UK Edition
How to find perfect gym bag - and the best ones to buy now
So who needs a gym bag when your trusty Mulberry tote will do? No one, we all agreed in the office in answer to the above question. Unless, that is, you’re an obsessive organiser. Or do workouts where you actually sweat and need to incarcerate the proof afterwards. Or you shower at the gym, take your own towel, shampoo, moisturiser, curling tongs. Or you need to reapply make-up after a session. Or brush your hair. Or change out of your trainers. Or if the idea of doing downward dog on a yoga mat that’s been perspired into by 400 previous disciples makes you feel a bit sick. Or you want to be able to wash your bag occasionally. Or you want to save your precious everyday bag from being wrecked.
Classic backpack, £19.95, Adidas; Luxe gym bag, £95, Sweaty Betty; Metallic leather tote, £89.99, Zara
Gym bags, we all agreed, are essential for anyone who exercises outside their home. And yet none of us had the perfect one.
Requirements vary depending on your workout. Washable is a baseline, so fancy leather trims are out and durable nylons are in. Separate sections for damp clothes are another. Lightweight. Adjustable, sturdy straps. Additional straps for attaching our yoga mats – but these can often be quite fiddly. Better to buy separate yoga mat straps (from £5.99, Amazon).
Everywhere duffle, £128, Lululemon; Truss raffia tote, £210, Net-a-Porter
Lululemon’s Everywhere duffel has it all. A crème de la crème choice that could double as a weekend bag, it has a heatproof case for your straighteners/tongs, yoga mat straps and room for a 15-inch laptop. The brand’s smaller Go Lightly waterproof tote (£68) can be zipped into itself and stored in your smarter bag. Sweaty Betty’s black satin gym bag is the most stylish option, but it’s not as washable as nylon styles.
In the end, the variables of the perfect gym bag are personal, which is why no single one fulfills everyone’s wishes. Give your brain a workout while you decide what suits you best. Because, yes, you do need one.