Rolling duffel bags combine the pliability of a duffel bag with the wheeled functionality of a piece of carry-on luggage or a checked suitcase. The combination provides a durable travel style that can easily be packed with travel essentials and adventure gear, then checked or put into an overhead bin (depending on airline size requirements) before you wheel it around a city, airport or train station. The flexibility of the design also makes rolling duffel bags easy to shove into the trunk of a safari vehicle or push into a cargo area.
Based on consumer reviews and travel expert insights, U.S. News compiled this list of the best wheeled duffel bags for everything from weekend getaways to safari vacations to family trips and more.
The Best Rolling Duffel Bags
Note: All dimensions are listed in order of height by width by depth. Prices were accurate at the time of publication; they may fluctuate due to demand and supply chain issues.
Best Overall: The North Face Rolling Thunder – 22″
Weight: 7.3 pounds
Dimensions: 14 x 22 x 8.5 inches
What sets this bag apart: Designed for durability, this bag is made of heavy-duty, water-resistant nylon and a ready-for-adventure Base Camp body for added strength. Plus, its high-traction wheels and extendable luggage handle make it easy to navigate on every adventure. It’s available in the 22-inch carry-on size, along with 30- and 36-inch sizes.
Travelers appreciate: How roomy the interior is, as well as the bag’s sleek design and sturdy construction for a variety of travel conditions.
Best Carry-on: Vera Bradley Foldable Rolling Duffel Bag
(Courtesy of Vera Bradley)
Weight: 7.05 pounds
Dimensions: 12.5 x 20.5 x 10 inches
What sets this bag apart: This bag’s interior has two separate compartments and a mesh slip pocket, along with two exterior zippered pockets for organization on the go. It’s also constructed with lightweight ReActive material, which is made with recycled water bottles (each bag repurposes 24 bottles). What’s more, it stands upright on its own and stores flat when you’re not traveling.
Travelers appreciate: The spacious main storage area with two separate compartments, with many owners of the bag saying it’s a perfect weekender bag.
Best Checked: FŪL Workhorse 30-inch Rolling Duffle Bag
(Courtesy of FŪL)
Weight: 8.3 pounds
Dimensions: 17 x 30 x 14 inches
What sets this bag apart: This luggage has a retractable handle, front and rear grab handles, and corner-mounted wheels for easy use in and out of airports. It has a split-level design for organizing travel essentials and a hard-shell bottom for moisture protection and durability.
Travelers appreciate: The sturdy build of the bag and its multiple compartments, which users say make it easy to separate hiking or work gear from clean clothes and personal items.
Best Adventure Gear: Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Wheeled Duffel Bag 130L
Weight: 4.4 pounds
Dimensions: 15 x 34 x 13.75 inches
What sets this bag apart: Designed for adventure, this bag has a U-shaped top lid with loop zipper pulls to make the main packing area accessible even when you’re wearing gloves. The bag also features zippered end compartments for equipment, compression straps and storm flaps to shield zippers from rain. What’s more, this versatile rolling duffel bag has zip-away backpack straps, along with top and side grab handles.
Travelers appreciate: The bag’s water-resistant features and durability, with many noting it’s the perfect adventure bag since it holds plenty of clothing and gear for big trips to Alaska, diving and more.
Best Weekender: CALPAK Stevyn Rolling Duffel
(Courtesy of CALPAK)
Weight: 5.75 pounds
Dimensions: 13 x 22 x 10.5 inches
What sets this bag apart: This carry-on-sized rolling duffel has a trolley sleeve to attach to a carry-on suitcase for extra space, two separate packing compartments (so you can keep your shoes, coats or other necessities organized), dual carrying handles and an extendable handle. All these features make it a great option for a weekender bag.
Travelers appreciate: The bag’s ability to fit in the overhead compartment on planes, the separate shoe space and the material – with the option to choose a solid or cheetah print.
Price: $165 or less
Shop now: CALPAK
Best Foldable: Lipault Foldable Plume Wheeled Duffel
Weight: 8.49 pounds
Dimensions: 12.9 x 29.1 x 11 inches
What sets this bag apart: This rolling nylon duffel has a foldable system, making it easy to store in a closet or narrow space when you’re not traveling. It also has two top handles, and an internal compartment with a zippered pocket.
Travelers appreciate: The lightweight soft-sided construction, foldability for storage and spacious packing area within the duffel.
Price: $295 or less
Shop now: Lipault
Best for Business: Ted Baker Albany Rolling Duffel Bag
Weight: 6.3 pounds
Dimensions: 15 x 24 x 13 inches
What sets this bag apart: This sleek style has a rose gold trolley system and details, four wheels, and an internal butterfly lining for a laptop. What’s more, the elegant design has a saffiano-style front envelope pocket.
Travelers appreciate: The professional appearance and smooth gliding wheels, although some note it is larger than they expected and may need to be checked.
Price: $395 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Lightweight: Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel 40L
(Courtesy of Patagonia)
Weight: 7 pounds
Dimensions: 14 x 21.6 x 9.5 inches
What sets this bag apart: This weather-resistant duffel is made from 100% recycled fabric and has a spacious main compartment with a large lid and mesh pockets. It also has internal compression straps to maximize packing space and reinforced exterior handles for getting the bag into the overhead bin or taxi.
Travelers appreciate: Its smooth wheels, stylish appearance and the amount of clothing this carry-on-sized duffel can hold.
Best Value: Samsonite Andante 2 32-inch Wheeled Duffel
Weight: 7.9 pounds
Dimensions: 15 x 32.4 x 14.8 inches
What sets this bag apart: This large checked duffel has multiple exterior grab handles for picking up your bag from baggage claim, as well as a locking pull handle for whisking it in and out of the airport, train station or hotel. A large U-shaped opening on the bag allows access to the main compartment.
Travelers appreciate: The drop-bottom compartments for organizing items like ski or scuba gear, plus the lock holes on the zippers and the amount of packing space the bag offers.
Rolling Duffel Bag FAQs
Which bag is right for you depends on the type of travel you’re planning and what items you’ll be packing. Rolling duffel bags are more pliable and versatile than hard-sided or soft-sided luggage, and many are constructed out of durable or waterproof materials for a variety of weather and climate conditions. Depending on the style, rolling duffel bags have two or four wheels, along with additional carrying options such as concealable backpack straps, dual handles or crossbody straps – ideal features for adventure trips like safari, climbing, hiking and skiing vacations.
The interior packing space is typically larger for a wheeled duffel than a suitcase option, and if there’s built-in compression straps you’ll be able to fit in a lot of travel gear. When you’re packing mainly clothing and toiletries, either one will work. With ski boots or items with an unusual shape or size, a wheeled duffel bag will likely better suit your needs.
One thing to consider is that items tend to shift during transit in a wheeled duffel. Packing cubes can help keep clothing folded and smaller items organized. You may also want to pack the heaviest items on the end where the wheels are, and your lightest belongings on the end with the retractable handle – this way, the items will shift heaviest to lightest when you are rolling the bag through the airport, train station or hotel.
Why Trust U.S. News Travel
Rachael Hood is a senior travel editor with a love of finding the perfect bag for every kind of trip. She has a lifetime of experience testing out a variety of bags from the fashionable to the functional. To curate this list of wheeled duffel bags, she used her own experience with brands like CALPAK, Lipault and Vera Bradley, as well as her research expertise and retail merchandising background.
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