the Under Armour UA Hustle 3.0 Backpack on Amazon for $40.99 and up (prices vary by color)The best leather gym bag
Don't worry, you don't have to be a bare-knuckle boxer or 19th Century strongman to appreciate the Komal's Passion Leather KPL Vintage Leather Gym Duffel. While this leather duffel may have the look of a vintage piece of equipment, it's actually brand new and manufactured to modern standards and with modern apparel and accessories in mind.
There is a front pocket perfect for your smartphone and keys, there are side pockets that can accommodate shoes or sweaty gear, and there is a large main compartment perfect for a change of clothes, hygiene products, snacks, or whatever else you need to have on-the-go.
This durable leather duffel is the perfect size for use as a gym bag, but it's also great for the traveler. The bag is suitable for carry-on use and will easily fit in overhead compartments and will even fit under the seat aboard many aircraft. And it's hard to mistake this unique, handsome duffel with another traveler's luggage.
While of course there are drawbacks to using a leather duffel, such as the need to avoid heavy precipitation and the more complicated cleaning procedures, these mild issues are greatly outweighed by the KPL Vintage Leather Gym Duffel's classic charm for those who truly value style.
The KPL Vintage Leather Gym Duffel has a remarkable 4.8-star average rating on Amazon. A customer named Nikki raved that the bag was "even better than [she] imagined" in terms of quality and style, while an owner named John said he "couldn't be more pleased with this bag's quality for a such a reasonable price."
AtopDaily said the bag was perfect as a "travel bag, gym duffel, overnight bag," and more, noting the quality of the leather, the lining, the adjustable strap, and other features.
Pros: Beautiful vintage style, multiple compartments and pockets, versatile use potentials
Cons: Requires enhanced care and maintenance
Buy the Komal's Passion Leather KPL Vintage Leather Gym Duffel on Amazon for $79.95The best rolling gym bag
Gym bags can get heavy quickly, what with all the gear most of us lug along to our workouts. There are shoes, changes of clothes, water bottles, energy bars, shampoo and a towel, and so on.
If you have strength or grip issues in your hands, shoulders, lower back, or really anywhere else, you should not be carrying a heavy gym bag, nor should you sling one over a shoulder. Doing so can throw of your center of balance and/or put undue strain on the sensitive area. With the Olympia Luggage Rolling Duffel, you can tote along all the fitness apparel and gear you want and then some while letting the wheels do most of the work.
At 22 by 12 by 12 inches this gym bag offers plenty of room to stash shoes and clothes, snacks and water, accessories, personal items, and more, but it's not so large that you can't easily bring it on the subway or bus and stash it under your desk at work. As the duffel has no fewer than eight pockets, it's easy to keep all of your stuff organized, not to mention keeping soiled gear separate from clean stuff.
When needed, such as when you encounter stairs or uneven terrain, the Olympia Luggage Rolling Duffel can be picked up by its handles and carried along. But the recessed, in-line skate style wheels — which turn smoothly thanks to metal ball bearings — and the retractable pull handle are what set this bag apart from the rest. Also, it costs only about thirty-two bucks.
Even with nearly 2,000 reviews on Amazon, the Olympia Luggage Rolling Duffel has a respectable 4.1-star average rating. An owner named Sandy calls it "lightweight, easy to use and clean" and loves how smoothly the wheels roll. A customer called John appreciated the multitude of pockets that made organization easy.
A LuggageOnTour review praised the bag's multiple pockets and called this rolling duffel suitable for travel, but noted that it really is "more a gym bag than a business bag." Of course that's hardly a drawback for our purposes.
Pros: Rolling design takes strain off body, multiple pockets for easy organization, great price
Cons: Will not stand up straight, lacks sufficiently large compartments for some users' preferences
Buy the Olympia Luggage Rolling Duffel Bag on Amazon for $33.99 (price varies by color)
