The Best Gym Bags (for Traveling Lighter and Smarter)

Being a gym rat isn’t as simple as it sounds. You need to schedule your gym sessions to avoid the most crowded hours, wait for Chad to stop hogging the bench press, and in some cases, bring your clothes with you to the office, because corporate America robs us of all our precious time. As much as we’d like to store our Hokas, tanks, fresh socks, and Gatorade in our belt bag, that’s just not gonna work. You’re gonna need a proper gym bag. 

Organization is an acquired skill made easier when things look gewd. Everyone should have a trusty bag that can hold everything when it comes time to pump iron—anything from a leftover Subway footlong (it’s pre-workout, OK?!!) to their favorite cologne. The best gym bags should do the trick, and are loaded with all of the right pockets and features, especially when they’re from Adidas, Nike, and Lululemon. Let someone else get a shot on the squat rack and check these out. 

This Adidas bestseller is water-resistant with multiple zip pockets, an adjustable strap, and dual carrying handles to sustain hoofing it long distances if you’re commuting to the gym (or having it do double duty as a weekend bag). Its “medium” size is more akin to a large in our opinion, especially when we see that one reviewer claims it held four days worth of clothes when they used it as a travel duffel. It sounds perfect for gym rats who love to spontaneously jet off into the sunset on a whim. 

You can’t go wrong with a trusty gym sack from Nike. This one is small enough to cruise with you wherever you go (without weighing down your shoulders), while spacious enough to store all your essentials. Its minimal design puts the iconic Nike swoosh (of course) front-and-center and has adjustable drawcords to secure your load. Throw it on your back and head to Planet Fitness in style. 

Lululemon has been really changing the game lately. Besides making epic men’s undies and athleisure-wear for all genders, the brand also has dope gym bags, such as the All Day Essentials Duffle Bag. Features include an exterior pocket, a shoe pocket (to pack your Hokas, obviously), interior slip pockets, an adjustable strap, and water-repellent fabric. “Is nice IS NICE is nice IS NICE,” one reviewer on its website wrote—we love enthusiasm… and it’s so nice they said it thrice (actually, four times). 

One of our editors loves this Dagne Dover tote for traveling, but it also doubles as a gym bag. Besides being a puffy marshmallow, it’s lightweight, extra wide, can fit up to 16” laptops, and is made from recycled water bottles—plus it has multiple exterior pockets for your headphones, shades, and whatever else is on the move with you. Glad to see all those Poland Springs bottles from your local gym’s vending machine might actually be going somewhere.

This bag is a foldable bargain by Vorspack, and also makes a great carry-on when traveling. It has an inner and outer and pocket, durable nylon material, a detachable shoulder strap, and zip closure. It has a 4.5 star average and over 5,000 reviews on Amazon. 

Is Chad done with the bench press yet???

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.