The 11 Best Weekender Bags of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Away Everywhere Bag

$245 at awaytravel.com

Away’s The Large Everywhere Bag earned the top spot on our list of the best weekender bags due to its minimalist design that allowed effortless, organized packing. This clamshell-style duffel bag is equipped with enough space for nearly a week’s worth of clothes and pockets for just about any travel essentials. The interior has one main compartment for bulkier items like clothes or shoes, and the inside of the opening flap has three mesh, zippered pockets for storing undergarments or other small items. We loved the exterior padded laptop pocket that could easily fit not just one but two laptops, if needed. The bag had no issues when we tested it for durability by throwing it off a table multiple times, which leads us to believe that the water-resistant material and sturdy build will hold up well with prolonged use. We had a little trouble adjusting the shoulder strap, but both the strap and the leather top handles are padded and comfortable whether you're holding or wearing the bag.

You can choose from three matte colors including black, navy, and a lighter coastal blue. If you’re traveling on a longer trip, this Away duffel bag has a built-in trolley sleeve in the back that can easily slip onto the handle of a roller bag. Whether you’re traveling for business or on a vacation, we think Away’s The Large Everywhere Bag is a functional and modern travel accessory fit for your next adventure.

The Details: 20.9 x 11.8 x 9.4 inches | 3.8 pounds | Nylon and leather

Best Personal Item

July Carry All Weekender

View on July.com

This July weekender is the perfect smaller bag to bring with you as a personal item on a flight if you already have a carry-on. It really can "carry all" of the essentials you would need for any length of a trip, whether that be a laptop up to 16 inches long or a cozy travel blanket. In testing, the minimalist nylon bag could fit enough clothes for a two-night trip at most since it's on the smaller side. However, we were able to squeeze in a laptop in addition to the clothing thanks to the designated laptop pocket. We think it could use a few more pockets for storage, but for the smaller size, the bag was still easy to pack and carry. After three months of use, our Commerce Testing Editor Jackie Cucco still found it to be a sturdy and durable option for a personal item.

The Details: 18 x 10.5 x 8.5 inches | 2.2 pounds | Twill nylon | 16-inch laptop pocket

Best Expandable

Longchamp Le Pliage Expandable Travel Bag

$275 at Nordstrom View on Longchamp.com $275 at Bloomingdales

We're big fans of Longchamp's Le Pilage collection, especially this expandable weekender bag. At first glance, it looks like a regular Longchamp tote, but it features a discrete expandable zipper that adds an extra 20 liters of space, meaning the bag can be a whopping 70 liters if desired. We were able to fit more than enough clothing and accessories for a four-day long trip with the expandable zippered undone. For added versatility, the bag is the perfect size for commuting to the office or flying with it as a personal item since it's the size of a typical tote bag. Made with lightweight polyamide canvas, we had no issues carrying the bag around with the leather tote straps or removable shoulder straps. The only downside to this tote is that it doesn't have pockets, which means you'll have to use your own pouches to stay organized on the go.

The Details: 17.7 x 13.8 x 9.1 inches | 1.56 pounds | Recycled polyamide canvas, leather

Best Water-resistant

Monos Metro Duffel

$210 at monos.com

Monos’ The Metro Duffel is a compact weekender bag that impressed us with its roomy interior that fit all of the designated packing items during our tests. There wasn’t much room leftover, but despite being packed nearly full, the bag remained lightweight and easy to carry with the comfortable shoulder strap and top handles. We appreciated the detachable toiletry bag that latches onto the front of the bag, and although it was a little difficult to get on and off the bag, it was reassuring to know that the toiletry bag won’t come off easily while traveling.

During our durability tests, the bag did not get scratched at all when we tossed it around, and the detachable strap remained secure throughout. Unfortunately, the section of the bag that holds the strap fell apart after a couple months of use, but we were sent a replacement right away (covered by the two-year limited warranty) which has fared well during trips since. The bag has a large zippered pocket on the opposite side of the detachable pouch, and there are several interior pockets to store water bottles and smaller items, including a designated laptop sleeve. We especially love that this bag is water-resistant, so you don't have to worry about it getting ruined if you get caught in the rain.

The Details: 16.3 x 11.2 x 7.2 inches | 3 pounds | Water-resistant nylon

Best Style

MZ Wallace Nik

$315 at Nordstrom View on Mzwallace.com $325 at Saks Fifth Avenue

MZ Wallace is known for bags made with stylish puffer quilted fabric, so we love that its Nik weekender looks just as nice as it is functional. The bag has a whopping 16 pockets on the inside and outside of the bag including designated pockets for technology and water bottles. We're big fans of the bag's organizational features, but we also like that it can fit enough clothing for a weekend getaway. After three months of testing, we found ourselves using this bag for trips no longer than one or two nights — while the pockets are fabulous, there's just not enough space to pack for a lengthier getaway. The material is lightweight and the tote straps are comfortable to carry for long periods, but the removable shoulder strap could be more comfortable if it was padded. And if the bag ever feels heavy, it has a pass-through luggage sleeve so you can prop it up on a roller bag for superior portability.

The Details: 16.93 x 12.2 x 7.09 inches | 2.1 pounds | REC Oxford, leather | 16-inch laptop pocket

Best Colors

Calpak Luka Duffel Bag

$128 at Nordstrom View on Calpaktravel.com $128 at The Container Store

Calpak makes tons of stylish luggage for travelers who love a pop of color (including us), so we're fans of this puffer bag. With 20 color options ranging from bubble gum pink to neutral oatmeal, the extensive list of colors is the perfect opportunity to add a unique shade to your luggage collection. Besides the intriguing colors, this bag scored highly in testing thanks to its spacious interior for packing items for a two or three-day excursion. It has nine helpful pockets for storing socks, undergarments, technology, and more, and it boasts a trolley sleeve and designated shoe pocket on the side of the bag. We also found it easy to keep clean and odor-free, even after three months of testing. The puffer polyester material is super lightweight, so the bag is a breeze to carry, but we did prefer the shoulder tote straps rather than the removable crossbody strap since the latter was a tad less comfortable.

The Details: 16 x 12 x 7 inches | 2.1 pounds | Polyester

Best Budget

HYC00 Travel Duffel Bag

$20 at Amazon

The HYC00 Travel Duffel Bag has all the pockets and compartments needed to efficiently pack for a weekend trip. The interior compartment could easily fit two pairs of pants, four shirts, a pair of shoes, and a toiletry bag, and there was a little bit of room leftover for a few more shirts. The bag is lightweight, weighing just 1.3 pounds, and we loved how comfortable it was to carry with the shoulder strap or the tote bag handles on the top. We liked the design of the bag with three pockets on the inside, including a wet bag pocket for traveling with a swimsuit. The exterior has two buckles on each end of the bag for compressing or extending the height, as well as a front zippered pocket for storing a phone or wallet while traveling.

After six months of regularly using the bag, we really liked that the fabric is easy to wipe down after a trip to clean up any spills or dirt. The bag is made of water-resistant nylon with plastic-lined pockets, making it extra easy to clean if anything is spilled on the inside or outside. There are over a dozen colors to choose from including light pink, pale blue, and olive green.

The Details: 21.7 x 10.6 x 7.09 inches | 1.3 pounds | Water-resistant nylon

Best for Outdoors

Peak Design Travel Duffel

$140 at Amazon $140 at REI $140 at peakdesign.com

If the outdoors is calling your name, the Peak Design Travel Duffel 35L is the best weekender to choose whether you’re camping, glamping, or taking a road trip. Made of weatherproof nylon canvas, this duffel bag is equipped with a waterproof lining at the bottom and weatherproof zippers, too. The shape of the bag and hardware remained intact after we tossed it around to test for durability, and the hardware and weather-resistant fabric feel very high quality. The shell of the bag has an athletic style; we feel the material resembles a hiking or outdoors-specific backpack versus a more polished piece.

This bag has one main compartment that fits enough clothes for a weekend, and there are two internal mesh pockets and four external pockets for storing additional items as well. It comes with detachable, padded shoulder straps that you can convert from a shoulder strap to backpack straps. While the straps were comfortable to wear once adjusted, we thought there could be a bit more padding for extra comfort. This bag is a great value for people looking for a very lightweight, weatherproof, easy-to-carry bag that will last a long time.

The Details: 22 x 14 x 10 inches | 2 pounds | Recycled 600D nylon canvas with leather accents

Best Organization

Béis The Commuter Duffle

$138 at Nordstrom View on Beistravel.com

Finding a weekender bag with the ideal number of pockets can be difficult, but luckily, Béis has one that makes packing quick and effortless. This 24-liter bag has various pockets and storage for weekend essentials such as a laptop, shoes, clothing, a toiletry bag, and more, helping travelers stay organized with everything in quick reach. Because it's on the smaller side for a weekender bag, we found it could fit all of the items on our two-day packing list with room left over. After three months of testing, we found that the trolley sleeve for placing the bag on a suitcase if needed held up well and that the tote handles and padded shoulder strap were still both comfortable. Durable and thoughtfully designed, this Béis weekender has everything we look for in a reliable travel bag.

The Details: 21.5 x 12 x 9 inches | 3.15 pounds | Nylon, PU, Polyester | 15-inch laptop pocket

Best Machine Washable

Vera Bradley Weekender Travel Bag

$75 at Amazon $135 at Walmart View on Belk.com

The Vera Bradley Weekender Travel Bag has a minimalist design and there are nine unique colors to choose from including olive green, lavender, mulled wine, and rouge rose. While this weekender impressed us with its sleek look, it performed equally as well during testing. The bag has enough room for clothing for a two- or three-day trip, but it didn’t have any room leftover after we packed it with two pairs of pants, four shirts, a jacket, a pair of shoes, and a toiletry bag. There are more than enough spots to safely tuck your items away, with five interior mesh pockets, two exterior zipper pockets, and two slip pockets on each end of the bag.

When we tossed the bag around to check for durability, it didn’t scuff or get scraped. After regularly using the bag for six months of travels, it still looks good as new. The best part of this bag is that the cotton fabric is machine washable — an ideal feature for prolonging the life of the weekender after use over time.

The Details: 18.5 x 12.5 x 7.5 inches | 100 percent cotton with 50 percent recycled cotton

Best Splurge

Lo & Sons Catalina Supreme

View on Loandsons.com

Luggage can be pricey, but after testing this weekender from Lo & Sons, we're confident that this bag is worth the investment. It's filled to the brim with thoughtful features that are sure to make packing and traveling much more smooth. With 47.5 liters of space, the main compartment fits all of the items on our four-day packing list with plenty of room left over. Hands down, our favorite part of the bag is the separate bottom compartment that comes with removable dividers so you can pack it full of bulkier items or organize it in sections. If you're not a fan of the bottom compartment, there is a flap that unzips to open it up to the main part of the bag to pack it as desired. The poly material passed our durability tests, so we expect this bag to last for a very long time, which helps justifies the higher price point.

It is one of the largest bags on the list, which can make it bulky to carry for long periods of time — an issue that we continued to run into after three months of use. We also found that the messenger strap needed frequent readjusting when the bag was packed full.

The Details: 19.7 x 15.5 x 9.5 inches | 4 pounds | Recycled poly, leather | 16-inch laptop pocket