The 21 Best Gym Bags For Your Workout Essentials

Friends, we’re here to stage a gym bag intervention. Please, put down that flimsy freebie tote that was foisted upon you at that work conference five years ago, or the cool thrift-store find with the non-working zipper — these literal sad sacks have no business acting as your trusty workout bag. 

Your dream gym bag deserves more thought; its role is to make sure you have all that you need for an effective gym sesh, whatever that workout may be. From hot yoga to hot-girl walks, we consider all movement a workout, and want you to be properly equipped with a bag that can carry whatever water bottle, energy gel, or specific workout gear you need. 

In our era of competitive wellness and devotion to activewear, there are gym bags on the market for every lifestyle, schedule, and taste — and they don’t have to cost big bucks. From large totes that can take you from the office to gym seamlessly to teeny pouches that fit only the essentials, we’ve scouted the crème de la crème in the category. There may even be some that you didn’t think could be gym bags.

Scroll through our exhaustive list ahead to choose a style that’s right for you.