The 10 Best Sports Duffle Bags

Practice bags take a beating on wet turf and locker room floors, and the Under Armour Undeniable 5.0 answers with a coated, foam-lined bottom and sides that hold their shape. The fabric sheds rain, and a vented end pocket keeps shoes or dirty laundry apart. The padded strap tucks into a side pocket when not needed. This medium size holds about 58 liters. The base is padded rather than stiff, so a heavy load sags when set down.

For a teenager hauling cleats to practice, the adidas Defender 5 covers the basics at a modest cost. A vented, zippered shoe compartment lets damp cleats air out away from clean clothes, and the bottom resists water on soggy fields. The medium and large sizes add a padded strap. Webbing loops hold keys or a clip-on bottle. This is a fresh design, so it has a shorter track record than the older Defender 4.

When clean clothes and sweaty gear have to share one bag, the FocusGear Ultimate Gym Bag 2.0 sorts them into separate spaces. A shoe tunnel runs its full length and takes up to a men's size 14, a hidden lined pocket holds a wet swimsuit, and two side pouches fit a big bottle and a shaker. A firm base keeps it upright. The body is compact, so pads or a helmet won't fit.

Heavy jobsite-grade fabric makes the Carhartt Classic Duffel the one to grab when gear gets dragged across gravel, bleachers and truck beds. The thick, tightly woven polyester has a finish that beads up light rain, and the base is made to resist scuffs. Carhartt has sold this shape for over a decade. Inside, it's one open sack, and only the largest size adds a separate shoe compartment, so muddy cleats need their own bag on the smaller ones.

Plenty of high school and club teams carry the Nike Brasilia 9.5, a training bag that comes in four sizes, from a small gym bag up to a hauler for a full season of gear. A zippered pocket at one end keeps shoes apart from clothes, and a padded strap clips on for long walks. This medium holds about 60 liters. Inside it's mostly one big space, with little room to sort keys, tape and other small things.

Swimmers and sauna regulars get the most from the Fitgriff Classic, since its sealed wet pocket keeps a damp suit away from dry clothes. A vented shoe pocket sits at one end, and the waterproof bottom wipes clean after a wet locker room floor. The small size is light enough to carry all day and works as a carry-on, and a medium version adds room. It's sized for a gym run, so pads and a ball won't fit.

Bold gold logos on black give the PUMA Accelerator a dressier look than a plain practice bag, which suits anyone who wants one bag for the gym and a weekend away. Its textured polyester is on the heavy side, a shoe pocket keeps sneakers apart, and a loop lets it hang from a locker hook. The strap comes off when the handles are enough. Care is spot cleaning only, and there's no separate wet pocket.

Baseball and softball players need somewhere to put bats, and the Rawlings Covert gives them two sleeves on the ends plus a vented shoe compartment. A vinyl bottom keeps damp dugout dirt from soaking in, and two long straps go over one shoulder or both. The top panel unzips so a team can send it out for a name or logo, and a mesh pocket holds a phone and keys. It's built around bats, so it's awkward for other sports.

Tournament weekends with uniforms, pads and towels for a few kids call for something like the Amazon Essentials Foldable Duffel, which holds a huge load and folds flat in a closet afterward. It's light nylon with zip pockets inside and out, and at about 150 liters it swallows a lot. There's no frame, padding or shoe pocket, so it slumps when half full and does little to protect anything fragile.

Anyone who wants a gym bag that looks at home on a train or plane can turn to the Lovevook Weekender. Its quilted shell reads as a travel bag, not team gear, and a zipped bottom compartment holds shoes or dirty clothes. A lined wet pocket and a matching toiletry pouch come with it, and a sleeve on the back slides over a suitcase handle. No warranty is stated, and the tall tote shape won't take pads or a helmet.