The 10 Best Duffel Bags of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Bellroy Classic Weekender 45L

$189 at Amazon $189 at Nordstrom View on Bellroy.com

We think the Bellroy Classic Weekender 45 is the overall best duffel bag you can buy. It’s more affordable than many of its counterparts and earned high praise all around. While measuring its storage capacity, we found that it easily had space for four days of clothing and shoes, and we made special note of the accessibility of the wide mouth. Other bags on our list may have more pockets, but the storage of the Bellroy Classic Weekender is extremely useful, including a huge outer pocket that has a key leash and internal organization for small items like passports, wallets, or a phone. The three inner pockets are modest but ideal for keeping all of your knick knacks close by. Snacks, chargers, sunglasses, or anything else you may need to find are all available with just a quick glance.

Another other area that the bag excels in is portability. It comes with two hand straps and a longer crossbody strap, the latter of which kept it secure against our body when fully packed, but also made it comfortable to carry with just a few items in it. When compared to another bag we tested that was the same exact size and packed with the same exact items, this Bellroy duffel felt so much lighter and easier to carry. Some large duffels get bulky and cumbersome on the shoulder, but this was not the case for the Bellroy — it stayed magically lightweight, and we can picture carrying this long distances through airports and train stations.

The Details: 14.96 x 25.59 x 15.75 inches | 2.16 pounds | 45-liter capacity | Polyester | Water-resistant

Best Style

Monos Metro Carry-All Duffel

View on Monos.com

If you’re on the hunt for a duffel bag that won’t make you look like you’re just leaving the YMCA, pick up the Monos Carry All Duffel, our pick for the most stylish of the bunch. It comes in four colors, each of which looks exceptionally fashion-forward and is made from vegan leather that will only get better with time (without completely draining your wallet like real leather would).

We were big fans of the roomy interior and the thoughtful organization, which we think kept the large main compartment from becoming too much of a mess, even when fully packed for a four-day trip. If this trip involves a lot of walking, we aren't worried. We loved the comfort of the two hand straps and were impressed by the versatility and comfort of the shoulder strap — the shoulder pad was plush and didn’t fall up and down the strap.

The Details: 20 x 12 x 10.4 inches | 4.14 pounds | 27.3-liter capacity | Vegan leather

Best for Commuters

July Carry All Weekender

View on July.com

Ideal for the commuter that travels by plane, train, or automobile, the compact, portable Carry All Weekender from July is a great pick for short trips, either to work, the gym, as a personal item on a plane, or on a quick two-day vacation. The bag has an internal laptop sleeve and pockets to keep small items in their rightful place, while the easy-to-pack main compartment holds onto the clothes you’re toting along with you. We do wish it had a bit more storage, though, just to be safe.

The bag comes with a pass-through band so you can easily add it to your rolling luggage when trips go beyond a few days, while the brand’s signature QuickPass pocket uses a powerful magnet as its closing mechanism, meaning you won’t have to fuss with a zipper each time you reach for your passport or wallet. It also features a removable padded shoulder strap and external D rings to use as attachment points.

T+L testing editor Jackie Cucco has been using this bag regularly for six months every type she commutes to work. "This bag is my go-to when I want something bigger than a tote but more compact than a jumbo weekender that becomes a bottomless pit," she says. "It's easy to take on public transportation without bumping into everyone, and the laptop pocket feels secure so my electronics aren't floating around."

The Details: 10.5 x 18 x 8.5 inches | 2.2 pounds | 28-liter capacity | Nylon | Water resistant

Best Convertible

Dagne Dover Lagos Convertible Duffel Bag

View on Dagnedover.com

If you prefer a duffel bag that you can wear in any which way, the Lagos Convertible Duffel is an excellent choice. It’s got hard-wearing hand straps, just like your average duffel, but you can also transform it into a crossbody or a backpack depending on where you’re going, what you’re doing and if you might need to use your hands.

While its cavernous, pocket-laden interior is easily able to fit all of your gear, we loved that it still could be made small enough to count as a personal item on an airplane, leaving your carry-on slot for something bigger. The bag weighs just over 2 pounds when empty, so it’s easy to fold up and stow in that carry-on if you think you might be bringing home more than you left with. We also found that it was exceptionally durable and water resistant.

The Details: 16 x 11 x 11 inches | 2.15 pounds | 32-liter capacity | Polyester | Water resistant

Best for Camping

Yeti Crossroads Duffel Bag

$302 at Amazon $250 at Dicks Sporting Goods View on Yeti.com

Like all Yeti products, this duffel looks and feels like it was built to last, making it the ideal option for camping trips and rugged adventures. It's made of a proprietary TuffSkin nylon that helps the bag keep its shape and resist damage and dirt. The bottom of the bag is made of a harder shell for extra protection (though this means it can't pack down teeny tiny for storage). The Crossroads's interior organization features really stood out during testing with two dividers that create three sections for separating different types of items and several smaller pockets for belongings like phones, wallets, and chargers. Two exterior pockets on the top provide yet more slots for your stuff (though these two pockets are pretty small).

The bag has three handles for carrying — one on each end and another on top — as well as a detachable shoulder strap. The strap has a firm, flat section meant to mold to your shoulder area, but it could be a little more comfortable. Overall, it's a sturdy, durable piece with good organization, and it's a great choice for longer trips or outdoor camping adventures. Plus, the three-year warranty will give you some peace of mind as you take it on its first few forays into the wilderness.

The Details: 24 x 12.5 x 12.5 inches | 4.3 pounds | 60-liter capacity | Nylon | Water resistant

Best With Shoe Compartment

Calpak Luka Duffel Bag

View on Calpaktravel.com $158 at The Container Store View on Net-a-Porter

We found that the Calpak Luka was perfect for two-day trips, but could easily work on longer trips as a supplemental bag or personal item, and we especially love that it has a separate shoe compartment to prevent dirty shoes from touching your other belongings. The multiple interior pockets are ideal for socks and underwear, while the shoe compartment holds either two pairs of regular shoes or one pair of boots — a must have feature for a shoe aficionado.

The thick, puffy polyester material is nice to the touch, but we suspect that it won't be as long-lasting as some of the other bags on this list. However, at just over $100, this bag is chic enough to turn heads and spacious enough to keep all your gear in one place, including that ever important extra pair of kicks. It also comes in an impressive color range no matter what your taste. We also love the larger, 45-liter size if you want to use it as your main carry-on.

The Details: 12 x 16 x 7 inches | 2.1 pounds | 22-liter capacity | Polyester | Water resistant

Best Budget

Gonex Canvas Duffel Bag

$50 $40 at Amazon View on Gonexsport.com

Our favorite things about the Gonex Canvas are the price, flexibility, pockets, and durability. We love the sheer number of pockets and zippered compartments that it has. Aside from the main compartment, there are five additional zippered compartments on the outside, and the inside has an additional zippered pouch and two pockets for holding your wallet, keys, phone, and other small items. Plus, it's one of the best lightweight options around.

The strap handles for this bag can be secured together under a flap, and the shoulder strap is nicely padded; carrying it was comfortable. The exterior canvas won't attract dirt, and the bag protected all cargo and showed no damage or scuffs during our durability testing. We also love that there are several color options and patterns to choose from.

The Details: 17 x 11 x 10 inches | 2.8 pounds | 50-liter capacity | Cotton canvas

Best for Long Trips

Thule Chasm Sport Duffel Bag

$185 at Amazon

Thule is best known for its car top carriers, but the brand brings its knack for sturdy cargo storage to this duffel bag as well. We were all impressed with the durable, waterproof tarpaulin exterior and the spacious, pocketed interior — though an exterior pocket or two would have been nice. It even comes with a packing cube that can be used for clothing, toiletries, or a smaller pair of shoes.

Coming in four sizes, we also loved that the bag can be held either by the handles or by the very comfortable backpack straps. It's a bit strange that there's no shoulder strap option, but we did not find ourselves missing it. The Chasm nailed our durability tests and is a great option for longer trips or as a weekender for rugged adventures.

The Details: 29 x 17 x 13 inches | 4.4 pounds | 90-liter capacity | Nylon | Water resistant

Best Packable

Gregory Alpaca Duffel 60L

$115 at REI $160 $112 at Backcountry View on Gregory.com

This rugged duffel bag is crafted out of a durable, water-resistant recycled polyester ripstop material that can easily withstand the wear and tear of travel. It opens wide like a clamshell and is easy to pack thanks to its ample storage space. The interior features a zippered mesh pocketing that you can use to separate and organize smaller items including socks, underwear, or even loose cables. While the bag was able to fit all of our essentials with room to spare, we noticed that it lacks an separate laptop compartment, and we would have liked to see additional storage pockets to help keep gear organized. 

The bag is quite large, but it can compress and pack away easily. It comes with its own compression packing cube that can store the duffel when not in use, or you can use it to pack additional clothing — or the bag itself — into a suitcase. It also features removable backpack straps that allow you to convert it from a duffel into a pack, so you can choose what works best for you. However, we noticed that while the shoulder straps are well padded, the arm handles are not, so the bag can be a tad uncomfortable to carry if it’s packed full and heavy.

The Details: 27.5 x 15 x 12.8 inches | 3.4 pounds | 60-liter capacity | Recycled polyester | Water-resistant

Best Personal Item

BÉIS The BEISICS Duffle

View on Beis

We were seriously impressed with how spacious the Béisic Duffle was and think it would be great for long weekends, trips to the gym, or as a personal item while flying, as it can easily fit beneath the seat in front of you on an airplane (we tested it out on our airplane set in the lab). While the overall design is quite basic — hence its name — it's still sleek and stylish. Its zippers run smoothly, and its detachable shoulder strap is helpful for carrying purposes. It features a key leash, a trolley pass-through sleeve, a wipeable interior, and a rugged polyester exterior that we think will be able to easily withstand the wear and tear of travel. It can also fold flat when not in use, which is especially useful if you need an extra bag for clothes or souvenirs when returning home from your adventures.

One thing to note is that there's only one external and one internal pocket, and we wish the duffel had more organizational features to pack our smaller essentials. For those who appreciate more storage options, we recommend using packing cubes to help keep everything organized.

The Details: 11 x 10 x 20 inches | 2.14 pounds | 40-liter capacity | Polyester and PU trim