Here&#;s the secret: There is no perfect gym bag.
Many bags sold as &#;gym bags&#; are indistinguishable from any duffle bag or tote. And almost any kind of bag will work as a gym bag in a pinch.
A good gym bag, however, brings fresh clothes to a workout and takes wet gear home again without making everything a fragrant swamp.
After researching hundreds of gym bags&#;traditional gym bags and others&#;and testing more than 40, we&#;ve found six bags for a range of gym goers and situations.
We found two picks, one over-organized and one simply built, that will last a lifetime. We also chose a backpack for commuters, a casual water-resistant duffle, a simple tote organized for a gym, and a cheap pick for team gear, plus a roll-top dry bag for separating out sweaty gear within your gym bag.
If these choices aren&#;t what you&#;re looking for, check out our picks for duffle bags, laptop backpacks, and totes.
Some of the most popular types of gym bags include:
Each of these types of bags has its benefits, but there&#;s no single right answer for everyone because each athlete is different. The best gym bag for someone else might not work well for you. It&#;s important to find the bag with the best type, size, and features for your needs.
The biggest benefit to a great gym bag is convenience. A multi-functional gym bag or tote can help you stay organized so your gear is easy to access. Zippered pockets that keep all your items in one place also make it harder to disrupt your workout by forgetting something important.
The same features that make gym bags great for athletes also make them useful in many situations. If you know how you&#;re going to use your bag, it&#;ll help you determine the best type, size, and features for you.
The most obvious use comes from the name. Many people looking for gym bags are trying to find the perfect way to carry workout essentials such as clothes, shoes, towels, water bottles, and any other necessary accessories.
Many people use gym bags for sports equipment like cleats, protective gear, baseball gloves, tennis rackets, yoga mats, and more. If you plan to carry sports equipment, a larger bag with multiple compartments is useful to accommodate bulky items and keep everything easily organized.
Gym bags are lightweight and relatively small, which makes them great carry-ons while traveling. Whether you&#;ve got a duffle bag or a gym backpack, the compartments of a gym bag have room for everything you need on a weekend getaway. Their lightweight materials also make them much easier to carry than most suitcases. If you fly regularly, make sure the gym bag you select is designed to fit into overhead compartments so you don't have to check it.
If you hit the gym on the way home from work or school, your bag needs to have enough space to hold your daily gear and your workout equipment. Backpacks, duffles, and totes all work great for this, with their internal pockets, laptop sleeves, and compartments helping you keep your school, work, and gym items separated.
Certain gym bags even offer enough support to be great options for trips to the great outdoors. Their lightweight, durable construction holds up to heavy use and doesn&#;t slow you down. Small gym bags make great day packs out on the trail. The same traits that make large gym bags good for travel also make them perfect for overnight camping.
Once you know how you'll use your gym bag, these nine important factors will help you narrow down the selection to find the perfect one.
Gym bags come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you're looking for a bag just to hold your water bottle and some personal items, a small gym backpack will work great. On the other hand, if you head to the gym straight from work or school, you&#;ll need a large duffle with multiple compartments. When it comes to gym bag sizing, you&#;ll most likely see cubic inches or liters as the measurement to offer insight into its capacity. One thing to keep in mind is that duffle gym bags tend to offer more space than a backpack or a tote gym bag. Some general guidelines when browsing gym bag sizes:
XX-Small: This is usually less than 19 liters and works well for smaller items for the gym or school.
X-Small: This can range from 20 to 30 liters and can work well as an everyday gym bag, with space for a change of clothes.
Small: Usually ranging from 31 to 45 liters, this is good for weekend trips or larger pieces of gym equipment like a yoga mat.
For duffle-style gym bags, you can usually fit extra-extra small to small bags comfortably in a school locker. They are also typically carry-on approved, but it&#;s always important to measure your bags before your flight.
Medium: When you get to the 46- to 60-liter range, there could be some instances where this may not be approved as a carry-on. These duffles can fit more of the contents mentioned for small gym duffle bags and should still fit in lockers, though it&#;ll depend on what else is in there.
Large/XL: This ranges from 61 to 80+ liters and can offer enough room for a one- to two-week trip, or carry large pieces of gear that you would use in hockey or football. At this size, you may find it difficult to store in smaller school lockers.
Micro: This is ideal for small valuables like a wallet. Its size is usually less than 4 liters.
Mini: This ranges from 5 to 9 liters and can contain about the same amount as a purse would.
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Small: This is equivalent to a small school bag that can fit a tablet, ranging from 10 to 15 liters.
Regular: This resembles a normal-sized backpack with enough space for a change of clothes. It falls into the 16- to 25-liter range.
Large: At 26 to 35 liters, this gym backpack can even store an extra pair of shoes if necessary.
For backpacks and totes, you should have no issue storing them in most lockers.
When in doubt, err on the large side when picking gym bags. You should be able to fit everything you need in the bag comfortably, without any stretching or stuffing. If you overstuff your bag with too many big or heavy items, it can strain the seams and zippers, causing the bag to wear out faster.
From being thrown on the floor to storing sweaty clothes, your gym bag needs to be tough. That&#;s why it&#;s important to pick a bag that can stand up to daily use. When looking at different gym bags, look for durable materials that will last season after season. It also helps if they&#;re easy to clean so they won&#;t start to smell or grow mildew. High-quality materials like nylon, polyester, or canvas are great all-around picks. Leather is durable, but requires special care, so choose it with caution. For optimal gym bag durability, make sure you look for bags with polyurethane (PU) topcoats in areas that are usually prone to the most wear and tear, especially on the bottom panel, to increase abrasion resistance.
Compartments are an essential feature of the perfect gym bag. They&#;re a great tool for staying organized, which can remove many obstacles preventing you from focusing on your fitness goals. When you need to check your or drink some water, you&#;re much more likely to get back to your routine if you can find it in the exterior pockets instead of digging through your bag. Gym bags have all sorts of useful spaces like separate shoe compartments, water bottle pockets, laundry compartments and external pockets for smaller essentials. Consider what you&#;ll need to bring with you and choose a bag with the right compartments for your needs.
Whether you choose a tote, backpack, or duffle, your gym bag should be easy to carry with adjustable shoulder straps. You want to make sure your bag can accommodate and balance your load so it&#;s not a struggle to carry. Padded straps and handles are a must for comfort, and a reinforced structure can help as well. If comfort is your top priority, backpacks can be a great choice. Their adjustable shoulder straps give you a secure, custom fit. Many backpacks also have a supportive frame that helps balance your load.
This is one of the most important components to consider. Your gym bag will likely store your gym clothes, and the sweat and moisture left behind can build up quickly. Ventilation is crucial to prevent mildew and odors. When looking for your perfect gym bag, make sure it has breathable mesh panels or air vents to circulate air and keep your gear fresh.
Your workout and adventures are not exclusive to clear, sunny days. Rainy weather and spills can result in wet clothes that ruin your workout before you even start. In addition, a bag that gets waterlogged can start to mildew over time. To prevent these problems, look for gym bags that have a water-resistant coating. This way, you&#;re ready for whatever the weather or environment throws your way. Feel confident in the fact that your contents will stay dry both indoors and outdoors.
Besides offering storage compartments for all of your essentials, these features can make a potential gym bag even more appealing:
A smaller gym bag like a backpack will struggle to fit a yoga mat in its compartments. Even some average-size gym duffle bags will lack the ability to carry a mat, which makes external straps to hold your yoga mat or other bulky items attractive.
If you are on a strict meal plan or need an area to store your lunch, snacks, shakes, and more, having an area that can keep your items cool can be an essential feature you need for your gym bag.
This is an important feature if you&#;re using your gym bag for more than just workouts. If you also use it for traveling, you can keep your personal information, like your passport, protected and secure.
Besides functionality, your gym bag should mirror your preferred style. A bag that makes you feel good can improve your motivation, making you more likely to stick to your routine. While it may not be the most important aspect to consider when browsing through the various gym totes, backpacks, and duffles, it&#;s a component that will drive many from browsing to purchase. Something to keep in mind is that if you&#;re using your bag daily, you may want to avoid any patterns or palettes that would clash, unless you&#;re keeping it stored until you need it. The colors, patterns, or overall design should match your personality and energy, and the bag should function as well as it looks.
Of course, none of this matters if you can&#;t find a gym bag that fits your budget. This is where it's important to consider which of the features we've mentioned are must-haves, and which are just nice to have. By doing so, you&#;ll be able to determine the price range that you feel comfortable working with. From there, you can explore bags in your price range to see which will get you the best features, materials, and lifespan.
One of the best ways to keep your gym bags lasting longer is to make sure you regularly clean them. Dirt, sweat, and grime can affect the bag's overall integrity, making it stiff and brittle. A thorough monthly cleaning can be helpful, though the cleaning frequency really depends on how often it&#;s used as well as how much you sweat during your workouts. Here are some other considerations that will help you keep your gym bag clean:
After Use: Remove any damp or wet items like towels and gym clothes as soon as you can to prevent mold or mildew growth.
Spot Cleaning: If you see a stain or spill on your gym bag, those areas should be cleaned immediately.
Weekly: It&#;s always helpful to wipe down your bag at least once a week to remove any dirt or grime that&#;s built up.
When it comes to thorough monthly cleanings, you&#;ll need a sponge, a damp cloth, and mild detergent. Always read the instructions on the bag's care label to make sure you are not using anything that will damage your bag. From there, you can follow these steps.
When it comes to finding the best gym bag for you, these are the most important factors to consider. It ultimately comes down to your goals and specific needs. If you&#;re an occasional gymgoer, you may not need the same robust features you&#;d need if you&#;re going daily straight from school or the office. A gym bag is an essential piece of gear to keep you focused on your fitness journey. It's important to make sure you take the necessary time to select the right one for you based on the materials, style, preferences, and other factors we've mentioned here.
For more information, please visit Magnetic Gym Bags.