For some, hitting the gym is something that does not progress beyond the second week of New Year, but for a few others, it’s their temple of fitness and the pathway to a healthy body, mind, and life. If you are someone who falls into the latter, you know that a gym bag is an indispensable companion in your workout routines. The choice of such a bag depends on many factors and typically varies from person to person depending on needs, tastes, and preferences. However, there are a few things that stay common and are good to have in any such bag. Before you narrow down on the perfect workout bag, read these quick tips.

# 1 – Utility and comfort are important considerations

The first and foremost thing is the utility it offers, or in other words, the storage and organization that the bag provides. Different people carry different things to the gym, but basics like water bottles, sweatbands, towels, valuables like mobile phones, keys, cards, and cash, or wallets and purses that contain them are staples. So, a bag that you carry to your workout place has to have sufficient space to accommodate all the items. Basics aside, if you are someone who changes clothes at the gym or takes a shower there after your workout, your bag needs to have sufficient space to also accommodate your underwear, towels, toiletries, clothes, socks, and shoes. Not to mention toiletries like shampoos, body washes, facial wipes, deodorants, and so on.

Secondly, the bag needs to have also sufficient compartments to organize all these items neatly, and in a way, that makes them easily accessible. It’s common to find gym bags for women with single compartments and a pouch outside for the water bottle, but before you buy such a design, think if it’s worthwhile to dump everything within a single large space and then have to find your way through the mess for a single item. Most likely, you’d end up emptying your bag every time you need to pull out something. Compartments, even when present as small pouches or zippers inside a larger space, relieve you of such troubles and also save you time. Also, it’s good to have a separate section, preferably airy, to store all the sweaty stuff without coming in contact with other things in the bag.

Finally, the comfort that comes with the straps. This is completely a personal choice, as some women love to wear one-sided straps, while others prefer backpacks that attach to both the shoulders. However, what’s important is that the straps are strong, durable, and fuss-free. The last thing you want from your gym bag is for it to cause pain on your shoulders or arms because of poor design.

# 2 – Choose multitaskers if needed

Gym bags don’t necessarily have to be bags that you carry to the gym alone. When chosen right, they can serve as work bags, travel bags, backpacks, and lots more. For instance, if you head to work immediately after a workout session or vice versa, it can be difficult for you to carry two different bags – one for work and the other for the gym. In such cases, a classy design like a weekender or a tote, fitted with sufficient compartments for the workout stuff, can be your best partner. Similarly, a backpack with multiple compartments including a sleeve for your laptop, a pouch for the water bottles, smaller zippers for valuables and a separate compartment for the shoe is also a good choice when you commute a lot by foot or public transport.

# 3 – Don’t forget the style

You’ve considered the size, compartments, comfort and multitasking abilities, but it’s truly not your bag till you pick a color or style that matches your personality. Small gym bags for women are available in a wide range of materials, colors, and patterns ranging from faux leather in jet black those with printed bodies, neon colored flaps, or pastel-hued pouches and contrast zips. Pick a style that you are most comfortable wearing and also which matches your aesthetic preferences for that ‘feel-good’ factor. So, the next time you buy a small gym bag for women, you know exactly what to look for.