In Defense of My Attachment to This Lululemon Duffel Bag (2026)

As we get out of the house, the gear-obsessed WIRED Reviews team is writing about our favorite bags and EDCs. Today, reviewer Boutayna Chokrane raves about her love for her Lululemon gym bag. You can also check out other Bag Check stories where WIRED writers share their carryall of choice.

I have long had a soft spot for messenger bags. There’s a retro Silicon Valley vibe to the crossbody that I respect: It implies you move fast, travel light, and keep your world compartmentalized. The unfortunate practical reality of many a messenger bag, though, is chronic neck and shoulder pain. With all of its weight relying on one strap, a single shoulder is left to bear all the burden. After a few blocks adorned with a messenger, you may feel that your style choice has transformed into a full-on punishment. After years of testing various incarnations of messenger bag—including micro slings and cavernous totes—I’d made peace with this trade-off. Beauty is pain, after all.

Then I met the comfort-forward, durable, and compact-yet-cavernous Lululemon 3-in-1 Duffle.

True to its name, it’s a multi-use transport system that is easy to reconfigure when my commute demands a different carry. You can grab it by the top handles, sling it across your body when you need your hands, or detach the shoulder strap and wrap it around your yoga mat to use it as a stand-alone mat carrier. No matter how you task it to carry your stuff, rest assured the bag’s design promises utility and comfort: The strap is cushioned enough to spare your shoulder, resilient enough to handle the load of your gym gear, and springy enough to double as a stretching strap. Every component of the duffel has a reason to exist, and some of them even have two.

I’ve been toting this duffel for the gym four days a week since January 2025, which is about as real-world a test as it gets. It has endured Chicago at its most extreme: sleet, wet snow, and torrential rain. The water-repellent nylon shrugs off all elements without any fanfare. The bag dries fast, resists grime, and—most impressively to me—doesn’t hold onto odor. Trust me, I’ve pushed that boundary more than once with sweaty clothes after hot Pilates and have found the included drawstring pouch effectively quarantines everything.

It’s also low-maintenance: After a trip to the beach, a couple of quick shakes cleared out any memory of sand. This duffel requires blessedly minimal upkeep, save for the occasional spot clean, making it a refreshingly low-effort option for commuters who don’t need another chore on their to-do list.