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The 10 Very Best Weekend Bags

Duffels, mini-suitcases, and backpacks for a quick weekend jaunt.

Photo: Hugo Yu
Photo: Hugo Yu

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Halfway through college, shoulders aching as I traveled to visit my long-distance boyfriend, I came to a realization: Freebie tote bags alone would not do. It was time to invest in a well-designed weekender. Since then, I’ve spent several years figuring out just what that looks like, from loading up polycarbonate cases for weekends in Europe, stuffing canvas tote bags for a weekend trip home, and testing just how resistant ‘water-resistant’ means on muddy weekends at Glastonbury music festival.

By now, I know that a good weekend bag should fit your essentials (from toiletries to underwear), but still be lightweight, compact, and durable. But a weekend bag that you’ll use again and again will — most importantly — be easy to carry (with sleeves for luggage or straps that don’t need to be adjusted every ten minutes). It should be able to withstand a bit of unexpected drizzle and make it easy for you to keep your stuff organized with efficient pockets, compartments, and zips. Keeping that criteria in mind, every option on this list is a great weekender — so if you know whether you’re after a duffel bag or a mini-suitcase, you can go ahead to that section (or even read my more in-depth guides to carry-ons and what counts as a personal item.). If you’re still shopping around, read on for all the information on how I and my fellow Strategist writers have put these bags to the test, as well as why 15 travel experts (including frequent fliers and travel writers) recommended them to me in the first place.

What we’re looking for

Materials

You’re going to be toting your weekend bag to and from your destination — and sometimes you might be carrying it around with you on your last day. A weather-resistant bag could be a smart choice, whereas for more unpredictable travel like camping, a ripstop fabric will make sure that any damage stays contained. All the options below should withstand a little rain.

Capacity

Packing one pair of jeans for a whole trip or multiple outfit changes per day is a personal choice, but you should know your tendencies before selecting a bag. Below, I’ve noted the volume of each bag, which ranges from 25 to 60 liters, so there’s a size for everyone from minimalists to shameless overpackers.

Weight

Since most of these bags are not on wheels — meaning you’ll be lugging them around on your shoulder or back most of the time — their unfilled weight is an important consideration.

Method of carry

Sometimes a backpack is the most comfortable way to carry your belongings; other times, a cross-body strap makes more sense. Many of our picks have multiple carry options (and some are removable), so you’ll be sure to find a bag that won’t weigh you down even when it’s filled to bursting.

Best weekend bag overall

Materials: Recycled polyester ripstop with weather-resistant TPU-film laminate | Capacity: 40 liters | Weight: 2.5 pounds | Method of carry: Top handles, backpack straps, and sling strap

Some items are recommended to us so often, and by so many different types of people, that they become a part of the fabric of the Strategist: An item we will wholeheartedly endorse time and time again. This duffel is one of them.

Thanks to its durability, impressive capacity, and lifetime guarantee, the Patagonia Black Hole has become a go-to for several frequent fliers and Strategist editors that I spoke to. Laminated fabric and a water-repellent coating protect the duffel from the elements and any damage that may occur in transit, while keeping it lightweight (under three pounds). Despite its gargantuan capacity, it’s unusually well-organized for a duffel: Senior editor Simone Kitchens has the larger 55-liter version and loves the “zillion separate little pockets and perfectly sized compartments for things like chargers and night guards and passports and AirPods, as well as slim sleeves for a laptop and magazines.” Pruzan Running co-founder Lexy Copithorne told us that inside her duffel there’s more than enough space to pack for a weekend away. In fact, she can actually pack everything she needs for a two-week trip. “That includes two sweaters, several fitted tanks and running sets, two pairs of sneakers, boots, a few swimsuits, and my toiletry bag,” she says. If you plan to take your Black Hole hiking, you can trade the cushioned sling strap for padded backpack straps, which is associate editor Louis Cheslaw’s favorite way to carry the Black Hole. Bonus: Patagonia will repair, replace, or refund your bag in the event it gets damaged, even if you purchase it from other retailers.

Best (less expensive) weekend bag

From $45

Materials: High-density cotton canvas | Capacity: 43 liters | Weight: 2.45 pounds| Method of carry: Top handles, detachable shoulder strap

I’m always particularly thrilled when I find a budget option that can compete, and the S-Zone duffel is up there with the best (for $55, you simply won’t get better). It has a sturdy canvas exterior with a soft nylon interior that’s water-resistant and easy to wipe clean. It has plenty of compartments for bulky bits like shoes or slimmer stuff like an iPad, and you can carry it three different ways, in case your shoulder or back gets achey on a particularly long journey. Although it has a whopping 43-liter capacity, it only weighs two and a half pounds, making it “roomy, lightweight, and comfortable to carry” according to Phil Dengler, co-founder of travel journal The Vacationer. Dengler’s been traveling with the same S-Zone duffel for over eight years now, which to me is an endorsement in itself.

Best weekend bag for light packers

Material: Machine washable canvas | Capacity: 23 liters | Weight: 1.8 pounds | Method of carry: Padded strap and handles

This is the weekender I used the most last summer. It’s great on its own, but like the Lo and Sons below, it has a trolley handle — meaning it can be slipped over the handles of your carry-on case in the airport. Since the brand sent it to me to test in June, I’ve taken it to Glastonbury (where its waterproof status was thoroughly tested thanks to heavy showers) and for weekend trips to my friends’ houses. Although it has a capacity of 23 liters, one of the smallest in this list, it has plenty of space for a few changes of clothes, some books, a hair dryer, a toiletries bag, and my glasses case. It also has a handy, padded laptop sleeve, so you can slip your laptop out without fuss whenever you need it, as well as other zipper pockets for smaller essentials. I’m a big fan of the straps, too: They’re the perfect length to sit on your shoulders without sliding off.

Best (more expensive) weekend bag for light packers

From $378

Materials: Nylon | Capacity: 25 liters | Weight: 2.6 pounds| Method of carry: Shoulder strap, removable messenger strap

The separate shoe compartment of this bag is precisely the type of efficient organization I look for in a weekender (who wants boots or sneakers rubbing up against freshly washed clothes?) Its praise was echoed by travel journalist Maggie Espinosa, who told me she’s used the duffel for over eight years as both a carry-on and a weekend bag. With a capacity of 25 liters, it’s best for light packers, but Espinosa told me she’s even managed to squeeze a pottery planter from Oaxaca inside one of the bag’s abundant compartments. Another handy design feature, says travel writer and founder of WanderWomenRetreats Alexandra Baackes, is the fully unzipping side pocket, which allows the bag to slot over the handle of a carry-on. “The small carry-on goes in the overhead, and the Lo and Sons goes at my feet with all in-air essentials, from laptop to lavender pulse point,” she says.

Best weekend bag for heavy packers

Materials: Water-resistant nylon | Capacity: 139 liters | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Method of carry: Padded strap and handles

Sometimes you just need a big ol’ bag that can hold a ton of stuff. But the bigger the bag, often, the flimsier it is. This L.L. Bean duffle is durable and an excellent price for what it is. Deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff was looking for something that she could use to pack up her entire family — herself, her husband, and two small kids — since putting everyone’s clothes in separate bags meant, well, that there were suddenly a lot of bags, and weekend trips were getting unwieldy. She landed on this L.L. Bean X-Large duffle and she thinks it’s the best thing she bought all year. “It fits so much stuff,” she says. For one weekend trip, not only was she able to pack in everyone’s bulky winter clothes, but she also stuffed in about two dozen diapers, a Tonie Box and its charger, and a noise machine. While the bag’s hefty-feeling, “it also can be folded down into basically nothing,” she says. “I store it in an oversize tote.” She’s also taken it on longer trips. On a recent flight to Colorado, she noticed not one but two other families with two kids who had the same bag. When she reported this to the rest of the team, fellow editors Maxine Builder and Simone Kitchens said they both still use the same enormous Adventure Duffles they’ve had since high school. It can be monogrammed, which could make it a nice wedding or new-baby gift.

Best weekend backpack

Materials: Nylon | Capacity: 24.5 liters (27.5 liters when expanded) | Weight: 2.6 pounds | Method of carry: Backpack straps and top handles

This is the backpack I’ve been whizzing around Europe with this spring. It counts as a personal item on most European airlines and stows easily beneath the seat in front of me on planes and trains. But it’s still pretty roomy: On a recent trip to Paris, I packed three days’ worth of clothes and toiletries without even having to expand it (including a big puffy summer dress that’s truly not compact at all). Thanks to the padded straps, it was hours and hours before I got an ache in my shoulder from traipsing around galleries. Luckily, it also has a lengthy top strap so you can carry it like a duffel to give your shoulders a break. My favorite feature, though, is the padded laptop pocket at the back — which means you don’t have to fish through your bag for your electronics at security. And when I’m having a proper break — i.e., not traveling with my laptop — I put my book and journal in there, so I can slide them out without fuss.

Best weekend backpack for light packers

Materials: Triple-coated recycled canvas | Capacity: 20 liters | Weight: 1.42 pounds | Method of carry: Backpack straps and top handles

Like me, writer Rebecca Selkirk travels frequently and tries to avoid checking a bag when possible. Her solution is to fold away all of her weekend essentials into this Roka backpack. It’s available in three sizes, and Selkirk recommends the largest option, which can store the equivalent of 20 liters’ worth of luggage and still be considered a “personal item.” Selkirk says, “You can easily take all your essentials plus some nonessentials — I can fit my camera, tripod, and action cam in it.” The bag has specific pockets for a laptop, phone, and water bottle, so you’ll know where everything is without too much rummaging.

Best suitcase for weekend trips

If you’ve read any of my other luggage reporting, you’ll know that I like to pack for longer trips using my Away suitcase, but for a weekend, I’ll usually reach for my Amazon Basics case. And though the Amazon case is made from cheaper ABS plastic and is not polycarbonate (which is more durable, but more expensive), it’s sturdy enough to be chucked in an overhead bin or sat on when I need a rest at the airport.

I’ve also noticed that this case is quite scratch-resistant, so although it’s gotten a fair bit of use, it’s not looking worse for wear. Inside are two roomy compartments and mesh pockets to keep smaller bits like socks or jewelry accounted for. And at 37 liters, there’s plenty of space for all you’ll need for a weekend.

Best suitcase with built-in wardrobe for weekend trips

From $295

Materials: Polycarbonate shell and aluminum frame | Capacity: 39 liters | Weight: 8.1 pounds | Method of carry: Spinner wheels and telescopic handle

If you hate unpacking, consider this case. It looks like a standard carry-on, but features a compressed packing system when you open it, pulling out into a shelving system. Thanks to that shelving system, you can access all of your clothes without ever having to unpack. Since testing it on the recommendation of Kiki Reginato, (New York Magazine’s senior director of e-commerce operations who’s “completely obsessed”), I’ve been equally as impressed. On trips that only last a few days, not having to fully unpack is a real time-saver. It’s also one less thing to worry about if you’re staying in a cramped room or somewhere without great storage options. In this size, the case has 360-degree spinner wheels and is small enough to work as a carry-on for both U.S. and European budget airlines.

Best weekend backpack for camping

Materials: Double-line ripstop nylon | Capacity: 60 liters | Weight: 4 pounds | Method of carry: Backpack-style harness and waist belt

When I’m picking a bag to take hiking or to a festival, I look for materials that can withstand a bit of rough and tumble. Chyla Anderson, founder of Outdoorism, an apparel brand geared toward Black women and other underrepresented communities in the outdoor-recreation space, told me that this bag can do just that. Even though she has had the same one for seven years, it still looks brand-new and outshines a lot of the other bigger-name brands Anderson was considering, which often run up to $200. On excursions to Kilimanjaro, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia, she uses the numerous compartments to keep everything organized and easily accessible. Since you’ll likely be trekking with this pack, comfort is key, and Anderson is quick to assure that you can customize the fit with the adjustable torso and waist belts.

Some other weekend bags we’ve written about

Our experts

• Chyla Anderson, founder of Outdoorism
• Alexandra Baackes, travel blogger and founder of WanderWomenRetreats
• Anna Bond, co-founder of Rifle Paper Co.
• Sanibel Chai, writer
Louis Cheslaw, former Strategist associate editor
Lexy Copithorne, co-founder of Pruzan Running
• Phil Dengler, co-founder of travel journal The Vacationer
Jessie Hyman, co-founder of Pruzan Running
Maggie Espinosa, travel journalist
• Robert Khederian, a former Curbed staffer and current Compass broker
Simone Kitchens, Strategist senior editor
Nikko Lencek-Inagaki, director of design and merchandising at Freemans Sporting Club
Gabriella Mancha, hair and makeup artist
• Dymphe Mensink, who runs the blog Dymabroad
• Kiki Reginato, New York Magazine’s senior director of e-commerce operations
Rebecca Selkirk, travel writer
Alexis Swerdloff, New York deputy editor

Additional reporting by Lauren Ro, Trupti Rami, Ambar Pardilla, and Sanibel Chai.

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The 10 Very Best Weekend Bags