I’ve travelled with just about every conceivable form of luggage over the years. Backpacks remain my go-to for proper backpacking trips, suitcases have their place, but there are certain journeys where nothing quite beats a good old-fashioned duffel bag.
Duffels are simple, tough and ridiculously easy to pack. Their big, open compartments swallow awkward gear that more structured luggage struggles with, while their soft sides can be squeezed into car boots, train racks and hostel lockers. I particularly like them for road trips, weekend escapes, outdoor adventures and any journey where I’m carrying bulky gear rather than neatly folded shirts.
Of course, there’s a reason I said a good duffel bag. Load 20kg into a poorly designed one and that single shoulder strap gets old very quickly. Cheap fabrics get shredded in transit, cavernous interiors become impossible to organise and some supposedly “travel-ready” duffels are basically oversized gym bags with delusions of grandeur.
Thankfully, the modern travel duffel has come a long way. We’ve tested bags with proper backpack harnesses, weather-resistant expedition materials, laptop storage, clever internal organisation and even wheels. Some are built to survive years of abuse; others prioritise lightweight carry-on travel or looking respectable enough for a business trip.
In this guide, I’ve pulled together the best travel duffel bags we’ve tested and used on the road, alongside a few carefully selected options that fill particular niches. More importantly, I’ll explain who each one actually makes sense for, where it falls short and when you’d be better off buying something else.
Let’s get into it.
Photo: Chris Lininger
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Editors Pick
Osprey Transporter Expedition Duffel
- Price > $160
- > Stowable padded backpack straps
- > Rain Flaps
Best of The Rest
REI Co-op Big Haul Recycled Rolling Duffel – 30
- Price: > $279
- > Integrated wheels
- > Large for longer trips
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel
- Price: > $159
- > Backpack handles and grab handles
- > Nice and light
UNIQUEBELLA Suit Travel Duffel
- Price: > $65.99
- > Rolls out flat to take suits
- > Wrinkle-free clothes storage
The North Face Base Camp Duffel
- Price: > $159
- > Just 4 lbs in weight
- > Come with backpack straps
MAHI Leather Duffle
- Price: > $194.25
- > Compact and 28L
- > Tons of organizational pockets
NEMO Double Haul Convertible
- Price: > $180
- > Comes with Tote Back!
- > Durable and Packable
Top Picks of the Best Travel Duffel Bags
Overall Best Duffel Bag – Osprey Transporter Expedition Duffel
The Osprey Transporter Expedition Duffel offers its users the best of both worlds. It has all the features that drew you to a travel duffel bag in the first place, along with a comfortable set of stowable, padded shoulder straps if you have to carry it for a longer period.
This duffel’s zippers are lockable, giving added peace of mind if and when you need to let it out of your eye line – such as on an aircraft or in a hostel room – and also has the bonus of a padded internal compartment to keep your delicate tech safe while on the move.
What’s more, the quickest of touches will convince you of the long-lasting durability of the materials used, together with a rain flap to keep precipitation from ruining your time away!
- Stowable padded backpack straps
- Zips can be locked
- Padded compartment for tech
- Rain flaps
- Not fully waterproof
- 40 liter might be too small for some
- Not guaranteed to be carry-on compliant
- Rigid construction
Is the Osprey Transporter Expedition Duffel for me?
If you love the idea of a travel duffel bag but worry about how you’re going to transport it further distances, then the Osprey Transporter Expedition Duffel has it all figured out thanks to the incorporated backpack straps! It’s one of the reasons it stands out amongst the other duffel bags.
The padded tech compartment is a great addition, as is the ability to lock the zips!
Our team rated this as their “best travel duffel backpack”, which means kinda what it says, a duffel that works just as well as a backpack and they love that versatility. They felt it had most of the features of some of the best Osprey backpacks whilst having the ability to be used as a duffel.
They really love that it opens up more like a clamshell backpack into a super roomy interior. As an added bonus, the skate rats on the team loved that it came in handy when traveling with a skateboard, even if it wasn’t explicitly designed that way.
Best Duffel Bag with Wheels – REI Co-op Big Haul Recycled Rolling Duffel – 30″
While we love The North Face’s Maleta, we also tested the REI Co-op Big Haul and can confirm it is equally as great. This wheeled duffel provides traction in all conditions, but the Sherpa strap lets you carry your duffel when you need to.
Its handle and back-panel structure add durability, making this one of the best rolling duffel bags on the market. You also have internal compression straps, external zippered pockets, and a small zippered pocket on top for organisation.
- Integrated wheels
- Large for longer trips
- Good Capacity
- High quality
- Heavy
- Wheels can’t be hidden
- No added backpack straps
- Might be too big for some
Is the REI Co-op Big Haul for me?
Perfect for a month abroad, The REI Co-op Big Haul wheeled duffel bag has 87 litres of interior space and ample organisation to take you (and your gear) around the world. However, there are no removable backpack straps so you’re stuck to wheeling it around!
For those of our team who need to travel with heavy gear, like the climbers and filmmakers in the gang, the REI Co-op Big Haul really works perfectly for their needs. They feel it offers them much more versatility and durability over a traditional wheeled suitcase with both the carry options and the additional compartments and pockets.
Best Carry on Travel Duffel Bag – Patagonia Black Hole 40
This mid-length machine can store everything you need for weekend trips or even entire vacations for light packers. We tested it out on a weekend trip across Europe that took in planes, buses and trains so the old Black Hole got a good and proper trial.
Store your goods in a bag that just barely sneaks under strict carry-on regulations while staying light as a feather. Once you’ve unpacked, you can neatly store this Patagonia bag inside of itself, using its own pockets to compact.
If you are specifically looking for more carry-on options, check out our best carry on duffel bags post if this is what you’re specifically looking for.
Travelling in cattle class? Have a look at our Ryanair carry-on bags for more specific packs.
Is the Patagonia for me?
Carry the Patagonia Black Hole pack as a duffel or a backpack. This all-purpose travel bag is made with lightweight, tear-resistant matte nylon and has protective padding so you can carry everything all day.
Our team have been big fans of this bag for a while and feel the Black Hole is a classic duffel that does what it sets out to do really well without any bells and whistles. Where the back is lacking slightly on organisational features it makes up for with its incredible durability, weather resistance and all-around versatility. The fact it can be folded down into it’s own little bag and thrown into larger packs as an overflow is also something our team is a big fan of.
Want something more? Well, check this out, Patagonia now also make a rolling duffel version of the Black Hole too!
Best Waterproof Duffel Bag – YETI Panga 50 Dry Duffel
Considering YETI makes the most durable coolers, insulated tumblers, and packs, expect the same emphasis of quality and durability from their dry duffel. You could probably throw this duffel over a waterfall and your stuff would still stay dry!
This is the best travel duffel bag if you are doing any type of water activity – rafting down a river; living on a boat; travelling in monsoon season; you name it, YETI’s got you.
You could simply attach this to the side or a river tube and it would hold up! It has 6 lash points and 2 long straps so you can haul your bag in multiple ways. 2 easy-to-access mesh pockets keep your valuables safely tucked away. We think 50 litres is a perfect size, but if you need something bigger, this bag also comes in a 75 litre and 100-litre size.
- Most durable duffel bag ever
- Fully Waterproof
- Water-resistant
- Hanging internal pocket
- Heavy (price you pay for durability)
- Might be overkill for basic trips
- Expensive
Is the YETI Panga 50 Dry Duffel for me?
Keep your gear dry on your next trip with the YETI Panga 50 dry duffel. This fully waterproof bag is designed to handle total water submersion while remaining 100% dry on the inside.
Need a seat? Grab your Panga. Need a backpack? Grab your Panga. Need a personal floatation device? Grab your Panga. This is the most durable travel duffel bag on this list. Use it for your craziest adventures!
Our team are big fans of how well-made this duffel is and how much confidence it gave them when it came to protecting their gear. They really put it to the test and our team were super impressed. In fact, one member ended up capsizing on a fishing trip and this bag held tight full of clothing, gear and phones for over an hour as well as keeping our team member afloat too. Pretty impressive!
Best Business Travel Duffel Bag – UNIQUEBELLA Suit Travel Duffel
Thanks to the UNIQUEBELLA Suit Travel Duffel, you can still use a duffel bag and travel with the smarter clothes of a business trip. This duffel cleverly opens out flat to create a dedicated compartment for laying suits and shirts flat without folding them tightly; you’ll find them as wrinkle-free when you arrive at your destination as when you packed them away.
There’s also another dedicated compartment for your business shoes, and four internal zip pockets and a small zip-close external pocket. Lastly, at 55 litres, this duffel both has enough volume for a few days away, and is generally airline carry on compliant.
- Rolls out flat to take suits
- Wrinkle-free clothes storage
- Dedicated shoe compartment
- Internal zip-close pockets
- No backpack straps
- Made from synthetic materials
- No dedicated tech sleeve
- Not for adventure travel!
Is the UNIQUEBELLA Suit Travel Duffel for me?
Need to keep a suit and shirt crease-free while travelling? Here’s the answer, the UNIQUEBELLA Suit Travel Duffel! Its fold-out design makes it super-easy to transport business wear without the need to iron at your destination and takes care of all those little extras with its shoe compartment and necktie pocket to name just two.
Even us vagabonds need to don a suit from time to time and though our team did feel this bag was a little niche, they felt it cornered position perfectly. They were unsure if the bag would be a little gimmicky but in practice they felt the design actually worked well in practical use and kept their gear wrinkle-free and ready to rock!
Best Duffel Bag for Expedition – The North Face Base Camp Duffel
When you are hitting the mountains for days on end, you’ll need a duffel bag that is up to the challenge. The North Face Base Camp duffel has been an essential piece of kit for explorers, mountaineers, and adventurers for decades.
- Comes in multiple sizes
- Just 4 lbs in weight
- Ultra Durable
- Come with backpack straps
- Lacks a little rigidity
- Not fully waterproof
- Not all versions carry on compliant
- The big sizes are awkward to carry when packed full
Is the The North Face Base Camp duffel bag for me?
Are you going on a serious adventure and needing to haul all of your gear along for the ride? This is the bag for you. Our team really loved the simple but high-quality nature of this duffel and generally North Face bags as a whole. They liked that this duffel added a bit more in the way of organisational pockets than the Black Hole and also offered a matt style rather than the shiny exterior of the black hole, which some of the team really preferred.
Best Small Duffel Bag – The Classic Duffle by Mahi
Looking for the great men’s leather duffel bag days out and short trips? If so, the Classic Duffle by Mahi may be just for you.
Combining traditional elegance with rugged practicality, the MAHI Classic Duffle in Vintage Brown is a lovely luggage piece for those looking for a stylish gym bag, weekend or overnight bag.
It’s made with beautifully supple full-grain leather on the main body and complimented with a fawn cotton lining. Other features include four brass studs on the base, a front zipped pocket for easy access to your essential items, a smaller zipped pocket on the inside and a detachable and extendable shoulder strap with additional padding for comfort.
- Designed for low-cost carrier use
- Soft Leather
- Multiple zippered pockets
- Heavy for size
- Not big enough for many trips
- Not waterproof
Is the MAHI Leather duffel for me?
Being a small bag, this one is approved for carry-on by most airlines either the super strict budget ones. When it comes to packing, this thing thankfully stands up on its own, not falling in on itself as some duffel bags tend to.
Our team felt this was a great compact duffel that still offered good space optimisation. They felt for the minimalist traveller or commuter that doesn’t need a whole heap of gear, it’s the perfect option. They also felt the bag offered decent quality in terms of materials for the money.
Best Large Travel Duffel – REI Co-op Big Haul Recycled Duffel
Looking to travel with a lot of kits? You’re going to need a large travel duffel! The REI Co-op Big Haul Recycled Duffel comes in a variety of sizes, much like Patagonia’s Black Hole duffel series, and runs up to the 90-litre XL version. It is available at a very reasonable price tag for the volume size of the bag.
What else do you get for the price? You get a duffel specifically intended for rougher travel, made from 600 Dernier waterproof materials with a large D-zip opening for easy access. You also get two removable shoulder straps and a side zip-close pocket for smaller items.
- Made for tougher travel assignments
- 40-90 litres
- Waterproof
- Large opening
- No major internal divisions
- Not for business travel
- Has to go in the aircraft hold
- Weight of 1.6kg
Is the REI Co-op Big Haul Duffel for me?
This unisex travel duffel bag by REI certainly fits the definition of a large travel duffel with a capacity of 90 litres. Is it the best? Well, we think it is! Tough and ready for anything, simply throw your kit in, and start your adventure!
Our team just loved how rugged this bag felt and many of them described it as pretty much bulletproof when it came to throwing anything at it! In fact, a few of the team have owned this bag for years on end and it’s been abused in all corners of the world and stood up admirably. They also loved the large zippered compartments that were big enough to use for their shoes or bigger items.
Best Travel Duffel Bag on a Budget – Sweetbriar Vintage Canvas Duffel
This stylish bag is one of the best travel duffel backpacks if you’re on a budget! The Sweetbriar Vintage Canvas Duffel is listed under $40 and is perfect for a weekend in the city versus a few days of camping in the wild.
It comes in a very attractive tan canvas and leather-coloured webbing styling. It incorporates zipped compartments on the front of the bag as well as plenty of internal zippers and organisational features. Expansion zips give a total overall volume of 39 litres, plenty for that weekend away, while there are also lock-together carry handles and an adjustable shoulder strap.
- Lovely design
- Comprises zipped compartments
- Expansion zips give 39-liter capacity
- Adjustable shoulder strap
- Not very durable
- Capacity may be too small for some
- Not fully waterproof
- Hand wash only
Is the Sweetbriar Vintage Canvas Duffel for me?
Any man or woman about town will readily fall in love with this unisex vintage canvas duffel. The ideal size for a weekend away, it consists of smaller compartments and pockets as well as the main compartment and also boasts an adjustable shoulder strap.
Our team felt that for a pretty run-of-the-mill duffel, this thing doesn’t look cheap and with the canvas material it’s also really durable too. They also loved that it was packed full of features like interior pockets, side shoe compartments and hidden valuable pockets.
Best Packable Duffel Pack – Nemo Double Haul Convertible
The quite possibly bomb-proof Double Haul is a highly versatile combination of a packable duffel bag and tote bag, designed to meet an adventurer’s changing needs. Its huge opening remains wide for easy packing and folds into a duffel for long journeys, complete with self-contained backpack straps. For some extra capacity and organisation, you can deploy the tucked-away tote bag handles when you need to haul more.
Certified as a bluesign product, the badass Double Haul is fully made from recycled materials. The bag features side release buckles for easy transformation from duffel to tote, stiffened trusses for structure, and internal and external zippered mesh pockets for organisation. A matching carrying case, doubling as a packing cube, is also included.
- Trusted brand
- Packable
- Comes with a tote bag
- Durable
- Shiny exterior
- Kinda heavy
- Doesn’t have a rigid structure
Now, you could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.
So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card! REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉
Buy on REI!FAQ about the Best Travel Duffel Bags
Still have some questions about the best travel duffels? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:
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What is the Best Travel Duffel Bag? – Final Thoughts
In this guide, we’ve covered the 17 best travel duffel bags on the market. From the big players to smaller brands, we’ve reviewed the ones fit for the great outdoors, your next business meeting, or a short hotel stay.
Nowadays, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to travel gear. Do you want a duffel bag with wheels? One that is lightweight? How about a fully waterproof duffel backpack? All you need to do is pick out the best travel duffel bag for you!
- Should You Buy a Duffel or a Carry-On For Your Next Trip?
- Calling All Backpackers: Discover Your Perfect Carry-on backpacks with Us!
- Check out our rundown of the best travel bags and see what works best for you.
- Prepare for your trip with our backpacking packing list.
Is it possible to travel with a duffle around the world, or you recommed a backpack fot that? Cheers
Sure, but if you travel long term consider that a duffel will mean carrying the weight of your bag with just one side of your body. It also means you won’t always have the option of two free hands, which you can get from a backpack.
where would u place the wandrd hexad all access?
Hi John, thanks for reaching out. The Wandrd Hexad All Access is a great pack, and one I will be adding to this list shortly. I have been traveling with a Wandrd PRVKE 31 for about a year as my primary daypack/camera bag and I absolutely love it – Wandrd makes great stuff. I have had a bit of first hand experience with the Hexad All Access as well – here are my first impressions: The Hexad All Access is a great pack/duffel for 4-5 days of travel, is tough as nails, and has plenty of interesting features and storage options whether you are a photographer or not. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Long story short – this duffle is solid and you can’t really go wrong.