11 Best Travel Duffel Bags for Women
Duffel bags make for the perfect carry-on. You get the spaciousness of a small suitcase while avoiding the hassle of checking your luggage. And duffel bags can make it even easier to fit all your stuff in one place, without lugging a big, bulky suitcase through the terminal or the town square. Whether you’re looking to prioritize functionality, fashionability, affordability, or all of the above—there’s a duffel bag for you. Below are our 11 favorites.
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11 best travel duffel bags for 2024
1. Best water-resistant duffel bag: CALPAK
The CALPAK Luka Duffel is where fashion meets functionality. This bag is lightweight but offers nine different pockets, including a shoe pocket. Normally, the bag comes in five colors, but there’s a limited-time offering of five more vibrant colors, from pumpkin to kale. Take advantage of this limited-time offer and have luggage that seriously stands out.
Price: starting at $120
2. Best duffel bag with a trolley sleeve: Canvelle
If you’re looking for a duffel bag that easily consolidates with your rolling luggage, then we recommend this duffel bag from Canvelle. It comes with a rear trolley sleeve and is made with their signature machine-washable fabric for easy cleaning. It also features a bottom shoe compartment, a phone pocket, and a key clip to keep you organized while you work your way through the airport. The best part? It comes available in four staple colors and is accented with brushed gold and water-resistant nylon zippers
Price: starting at $250
3. Best sizable duffel bag: Patagonia
Patagonia’s duffel bag earns its name as a black hole with its fifty-five-liter capacity. This bag offers the luxury of organized spaciousness (perfect for over-packers), with one of its main features being a variety of compartments to keep you organized on your trip. Start and finish your trip with ease with this multi-functional bag.
Price: starting at $169
4. Best weekender duffel bag: Lo & Sons
Lo & Sons’ Catalina Deluxe weekender bag screams luxury. With its simple design and neutral color options, it makes traveling fashionable, yet functional at the same time. It also encourages organized travel with its unique zippered bottom pocket. This bag has the look of a travel tote and the functionality of a standard duffel - perfect for any jet-setter.
Read our full review of the Catalina Deluxe Weekender bag here.
Price: starting at $215
5. Best duffel with a hanging organizer: Beis
Beis offers their hanging travel duffel in a sleek, simple black design. Unlike most bags, it has an internal hanging organizer, perfect for those who want to take their organization to the next level. This bag comes with a pocket in the front, two on the side, and its signature key leash and fob.
Price: starting at $148
6. Best garment duffel bag: TravelPro
TravelPro makes functionality simple with its carry-on garment bag. This duffel bag has a split case design, allowing for easy separation between your travel essentials and a removable fold-out suiter system that ensures your suit or dress can be packed without causing wrinkles. Built for lifetime use, the TravelPro brand promises a full refund if you’re not 100% satisfied within the first 100 days (and they’ll even pay for the return shipping).
Price: starting at $199
7. Best sleek duffel bag: Briggs & Riley
Don’t let the compact nature of the Briggs & Riley Weekender Duffel fool you—there’s plenty of room. It has a deep main pocket with two elastic pockets to keep your items separated and organized and its monogram leather detailing makes it easy to identify in any airport craziness. This duffel also has a hide-away ID tag to keep your personal information discreet but accessible.
Price: starting at $259
8. Best backpack duffel: CALPAK
No two trips are the same, and CALPAK’s Terra Backpack Duffel helps you prepare for anything with its versatility. It can go from a travel backpack to a duffel in seconds, making it the perfect bag to strap on your back and run through the airport when needed. It has a twenty-six-liter capacity with a laptop sleeve and in true CALPAK fashion, comes available in 4 fun colors like the ‘Canyon’ color pictured above.
Price: starting at $145
9. Best roller duffel bag: North Face
Portability makes the North Face Base Camp Voyager Roller stand out from its competition. The added wheels make strolling through the airport a breeze and the internal compression straps helps secure all of your belongings. This duffel bag also features a laptop sleeve, mesh pocket, and an external zipper pocket that offers quick access to items like your phone or wallet. Our favorite part? This bag meets the carry-on size restrictions for most airlines, so you can nix waiting in the check-in line and head straight to security.
Price: starting at $240
10. Best budget-friendly duffel bag: Gonex
Just from the exterior of this bag alone, you know organization won’t be an issue. The Gonex Canvas Duffel Bag has six pockets and one main compartment. This spacious design can fit essentials for up to four days of travel and can be carried in three different ways. The best part about this bag is it’s affordable and perfect for a traveler on a budget.
Price: starting at $52
11. Best secure duffel bag: Eagle Creek
The No Matter What Duffel from Eagle Creek is the perfect bag for the practical packer whose looking for a little extra security. With its water-resistant Bi-Tech fabric, strategic reinforcements placed on all stress points, ability to be locked, and the storm flap for water protection, you can rest assured this bag is going to stand the test of time no matter where you’re traveling to. We especially like their Lifetime Warranty; Eagle Creek promises to repair or replace the bag if it tears or becomes defective, regardless of the cause.
Price: starting at $80
Travel duffel bags–common FAQs
You’ve booked your flight and are ready to start packing! Maybe you’re having the backpack vs. suitcase vs. duffel bag debate. Worry not, we’ve got some commonly asked questions so you can focus more on sightseeing and less on which bag is the best bet.
What is a good size duffel?
The answer depends on the duration of your trip. A thirty to fifty-liter bag is standard and perfect for an overnight stay or a weekend away. If your trip exceeds a few days, it’d be best to invest in a larger fifty to seventy-five-liter bag. Overpacking (just a bit, nothing crazy) is almost always preferred to underpacking, especially if you’re traveling somewhere where you don’t have consistent access to a laundry machine.
Is it better to travel with a backpack or a duffel?
A duffel usually provides more space and organization, so for a weekend trip, it’d be preferable. You can get the best of both worlds if you buy the right duffel. Even though you could bet on only bringing a backpack for a small trip, you’ll want something that you can comfortably carry if you need to. Some duffels can go from a duffel to a backpack in seconds, including a few from this article.
Are duffels good for traveling?
Duffels are perfect for travel. They can be carry-ons, and they are spacious enough to fit all your travel essentials. Duffels also promote organized travel with their various compartments and don’t take up too much space in your closet when they’re not in use. Whether it’s a weekend trip close by or a cross-country vacation, duffels are almost always the ideal hybrid between packing light and packing enough. Thankfully, there are dozens of duffels to choose from, and many on this list will probably fit your certain situation.