This travel bag guide contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission on purchases made through these links. Thank you for supporting this content!
Key Takeaways
- This travel bags guide helps busy women find the right luggage for running and travel bag needs.
- Consider factors like durability, weight, security, and compartments when choosing the best travel bag options.
- Includes top picks for various travel bags, like carry-on suitcases, backpacks, and daypacks.
- The right travel bags enhance organization and reduce stress during trips, making travel more enjoyable.
- Quick packing tips and carry-on essential accessories ensure efficient packing for every adventure.
If you’ve ever found yourself juggling three bags, a coffee, and a boarding pass while running through an airport, this guide is for you. The right travel bag can make all the difference between chaos and calm, especially when you’re a busy woman balancing running gear, travel essentials, and maybe a snack (or three).
After countless race-cations, work trips, and weekend getaways, I’ve learned that smart packing isn’t just about what you bring; it’s about what you bring it in. From carry-ons and weekender bags to airport purses and travel backpacks, here’s how to find the best travel bags for women who love to run, wander, and look pulled-together doing it.
What’s Covered in this Post
Why You Can Trust This Luggage Guide
I’ve logged a lot of miles, both running and flying for races. Between marathon weekends, traveling around the world for World Major Marathons, girls’ trips, and solo travel adventures, I’ve tested a variety of travel bags. I look for travel gear that’s functional but stylish, lightweight but durable, and roomy enough for a pair of running shoes and a laptop.
This guide blends real experience with thoughtful recommendations to help you pack smarter, stress less, and enjoy the journey (whether that’s to a race start line or a sunny escape).
This guide is for women who:
- Love to travel, whether it’s for marathons, quick weekend trips, or work.
- Value organization but still want to look chic at the gate without packing unnecessary weight.
- Appreciate versatility with bags that can work for both gym days and travel days.
- Need gear that lasts through airports, cobblestones, and rainy race mornings.
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
Pro Tip: Get a travel card that helps support your race goals! Check out this United Card offer!
Choosing the Best Travel Bags for Women
Choosing the right bag is important! I don’t want to have a set of bags so niche I have a lot of clutter. I value gear that is multi-purpose and checks a lot of boxes.
What to Look For in a Travel Bag
Before you start shopping for your next suitcase or carry-on, consider these category options to determine the right travel bag for you.
- Durability: Hard-shell luggage resists impact, while soft-shell bags offer flexibility and pockets.
- Weight: Lightweight materials like polycarbonate or nylon make all the difference when you’re lifting a bag into the overhead bin. Weight can add up quickly if you’re not careful, so having a lightweight luggage option is important.
- Security: Look for features like TSA-approved locks, RFID-blocking panels, hidden pockets, or anti-theft straps.
- Ease of Storage: Review whether you can nest some of your luggage pieces inside the larger items for storage.
- Compartments: Zippered sections, shoe compartments, and toiletry pouches help keep things neat.
- Versatility: A bag that transitions from travel to everyday errands is a win.
Related Post: Looking for the best travel essentials for your carry-on bag? This guide is a perfect packing list for long-haul flights.
Carry-On Suitcase: Small but Mighty
The perfect carry-on should fit everything for a long weekend or even a full marathon trip if you pack efficiently.
Top Picks for Carry-On Luggage:
- Away Larger Carry-On: This is the original 22” carry-on suitcase with an additional 2” capacity in its compact design. It’s sleek and easy to maneuver through airports with 360° wheels. It also has space for a removable power bank. I’ve had mine since 2019 and it’s still in great shape! I also bought the matching large model!
- BAGSMART Carry-On Hardcase Suitcase: This 20” hard shell suitcase is ideal for weekend getaways. It has a lightweight and durable design and comes in multiple colors! BAGSMART also launched a 22” size for a larger capacity.
- Swiss Gear Sion Softside Carry-On: This was my longtime suitcase before I got the Away model I use now. It’s really durable and it’s easy to store on a luggage holder when packing or unpacking.
Pro Tip: Wondering how to travel for an upcoming race? This is the only travel tip I share with athletes traveling for a marathon.
Larger Suitcase: When You’re Going the Distance
When you’re heading out for an extended trip, such as a marathon abroad or multi-city vacation, you’ll want a suitcase that can bring it all. As someone who’s travelled with compression boots, a large suitcase is a lifesaver.
Top Picks for Larger Suitcases:
- Away Large Suitcase: This suitcase is roomy and durable, ideal for long travel days. I love that my smaller suitcase fits inside for compact storage and it has a compression pad system. If the large suitcase size is too big, it also comes in the medium 24” suitcase size.
- Samsonite Winfield Hardside Expandable Luggage: This suitcase is legendary. It expands an additional 1.5” for additional capacity. It has TSA locks built in and comes in a durable shell (in multiple colors).
Related Post: Get 5 essential tips for traveling to Europe for a marathon!
Travel Backpack: Hands-Free and Organized
A good travel backpack can double as your personal item or your daily sightseeing bag. A travel backpack is also best for overnight work trips since you can carry your business items and overnight toiletries in specific compartments.
What to Look For in a Travel Backpack
- Padded laptop compartment to keep important items easily accessible. You don’t want to worry about your laptop, plus it’s nice to have easy access!
- Water-resistant material so your clothes don’t get wet if you’re caught in a storm.
- Large capacity so you can carry everything for a day or an overnight trip.
Top Picks for Backpacks:
- Osprey Travel Backpack: Lightweight and durable, this backpack has a 40L capacity to carry everything and both a hip and chest strap to help with balancing the weight load.
- Bellroy Transit Workpack: This Bellroy backpack is a great option! It has a strap to store it on a suitcase handle. It has a separate section for clothing and a laptop section with an internal pouch for accessories. At 26L capacity, it’s small and compact, yet holds everything you need for an overnight trip.
- BAGSMART 35L Travel Backpack: Affordable, functional, and comes in fun colors (my personal favorite is the pink). This bag also includes a small crossbody bag! It has a small shoe compartment for your running shoes, a laptop sleeve, and separate pouches for your personal items. This is my everyday work bag, so I can carry everything from workout clothes and running shoes to my snacks to the office. It’s also an ideal personal item backpack since it fits under the seat.
Daypack: For Exploring or Post-Race Adventures
Perfect for carrying snacks, a camera, and your post-run essentials while exploring a new city.
Top Picks for Daypacks:
- Osprey Daylite: A lightweight and breathable design for shorter trips. This backpack model comes in a 25L size, and it’s perfect for day adventures when you’re exploring new places.
- North Face Women’s Jester Everyday Backpack: A perfect daypack that’s sleek enough for travel or errands. It comes in a wide variety of colors to match every luggage set.
- Cotopaxi 16L Batac Backpack: A colorful and adventurous backpack built from recycled materials. No two bags are the same. It also comes in black! It’s light enough that you can fold it into your suitcase for day adventures.
Pro Tip: For race weekends, organize your outfits by day (expo, race day, recovery) in packing cubes to maximize space and avoid rummaging.
Weekender Bags: Crossbody Bags for Quick Trips
For quick getaways or overnight race trips, a weekender bag gives you flexibility without feeling bulky. Weekender bags are practical and helpful for balancing complicated scheduling logistics!
Top Weekender Bag Picks:
- BAGSMART Gym Bag: This bag is a great weekender bag with a separate shoe compartment and chic design. It’s a perfect gym bag since it’s ultra-light and durable. It also includes a toiletry pouch!
- BAGSMART Large Travel Duffel Bag with Shoe Compartment: This puffer carry-on gym bag is perfect for gym workouts or an overnight trip. This black weekender bag is a great option for overnight trips. It has a separate section for your shoes. It also has a clear compartment for your toiletries for airline travel.
- Vera Bradley Large Duffel: This quilted iconic bag has fun patterns and standout solid colors with natural cotton fibers that are soft to the touch. This bag is a legend, and it’s understandable why it’s a fan favorite!
Related Post: Need ideas for what to include in your gym bag? This guide will help ensure you have everything you need to support workouts on the go!
Boat and Tote Bags: The Ultimate Carry-All
Classic, sturdy, and surprisingly roomy, these bags are perfect for beach weekends or organizing the car on a road trip. They’re great for keeping loose items from getting lost when in the car or on an excursion.
Boat and Tote Top Picks:
- Land’s End Boat and Tote: Iconic for a reason — the bag is really durable and perfect for a picnic or a beach day.
- CleverMade Utility Tote: Use this utility tote as an organizer for errands or to keep in the car and use as your new go to grocery bag.
- Lifewit Extra Large Utility Tote: Washable and it fully folds down for storage. It also has a small storage pouch.
Puffer Tote: When Function Meets Fashion
If your travel days often blend into workdays, a smart tote keeps things polished and practical.
Top Picks for a Work Tote:
- BAGSMART Puffer Tote: Soft yet structured — perfect for laptops and essentials. This has been my work bag for over a year, and it still looks incredible. To keep it clean, I run it through the delicate cycle and let it air dry.
- Wandering Nature Puffer Tote: This tote can hold up to a 15.6” laptop in one of its many pockets and keep your 40-ounce tumbler secure and easily accessible in an inside pouch.
- LOVEVOOK Tote Bag for Women: This puffer tote is water-resistant, with high-quality down filling and compartments galore. It can work as a work bag, a travel carry-on, a handbag, a gym bag, or a casual shoulder bag. It also comes with a toiletry bag and a shoulder strap.
Packing Accessories to Make Life Easier
- Packing Cubes: Once you start using packing cubes, you’ll never go back. I love how the BAGSMART packing cubes compress smaller with an extra strip of zipper (it also includes a shoe bag to keep your shoes separate).
- Toiletry Bags: A well-organized toiletry kit keeps TSA checks stress-free. Look for hanging styles with clear compartments. I love this set since it comes with a hanging organizer, a clear 1-quart pouch, and a makeup brush holder. And if you need a list of the best drugstore makeup products for your travel toiletry bag, here is a list of my favorite drugstore makeup dupes!
- Laundry Bag: Toss one of these laundry bags in your suitcase so dirty clothes stay separate — bonus points if it’s washable and folds flat.
- Digital Luggage Scale: If you’re ever nervous about your bag being over the weight limit, this digital scale is helpful to avoid moving around items from one bag to another in the middle of the airport.
- “Find My” Passport Holder: This passport holder can connect with the Find My app on Apple phones. I love it; it gives me peace of mind and I can track my passport location.
- Electronics Organizer Travel Case: I love this travel case for organizing my charging cords, a cordless mouse, small power charging packs, hair ties, and my Loop earplugs.
Related Post: Need a checklist for essential carry-on items? Get the full list of recommendations for what to pack in your carry-on bag!
Quick Packing Tips for Runners on the Go
- Maximize your space. Roll your clothes instead of folding them for more space or use packing cubes to help keep things organized and compressed.
- Keep things organized. Use clear toiletry pouches for traveling with liquids.
- Choose colors that speak to you. Luggage can be an investment, so it’s important you pick the options that make you happy (rather than sticking to neutrals only because they match).
- Plan for the day-to-day. Remember to pack one small foldable tote for laundry or souvenirs.
Related Post: Check out this guide for packing for a destination marathon! Understand what to pack, how to pack it and helpful tips for traveling for a race!
Top Travel Bag Combos That Actually Work
- Carry-on + daypack for domestic races or weekend getaways
- A wekender bag + a small tote for girls’ trips
- Large suitcase + backpack for international marathons
The Best Travel Bags for Women Make Every Trip Easier
At the end of the day, the best travel bags for women aren’t just stylish; they’re dependable travel partners that help you stay organized, stress-free, and ready for your next adventure. Whether you’re jetting off for a marathon, hopping on a girls’ weekend flight, or exploring a new city, the right setup can transform how you travel.
So tell me, what’s your go-to travel bag combo? Drop it in the comments or share your favorite pick on Instagram and tag @runwanderwear so I can see what’s working for you! Is there is a travel guide you’d like to see on the blog, let me know!
Let’s stay connected! Follow along on Instagram and Pinterest. And never miss a post by subscribing to my newsletter.
Leave a Reply