When purchasing luggage, your selection requires a little planning. You have to consider the style (standard, hard case) and the type (large, carry-on, wardrobe) which depends on your most common length of time away (more than a week, a few days, a weekend).

A gym bag, however, should be a no-brainer: dark, durable, canvas, duffel. Dark, of course, is a personal preference but I specifically say dark (or neutral/natural colors) so you can place your bag down in the dingiest of locker room floors and it won’t ever become soiled. Canvas is a reliable and durable material that will survive the constant manhandling from home to car to gym and back again. Lastly, the duffel is the perfect size for most gym-goers.

One thing to note: invest in your bags and dedicate them to their intended uses… Meaning, don’t use your gym duffel for a weekend getaway with your girl. You CAN get away with using several of the below examples for some traveling situations, but it’s best to have a weekender bag for such an escape.

One more thing… the last bag I feature below isn’t a canvas duffel, it’s actually an inexpensive polyester duffel from Target. The little carrier comes with the duffel and is used to store your bag when not in use. I personally use this bag because 1.) it’s $10 and it does its job, 2.) it’s easy to replace in case I ruin it or it gets stolen, 3.) it’s free of huge sport or company logos, which I like. If you opt out of canvas and prefer these more sporty duffels… at least stick with a logo-free version.

Kakadu Duffel, Jack Spade Duffel

JanSport Heritage Snoqualmie Duffel, Embark Nylon Duffel