The gym bag used to be a non-issue. A sad sack you dragged along, stuffed with socks, a towel that never fully dried, a chunky hydroflask and whatever energy bar you forgot was melting at the bottom. January changes that. When everyone is suddenly serious about morning routines, protein, and ‘locking in’, a good gym bag can start feeling like a way to reframe your approach to the year ahead. No longer will a simple cloth tote or your old college backpack do the job. It’s time to upgrade to something that looks as good as the corresponding athleisure wardrobe you’ve invested in.
This is especially true because gym bags aren’t just for the gym anymore, they’re for the in-between. For people who go from Pilates or post run club coffee dates to errands to doomscrolling on a bench outside the studio. They need to swallow shoes, a change of clothes, a water bottle that might potentially spill, and ideally have a separate compartment for phone, keys, and snacks you pretend are ‘for later’. It doesn’t even have to be something typically considered sporty. Last month, Kendall Jenner carried The Row’s Park Tote Three in the sold-out dark olive colourway with her Alo set, proving the point: The right gym bag locks in, maxes out its load while maintaining style cred.
If you’re on the hunt, forget categories, go for feel. The good ones are roomy without looking like you've stuffed a few dumbbells in it. Puffers, classic duffels cooler than the uncs at the gym, slim crossbodies for your skinny sneakers, or a boxy tote bag that just works. Basically, bags that let you dump your life in, max out the contents, zip it up, and leave everyone wondering if you actually worked out—or just look like you did. We won’t judge.
