The Best 7 Duffel Bags of 2024

The Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is our suitcase testing team's new favorite rolling duffel bag. This backpacking-inspired bag securely holds a ton of gear, keeping everything in place with its external straitjacket-like compression system. Made of 460D and 500D high-tenacity recycled ripstop nylon and a metal frame supporting its structure, this bag is built to withstand the rigors of travel. A telescoping handle hides below the end of the bag, sliding out easily to let you roll the Sojourn, with its large wheels and thick tread, easily over even the most variable terrain. No more having to carry your duffel on your back or along one side.

The Sojourn Shuttle's big burly zippers are well-designed to withstand the trials of being crammed full and sent through airline-checked baggage systems, but that added bulk makes them more challenging to use. It does not have the back rails of many other suitcases that would let it slide more easily up each staircase step. And though it's built to last, the cost of this gigantic rolling duffel can be hard to stomach. Still, if you often find yourself slinging heavy gear in a duffel bag, this rolling monster is worth the price. We also loved the Eagle Creek ORV Trunk 30, a similar style of roller bag, just with slightly different organizational features and a marginally different price point.

Read more: Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L review

Best Dry Bag Duffel Bag

YETI Panga Duffel 50

$300 at REI (before member cash back!)

$300 at Amazon

Sometimes, adventure takes us into truly adverse weather conditions, and for those times, water resistance isn't enough. If you're looking for a fully waterproof dry bag and duffel bag hybrid, the Yeti Panga 50 fits the bill. Its durable laminated high-density nylon is completely waterproof, and the opening seals shut with a HydroLok zipper. With RF welded seams, this duffel keeps the water out and the air in, even when fully submerged. For this reason, it is our go-to bag for protecting sensitive electronic equipment in wet conditions. This Yeti has a healthy amount of webbing and attachment points, plus shoulder straps, so you can just as easily carry it through the airport as lash it to an inflatable raft.

As is often the case, these premium features and protection come at a premium price and a high weight for a dry bag. The Panga tips the scales at 5.2 pounds. Compared to other duffel dry bag contenders, it is also one of the more expensive models, but for peace of mind, sometimes that price is worth the investment. These downsides are likely tolerable if you need to protect valuable electronics and equipment in a wet environment or if you want the versatility of one bag to meet any potential needs. The Watershed Colorado Duffel is another 100% waterproof dry bag we love to use, with a slightly more flexible design and a lower price. However, sealing it against the elements is a bit more involved. For smaller accessories and items, the NRS Expedition DriDuffel is our favorite small-form waterproof duffel.

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	84	Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Best Overall Duffel Bag	$169
	83	Osprey Transporter Most Comfortable Duffel Bag Carrying System	$200
	80	Gregory Alpaca Great Value for a Rugged Adventure Duffel Bag	$140
	79	Thule Chasm	$190
	78	The North Face Base Camp Best Simple and Rugged Expedition Duffel Bag	$159
	77	Mountain Hardwear Expedition	$280
	76	Cotopaxi Allpa Duo	$200
	72	REI Co-op Big Haul	$159
	61	Peak Design Travel 35L	$140
	56	HYC00 Travel Best Duffel Bag On a Tight Budget	$28
	55	REI Co-op Roadtripper	$70
	55	Herschel Novel	$110
	54	Adidas Defender Small Best Sports and Gym Duffel Bag	$40
	51	Eagle Creek Migrate	$129
	48	Amazon Basics Large Nylon	$23

How We Test Duffel Bags

The legwork for this review began well over a decade ago when we first researched and tested duffel bags on some wild expeditions around the world in 2010. Since then, we've kept up with the duffel market, continually getting the top duffel bags and even testing multiple iterations and sizes of our favorite models. For each iteration and update, we select the best, most popular, and most interesting duffels on the market to purchase and take into the field for extensive hands-on testing. In addition to surviving our lab testing, some bags have gone on climbing trips to the French Alps, got dragged across glaciers in Alaska, found themselves stowed in the forest in Patagonia, and hauled paddling gear to the Indian Ocean. We've also tossed them in the back of cars for weekend adventures, sports practice, road trips, workouts at the gym, and Ironman races. To learn more about our testing process, check out our How We Test article.

• Storage and Ease of Packing (30% of overall score)

• Ease of Transport (30% of score)

• Protection (15% of score)

• Construction Quality(15% of score)

• Weight-to-Volume Ratio (10% of score)

Why Trust GearLab

This review is brought to you by several longtime GearLab contributors: Maggie Nichols, Miya Tsudome, Nick Bruckbauer, and Hale Milano. Maggie has been an avid adventurer and backcountry guide for over 15 years. She has taught courses and skills in the Galapagos and South Africa, guided trips in the Virgin Islands and the American West, and spent months visiting far-flung places like Svalbard and Senegal, living out of her duffel bag. Miya is a climber, professional mountain guide, and photographer based in California's Eastern Sierra and can regularly be found hauling gear to and from her favorite climbing crag. Nick has a competitive running background and is an all-around outdoorsman. He has snorkeled in Thailand and the Maldives, trekked in Nepal, skied in Alaska, and climbed and skied 14ers in Washington, California, and Colorado. Hale is a Type-II fun junkie and gear addict, who has climbed in Norway, snowboarded across the Swiss and Italian border, trekked solo through Patagonia, and dove shipwrecks in Vanuatu. He's traveled to over 30 countries and lived out of duffel bags for months at a time. Maggie, Miya, Nick, and Hale regularly use duffel bags to haul their belongings and gear on their adventures around the world, and they know what it takes to make a great duffel bag for journeys near home or on the far side of the globe.

Analysis and Test Results

To help you find the best duffel bag, we evaluated every product in our lineup across five essential performance metrics. We used the overall weighted scores to determine our top rankings. To learn how each bag performs in specific areas, read on.

What's the Best Value?

Duffel bag prices range greatly from the least expensive to the most expensive. Generally, prices tend to correlate with the size of the bag and the quality of the material it is made from. The Patagonia Black Hole is one of the pricier models in our lineup, but its sticker price is only slightly higher than the high-value Gregory Alpaca. Aside from the more expensive Mountain Hardwear Expedition, our lineup has a very minimal price spread among the seven or eight top-scoring adventure duffels. All of these products have robust materials and high-quality designs, so it is easy to justify their expense.

On the other end of the spectrum, the HYC00 Travel and REI Roadtripper are among the least expensive duffel bags in our entire review. Although the size, durability, and versatility are compromised compared to the more robust products mentioned above, both have their own merits. The HYC00's design makes it perfect for weekend car trips, and the REI Roadtripper's low weight and large capacity design makes it a good choice for hauling lots of gear. Among our smaller-sized duffels, there is a more noticeable price spread that is dependent mostly on the materials used and the bag's construction quality.

Storage and Ease of Packing

While most of these duffel bags have plenty of capacity to haul heavy loads for extended durations, each model has different nuances that impact its storage efficiency, organization capabilities, and ease of packing. In this category, we first compared each bag's overall storage compartment and how easy it was to load with typical travel items and oddly shaped equipment. We considered whether the bag held its shape while empty to aid in packing and whether straps, flaps, and zippers got in the way. We also analyzed how useful smaller pockets or compartments were for keeping gear organized and the ease of accessing the smaller and main compartment.

After dozens of trips to the field and direct side-by-side comparisons in the lab, we nearly always prefer the big D-shaped zippered openings rather than the straight “I” style zippers. Many of the larger duffels we tested have D-shaped openings, which makes it much easier to access the contents of your pack and securely fit more cargo since the flap can fold completely out of the way. Smaller duffels tended to have I-shaped openings, which were easier to zip but limited accessibility. Some of the most travel-focused options have heavy-duty zippers that can be locked, and zipper pulls to help close up bags packed to capacity.

Our testers appreciated the unique packing system of the Mountain Hardwear Expedition, which features a main zipper that zips out to flaps on either side of the bag to create an extra large opening, as well as a stiff collar on the inside that can be folded out for easy, unencumbered access to the interior.

A bag's ease of packing is an important feature, and everyone has struggled to zip closed a fully stuffed bag when it is overloaded just beyond its capacity. In this case, we appreciated the internal compression straps on many bags, including the Osprey Transporter, Patagonia Black Hole, and Mountain Hardwear Expedition. The Expedition also features an exterior compression strap that helps even more when struggling to close an overstuffed bag — tighten the strap down and zip from either end for a stress-free packing experience.

Most bags we tested feature cavernous internal storage compartments well-equipped to haul a ton of gear or clothes. While all fine and dandy, a few internal or external zippered pockets are crucial for avoiding smaller items getting lost in the abyss. It's even more necessary for separating wet shoes or dirty laundry.

The most impressive bag we tested when it comes to pockets is the Cotopaxi Allpa Duo, which has eight extra pockets (three internal and five external), plus a full-length laundry compartment on the bottom.

The Thule Chasm has two massive mesh pockets on the lid's bottom side, a third hanging inside, and an external pocket on top. Similarly, the Patagonia Black Hole 100L, the REI Big Haul, the Gregory Alpaca 90L, and the Mountain Hardwear Expedition 100 each have one external pocket and two internal pockets. The smaller versions of the Black Hole and Alpaca lacked dedicated external pockets, but we loved the zippered mesh pouches on the inside of the lid.

While they don't win any competitions for storage or small organization compartments, we need to give credit to both The North Face Base Camp and the REI Roadtripper for the sheer volume and depth of their main compartments and their ability to pack away large quantities of equipment.

Suppose huge volume is what you're after. In that case, many of the bags we tested are also sold in 100-liter sizes and larger, including the Patagonia Black Hole available in sizes up to 100 liters, the 104-liter Amazon Basics Large Nylon, the Osprey Transporter, Gregory Alpaca, REI Big Haul that can be purchased as large as 120 liters, the Thule Chasm (up to 130 liters), the Mountain Hardwear Expedition and REI Roadtripper (up to 140 liters), and The North Face Base Camp, which is made as large as 150 liters.

Our last standout from our storage and organization tests is the HYC00 Travel bag. Although we weren't fans of the I-shaped zipper that limited accessibility and overall storage space (tapering the bag at the top), we loved the internal organization pockets. The HYC00 has a dedicated lay-flat storage compartment underneath for shoes or clothes, two internal zipper pockets, and three internal mesh pouches for organizing small items. It also holds its shape relatively well, even when empty.

Ease of Transport

Part of what separates duffel bags from other luggage styles is that they are typically available in much larger sizes that can make them difficult and awkward to lug around. They're also designed to make transport more manageable. Each bag we tested may employ up to four distinct carrying systems: traditional briefcase-style carry handles, backpack straps, over-the-shoulder slings, and grab handles (wheeled duffels are in our best luggage review). Each carrying method can be useful depending on the situation and length of travel. Grab handles are convenient for hauling into or out of vehicles or luggage racks, and briefcase-style grips and shoulder slings are ideal for carrying a shorter distance and when you have other luggage to haul. Backpack straps are the most comfortable and efficient method for heavier loads or over longer distances. Daisy chain attachment points make it easier to lash a bag to a vehicle, cart, or pack animal, and easily removable straps help protect your investment from wear and tear during air travel. If you want to go extra fast and light or need to carry your belongings over longer distances, you might want to consider one of the best travel backpacks instead.

Many adventure duffels in our lineup have included backpack straps, making them easier to carry when fully loaded. Different models have slightly different strap geometry, padding levels, and adjustability ranges. The Osprey Transporter goes above and beyond in this category. It has the most comfortable backpack carry system, including well-padded shoulder straps and an adjustable chest strap. The backpack harness on the Transporter can be quickly stowed inside its storage compartment on the top lid and easily deployed again with only two side release buckles. While this bag does not include traditional briefcase-style carry handles, it has four heavy-duty padded grab handles — one on each end — that make it simple to lug around or to carry by your side for moderate distances. Even as one of the larger bags in our lineup, the Transporter is a breeze to load up and haul out.

The Thule Chasm is another impressively comfortable backpack carry model. Though it lacks the sternum strap of the Osprey Transporter, the Chasm's backpack straps are very comfortable. They quickly detach with a T grip at the top and plastic buckles at the bottom for easy conversion. It also features snaps on the sides to hold the suitcase-style handles out of the way when you don't need them.

The Mountain Hardwear Expedition is not far behind with its supremely comfortable backpack straps. The Patagonia Black Hole, Gregory Alpaca, The North Face Base Camp, Cotopaxi Allpa Duo, and the REI Big Haul also have reasonably comfortable shoulder straps for carrying heavy loads over longer distances. These models also have traditional briefcase-style carry straps and reinforced grab handles on their sides and ends for versatile carrying options.

Most of the larger products we tested forgo a traditional single, messenger-style shoulder sling in favor of the more comfortable and efficient backpack straps. Sometimes, it's just easier to sling the bag over your shoulder, though — like if you're only carrying for a short distance or hauling multiple pieces of luggage simultaneously. You can adjust the length of most of the backpack straps to make it easier to sling the bag over a shoulder, although frequently, the padding doesn't line up correctly to protect your shoulder, or the bag's balance feels awkward. The Patagonia Black Hole has highly adjustable shoulder straps and extended padding, which help facilitate comfortable carrying on one shoulder. The Mountain Hardwear Expedition also includes a convenient shoulder sling carry option with adjustable strap systems.

Smaller bags in our lineup, like the Peak Design Travel 35L, HYC00 Travel, Adidas Defender Small, and Herschel Novel forgo backpack straps entirely, featuring the quick one-shoulder sling and suitcase handles that are ideal for lighter weight bags and shorter carrying distances. While most are fixed options, the Peak Design handles and straps can be adjusted to one of ten attachment points around the bag. It's slightly tedious to do so, but it does provide some customized carry options.

Both the 100-liter REI Roadtripper and the 104-liter Amazon Basics Large Nylon duffels are impractically large to be carried backpack style, not to mention they lack any rigidity to support the weight. These bags have a beefy shoulder strap that lets you lug them to the car if arduously.

If you've traveled to far-flung destinations around the world, you've probably seen your luggage strapped down to some form of transportation. During the years of testing for this review, we've had duffels carried by llamas, mules, horses, snowmobiles, motorcycles, campers, small prop planes, and helicopters. We've also pulled them ourselves, lashed to a sled deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Most of the products in our test group feature robust daisy chains (externally mounted webbing with sewn loops) that are versatile and easy to use to securely attach your duffel to various modes of transportation. Other single attachment loops, large grab handles, or permanently affixed shoulder straps are also useful when securing your load.

Most of the highest-rated products in our lineup include daisy chains or some kind of external attachment loops. The Patagonia Black Hole, Gregory Alpaca, Cotopaxi Allpa Duo, and The North Face Base Camp all stand out for their robust and extensive daisy chain features. The Thule Chasm, REI Big Haul, and Mountain Hardwear Expedition are also noteworthy with their sturdy, reinforced daisy chain loops that are thicker and stronger than most.

Counter to the beefy and reinforced adventure-style duffels, the Adidas Defender, HYC00 Travel, and Herschel Novel are all smaller bags that rely on their lightweight and compact size to make them easy to transport. With an impressively low weight, the Adidas Defender is particularly easy to toss over your shoulder, under a bus seat, or in a locker.

Protection

Whether you're loading up the vehicle on a damp day, anxiously cringing as airport personnel toss around your bag on the tarmac, or slogging through boggy or snowy conditions, protection from mother nature and bumps along the way is crucial. We took these bags on worldly expeditions to challenging climates like Denali, Bolivia, Aconcagua, Central Chile, and Patagonia. Additionally, we tested them on road trips, camping trips, and beach outings. We sat them outside during a tropical storm to test for seepage over several hours of light rain. We also put them through the wringer by running systematic tests involving drenching them with a high-pressure garden hose with dry towels and clothes inside.

The rankings for weather resistance look relatively similar to our durability ratings — bags with heavier-duty materials tend to perform better. One difference is that models with multiple exterior pockets and additional zippered closures are more vulnerable to the outside elements. Simpler designs with fewer openings offer better protection. The North Face Base Camp scores well with its 1000-denier material and limited vulnerabilities. After our high-pressure hose test, the dry paper towels inside it showed no signs of water intrusion. The Osprey Transporter scored equally well and only had a few drops of water intrude through the zipper area. Both bags have a one-inch protective flap where the top lid overlaps the main zipper. While neither bag has sealed seams to make them waterproof like a true dry bag, they provide excellent weather protection.

Several of the remaining top contenders all scored similarly well in this performance metric. The Patagonia Black Hole, Gregory Alpaca, and the Thule Chasm all provide exceptional protection from the elements. The Black Hole and Alpaca passed the long-duration exposure to the elements just fine, with water beading off their 900-denier fabric. However, both succumbed to water leaks via their zippers during the high-pressure hose test. The Thule is one of the few duffels with a sealed external zipper, which we appreciated for a phone or keys.

Most of the remaining bags in our lineup, like the Herschel Novel, Cotopaxi Allpa Duo, and REI Roadtripper, have waterproof or water-resistant fabrics but don't have sealed seams or waterproof zippers. These bags will repel some light rain, snow, splashes, and spills but won't withstand extended downpours or complete submersion.

Construction Quality

Almost all of the contenders in our lineup are super durable, made from robust materials, with reinforced bottom panels and heavy-duty seams. Most of the bags we tested are constructed from a high-denier laminate or high-denier ballistic nylon. Denier (also denoted as “D” behind a number) is the measure of a material's thread thickness and density, and a higher number corresponds to a thicker, sturdier, more durable fabric. Our lineup includes a wide range of possible bag fabrics, from heavy-duty expedition packs made of 1000-denier materials plus additional reinforced areas to easily compressible nylon bags. We are also pleased to note that many of the bags leverage recycled materials as well.

The tried and true The North Face Base Camp set the tone for durability decades ago with its burly 1000-denier body material, and a similar heavy-duty construction has spread to several other manufacturers. Many of the top models in our fleet used at least a 900-denier nylon or polyester material throughout the duffel, with an additional reinforcement layer of at least 600-denier nylon on the bottom or other high-wear areas. One of our testers has used a Base Camp duffel on over 20 rugged expeditions to remote locations and in extreme conditions, and it's still going strong.

With fabrics ranging from 840 to 900-denier, the Patagonia Black Hole, Gregory Alpaca, Thule Chasm, Cotopaxi Allpa Duo, Osprey Transporter and Mountain Hardwear Expedition are similarly sturdy. This level of fabric thickness is still very robust and can withstand a lot of abuse. All of these bags also have strongly reinforced seams and include sturdy hardware. The Black Hole and Alpaca also feature ripstop fabric to protect you against a worst-case scenario.

Another standout in our construction quality metric is the Herschel Novel, constructed from 600-denier fabric and a liner that is made from 100% post-consumer water bottles. Not only do we love the eco-friendly materials, but this fabric felt durable and looked incredibly stylish. The seams and hardware on the bag are of excellent quality as well. While we might not want to strap it down to a muddy vehicle or drag it behind us, we're confident that the Herschel would stand up to the wear and tear.

The Peak Design bag is a very impressive model and clearly has a high level of craftsmanship and design that went into its creation. We'd feel just as comfortable using it to lug gear around as to pack up for a business trip. It, too, used a 100% recycled 600-denier canvas and a thicker bottom liner. While we had no complaints about the overall construction quality upon examination or issues regarding its durability, we were disappointed to note that the supposedly weatherproof zippers failed to stop water into the bag and side pockets. This led us to slightly doubt the overall construction quality of the bag. Nevertheless, we still thought the Peak Design felt durable and well-made.

Weight-to-Volume Ratio

Once you've filled a duffel bag full of gear, you may not notice the initial weight of the bag. However, it can make a difference when you're trying to stay within an airline's weight limits or when the transportation switches from vehicles to your own two feet.

Since this lineup includes tested bags ranging from 30 liters to 104 liters in size, we calculated the weight-to-volume ratio for each bag to measure its relative weight.

Our two top-scoring bags for our weight-to-volume metric are two of our largest. The REI Roadtripper and Amazon Basics Large Nylon bags weighed in at 1.6 pounds and 1.8 pounds, respectively, and each offered roughly 100 liters of internal storage space. Their excellent ratio is thanks to their stunningly simple design and a lack of extra features, fabric, and pockets found on many of our more rugged bags. Still, if you're looking for bulk hauling capacity and don't require much protection from the elements, these are both great options.

The Adidas Defender is one of the lightest bags in our lineup but offers significantly less storage space than other bags. This ultralight 1.0-pound bag still boasts enough space to pack anything you might need for the gym or practice session without weighing you down.

The Osprey Transporter, Mountain Hardwear Expedition, and Eagle Creek Migrate are all rugged adventure bags that still offer a good tradeoff between weight and storage volume. They are constructed from medium-thickness fabrics, providing a nice balance of durability and weight savings.

How to Pick the Best Duffel Bag for You

Below is an excerpt from our complete duffel bag buying advice.

Why Choose a Duffel?

Duffel bags offer a utilitarian approach to carrying luggage that provides more versatility than traditional hardshell bags. Using a duffel while traveling provides more room for gear and clothing while offering a lighter form than other luggage styles. When looking at the world of duffel bags, it's important to consider the type of travel you need a duffel for. Some folks may need a multi-week bag capable of carrying an array of gear, while others just need a simple bag to carry clothes to work, the gym, or school.

What Size Works Best?

Once you know the style of duffel you need, it should help naturally lead towards the appropriate volume. Typically, a duffel bag under 40 liters is suitable for quick, overnight trips, while a duffel in the 50 to 70-liter range will work well for weekend trips. Bags in the 80-100 liter range work great for longer trips over a week or more and can usually avoid tipping over that 50-pound airline weight limit. For those with specialized gear or extended travel, bags upwards of 150 liters are worth considering.

What Features Should You Look For?

Certain features can make or break a good duffel bag. Consider the different carrying strap styles, such as shoulder straps, hand straps, or backpack straps. If you plan on walking extended distances and carrying larger loads, it's a good idea to consider duffels with backpack-style straps. Internal organization features, such as pockets and compression straps, can also provide easier access to belongings and secure them from moving around inside the bag. Consider your typical travel routines and luggage contents to find a bag with the most useful features for you.

Is Durability Important?

Depending on your travel style and intended use, a duffel bag with proven durability can be a high priority. This is especially true for folks who plan to travel into weather-prone areas, camp or hike with their duffel, or just want extra security when checking in their bag at the airport. Look for waterproof materials and coatings, reinforced areas around the bag, and the material itself.

Conclusion