An active lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle as everyone who works out will tell you. Working out, however, implies the use of specific apparel and working equipment, either the type that alleviates potential stress and fatigue or the type that you employ for more practical reasons. Gym bags are among the latter and everyone who goes to the gym seems to have one nowadays. Lightweight, strong, and easy to clean, these bags are in the workout arsenal of many gym-goers and understandably so. That said, we should point out that not all gym bags are built to the same standards and that you might have to spend some time finding a good one if you don’t fully know what to look for. To help you in that regard, we put together a list of the ten best gym bags money can buy.
Best Gym Bags – Top List
Nike Brasilia 6 Duffel Bag
Coming from the world-famous Nike, the Brasilia 6 duffel bag offers great support to active people that regularly hit the gym. It features a simple design yet offers a lot of storage space and also several exterior pockets for accommodating all the gym gear you need. Available in three different colors, Brasilia 6 is made of durable polyester fabric and features very durable zippers. It further boasts an adjustable, comfortable shoulder strap for added convenience.
PUMA Men’s Teamsport Duffel Bag
PUMA’s Teamsport is a men’s machine-washable duffel bag made of sturdy polyester and a great pick for gym-going purposes. It is roomy enough to provide storage for all you need to bring with you to the gym, featuring a top carry handle that has Velcro closure for ensuring the safety of your items. This handle has great padding for carrying comfort, which is great considering that this bag also has an adjustable shoulder strap for extra carrying comfort and convenience.
OGIO Crunch Duffel Bag
Ideal for gym goers, the OGIO Crunch is a tough duffel bag with waterproof zippered finishes and a spacious main compartment featuring an easy-access U-shaped outline and an integrated shoe pocket for storing dirty shoes. Its huge shoulder strap features premium cushioning to ensure carrying comfort and it also has well-designed interlocking handles for the same purpose. A front zippered pocket offers space for your small items like keys, valuables, or mobile devices.
DALIX Small Duffle Bag
This 14-inch high-quality duffel bag by DALIX is a wonderful choice for you if you plan to do some gym while going on a trip. For that matter, it features just enough space for a pair of sports shoes, a T-shirt, towel, spare pants, and socks. It has a basic design that offers one main compartment and small side pockets and it comes in several color options to choose from. At the same time, you will find this bag to be very easy to clean, which may explain its popularity among frequent travelers.
Adidas Squad III Duffel Bag
Made with the woman gym-goer in mind, this 100% polyester, Squad III duffel bag doesn’t disappoint. It offers a spacious main compartment integrating zippered pockets for keeping your gear/items organized and small zippered exterior pockets for extra small stuff. Its easy-to-adjust shoulder strap ensures carrying comfort while a special ventilated outer compartment holds your used shoes and sweat-soaked gear separately. It also has a water bottle holding pocket that should come in handy long-term.
Adidas Team Issue Duffel Bag
Available in a number of color options, the Adidas Team Issue is another great duffel bag any gym enthusiast will appreciate. It boasts extensive compartments for storing your gym shoes and other gear well organized, smaller pockets for storing any extra items, and a freshPAK ventilated pocket where you keep sweat-soaked stuff and used shoes safely. It is made of durable materials and to be easy to use it features easy-carry straps and handles.
Runetz – Gym Bag
A great choice for men and women both, the Runetz Gym Bag has adjustable and also detachable shoulder strap as well as dual handles, making it ultra convenient to carry. In a great color, it also features spacious zippered pockets, allowing you to keep your items/gear well organized. It also offers a ventilated pocket for storing used shoes and clothes away from other items while letting them dry fast.
Under Armour Storm Undeniable II
The UA’s Storm Undeniable II gym bag incorporates a proprietary technology for water and element resistance. It also has abrasion-resistant side and bottom panels along with a spacious front well-zippered organizational compartment for storing your items properly. Its padded, adjustable shoulder strap and padded top handle ensure superior carrying comfort. Moreover, the bag has a vented pocket for shoes/laundry and a mesh pocket for extra essentials.
Adidas Team Speed Duffel Bag
This is another top-rated gym bag you can trust, one designed for space and reliability. Its spacious main compartment includes a zippered interior pocket while also having a ventilated compartment for storing smelly/wet shoes and gear. It is made of water and tear resistant polyester and features a strong twin top handle. Moreover, it features an adjustable cross-body strap for convenient carrying, has an easy-access front, and also features spacious key pockets. At the same time, its ClimaProof base is water-resistant to keep the items inside from getting wet.
Everest Gym Bag
Made of premium-grade polyester, this is an amazingly high-rated, convenient sports gym bag featuring a special side mesh pocket for storing your shoes/wet gear, a roomy main compartment integrating zippered opening, two front well-zippered pouches, and a padded bottle holder. Its strong shoulder strap is adjustable, which is great considering that the bag also has a padded hook-and-loop closure handle and a shoulder pad for comfortable carrying. Overall, it is perhaps one of the best gym bags the market has to offer at this point in time.
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What To Look For In A Gym Bag
With so many options out there to choose from, you might find it rather difficult to settle on a single gym bag from the wide range most retailers have to offer. Even so, the quest for a reliable gym bag begins with a basic understanding of what characteristics such a bag should have. For instance, you must first consider how far you will have to carry the bag on a regular basis and how much equipment you are willing and able to carry. With that out of the way, all that remains is that you ponder the specifics of what such a bag should possess, which is where it might get tricky if you haven’t done your homework properly.
Construction
The first thing to consider when buying a gym bag is the overall construction and the materials used in its making. As such, you have to pay close attention to the stitching and closures to ensure that all your valuables will be kept safe at all times. If possible, ensure that the zippers zip and unzip with ease and that they won’t catch the side of the fabric or bust open when the bag is packed too tightly. Other than that, keep in mind that the materials used also have a great impact on the quality of the bag itself.
Nylon – Gym bags made of nylon offer a much better water resistance than virtually any other material. This comes at the expense of comfort and breathability because nylon bags do not allow air to pass through the contents at any rate. That said, you have to agree that a waterproof interior is quite handy, especially if you have to carry the bag when it’s raining or if something spills on the bag by accident.
Leather – With leather bags, you get durability above all else, just as long as you pay attention to the thickness of the leather. We say this because thick leather offers a lot more protection against wear & tear, not to mention the boost in structural integrity. If possible, go for a reputable brand, one that is known for also manufacturing designer bags, suitcases, or duffle bags of a fairly wide variety.
Vinyl – Although affordable, vinyl bags do suffer from a somewhat weaker build, meaning that they will tear down much faster. The logic behind vinyl bags is to make them look like leather, at least from an aesthetic point of view. Durability-wise, however, they have nothing in common with leather bags, even though they do offer a certain water resistance that might determine some users to go past the sturdiness of these seemingly inexpensive bags.
Storage Space
Seeing how the intended purpose of a bag is to carry stuff, you do want whatever gym bag you choose to be as spacious as possible. While most such bags are equipped with pockets both on the inside and the outside, you should also look for bags with extra pockets, preferably hidden from plain view. At the same time, you want a bag with split pockets on the outside so that you can store chargers, electronics, or anything made of paper. Be careful, however, not to store any electronics in external pockets if the bag isn’t 100% waterproof.
Compartments
A good gym bags should not only be durable and strong but highly accommodating. Seeing how you want to keep your clean clothes separated from your gym attire, you should definitely choose a bag with separated compartments. Not only that but you also want to employ a separate compartment just for shoes, mostly because of the smell. On a related note, make sure that whatever compartment holds your shoes is properly ventilated at all times.
Straps
Most gym bags have handles on the side or on top that enable you to handle them as easy as possible. It is important when buying a bag of any kind that you pay close attention to how these straps are stitched to ensure that they won’t break as soon as you pack them full. These straps are usually equipped with fasteners and other closure systems that let you choose the tightness you require for a perfect fit. Like we said, pay close attention to the stitching and the quality of the materials used in the making of these straps in order for them to withstand the strain of all your equipment.
Comfort
Do your best to find a bag that offers proper padding to minimize the discomfort you feel when you are carrying it at full capacity. The padding should mostly be concentrated on the straps, although some of these bags also have side padding in areas where you touch them. At the same time, be on the lookout for any bags that can be converted if the situation requires it, either into a duffel bag or a backpack.
Personalization
Last but not least, keep in mind that other people might use the same type of bag you are. In this respect, perhaps a label of sorts or an ID tag should be attached to the bag to avoid any mix-ups in the long run. Fortunately for you, many labels offer monogramming options, which is a good way of ensuring that anyone who gets in contact with your bag knows exactly who the bag belongs to. On a related note, you might also want to attach a small ID tag to the inside of your bag to help the bag make its way back to you if it ever gets lost.
I began my writing career writing for various content firms, but it was under the tutelage of the editors here at SavantMag.com that I grew as a writer and editor. I love the content we write here and bringing solid reviews to consumers is rewarding beyond what I can even describe.
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