The Best Duffel Bags

I’ve reviewed bags for Wirecutter since 2014. In that time, I’ve interviewed countless bag designers, brand executives, fabric specialists, zipper zealots, and a host of bag hobbyists and satchel obsessives.

Over the years, for this guide:

• I’ve interviewed or spoken with several material experts and bag designers, including most recently an email conversation with a Patagonia representative. After years of recommending the company’s bags, I wanted to delve further into its testing parameters to see why its bags seem to last longer than similar models.
• We’ve given bags to long-term testers traveling all over the world, including on many-month journeys across the globe. Their feedback is invaluable and deeply informs our ultimate pick decisions.
• I’ve considered and tested well over 50 duffel since we first published this guide, comparing the bags’ performance, price, and overall longevity.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

Best for...

The best duffel bag for most situations

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel (70 liters)

This bag is the most versatile gear duffel we’ve found. It’s tough, water-resistant, and great for toting clothes and equipment in almost any travel or outdoor scenario.

$199 from REI

$210 from Amazon

The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel (70 liters) is a true jack-of-all-trades: a sporty, water-resistant bag that can handle anything from toting sports gear to holding stuff for a two-day camping trip to going on a weeklong vacation.

It’s a go-anywhere, do-anything bag. Over the years, I’ve dragged, thrown, kicked, and carried multiple Patagonia Black Hole bags across most of the country, and they’ve never failed. You can carry the Black Hole at your side using the two handles or over your shoulder using the strap, or you can wear it as a backpack with its two padded straps. The Black Hole is available in three other sizes, too: 40 liters, 55 liters, and 100 liters. For all practical purposes, the versions are identical except for their increasing size, though the two smaller sizes come in a wider range of colors than do the two larger sizes. The Black Hole folds down into its own stuff sack, which turns into a storage pocket when you unfold the duffel. Patagonia has a highly regarded replacement and repair guarantee that we’ve tested many times without complaint.

It’s tougher than other bags with similar specs. Differentiating between these types of “adventure duffel” bags is becoming increasingly difficult, as the top manufacturers and brands are all herding together to some extent in both material and function. Our recommendation of Patagonia’s bag over the other competitors comes down to our years of long-term testing and the impressive durability of Patagonia’s gear. The exterior of the Black Hole is made of polyester ripstop that is laminated with a recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to protect against abrasion and has a water-resistant coating. It’s the shell and, to some extent, the soul of the bag itself—without the TPU coating, the duffel loses much of its basic functionality.

Patagonia pays attention to the details. In 2024, we wanted to dig a little deeper into how Patagonia does what it does. We emailed with Austin Robbs, director of equipment at Patagonia, and we asked what kind of testing Patagonia does before it selects a material for its gear. “Every component passes a series of tests, [which] include simulating water resistance, abrasion, tear resistance, and overall durability over time,” wrote Robbs. “For Black Hole, we focused extensively on long-term durability and abrasion resistance—we even placed fabric swatches on the roof of a building for several months to see how they withstand prolonged exposure to the elements.”

Beyond that, Patagonia has a history of using a wide array of field testers (we do too!) to push its equipment in particularly harsh conditions—including dragging overloaded duffels over sharp rocks during climbing expeditions, exposing the bags to freezing temperatures and salt air, and throwing duffels in and out of bush planes during resupplies, to name a few of the company’s tests.

It’s a true globe-traveling bag. This year (on top of our usual heavy testing at home) we sent the 55-liter Black Hole on a three-month journey around Asia with product tester Kacey Carter. The bag is holding everything she needs for the journey, and so far the results are continuing to confirm our belief, held year after year, that this bag is one of the greatest duffels available for any adventure, large or small.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• There’s little about the Black Hole to critique. It does what it needs to, and Patagonia’s reputation for high-quality materials and craftsmanship has set the standard for this type of bag for years. One small detail: The shoulder straps can take a moment to situate because of their unusual eyelet attachment, but once you figure them out, adjusting them is easy to do with one hand.

Key specs

Dimensions: 28 by 13 by 17.5 inches (LWH)
Capacity: 70 liters
Other sizes: 40 liters, 55 liters, 100 liters

Best for...

The best bag for travel

Peak Design Travel Duffel (35 liters)

If you plan on walking long distances and want multiple ways to carry your gear comfortably without standing out in a crowd, this bag is a great option.

$150 from Amazon

$150 from Backcountry

The Peak Design Travel Duffel (35 liters) is perfect if you expect to walk a lot on your trips—touring cities, say, or doing some light adventuring—and you need a comfortable way to carry your stuff.

You can put it on your back or carry it on your shoulder. Similar to our pick from Patagonia, this Peak Design duffel is made to carry in your hand, on your back, or over your shoulder. However, you can also reconfigure the handle attachment points to turn the bag into a backpack. Personally, I prefer carrying the Travel Duffel as a shoulder bag; it just seems to sit easiest on my body that way. Many combo duffel-and-backpack designs rely on the handles serving double duty as backpack straps, which usually means they aren’t very good as either. Not so for the Travel Duffel. Peak Design makes a similar duffel that’s a dedicated backpack, but it comes only in a 65-liter size.

Although the straps aren’t as comfortable as those on our top pick, once you’ve repositioned them, they fit well against your shoulders. And unlike several other backpack duffel we tested, the Travel Duffel positions its zipper against your back while you’re using it as a backpack (though you can’t feel it at all). It’s a simple, seemingly obvious but rare design choice that lends more peace of mind when you’re walking down a busy street or absentmindedly taking in the sights.

It blends in but doesn’t skimp on organization. Unlike many of our other picks, Peak Design bags simply blend into the background, which is sometimes preferable when you’re traveling. The Travel Duffel features two zippered pockets on the side (with semi-hidden zippers) and two silicone-mesh pockets inside. The wings on the side of the bag fold out to extend the zipper path, which allows the duffel to open wider than most traditional designs; it’s a small feature, but one that makes your life just that much easier when you’re rummaging around. Along the outside edges of the duffel, Peak Design added a nylon frame, which helps the bag maintain its shape regardless of how full it is. The overall effect is a bag that simply feels good to use no matter what you’re doing.

It’s weatherproof but PFAS-free. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—PFAS, for short—are synthesized chemicals that are resistant to heat, water, and oil, and are commonly used to waterproof fabrics. As researchers become more aware of the troubling effects of PFAS on the environment and human health, companies are seeking alternatives to maintain some degree of weather resistance. On the exterior of the Travel Duffel, Peak Design uses a 600D nylon fabric made from recycled materials with a C0 DWR water-repellent treatment. Unlike other DWR finishes—such as C8 and C6, which use per-fluorinated acid (PFA)—C0 finishes, though less durable, are made from non-fluorinated chemicals and considered more environmentally friendly. If this bag’s finish does wear out, it’s protected by Peak Design’s well-regarded lifetime warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The handles of the Travel Duffel snap together with a magnetic closure—or, at least, they should. A common complaint online, corroborated by our own testing, is that the magnets just aren’t strong enough to do their job. It’s a small issue, though, as you can still use the leather closure to keep the handles together.

Key specs

Dimensions: 22 by 14 by 10 inches (LWH)
Capacity: 35 liters
Other sizes: 50 liters, 65 liters, 80 liters

Best for...

The best spare duffel bag

Matador ReFraction Packable Duffle (30 liters)

This lightweight, light-duty, packable duffel is great to have in most situations, from light travel to daily gym trips. The ReFraction is made from Bluesign-certified recycled materials.

$50 from Matador

A tougher spare duffel bag

Matador Freefly Packable Duffle (30 liters)

A bit tougher than the ReFraction, the Freefly is made from weatherproof materials and paired with sealed zippers, which should keep everything inside dry in moderate rain.

$85 from Backcountry

$85 from Matador

Both the Matador ReFraction Packable Duffle (30 liters) and the Matador Freefly Packable Duffle (30 liters) are good choices if you want a lightweight alternative bag for emergencies, a day bag when you travel, or a last-second hauler for going around town.

They pack small but carry a lot. Unlike many other packable or ultralight bags, which tend to behave like unruly sacks unless they’re filled to the hilt, the ReFraction and the just barely larger Freefly manage to keep their shape whether empty, partially packed, or stuffed like a sausage. Neither packs down quite as small as some bags we’ve tested in the past, but both come close enough—shrinking to about the size of a mango—and using either model as an actual bag once it’s on your shoulder is much more pleasant.

Both are better made than most ultralight packable bags. Where Matador truly excels, though, is in the high quality of its materials. The ReFraction is the simpler design, though by any measure it’s still an advanced bag, especially for the price: It includes 100D recycled nylon, PU waterproofing, YKK sealing zippers, and a PFC-free water-resistant coating. That fancy list says it’s a recycled-nylon bag that’s reasonably weather-resistant.

The Freefly, on the other hand, is made with a reinforced ripstop nylon, sealing YKK zippers, and internally seamed seals. It’s essentially the ReFraction with increased durability and excessive weather protection. You can take the ReFraction into a rain shower; you can take the Freefly into a storm. The Freefly is especially robust for a lightweight packable. Matador added a few compression straps on the side, too, though I find such straps more trouble than they’re worth on most bags.

Matador backs all of its products with a decently trustworthy three-year warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• One glaring flaw on these bags is the shoulder straps. Although each strap is adjustable, it’s nothing more than an inch-wide strip of nylon. Even for pared-down packable bags, that’s pretty meager considering their carrying capacity. For shorter-term carries, these bags do just fine. But if you need a duffel to constantly haul around town, one of our other picks is likely to keep you and your shoulders happier.

Key specs

ReFraction

Dimensions: 21.5 by 11 by 8 inches (LWH)
Capacity: 30 liters
Other sizes: none

Freefly

Dimensions: 22 by 11 by 8 inches (LWH)
Capacity: 30 liters
Other sizes: none

Best for...

The best packable duffel bag for air travel

WaterField Packable Duffel (24 liters)

Like the Matador bags, this WaterField duffel folds into its own pocket and is weatherproof. A few thoughtful details—including a luggage loop—make it more suitable for travel than other models we tested.

$129 from SF Bags

If you need a packable duffel that easily doubles as a carry-on item, the WaterField Packable Duffel (24 liters) is a great choice. It has a luggage-handle slot and provides extra weather protection.

It’s a fantastic travel bag disguised as a packable duffel. WaterField continues to make some of the best overall bags we’ve come across in the past few years, and the WaterField Packable Duffel is no exception. It’s more expensive than the Matador Freefly, but its upgraded materials and more-robust stitching and build may make it worth its higher cost for certain people. Travelers especially will welcome the luggage loop, which fits over suitcase handles.

You’re paying for better materials and quality construction. The exterior of the bag is made from Taslan—a lightweight but substantial woven fabric with an added water-resistant coating—complemented by self-sealing waterproof zippers similar to those on the Matador Freefly. The interior is lined with a ripstop nylon. Both fabrics are notably high-quality materials, helping this bag stand out from the competition. How, exactly? You can scrunch this bag down to about the size of a couple of pairs of socks (it fits into a 9.5-by-8.5-inch pocket), store it for weeks, open it up and shake it out, and the bag will look fresh and presentable, with no creases or stress lines.

It doesn’t pack down quite as small as the Matador bags, but many people might prefer its more-structured design. This bag has no shoulder strap, but the handles are long enough to let you shoulder the bag and carry it under your arm.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• We wish the nylon strap for looping the bag over your suitcase handle were more robust. Many companies making underseat bags have opted for an entire “slip-through” panel, which holds the bag securely against your luggage without letting it slouch over.

Key specs

Dimensions: 18 by 10 by 8 inches (LWH)
Capacity: 24 liters (expands to 30 liters)
Other sizes: none

Best for...

The best duffel bag for keeping things dry

Yeti Panga Waterproof Duffel (50 liters)

If you want the toughest possible duffel, this is our choice. It’s comfortable to carry, waterproof, and close to indestructible. However, it typically costs nearly twice as much as the 55-liter version of the Patagonia Black Hole.

$300 from Amazon

If you want the absolute toughest, most durable waterproof duffel for your adventures—particularly if those adventures leave you wading with your gear through streams or torrential rains—the Yeti Panga Waterproof Duffel (50 liters) is your bag.

When they say “waterproof,” they mean it. A waterproof nylon shell and zipper keep your stuff dry even if you submerge the Yeti Panga completely. I didn’t quite believe it until I tested the duffel several times, carrying it fully packed into the beach breaks of Oahu’s North Shore, where its impermeable barrier held in enough air to easily float my 220-pound frame and still kept the towels, clothes, and sneakers inside bone-dry. If you’re on a trip where your bag might end up in the water, you’re sure to appreciate this feature.

It’s built for adventures. Like the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel, the Yeti Panga Waterproof Duffel comes with a plethora of lash points that you can use to secure your bag on your adventures. Thanks to its rigidity, the Panga is also surprisingly comfortable to use as a backpack. (Its handles serve as the backpack straps.) In addition, the Panga comes in two larger sizes (75 liters and 100 liters) and two colors (gray and tan), plus an occasional seasonal color.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The price of the Yeti Panga is nearly double what you pay for a similar-size Patagonia Black Hole.
• All that weatherproofing isn’t light—the Panga is the heaviest bag we tested, weighing more than 5 pounds when empty.

Key specs

Dimensions: 23.5 by 10 by 14 inches (LWH)
Capacity: 50 liters
Other sizes: 75 liters, 100 liters

If you want a rolling duffel: Consider the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag (100 liters). The rolling Black Hole’s design is identical to that of our top pick, except for the addition of wheels, a reinforced base, and haul handles. The best part of the design is that it stands upright unassisted, even when empty. The excellent lifetime-warranty program and all-around durability of a Patagonia duffel (wheeled or not) are other pluses. This version is heavier and less flexible than the non-rolling bag, but those are trade-offs that some people may be willing to make.

If our top pick is sold out: Consider the Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel Bag (40 liters). Made from 100% recycled materials, the Migrate is similar in style and function to the Patagonia Black Hole—it’s water-resistant, tough, and protected by a lifetime warranty—and it’s roughly $40 cheaper between equivalent sizes. At first glance it seems to be a good bargain. However, Eagle Creek recently went through a restructuring, and we want to keep testing the company’s new gear before making any further recommendations.

If you want an inexpensive and expandable option: Consider the Decathlon Forclaz Duffel 500 Extend (40 liters). This expandable bag is an absolute bargain, considering the quality and strength of its materials. When we first compared the quality of the Forclaz against its listed price, we thought there must have been some kind of mistake. We rarely see a bag with coated thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polyester, both of which offer water resistance and durability, of this quality for less than a hundred dollars. However, it seems to have trouble staying in stock, which is why it’s no longer a pick.

We began our research by poring through brand websites, reading bag blogs, and surveying a multitude of review sites. We divided the field into several broad categories: duffels for everyday use plus weekend trips and longer travel, backpack duffels, packable duffels, and duffels meant to haul adventure gear. Working from an initial list of 88 possible contenders, we considered each duffel’s design, accessibility, size, features, organization, materials, price, and warranty. Using those criteria, we narrowed the list down to 33 bags that we called in for hands-on evaluation.

To test the duffels, I packed and unpacked each one and used them as much as possible in my day-to-day life. With every bag I tested, I asked myself, “Would I live with this bag? Could it replace something I already have?” Specifically, I looked at the following:

Ease of use and accessibility: How easy is the bag to pack, unpack, and otherwise use in everyday situations? Does it have enough pockets? Are they well organized and well placed? I also kept a close eye on the zippers and how they acted, tugging them from different angles. It was especially important to me that the zippers on our picks were easy to open on the go, even when the bag was hanging from a shoulder.

Carrying comfort: A great bag is pretty useless if it isn’t comfortable to heft and cart around. After I loaded up each bag with as much gear, clothes, sneakers, books, and the usual ephemera of life as I could, I carried it around. I spend a lot of my time on the move, so each of our potential picks became—at least for a short while—something of an everyday-carry companion in my life until I understood the bag’s character.

Quality of the materials: Most bags are made from one of a handful of fabrics (nylon, waxed canvas, polyester). I paid special attention to the material’s weight, heft, and weave, as well as any special tech like TPU coatings.

Weight: Duffels should be light enough to carry easily but not so light that they feel flimsy or about to tear. Most of our picks weigh less than 3.5 pounds.

Cost: We eliminated any duffels that we determined were overpriced for what they were. You do get what you pay for in this category, though, and better quality and materials are often worth spending just a little more.

Guarantee or warranty: Not all company policies are equal. We favored bags that came with a warranty of two years or more.

Versatile/adventure duffels

Sea to Summit Duffle Bag: Although this heavy, water-resistant adventure duffel is good for the price, we were more impressed by the consistent performance and simplicity of the Patagonia Black Hole (our pick for a versatile duffel) and the sturdier construction of the Yeti Panga (our pick for a waterproof duffel).

The North Face Base Camp Duffel L: This duffel is similar to the Sea to Summit Duffel Bag, except it lacks that bag’s rigidity and attention to detail.

Cotopaxi Allpa Getaway Duffel and Cotopaxi Allpa Duffel Bag: Everything is great about these bags except the price. Patagonia, Cotopaxi, and Eagle Creek are, to most extents, locked in a dance together. We’re fans of Cotopaxi gear, and these bags are as good as anything that company makes, but they cost the same as Patagonia’s bags, and we still think Patagonia has the upper hand in terms of its reputation. We’ve also seen quite a lot of design churn at Cotopaxi beyond the flagship items, which makes it hard for us to consistently recommend its designs. Several Cotopaxi picks we’ve made for this guide have been discontinued over the years.

Weekenders

Lo & Sons Catalina Deluxe: We liked the separate compartment at the bottom of the bag, which allows you to pack a few pairs of shoes, say, or to separate out dirty laundry as you travel. But the materials of this duffel weren’t as good as those of other picks, and it didn’t carry as comfortably.

Lands’ End Waxed Canvas Travel Duffle Bag: Although this bag was a pick of ours for many years, we dropped it this year because of ongoing quality issues. After continued testing, the stitching in this bag was wearing out and weak. A cursory look at the buyer reviews on the Lands’ End site confirmed our testing.

Carl Friedrik Palissy Weekend: Occasionally we like to look at the upper end of any category to see what exists far beyond our usual recommended price range. The Palissy Weekend is a beautiful, expertly crafted leather bag. It makes an excellent potential high-end gift but remains outside the scope of this review.

Everyday duffel

Mission Workshop Transit Duffle: We aren’t sure who this laptop duffel is for. The bag was so divided up and over-organized that we had trouble carrying much of anything in it. In addition, the main zipper was too short, which made it hard for us to open the center of the bag all the way.

Bellroy Lite Duffel: We very nearly made this model one of our picks, but the odd design of its top zipper closure dissuaded us. That zipper extends out past the edges of the bag’s main compartment, which makes it easier to access the interior but also leaves two large openings on either end of the bag when it’s closed. Although the extra length of zipper folds down, the bag has neither buttons nor clasps to keep it shut. The gap seems like a large oversight, especially considering the duffel’s price. We do, however, recommend it for use as a gym bag.

Backpack duffels

Osprey Transporter Duffel 40: This duffel bag wasn’t great to pack or carry in our tests. The materials felt thin, and the straps didn’t sit well on our shoulders when the duffel was fully packed.

Piorama A10: An adjustable duffel bag that’s both a day bag and an extra-large backpack? Seems like it should be great, but in practice the design seemed fiddly, and the cinched, sphincter-like ends were unsettling.

Topo Designs Mountain Duffel: The one flaw of this Topo backpack duffel is that the shoulder straps are placed on the bottom of the bag, so as you’re wearing it, the zipper is worryingly exposed to the world.

We’re looking for a replacement for our heritage-bag pick. The term “heritage” is really just a fancy way of saying that the bag is made from waxed canvas or leather, but plenty of people prefer those materials. We’re looking at such bags from a few different companies and brands, including Buffalo Jackson, Carl Friedrik, Filson, Kodiak Leather, Mark & Graham, The Real Leather Co., and Stubble & Co.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.