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Stylish and durable picks that you'll want to carry everywhere — not just to the gym. Business backpack
Sure, you can shove your workout gear into any old bag and head out the door, but once you get to your gym, your things might just end up being a jumbled mess — and forget about afterward when everything smells like sweat!
If you're using a disorganized, worn-out gym bag, consider upgrading to a bag that's full of functional features like an open compartment for workout tops and leggings, zippered pockets for your phone and keys, a holder for your favorite water bottle and a separate space for your go-to running shoes. Whether you prefer an oversized duffel, a convenient backpack, a lightweight drawstring bag or a trendy tote, we've found the best gym bags out there.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab tests all kinds of fitness gear, including gym bags. We evaluate bags in the Lab using our specialized equipment to determine durability and performance properties like abrasion resistance, packability, ease of use and more. We also share them with consumer testers who have a chance to use the bags and provide us with feedback. We've recently evaluated more than 70 duffels, backpacks and totes, collecting over 1,700 data points for analysis. For this article, we assessed our data, searched the internet to find popular gym bags from top-tested brands and asked GH analysts and editors for their personal favorites.
Keep reading for a helpful shopping guide and for insight into how we evaluate bags in the Lab, but first, here are our top gym bag picks.
An iconic bag from an iconic brand, the Nike Brasilia duffel has been popular with gym-goers for years. This newer version is made with at least 65% recycled polyester and features a coated bottom that the brand says helps to protect your belongings from spills or scrapes. The handles and removable shoulder strap are padded for comfortable carrying, and it features three enclosed zippered pockets and an easy-access mesh pocket. A zippered shoe compartment keeps sweaty sneakers and dirty gym clothes separate from your other gear.
Some reviewers wish the pockets were deeper to organize larger belongings, but with 60 L of storage space, you'll still be able to fit everything you need inside. One user who carried this bag regularly for nearly a decade told us, "It was a great size to fit everything I needed — my shoes, workout clothes, a water bottle and even a basketball."
This duffel from Puma is priced under $30, has more than 34,000 reviews and has earned an impressive 4.7-star rating on Amazon. It's loved by users who say it's surprisingly spacious and stylish to boot.
Despite its more compact size, the bag is full of features to help you pack everything you need for your next trip to the gym. Inside, you'll find one main compartment for larger items, and on the outside, there are two large zip pockets with breathable mesh panels (one that can be used as shoe storage) and a smaller zip pocket for essentials like keys or an ID.
A removable shoulder strap and carrying handles allow for easy transport, and it comes in 18 fun color combos including blacks and grays with pops of pink. Plus, it's machine washable — a must to get rid of sweaty gym odors. Most reviewers are happy with the sturdy polyester material, but some noted fraying at the seams and even tearing with extended use; however, we still think the duffel is worth it for the low price tag.
According to thousands of Amazon reviewers, this $40 duffel from Under Armour makes for a perfect gym bag. Users say it holds way more than they expected, adding that they can fit all of their sports equipment and apparel inside with room to spare. The featured bag offers 58 L of storage space for your gym gear, but if you need more or less space, the bag also comes in extra small, small, large and even extra large sizing.
Some of the bag's organizational features include two outer mesh pockets with elastic openings to secure a water bottle and a vented compartment for sweaty shoes or gym clothes. Know that some online reviewers with larger shoe sizes and bulkier shoes couldn't fit their sneakers inside. We appreciate the foam-padded bottom and the water-repellent finish to keep your things safe inside. The bag has a set of carrying handles and an adjustable, detachable shoulder strap with padding for maximum convenience and comfort.
If you're looking for a high-quality gym bag but don't need all of the bells and whistles, consider this pick from Herschel. The N0vel Duffel is a top-tested duffel bag that looks great and aced our GH Textiles Lab tests. The polyester material showed no signs of wear in our abrasion tests, and we found that it was easy to pack with a full load of items including clothing, shoes and toiletries.
There's one large compartment with a small mesh zipper pocket inside, and on the outside of the bag, you'll find an open side pocket and separate zippered storage to stash a pair of tennis shoes. We and our testers alike are fans of the sturdy faux leather carrying handles that are comfortable to grip, and we appreciate the thick padding on the shoulder strap. However, one tester shared that the shoulder strap clips aren't very sturdy, adding that one of the plastic hooks broke with extended use.
You don't always need to bring every piece of equipment to the gym, so when you just want a change of clothes, opt for a drawstring bag. While most drawstring bags are simple with only one opening to stow away your things, this one from Adidas features additional pockets for better organization, and it's only $15 — a total steal. Store larger items inside, and use the zippered pocket on the outside to stash your keys or a pair of earbuds. It's even got a mesh bottle holder for a shaker bottle or your water.
Online reviewers say the polyester bag feels sturdy and that the drawstrings are easy to use. One GH analyst who has this bag says it has held up to years of regular use and added that it's comfy to wear. It comes in tons of different color combinations including basic blacks and grays and bolder pinks and greens, but the price may vary depending on the color you choose. The brand also only recommends spot-cleaning the bag with soap and water when it gets dirty.
Our best overall duffel bag pick, the Patagonia Black Hole is a great option to carry all of your gym gear and is built to last. The durable duffel is made with a recycled polyester ripstop material that's coated in a laminate film and a durable water-repellent finish, so it's tough and easy to clean. Unlike most duffels with a shoulder strap, this one comes with carrying handles and removable padded backpack straps for easy toting.
The lid of the bag unzips to reveal an open space for your things, and a small zippered pocket contains a key clip so you won't have to fumble through your bag to find them. There's also a mesh pocket for breathable storage in the lid of the duffel, and the front of the bag is lined with daisy chains to attach anything that won't fit inside. We love that the bag compresses down into its own pocket for compact storage. The rigid material can make it difficult to fold down, though, so you might experience some difficulty when compressing it.
This thoughtfully designed backpack from Gymshark is functional enough to bring to the gym but sleek enough to carry to work. It unzips to reveal one spacious compartment with a thin fabric sleeve to hold a notepad or an iPad, and there's a separate structured, padded sleeve on the back of the bag to stow your laptop.
A wet compartment on the bottom of the bag can be used to hold sweaty towels or tennis shoes, and the brand even recommends using it to store your meal prep. There are also two external zippered pockets with lots of room for small items like a pair of headphones or your wallet, as well as a stretch water bottle holder on each side of the bag.
We appreciate that the backpack stays standing up when you set it on the ground, thanks to the structured flat bottom. We were also impressed by the smooth waterproof polyurethane material to keep your belongings safe from wet weather or protein shake spills. Padded shoulder straps allow for comfortable carrying, and there's a chest clip for a better fit and feel. Know that we struggled a bit when pulling the zippers open and closed.
Sure to stand out, this bag from Calpak comes in fun options like this cheetah print, along with a rotating selection of vibrant shades and funky patterns like bright pink or checkerboard.
The Compakt collection is a favorite of GH Textiles Lab analysts who love the coordinating duffels, trendy totes and organizational pouches. The duffel bag is more compact than other picks but still has plenty of room in its large main compartment, plus it's super lightweight at less than a pound. It completely folds into its own zippered pocket, which means it's guaranteed to easily fit in your gym locker or car trunk.
The bag opens into one storage compartment and features two zipper pockets to stash away smaller items. There's even a luggage sleeve on the outside so you can slide it over the handle of a carry-on bag when you travel. We also love that it's made with thin yet durable nylon ripstop material. And it's water-resistant, so it can be easily wiped clean of any messes or spills.
This tote from Lululemon is compact and easy to carry but boasts up to 27 liters of space to hold all of your workout clothes and small accessories. It's designed with a unique expansion system: if you need more space, unzip the body of the bag to expose a gusset to increase its packing capacity. There are also two zippered pockets to hold smaller items — one inside and one outside — and the interior of the bag is lined with tons of elastic pockets for more organization, too.
Our testers who tried the duffel version were wowed by the smooth outer material, sharing that it felt durable and lightweight. We appreciate that it's water-repellent, so it's easy to wipe away spills or messes, but it's spot clean only, which means you can't put the tote in the washer for a deeper clean. The stylish tote is a versatile option that you can carry to the gym or work or even travel with, thanks to the convenient, subtle luggage sleeve.
Ideal for a dedicated yogi or someone who brings their own workout mat to the gym, the "Studio Edition" of the Ella duffel bag from Popflex features a built-in yoga mat sleeve.
The soft neoprene gym bag is a favorite of GH Institute Nutrition Lab Director Stefani Sassos who says it's "thoughtfully made" and "has held up well" over time. It's on the smaller side but is filled with plenty of pockets and straps to keep you organized, including an inner zippered pocket, two inner mesh pockets, three pen pockets, two water bottle straps, a laptop pocket and a key ring. Plus, there are two additional easy-access outer pockets and a shoe compartment.
You can carry the bag either with its attached handles or a detachable shoulder strap. Some online reviewers say the shoulder strap could be improved, adding that it doesn't feature any padding and that the plastic strap clips sometimes squeak. According to some reviewers, the color you receive may vary slightly from the color depicted online.
At Good Housekeeping Institute, we regularly test fitness gear and bags of all kids. As part of our testing, we evaluate duffels, totes and backpacks that can be worn as gym bags using our specialized Textiles Lab equipment.
We also share the bags with consumer testers who try them on their own and provide us with real-user feedback about their experiences. In recent years, we've tested more than 70 different styles, amassing over 1,700 data points for analysis. To choose the best gym bags, we reviewed our data to find picks that performed well in Textiles Lab tests and asked GH analysts and editors to share their go-to styles.
Not all of our picks has been formally tested in the Textiles Lab, but when we do test bags in the Lab, we evaluate performance and durability properties. To assess abrasion, we cut a swatch of the material from each bag and place it in our abrasion machine, which rubs the fabric back and forth 15,000 times before we rate it for signs of wear. We also pack each bag with a standard load of items including clothing, shoes, accessories and toiletries to ensure it's roomy enough to fit your things. And while we pack the bags, we analyze features like pockets, zippers and straps for characteristics like ease of use and comfort.
Our consumer testers bring their bags everywhere from the office to a vacation destination or the gym. They share their thoughts on aspects like appearance, ease of packing, organizational features, comfort of the straps and handles and more. Testers have the opportunity to share what they like and dislike about the bags.
When you're searching for a new gym bag, here are a few things to consider:
✔️ Type: The type of gym bag that's best for you will largely come down to how much and what type of gear you carry with you on a regular basis. These are the most popular:
✔️ Material: Gym bags are typically made from synthetic materials like polyester or nylon. Nylon is a popular fiber that's durable and water-resistant so it's able to withstand regular wear. Polyester is another option that tends to be more affordable and lightweight but is slightly less durable than nylon.
✔️ Organization: Check for organizational features like smaller zippered pockets to hold your essential items, breathable mesh or vented pockets and stretch water bottle holders. Our testers especially love bags with separate zippered compartments for shoes or dirty workout clothes.
Amanda Constantine joined the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2022 as a home and apparel reviews analyst. She has tested and written about different types of bags and luggage including soft and hardside luggage, carry-ons, backpacks, checked bags and more. Amanda has also tested workout apparel and gear for Good Housekeeping's Fitness Awards.
Amanda (she/her) researches and reports on products in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, ranging from clothing and accessories to home furnishings. She holds undergraduate degrees in apparel merchandising and product development and advertising and marketing communications, as well as a master of science degree in consumer sciences from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Amanda was a lecturer for the fashion and retail studies program at Ohio State, where she taught fashion and textiles courses.
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