Storage Space

Ideally, a gym bag should be big enough to hold all your fitness accessories, your sneakers, one or two water bottles, a change of clothes, toiletry bag, and the most important of all, your protein shake without looking empty nor too full. Choose a gym bag that could hold all your necessities but can still fit in the gym’s locker. If you’re working out at your home gym, just keep in mind the first rule: choose the largest fits-all bag, but avoid having a shapeless sack.

Functionality

The organisation is the key to choosing the functionality of a sports bag. You should be able to separate all your fitness accessories; your sweaty clothes from the new ones, your underwear, and your toiletries. Your chosen gym bag should have snug-fit pockets for your water bottles and a protein shake. This allows you to find things as quickly as possible. And another new feature of higher-end bags is a separate compartment for your wet clothes, whether you’re too sweaty or part of your gym sessions is swimming.

Materials

Washed cotton canvass or nylon are the most recommended materials for a sports bag. Both have decent quality, long-lasting, and best of all, they are very cost-efficient. Cotton and nylon bags are easy to wash, very durable, and are available in almost all colours, designs, and styles. Leather is a good choice too, but it has its downside. Leather is too absorbent that it takes in the pungent scent of all the things you put in your bag. So in the long run, it gives off an unexplained odour that makes you want to throw up. But if you like to use a leather bag, find a bag that has a leather strap as an accent.

Most of us don’t think of taking care of our gear after a long, hard session in the gym but it’s important to give regular maintenance to it. After all, you don’t want to shop for gym bags every other month. Remember to do these things before throwing your sack at the corner of your room.

• Empty your bag with any sweaty or wet clothing as soon as possible. It would be good to make a habit of loading your dirty gym clothes right after you get home. Take out your sneakers too and let the bad breath for an hour, so any smells trapped inside are released.
• If you have extra cash, buy an organic ‘scent sponge’ made from volcanic rock or keep the silicon bag included in the box when you buy new sneakers or bags. It would help absorb any moisture or scent.
• Depending on usage, wash your bag at least once a month.