The 12 Best Duffel Bags for Travel, the Gym, and Everyday Carry
A backpack is a solid choice for hiking and camping. Sling bags are great for dumping your pockets into before a quick trip around town. And messenger bags are the professional’s bag of choice for everyday carry.
But duffel bags? They’re exactly what you need when it’s time to load up quickly and get ready to travel, whether that’s a quick trip to the gym or a round-the-world flight.
We’ve collected a dozen of the best duffel bags around for this roundup, with options ranging from tiny 11 liter day bags to massive 100 liter waterproof duffels, and everything in between. That way you’re sure to find the duffel bag that’s perfect for your quick packing needs, no matter how large or small they are.
Exped Radical 45 Convertible Duffel Bag
Tired of choosing between the many styles of bags I own, I often turn towards the Exped Radical 45. Why? Because it seamlessly integrates the functions of a comfortable everyday carry backpack and a hard-wearing duffel bag. And because of the positioning of its long center zipper opening, it’s great for traveling too; when you wear it as a backpack, the zipper is facing towards your back and can’t be tampered with by would-be thieves.
The bag itself is made of a lightweight but durable 210D ripstop nylon, keeping the weight down and durability on the level so it can carry all your gear with ease.
Mystery Ranch Mission Duffel 55
Mystery Ranch is one of our favorite “heritage” bag brands here at GearMoose—i.e., they’re a tested and proven option for long-term durability and utility. It just makes sense to include their heavy duty Mission Duffel 55 here then, as its convertible duffel-to-backpack design is backed up by an exceptionally strong waxed nylon construction.
That gives it extra durability above and beyond what most duffels offer, but don’t be fooled by its rugged looks: The soft, padded interior on this duffel is excellent at protecting even your most fragile gear. Overall, it’s a fantastic long-term investment that you’re likely to be traveling with for years.
Aer Gym Duffel 3
Even though they’re a relative newcomer to the bag scene, Aer is making new iterations of their designs at a downright impressive speed. That means that with each new generation of their bags, the brand is making fine-tuned improvements.
Take the Aer Gym Bag 3, for instance—now in its third edition, the bag’s design has been streamlined for good looks while the interior space has increased. Then, Aer went ahead and added an antimicrobial coating for good measure, helping to combat the stink that comes with sweaty gym clothes and shoes. Add in a bevy of internal pockets for easy organization of the rest of your gear, and you get a perfect partner for every day you spend at the gym.
Matador On-Grid Packable Duffel
In our experience, duffel bags really are the easiest way to just throw all your gear in one place and go. So when we saw Matador’s new On-Grid Packable Duffel, we knew it would be a good fit for our travel gear setup.
When unfolded, the On-Grid is a respectable 25 liter day bag built from a 100D waterproof nylon and plenty of hidden gear loops to tie your things onto. But when not in active use, this bag stuffs inside of its own pocket for easy, compact storage. That makes it an ideal companion for your usual travel setup, where you can have an additional 25 liters of storage at a moment’s notice.
STATIC Commuter Duffel Bag
Though it’s advertised as a rock climber’s bag, Static’s Commuter Duffel Bag is a really neat little piece of gear for anyone’s everyday carry needs. With just an 11 liter capacity, it’s the smallest duffel bag in our review—and honestly more akin to a sling bag or messenger bag, but with a rugged waxed canvas construction. Overall, the Commuter combines the convenience of a duffel bag with the size of a versatile everyday carry bag, and that’s why we really like it.
Thule Chasm 40L Duffel Bag
Another entry in the combination backpack/duffel bag category comes courtesy of Thule, with their Chasm 40 Liter Duffel Bag. It’s a great all-purpose bag for travel, owing in large part to its durable 840D nylon bottom and all-round laminate construction.
That gives it added durability while you’re lugging it around as either a duffel or a backpack, and strong weather resistance to keep all your gear clean and dry. Equipped with both interior and exterior stash pockets, it offers a bit more organization than most other duffel backpacks, all while still meeting the size requirements to be taken as a carry-on for your next flight.
Bellroy Venture Duffel 40L
For most duffel bags, you have to choose between two categories: Rough and rugged, or sleek and stylish. Bellroy’s Venture Duffel, however, does an admirable job of mixing the two categories into one refined bag.
Its water- and tear-resistant recycled nylon fabric is heavy enough to stand up to repeated wear and tear, while the minimalist look and feel make it a great option to take to the office or the gym. Plus, it’s equipped with plenty of interior and exterior quick access pockets as well as a detachable water-resistant stuff sack that’s perfect for carrying your shoes or sweaty gym clothes.
The North Face Base Camp Small Duffel
Even though it’s called a “small” duffel, The North Face’s Base Camp Small Duffel is quite a sizable and durable bag. With a capacity of 50 liters and two mesh pockets, it will give you plenty of room to store and organize all your gear.
Thanks to its recycled 1000 denier nylon construction, double stitching, and extra bar tacks, it’s definitely made for the long haul. And when you’re ready to go out for a longer adventure, the semi-rigid shape and alpine style shoulder straps make it easy to convert this one into a hiking or camping backpack, too.
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel
Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel is the stuff of legends for long-term travelers, hikers, and campers. It’s been through so many design iterations at this point that it’s about as close to perfect as an outdoor-centric travel duffel can get. The bag’s construction combines super durable 900D nylon (recycled, no less) with a laminate coating for weatherproofing, then adds a padded base for structure and protecting everything the bag holds.
Daisy chain loops and internal and external pockets give plenty of organization options, and when you’re ready to take it to base camp you can convert it into a backpack for easy long-term carrying. Also available in 40 liter and 70 liter sizes.
Osprey Transporter Duffel Bag
Continuing with the theme of duffel bags that can convert into backpacks, we move onto the Osprey Transporter. It’s made of the same grade of ultra-durable 900 denier fabric as some of our favorite duffels of all time, but this time in polyester rather than nylon—giving it an overall softer and more supple feel.
That’s paired with nearly a dozen webbing lash points and two zipper pockets (one inside and one outside) for easy access to your most essential gear. And unlike most other duffel backpacks, this one’s equipped with a sternum strap for even easier carrying when it’s time to go.
Cotopaxi Allpa Duo 70 L Duffel Bag
When you get into duffel bags above 50 liters, having multiple ways to organize them is essential—which just makes sense, when you imagine how much you can stuff those bags full of. Cotopaxi’s Allpa Duo 70 Liter Duffel Bag really succeeds here, with zippered interior organization under the flap, two exterior quick access pockets, and plenty of daisy chain gear webbing on the outside.
Better yet, it even has a dirty laundry compartment at the bottom of the pack, complete with its own integrated mesh bag. That’s enough to turn this bag into a carry-all travel companion for medium and long journeys alike.
YETI Panga 100 Dry Duffel
The biggest and baddest of all the duffel bags featured here is also, amazingly, completely submersible. YETI’s Panga 100 Dry Duffel lives up to its name thanks to a waterproof HydroLok zipper and high-density waterproof nylon shell, making it an ideal companion for any water sports adventure.
A flexible molded plastic bottom helps keep it upright while you’re looking through your gear, and provides an added layer of puncture protection so you can lay it down just about anywhere. Overall, it’s one of the finest duffel bags you could ask for when you’re going on a sporting adventure.
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