The name duffel came from the Duffel town in Belgium. It was famous for producing lightweight strong woolen clothing that as used to make luggage covering.
Time passed and the wool has been replaced with nylon clothing. Nylon made it thinner yet strong. Today the technology of duffel bag has improved a lot better.
People love duffel bag because they are lightweight, easy to fold and you can carry it with comfort.
We have asked several of our readers when they use duffel bag and what are the best duffel bags according to them?
Most of them said, they use duffel bags mostly for unexpected travels and when you need to pack quickly and get going.
The duffel bags wide open mouth and the flexibility of storing items makes this happen. Yet, you need to choose your duffel bag carefully. The size and the material it is constructed with should match your travel frequency. According to our readers opinions we have selected the best duffel bags for our top list.
Top Picks
| Image | Product | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Eagle Creek Packable Duffel Bag | Brand: Eagle Creek Dimensions: 10.75 x 21.75 x 9.75 inches Weight: 8.1 ounces | Check Price |
 | MARMOT Long Hauler Medium Travel Duffel Bag | Brand: MARMOT Capacity: 50 liter Weight: 2.69 Pounds (medium) Material: 100 percent Polyester | Check Price |
 | AmazonBasics Large Travel Luggage Duffel Bag | Brand: AmazonBasics Dimension: 32.5 X 17 X 11.5 inches (LxWxH) Weight: 1.73 pounds Material: nylon | Check Price |
 | Eagle Creek No Matter What Rolling Duffel | Brand: Eagle Creek Weight: 29.92 x 14.96 x 14.17 inches Dimension: 3.88 Pounds material: water-resistant Bi-Tech fabric | Check Price |
 | Patagonia Black Hole 55L Duffel Bag Black | Brand: Patagonia Weight: 1.1 pounds Dimension: 11.81 x 7.87 x 1.97 inches | Check Price |
 | Samsonite Andante Wheeled Rolling Duffel Bag | Brand: Samsonite Weight: 5.07 pounds Dimension: 22 x 12.5 x 12 inches | Check Price |
 | Gonex Rolling Duffle Bag with Wheels | Brand: Gonex Weight: 8.56 lbs Capacity: 70L (26inch) Dimension: 16 x 9 x 25.6 inch (L x W x H) | Check Price |
 | Herschel Sutton Duffel Bag | Brand: Herschel Weight: 8.56 lbs Capacity: Classic 46.5L Dimension: 13.00 x 23.00 x 13.00 inches | Check Price |
 | Vera Bradley Microfiber Large Travel Duffle Bag | Brand: Vera Bradley Capacity: 49L Material: 100% Polyester | Check Price |
 | Osprey Transporter 65 Travel Duffel Bag | Brand: Osprey Weight: 3.1 lbs Capacity: One Size Dimension: 65L Materials: 100% Polyester | Check Price |
How to Choose the Suitable Duffel Bag?
There are a few points you need to look at while choosing your next duffel bag. We will try to focus on the most important ones.
Is it large enough?
Space should be your primary issue while choosing a duffel bag. Most people use it as a go-to bag for the gym, athletes, sport, groceries, and everyday travel. The size of your duffle bag should be determined by your use and the items you are going to carry.
If you are going to use it as a carry bag in the gym then you do not need a large one. A small to medium size bag to carry your towels, a set of clothes or trouser, water bottles, etc. can easily be adjusted inside a lightweight bag.
Those who are in sports like football or basketball might need a larger bag to carry some extra items. Decide first how many items you are going to carry regularly.
On the other hand, if you are going to use it for travel and hiking then use a larger one. You can accommodate many items in one bag.
Carrying straps, Shoulder Straps & Wheels
People who travel a lot via airports and longer distances with heavy loads should get a duffel bag with wheels. So, they do not need to carry their bag on their shoulder. They can easily roll the bag on the floor.
But, if you travel light and like to carry your bag on your back then you do not need wheels. Check if your duffel bag shoulder strap and hand carrying straps are properly padded or not.
Some duffel bags have both shoulder straps so you can carry it behind your back like a backpack. Though most probably it would be better to carry it if you cross the shoulder strap over your chest. The bag will be then just or below the waist level.
From our point of view and observation, we have seen that the duffel bags with wheels tend to malfunction a lot. There are a lot of cheap wheel duffel bags in the market. Do not buy them. You will be annoyed if your rolling wheel suddenly doesn’t work in the airport or somewhere else on the road. Also, the cheap one seemed to not be balanced well on wheels. They tend to topple a lot.
Waterproof or Not?
Our vote always goes to the duffel bags with weather-resistant capability. It’s not always necessary that you will need a waterproof bag, but this is a plus point. You might not get into the rain, but spillage can touch your bag anytime from anywhere.
These are the main points you should consider before you choose a duffel bag. There are several versions of duffel bags like a rolling duffel bag, gym duffel bag, travel duffel bag. Let’s check some of the bags that got the most user votes.
Eagle Creek Packable Duffel Bag
Overall
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Price
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Usability
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Warrenty
This is one smart duffel bag for people who loves to travel light.
Eagle Creek Duffel bag is constructed with Poly Ripstop materials. The design is ergonomic.
Eagle Creek is one of the top travel backpack, rolling duffel bag, gym duffel bag and travel equipment makers.
The bag is approximately 10 inches high and 22 inches in length (10.75 x 21.75 x 9.75 inches). As told earlier the Poly Ripstop is pretty good to hold up your clothes and extra luggage. Just don’t overdo the weight.
It has a niche hand grabber to carry in hand, but the shoulder strap is not padded. So if you overload the bag and try to carry it on the shoulder that will be uncomfortable.
The main compartment is lockable and the bag comes with a side pocket for holding some extra keys, wallet, or tickets.
This is a pretty small handy bag for any quick travel. You can just fold the bag and can keep it in the pouch it comes with.
The best suggestion will be to fold it, press it, and put it at any corner or at the bottom of your luggage. You can use it anytime on your trip.
The capacity of this Eagle Creek Packable Duffel Bag is 45 liter. Enough for a single person’s luggage for 1-2 days. Mostly it should be used as carry-on baggage for a short trip.
Overall this is a convenient, lightweight, and strong duffel bag. The design is pretty good for hand carry and the material is comfortable on the skin.
Pros
- The price is good
- Well designed
- Durable and have strong fabric, sewing is fantastic
- Enough space inside with lockable main compartment
- lightweight
Cons
- Shoulder strap is not padded
- Can’t carry fragile instruments in it
01. Marmot Long Hauler Travel Duffel Bag
Color: Black, Brick Red, Grey, Peak Blue/Vintage Navy
Brand: Marmot
Dimension: varies due to size
Weight: 2.69 Pounds (medium)
Marmot Long Hauler Travel bag starts from 35 liters to 105 Liter in size. They have other small and bigger sizes if you need them. For regular use, we suggest going with a 50-liter medium bag.
There are 4 colors available for you. The large D-shape main compartment zipper opening made it possible to put items easily. The Rain flap and YKK-Zipper keep the wetness out.
The Good thing about the bag is the carrying handle. You can hand-carry it easily with the small side hand strap. Then there are the two main shoulder straps to carry it on your both shoulders like a backpack. There is no large crossbody strap in this bag.
The built quality is rugged and strong sewing has made this bag possible to go for years.
02. AmazonBasics Large Travel Duffel Bag
Color: Black, Red, Navy Blue
Brand: AmazonBasics
Dimension: 32.5 X 17 X 11.5 inches (LxWxH)
Weight: 1.73 pounds
Whenever we try to find a budget-friendly backpack we come back to the AmazonBasics store. Their track record shows that they have produced a great quality at a lesser price than others.
This duffel bag is just under the most budget-friendly bag we have seen. Made with nylon fabrics outside. Lightweight and strong zipper included. There is a side pocket for smaller items. The bag is almost rectangular, can carry about 50 pounds of weight.
Hand carrying option is available and the shoulder strap is not padded. This is one simple bag with a large capacity inside. If you are tight on budget then this is your duffel bag.
03. Eagle Creek Wheeled Large Travel Duffel Bag
Color: Black, Red Clay, Slate Blue, Stone Grey
Brand: Eagle Creek
Weight: 29.92 x 14.96 x 14.17 inches
Dimension: 3.88 Pounds
This is a heavy-duty bag ready to roll on your road trips. The bag comes in large and extra-large sizes, perfect for people going for a long trip. It’s perfectly water-resistant made with Bi-Tech fabric, bar-tacked reinforcements at all stress points.
The bag is lockable and the main zipper is storm flap-protected. That means you can easily move into a rainy environment without worry. Eagle Creek provides a lifetime warranty that is limited to the product malfunction during your use.
The wide opening mouth is comfortable to use. The pouch the bag comes in, it can be used to store your items like shoes, wallet, inside the bag. There are external straps to stabilize and secure the bag during travel.
In less word, this bag is a roll-on ready-to-go choice for your next long road trip.
04. Patagonia Black Hole 55L Duffel Bag Black
Color: Black
Brand: Patagonia
Weight: 11.81 x 7.87 x 1.97 inches
Dimension: 1.1 pounds
Like all those Hollywood mafia movies, if you are going to travel in style, then this bag has a gorgeous black outlook. You can feel special while carrying this black duffel bag.
The bag is made with 900-denier postconsumer recycled ripstop polyester. There are two detachable shoulder straps so you can carry it like a backpack. The all side carrying strap has also made it convenient to carry in hand.
The bag is water-resistant and can hold 55L. This bag is suitable for the most person carrying sports items or even perfect for your long day trips. One side note, this is not a sturdy built, so you can’t carry fragile items and through the bag anywhere.
05. Samsonite Andante Wheeled Rolling Duffel Bag
Color: Black & Red
Brand: Samsonite
Weight: 5.07 pounds
Dimension: 22 x 12.5 x 12 inches
Samsonite is a recognizable brand that made good quality sturdy bags. This particular bag is a rolling duffel bag. A little bit heavier than other bags on our list. This bag is more likely if you love to pack a lot of things at once and will roll it during your travel.
Large u-shaped openings and various organizing pockets are suitable for family travel. You can hand-carry the bag also, but it’s not for you if you are comfortable with carrying your duffel bag on your shoulder.
Now, tell us what bag you are using and what do you want to add to this list. Our list doesn’t make one bag special or the best of all. We are adding more in time. Keep on eye till then.
