16 Best Gym Bags for Every Kind of Exerciser

We polled ten workout enthusiasts on the best gym bag for every kind of exerciser, and their picks include Lululemon, Everlast, Sweaty Betty, Lole, Patagonia, MZ Wallace, Herschel, RYU, Dagne Dover, Caraa, and more.
We polled ten workout enthusiasts on the best gym bag for every kind of exerciser, and their picks include Lululemon, Everlast, Sweaty Betty, Lole, Patagonia, MZ Wallace, Herschel, RYU, Dagne Dover, Caraa, and more.
When Megan Norregaard, a trainer at Solace New York, is hunting for a gym bag, she says, “I look for something that is both functional and stylish. It needs to be big enough to carry clothes, shoes, toiletries, and food. I also look for a material that’s durable and water-resistant.” This Lululemon backpack, with a water-bottle holder, laptop sleeve, expandable pocket for dirty clothes, and an exterior phone pocket (for quick access), meets all of her requirements and more. Norregaard likes that it looks small and compact but holds a ton of stuff. “It’s like a Mary Poppins bag,” she says, “but cute.”
Another one of Norregaard’s favorites, this roomy backpack — “I can leave my apartment for two days and it holds everything I need, with space for more,” she says — also doubles as a workout tool. Its two reservoirs can be filled up with water or sand, adding up to 21 pounds in each, so you can take your bootcamp or lifting workout wherever you’d like, and the reservoirs barely take up any space when empty. Norregaard is also a fan of the bag’s looks: “The all-black design makes it easy to pair with anything I’m wearing,” she says.
Dagne Dover’s easy-to-clean neoprene bags are similarly both functional and attractive. “This duffel is chic enough to bring anywhere, but it’s perfect for the gym,” says Norregaard. “[It] comes with a laptop sleeve, a mesh pouch to carry essentials, and a water-bottle pocket.” Also, like the MZ Wallace totes, they come in tons of colors if you need a break from your basic black gym bag.
This Lululemon duffel, one of Barton’s recommendations, also has a yoga mat strap that folds into the bag when not in use. “It’s the perfect size for a workout outfit, change of regular clothes, and laptop (everything I need for class), with enough room for anything extra like makeup, a book, and a water bottle or juice,” she says. In all-black and free of flashy logos or tons of straps, Barton thinks it’s “a bit more work-appropriate” than some other, sportier options out there