- Dimensions: 13 inches (width) x 8.5 inches (depth) x 18.5 inches (height)
- Material: Nylon and vegan leather
- Weight: 1.8 pounds
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Pack your bags, it’s time to plan your next weekend getaway. Instead of dragging out your bulky suitcase or digging through endless totes and duffels that don’t quite cut it, though, consider upgrading to a stylish weekender bag that’s built for the job. Perfectly sized to be a carry-on, weekenders typically hold everything you need for up to three nights. Many offer versatile packing and organizing solutions and make traveling easier.
If you feel like a bag can never have too many pockets, you’ll love the Carra Nimbus weekender. Not only does this bag grab the spot for best lightweight bag—it’s puffy and light as air, much like the cloud it’s named after—but it also has 14 pockets to help keep your belongings safe and secure. That includes a padded laptop sleeve, a water bottle pocket, and separate pouches for shoes and wet/dirty clothes.
Weighing less than two pounds, this bag is easy to carry, and the extra padding on the handles makes it even more ergonomic. Other handy features include a water-resistant interior and exterior lining plus the mesh vents inside the bag to ward off mustiness.
If you’re looking for the lightest bag you can find for a weekend away that still offers room for your essentials, look no further than the Caraa Nimbus Large.
Available in three colors, this chic bag with a simple design is as useful as it is beautiful. I tested this one out and was impressed with how many pockets it has — and even if you’re still not satisfied in terms of its storage, there are so many add-ons. You can purchase an extra toiletry kit or travel pouch, for example.
The fun checkered lining adds interest to the bag while its nylon construction is easy to wash and keep clean. It can fit a 16-inch laptop in its dedicated sleeve, plus it has a luggage strap for transporting it through the airport. Its structured silhouette looks great with any outfit and its simple design will be in style for years to come. Consider grabbing this one if you use packing cubes or other separate organizers.
This is a chic, simply designed bag with luxurious extras, like a luggage strap, plus a fun, checkered interior.
This Royce bag is definitely an investment, but it’s one that you’ll have for many years to come. This stunning, structured duffel is made of high-quality leather (hence the hefty price tag) with a silk lining. It’s available in three colors, each with three different embossing styles for monogramming: Just one more luxurious, personalized detail.
This one doesn’t have many compartments to speak of, but with its fine materials and superb workmanship, this one’s a statement bag you’ll want to carry on each and every trip.
Despite being a bit spendy, this leather weekender option is luxurious and worth the high price tag, thanks to its customizable options and exceptional craftsmanship.
This weekender bag is constructed from a water-resistant material that uses 14 upcycled plastic water bottles. The bag is lightweight, spacious, and even has an eco-friendly silicone coating for an extra layer of durability.
The Paravel duffel also has personalization options: It can be monogrammed, embroidered, or hand-painted or foiled with emojis and letters. It has handles and a removable shoulder strap, so you can hold the bag in two different ways, and a two-way locking zipper for safety. Two zippered pockets inside offer a handy spot to keep extras in place.
If sustainability is your priority, look no further than the Paravel Main Line Duffel Bag, which is lightweight yet spacious and durable.
This weekend bag is filled with features that make traveling a breeze: A wide opening that allows you to access every inch of space, a separate pocket for your tablet or laptop, and a zipper-pocket on the back that becomes a trolley sleeve so it fits over your luggage handle.
The bottom compartment of this Beis bag is designed to keep your shoes or toiletries separate from the items in the main compartment of the bag. If you are an overpacker and always need more room in your carry-on, this bag is for you.
Despite being a bit heavier, this attractive bag from Béis offers remarkable versatility, in addition to a variety of pockets, plus a trolley sleeve.
Our pick for the best canvas weekender is super lightweight—it’s just one pound. The inside of this Madden Girl bag is large and spacious and has three pockets inside and three pockets on the outside of the bag that either zip up or snap closed.
Because it’s made of canvas, the bag is durable and easy to clean. The removable strap is fully adjustable making it easy to tote on all of your adventures.
When it comes to the best canvas bag, MyMealivos’ iteration wins for its spacious interior and pockets for organization of all your must-haves.
Available in four beautiful, neutral shades, this leather weekender bag is ideal for a multitude of destinations. It features three spacious compartments, protective metal feet so you can put it down anywhere, sturdy handles for toting all your stuff, and crossbody straps for versatile carrying options. Stash everything from changes of clothes to tech gadgets to your wallet. The Cuyana Easy Travel Tote looks great and fits everything you need for a business trip or a weekend away with friends.
This gorgeous, sculptural leather weekender tote compliments any style from boho to traditional and comes in a variety of muted colorways for the ultimate in versatility.
The highly rated Catalina Deluxe is the frontrunner for the most durable weekender bag, but it’s not made from the typical material you’d expect. Instead Lo & Sons uses eco-friendly sustainable materials like fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainable canvases that are better for the planet and apparently make fantastic weekender bags. Features like a bottom zipper pocket with a removable padded insert and a trolly sleeve, makes this back a must-have for travelers.
In terms of durability, this bag from Lo & Sons is ideal, thanks to its sustainable fabric construction.
If you need a weekender bag but you don’t feel like lugging it around when you’re traveling, try this rolling bag from Briggs & Riley. Not only is it a quality bag made of rugged nylon, but it has plenty of high-end features like a pocket designed just for your tech and protected with RFID technology. Inside there is plenty of room to pack all of your belongings. It’s a weekender-suitcase hybrid, so it has cool features like tie-down straps and lots of zippered compartments. It even has industry-best YKK zippers.
When you’re ready to roll, grab the telescopic handle and use the wheels to guide the bag to your next destination. Buy it directly from Briggs & Riley and you can have it monogrammed, too.
If you want your bag to slide and glide with ease, invest in this weekender from iconic travel brand Briggs & Riley.
Functional weekender meet fun patterns in the Vera Bradley Women’s Recycled Cotton Weekender Travel Bag. It’s our pick for the best washable bag thanks to 80 percent cotton construction and 20 percent recycled materials.
Choose from florals, paisley, prints, and solids—there seems to be a Vera Bradly bag for everyone. Inside the bag are five mesh pockets, and outside is three more plus a trolley sleeve to attach the bag to your suitcase. If the bag gets dirty, just toss it in the washing machine—it’s designed to hold its vibrant colors through washings.
If you’re hard on your weekend bag or tend to carry a lot of beauty products with you (like I do), this Vera Bradley washable weekender is your best bet.
This chic, convertible budget weekender bag is ideal for lots of reasons. Use it as a tote for the farmer’s market and a backpack for work or the weekend. Featuring convertible shoulder straps, a padded laptop sleeve, and zippered front pocket, you’ll reach for it every day of the week.
This convertible backpack and tote combination is sleek, won’t break the bank, and fits everything you need for a weekend trip.
If you’d rather not break the bank on a weekender bag, but you still want to love the look and features of the bag, this top-rated Skyway Rainier Compact Duffel Bag is a great choice. Available in two cool colorways, this backpack doubles as a duffel and includes contoured shoulder straps that are ergonomically constructed to relieve pressure points. I love the quick-access side pocket for my immediate essentials, like my passport and wallet. It also features a card holder should you prefer to forgo your wallet altogether.
This comfortable backpack duffel is a great budget pick with all the compartments you’d need for a weekend getaway.
A weekender bag is a piece of luggage that’s designed to be the perfect size for a weekend trip. Larger than a backpack but smaller than a suitcase, weekender bags offer flexibility and style when you travel. These types of bags are usually soft-sided, have multiple pouches and compartments, and come with shoulder straps. Weekender bags offer stylish alternatives to duffels and carry-ons.
According to Amy E Goodman, style expert and author of Wear This, Toss That!, choosing the right weekender comes down to your packing style.
“Think of how you like to pack and store your clothes,” Goodman says. She recommends asking yourself the following:
“All of these questions come into play when you are assessing if a weekend bag will ultimately serve you well,” she says.
To help guide your search, we’ve rounded up weekender bags that cover a lot of ground when it comes to packing styles.
First consider the material used in the bag. Often weekender bags are made from leather, nylon, or other easy-to-clean materials. “A weekender is supposed to be, in theory, a pack quickly, throw-on-your-shoulder and leave-your-worries-to-the-breeze kinda getaway bag,” she says, noting that each material does have its benefits and drawbacks. For instance, leather is stylish but could scratch. Canvas is casual but easy to clean. Nylon is also easy to clean but could tear if overstuffed.
Goodman says weight is also a consideration, “Think of how much you’re going to put in it and what it will weigh. I packed a designer leather weekender for a work off-site trip to a tropical island, not realizing the shoulder strap was painful thin. I had a burn on my neck, and it sadly wasn’t from the sun.”
A weekender bag should be able double as a carry-on bag. If you choose one that is too large, it might not make it onto the plane. However, if you choose one that is too small, it won’t help you be an efficient packer and hold all of your items.
We asked Goodman what travelers should keep in mind when shopping for a weekender that suits their style. “Weekenders are trending because they’re easy to tote three outfits, sleepwear, and overnight toiletries in a snap. You'll find more variety and styles to choose from than ever,” she says. “One wonders if you should go with a classic solid color or go for engaging prints, stripes, color-blocked or neon? I say go for what speaks to your personality the most, and have it be an extension of your personal style. My absolute favorite weekender is like a child of the 60s collided with a green tropical plants–it’s super retro, bold and totally me”
When selecting the bags, I researched some of the most popular weekender bags on the market based on reviews, durability, materials, and price.
I consulted with lifestyle expert Goodman who offered tips on choosing the best weekender bag.
Sizes may vary, but a weekender bag tends to be around 17.5 inches long and 8.75 inches wide.
Yes, a weekender bag is a good carry-on if it meets your airline's specific luggage requirements and you are able to fit your must-have items in the bag. Most airlines require carry-ons to not exceed 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches in size.
A weekend bag should have enough room to keep all of your belongings in one place - clothes, toiletries, and technology. You’ll also want a weekend bag that can double as carry-on and comes with plenty of pockets or compartments to keep your items organized and secure. Also, you’ll want to choose a weekend bag that is durable and can withstand traveling.
A duffel bag is often made from heavy material like canvas and is larger than a weekender. Duffels are used for longer trips or if you have more items to pack.. A weekender bag tends to be smaller, lightweight, and more stylish than a duffel. Weekenders can replace carry-on bags and are intended for shorter trips. However, you may see duffel and weekender used interchangeably.
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