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The best duffel bag really depends on who's using it, what they're duffeling, and where they're duffeling it to. Maybe you need oodles of compartments to organize all of your toiletries or laptop peripherals. Maybe you just want a cavernous sack to stash loose gear and a week of clothing. Whatever the case, we've been putting in the work with these recommendations, lugging them around with them for days on end to pinpoint the best options. The Eastpak Duffel Pack S Tarp Black2 is our go-to, but we have highlighted different picks based on your use-case scenario and priorities.
Be sure to check out our related buying guides on the Best Luggage, the Best Toiletry Bags, and the Best Travel Totes.
Best Duffel Bag for Most Scenarios
Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Eastpak
Duffel Pack S Tarp Black2
This bag from Eastpak would work well for just about anybody. I like using it as a carry-on. It has a shiny, black, tarp-like exterior that's durable and water-resistant. There's a roomy main compartment, a separate mesh pocket, and a small zippered pocket on the front. It looks great when you're carrying it around. It's simple, but effective when you just need to carry around a bunch of stuff without keeping it hyper-organized as you would in a backpack. At 90 liters, it's very large without being too big for an average adult to lug around when fully packed. The carry strap is durable, and there are compression straps on the side—perfect for overpackers like myself who need to cinch down their luggage to fit in an airplane bin. It's a simple yet stylish duffel and has a generous 30-year warranty. Buy today, and if it fails because of a defect before 2055, you're covered (assuming our society makes it that far, of course).
Capacity 90L Color Options 1 Dimensions 31" x 15" x 14.4" Materials Polyester Additional Features Compression straps. Internal mesh pocket. External zip pocket. Water-resistant. Warranty 30 years A Durable Duffel Beloved by WIRED Staffers
Patagonia
Black Hole Duffel
I have yet to get my hands on Patagonia's beloved Black Hole duffel bag, but everyone on the WIRED Reviews team raves about it. It's a classic that has been around for years, and it's available in numerous sizes and colors. You can tote it around via the shoulder strap or the grab handles, which double as backpack straps. (I have tested the rolling version and didn't love it—it's too long to be a wheeled bag and was awkward to roll.) The main reason people favor this bag is its durability. It's made from 100 percent recycled polyester, with a TPU-film laminate. Editor Adrienne So has owned her bag (pictured) for over 15 years, and the laminate is in overall excellent condition with slight peeling after sitting on paddleboards on sunny lake days, being tied onto motorcycles in monsoons in Southeast Asia, and getting strapped to the roofs of a car traversing mountain passes in the driving snow. The bag folds down into a built-in pocket that remains functional when the bag is unpacked. This bag isn't cheap, but it is incredibly durable and makes for a rock-solid option for anyone looking for a duffel they can take anywhere for the next decade.
Capacity 40L, 55L, 70L, or 100L Color Options 10 (varies by size) Dimensions 19.7" x 12.5" x 8.5" Materials Recycled nylon, recycled polyester, recycled TPU-film laminate Additional Features Optional backpack mode. Packable. Padded base. Warranty Lifetime replacement and repair guarantee
Best Modular Duffel
This is not a true duffel bag so much as “the world’s first true wide-mouth packing system,” as Rux calls it, but it is nevertheless an impressive piece of equipment from a company known for its modular gear-toting systems. Not unlike a foldable version of the popular 70L storage container, the Duffel box starts completely flat, but the sides pop up, and the patent-pending top rolls down to form a box that stays open on its own. There are no zippers involved in its construction, but there are multiple straps, panels, and pockets, and you will most likely need to watch an instructional YouTube video to make full use of all the features. However, the beauty of this bag is that it can be just about anything you want it to be. Long-term storage, luggage, a gear box—even a backpack. All is possible with the included straps and dividers in the right places.
Over the past four months, my family has used it as a traditional duffel bag, a storage box, and, currently, a portable equipment organizer for my son’s club soccer team. It’s been stepped on, rained on, and thrown in wagons and vehicle trunks, with nary a scratch on the 105D nylon gridstop fabric. (Though it did get stuck in a downpour once, and I will say I’m not sure I’d quantify the fabric as fully waterproof—closer to water resistant.) Lash points along the inside walls allow it to integrate with Rux’s line of accessories and packing bags (sold separately), in which we’re currently keeping pinnies and goalkeeper gear.
The Duffel Box will be officially for sale on March 16 in two sizes, 55L and 75L; pictured is the 55L. Note that a “Plus” version will include a removable universal shoulder strap, which connects to lash points on the outside, for an extra $25. —Kat Merck
Capacity 55L, 75L Color Options 2 Dimensions 14.2" x 18.1" x 12.6" Materials Nylon gridstop with waterproof coating and PFAS-free DWR. 3-mm EVA foam. Additional Features Zipper-free. Water-resistant. Compatible with various accessories and packing bags. Warranty Lifetime Best Budget Duffel Bag
Photograph: Louryn Strampe
This bag is technically a weekender, but I consider it to be a hybrid of sorts. I genuinely can't believe how affordable it is. I first tested it for our gym bag buying guide. As someone that travels basically every weekend, I'm constantly packing and re-packing this bag, and it still looks brand-new. even though I'm hard on my stuff. The zippers perform well, it has a ventilated shoe pocket, and there's a waterproof inner pocket where you can stash dirty clothes or hair products that you're afraid of storing with your other clothes. There's a USB-A port so you can charge your phone from your power bank through the bag. There's a luggage slot to pop it on top of a rolling suitcase. It even comes with a little toiletry bag. One little nit is that this bag is not structured at all—the fabric is quite floppy—so it's up to you to ensure that it isn't overstuffed. The water-resistant nylon exterior has yet to stain or discolor, and there are grab handles as well as a shoulder strap. It's marked as “Frequently Returned" on Amazon due to the style of the bag itself, but if it looks good to you, this price is very hard to beat.
Capacity 35L Color Options 17 Dimensions 18" x 8.7" x 13.5" Materials Nylon Additional Features Ventilated shoe compartment. Waterproof internal pocket. Included toiletry bag. Warranty None
Best Duffel Bag for Work
Photograph: Louryn Strampe
The Knack Expandable Metro Duffel is a substitute for a tote bag, and the kind of smaller duffel bag I'd tote around if I were still commuting to an office. It has a 26-liter capacity, with an optional expansion that increases it to 36 liters. There's a dedicated laptop compartment, plus a few different internal pockets for things like tablets, your water bottle, or your tablet. I also like the smaller mesh pockets, where you could organize things like your laptop peripherals or charging cords. (There's a key leash here, too.) It could also double as a weekender with its built-in luggage sleeve and hidden external pocket where you can stash your phone or passport. It's got a masculine design, water-resistant fabric, lockable and durable zippers, and can be toted around via grab handles or the shoulder strap. I also think it's a good option for business trips.
Capacity 26L - 36L Color Options 4 Dimensions 17" x 9" x 17" (expanded) Materials Polyester. Nylon. Leather handle wrap. Additional Features Expandable. Dedicated laptop compartment. Interior water bottle compartment. Water-resistant. Warranty Unlisted, but there's a 30-day guarantee and a support line for issues arising after that Best Quilted Duffel Bag
Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Quince
Transit Quilted Duffel Bag
I like this quilted duffel because it's so darn attractive. At 24 liters, it's on the small side, which I see as a benefit. Sometimes you don't need a gigantic bag! There are multiple internal pockets and exterior pockets, purse-like handles, and a shoulder strap. I like the way the puffy, quilted recycled polyester fabric feels, and the zippers work without fail every time. It also comes with a dust bag, which is ideal to keep it clean when it's sitting in the closet in between trips. It has a detachable zipper pouch, a dedicated laptop sleeve that'll fit most 16-inch laptops, and a luggage handle sleeve that turns into a zippered pocket. The side pockets can fit most water bottles. Finally, I like the protective leather feet on the base that keep the bag ever-so-slightly elevated when it's resting on the ground.
Capacity 24L Color Options 3 Dimensions 12” x 17.5” x 7” Materials Recycled polyester Additional Features Dedicated laptop compartment. Detachable zipper pouch. Protective feet. Warranty None
Compare Top 6 Duffel Bags
How Does WIRED Test Duffel Bags?
We test these duffel bags by using them the same exact way you would. We take them on road trips and car rides, fill them to the brim with clothes and try to zip them shut, squash them in our cars and overhead bins, and spin them by their handles like we're discus throwers in the Olympics. (OK, maybe you wouldn't do that last bit.) Next up we'll be testing more options from Patagonia, Wolfpak, Baboon To The Moon, Yeti, The North Face, Dagne Dover, Peak Design, and WaterField.
Is A Duffel Bag Considered A Carry-On?
Probably. The best practice would be to look at your specific airline size requirements, and double-check your packed bag before going. I've successfully used an underpacked duffel bag as a personal item before, but again, it sort of depends on your flight, the airline, and how cool the plane staff is. One benefit to using a duffel as your carry-on is that their flexibility allows them to be squashed into overhead bins more readily than a hardsided bag can.
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