The Only Bag You Can Really, Honest to God, Take Anywhere

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.Stubble & Co4 min readShop $215, stubbleandco.comWelcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.There are plenty of gym bags that can carry a laptop, and there are a handful of laptop bags that could double as gym bags. Hell, there are plenty of work bags you can shove your stinky, worn-out sneakers into if you really want to. None of this is a revelation, but it’s also not a revelation to say none of them actually excel at pulling double duty.The problem is that most bags are designed for one of these pursuits first. That’s fine if you care about the gym more than work or vice versa, but who actually thinks like that? If you’re going straight from work to the gym, you either carry two bags or you wind up cramming your laptop, shorts, shoes, water bottle, and whatever else you need into one giant compartment.The answer? It’s the Stubble & Co Kit Bag, specifically in the 30-liter version. It actually feels designed for this exact conundrum. It’s optimized for the gym, good-looking enough for the office. I started using it on days when I commute into the office and head to the gym before heading back home. It has quickly found a life outside of that routine; it’s now the bag I grab nine times out of ten without really thinking about it. There’s enough room for everything I need, but more importantly, there’s actually a logical place to put all of it.Shop $215, Stubbleandco.comFlorence SullivanThe Organization Is the Best PartA bag can have all the pockets in the world, but if they’re not laid out with any sort of intention, it makes it more annoying to use. Instead of being convenient, you will just forget where you put anything. The 30L Kit Bag gets the layout absolutely pitch-perfect. There’s a padded compartment for your laptop, a separate area for shoes or dirty clothes, a sleeve for a water bottle, and enough smaller pockets to keep chargers, headphones, keys, and everything else from getting buried at the bottom.That separation matters more than you’d think. I don’t want the sneakers I just worked out in sitting next to the shirt I’m wearing tomorrow. I definitely don’t want them next to my laptop. With the Kit Bag, everything stays in its lane. And even when I’ve fully packed, I never feel like I’m digging through the bag looking for something. The mindlessness of the organization alone makes it more practical than any duffel I’ve used.Shop $215, Stubbleandco.comFlorence SullivanIt Doesn’t Look Like a Gym BagThis is likely the bigger selling point for you; it’s what I saw when I made the jump. A lot of gym bags look exactly like gym bags. That slouchy backpack is fine when you’re walking into Equinox, but it look out of place at your desk. The Kit Bag has a cleaner look than that. The heavy recycled vinyl polyester ripstop gives it some heft and water resistance. The yellow shown here is eye-catching, but it’s not outrageous for the office, and it helps if you’re trying to find it in an airport. Because yes, you will also start traveling with it.As for the shape, it’s simple, but the exterior is understated and there isn’t a lot of unnecessary detailing calling attention to it. I can bring it into the office without feeling like I’ve shown up carrying a locker-room duffel. I can also carry it like a traditional duffel or use the backpack straps, which I’ve found especially useful on a commute. Once the bag gets heavier, throwing it on my back makes the rest of the way home easy—better than having the entire thing hanging off one shoulder.Shop $215, Stubbleandco.comFlorence Sullivan30L Is the Sweet SpotThis is where Stubble & Co really nailed it; the size is perfect. Thirty liters sounds like a lot, more like a duffel bag. That is until you start putting gym clothes, sneakers, a laptop, headphones, toiletries, and a water bottle into the same bag and realize you do, in fact, need something duffel-bag-sized. Especially in colder weather when your clothes have more volume. An extra jacket can be a real space killer. And it’s right about now that 30L starts to feel exactly right. It holds what I need for a full day in one unit without it feeling like too much. That also makes it useful beyond the gym. Pack a couple of outfits instead of workout clothes and it easily becomes a weekend bag.It’s carry-on friendly, too, which means I could realistically use the same bag for my commute Monday through Friday and a short trip that weekend. That versatility is ultimately what makes the Kit Bag so good. It isn’t doing anything particularly complicated. It’s just solving a very specific problem extremely well. If your days regularly involve going from the office to the gym—or you just want one bag that can handle work, workouts, and weekend trips—the Stubble & Co Kit Bag 30L is one of the smartest options I’ve used. My search for the perfect gym bag is officially over.Shop $215, Stubbleandco.comPhotographs by Florence Sullivan