What makes a good sports bag?
Depends who you ask.
A cyclist might want a backpack that stays put. A soccer player might need room for cleats, clothes, and enough equipment to get them through the match. Someone going straight from the office might need their sports bag to pull double duty.
So, whether your workout involves lifting weights, running laps, or kicking a ball around, we’ve got the bag for the job.
While shooting our latest soccer-themed photoshoot, we started thinking about just how different our routines — and our sports bag needs — can be.
The important thing is having a bag that keeps up with you. Whether you prefer a backpack, a classic duffel, or a tote bag, there’s more than one way to get your gear from the car to the field.
Here are five TOM BIHN bags, five different ways to carry, and a few thoughts on which one might make sense for the way you carry.
9-5 and 5-9: Synik 30
If your sports bag needs to do more than just go to the gym, the Synik 30 is a strong contender.
At 30 liters, it has plenty of room for workout clothes, shoes, a towel, water bottle, toiletries, and all the other odds and ends that tend to follow you around. If you need a sports bag that can seamlessly transition from office to court, the Synik 30 may be the pick for you.
Five exterior pockets keep smaller essentials within easy reach, while the full clamshell opening makes it easy to see what’s happening inside. And because it’s a backpack, your hands stay free — which is particularly useful if your commute involves a bike, bus, or carrying excess gear — like a ball or racquet.
The Synik 30 is especially well suited to the gym-to-everything-else lifestyle. It can carry your workout gear in the morning, your laptop and work essentials during the day, and still be ready for whatever happens after five.
If 30 liters is a little too big, the Synik 26 and Synik 22 are great, more compact alternatives.
Best for: Cyclists, commuters, and anyone who needs a bag that can seamlessly transition from office to courtside.
Synik 30
If You Want Maximum Organization: Brain Bag
If organization is your sport of choice, the Brain Bag is the pick for you. Its two main compartments, three exterior pockets, compression straps, and generous capacity ( 36 liters) make it a serious option for people who like to bring a lot of gear to the gym.
Shoes live in one compartment. Clothes in another. Water bottle in its designated spot. Headphones, keys, snacks, electrolytes, and whatever else you consider essential are tucked into the exterior pockets. The Brain Bag doesn’t require you to travel light — in fact, it’s pretty enthusiastic about the opposite. Despite its maximalist size, the compression straps let you cinch things down when you’re not carrying the entire contents of your locker.
Like the Synik 30, the backpack carry also makes it a good fit for gym-goers who commute by bike, foot, or public transit.
Best for: The organized over-packer, multi-sports athletes, and anyone who likes having a place for everything.
Brain Bag
If You Need to Haul It All: Yeoman Duffel
Some sports bags are built for a change of clothes and a water bottle.
The Yeoman Duffel is made for all of it — and then some.
Available in four sizes, the Yeoman is a straightforward, wide-open duffel that can swallow days' worth of clothes, gear, and equipment. It’s the bag equivalent of a car trunk. The Small Yeoman Duffel can comfortably fit a pair of cleats, change of clothes, water bottle, and a soccer ball. If your sport of choice involves larger, bulkier equipment, the Large Yeoman Duffel can fit a pair of ski boots, down jacket, and goggles.
And when the sports bag needs to double as a weekend bag, camping duffel, or airline carry-on, it’s already prepared for its second shift.
The Yeoman Duffel can be carried by its padded grab handles or over the shoulder or crossbody with an Absolute Shoulder Strap.
Best for: Serious gear haulers, team sports, and anyone who consistently carries extra equipment.
Yeoman Duffel
If You Want A Shoulder Carry: Monster Truck
At 38 liters, the Monster Truck is truly made to haul it all — it works exceptionally well for groceries, and during our latest photoshoot, we found it works equally as well as a sports tote. Three open-top compartments give you room to separate your gear, while front and back open-top pockets keep small items from getting buried.
Throw in your shoes, clothes, towel, water bottle, equipment, and anything else you need for the day. The foam-padded handles make the shoulder carry more comfortable when you’ve got a lot to haul. The flat bottom is key to keeping all your gear in one place — no runaway balls here.
If 38 liters sounds intimidating and, for some, unreasonably big, the Truck is a smaller alternative that’ll still handle your gear like an MVP.
Best for: Big loads, team sports, equipment-heavy workouts, and those who prefer shoulder carry.
Monster Truck
If you want a classic duffel: Old School Carry All
Sometimes you don’t need 38 liters, five exterior pockets, a laptop compartment, or enough room to pack for a whole Little League team.
Sometimes, simplicity is the way to go.
A modern reissue of a TOM BIHN design originally introduced in the ‘90s, the Old School Carry All (OSCA) has a compact 22-liter capacity with a roomy main compartment and two external 3D zippered pockets, one of which is made of mesh for extra breathability — which is important when what you’re hauling consists of sweaty socks and towels. It’s sized to easily fit into gym lockers, while still holding your workout clothes, towels, water bottle, and other daily essentials.
The OSCA can be carried by its padded grab handles, or on the shoulder or crossbody with an Absolute Shoulder Strap.
Best for: Everyday gym-goers, locker room frequenters, and those who carry little to no equipment.
Old School Carry All
So, which bag is right for you?
The best sports bag isn’t the one with the most pockets, the largest capacity, or the smallest footprint. It’s whichever one seamlessly transitions from your back, shoulder, hands, what have you, to the gym or field. Whatever bag makes the grueling process of waking up early, hitting the track, pumping the iron, and doing it all over again the next day. Whatever bag makes this process happen is the best.
For some, it might be a backpack with loads of built-in organization, or a duffel bag with none of the above. For others, it may be an oversized tote that can haul more than you need, or a backpack that you can take from the office to the courts.
Choose Your Carry:
The commuter
The organized over packer
The gear hauler
The not-so-little tote
The classic gym-goer
Five bags, five ways to carry, and one more excuse to get out there and move.
Which of your bags is sitting courtside?
