Here’s the secret: There is no perfect gym bag.
Many bags sold as “gym bags” are indistinguishable from any duffle bag or tote. And almost any kind of bag will work as a gym bag in a pinch.
In the end, a good gym bag brings fresh clothes to a workout and takes wet gear home again without everything becoming a fragrant swamp.
After researching hundreds of gym bags—traditional gym bags and others—and testing more than 40, we’ve found five bags for a range of gym goers and situations.