Blog

Oct 26, 2024

The 5 Best Toiletry Bags of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Kaitlyn Wells Cuyana has not restocked its Men’s Toiletry Case since last winter, so we’re removing it from this guide. We’ll be on the lookout for another leather option. After ten years of

By Kaitlyn Wells

Cuyana has not restocked its Men’s Toiletry Case since last winter, so we’re removing it from this guide. We’ll be on the lookout for another leather option.

After ten years of testing, we know that no one toiletry bag works for all travelers.

To find the best solutions for carrying what is, essentially, a bathroom in a bag, we stuffed, shook, dunked, and examined toiletry bags meant for all sorts of travel scenarios.

After researching 69 and testing 23, we chose five bags that we liked for their style, packability, and quality of construction.

We looked at a variety of zippered sacks, hanging bags, and structured, standing toiletry cases that open from above (what we’re calling “dopp kits”).

We selected picks for a variety of travelers and those using it in their bathroom: a versatile bag for most travel situations, a dopp kit with loads of organizational compartments, an open-style dopp kit with plenty of space for larger toiletries, a compact hanging bag for light packers, and a hanging bag big enough for a family to share.

Advertisement

This bag is not, by our definition, a dopp kit, since it opens flat, like a book. Yet it offers organizational options (including a detachable pouch, handy for quick trips) that should work for light and heavy packers alike.

Get this if: You want a bag for both long and short trips.

Why it’s great: Though it’s not the best bag for every type of trip, the State Bags Bensen Toiletry Kit is a good option for more scenarios than any other bag we tested. It’s also a great choice for travelers who need a versatile kit that can hold enough for longer excursions as well as keep smaller, travel-size items organized.

The bag (which is made of nylon, polyester, or cotton, depending on what color you pick) unzips flat like a textbook (7 by 9 by 3 inches) instead of opening at the top, like a traditional brick-shaped dopp kit. So it offers more flexibility to stash larger and wider items, like a full-size shampoo bottle, shaving cream canister, or large makeup palette.

It also has a hook, so you can hang it from a towel rack. To keep your gear organized, one side of the toiletry bag has two open pockets, and the other has a mesh zip pocket. When we stuffed the main compartment full of toiletries, the seams didn’t pucker, and it was still easy to zip closed.

There’s also a removable plastic pouch that holds up to four 2.7-ounce travel bottles. When we first tested this bag, in 2019, the plastic pouch was translucent; we loved that you could easily unsnap it for airport security checks without unloading the entire bag. In later versions of the bag, the plastic was too opaque to serve that purpose. But as of 2023, only one of the dozen or so color options (the nylon black/floral) incorporates that opaque plastic. The other options all now come with a translucent pouch.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: This bag is the most expensive of our picks. The Bensen’s plastic hook didn’t break in our tests, but it’s still thinner (by a millimeter or two) than those on most of the hanging bags we reviewed. Under pressure, it bends more easily than most of the other hooks, so we’ll be watching how it holds up during long-term testing.

The detachable plastic pouch isn’t as waterproof as it appears. The pouch’s edges are lined in fabric, which sops up liquids like a sponge before leaking the contents everywhere.

Capacity: State Bags couldn’t tell us the capacity; we estimate it to be 3.5 liters.

Dimensions: 9 by 7 by 3 inches

Colors: about 20 frequently changing options—some solid, some multi-colored, and some printed with patterns

Minimalist-looking on the outside, this water-resistant dopp kit has lots of specialized pockets inside to hold—and keep safely separate—your essentials. Although it has a hook, it works best sitting on a bathroom counter.

Get this if: You want a water-resistant toiletry case with lots of pockets and you don’t usually need or want to hang your bag.

Why it’s great: The Peak Design Wash Pouch has several organizational pockets for your sundries; it was the most thoughtfully designed dopp-style bag we tested. Most dopp kits have at most one small pocket in addition to their main compartment, but this bag kept our items separated, so that our toothbrush didn’t have to mingle in the same pocket as our razor.

The toiletry bag opens like an accordion, and its wide base keeps it upright even when it’s full. There’s an open compartment on one side of the bag that’s big enough to hold a 12-ounce shampoo bottle or an electric razor. The other side has three mesh pockets great for keeping travel toiletries in their place, as well as a large zip pocket for stashing cotton swabs and facial tissues.

Testers were pleasantly surprised to learn the bag is divided in half by a magnetically closed toothbrush pocket; it doesn’t seal completely, though, so moisture can evaporate. On the outside, there’s a pocket for a small beard trimmer or body razor, so you won’t cut yourself on a blade when digging through the main compartment for tweezers. “I love it. The compartments seem thoughtfully conceived,” said Wirecutter’s Winnie Yang. “It could hold enough for all three of us in my family times two.”

This dopp kit is also tough. It’s made of recycled, 200-denier nylon and coated with durable water repellent (DWR), so it’s light and flexible, and water-resistant too. (There weren’t any leaks in our tests.) It has large zippers and reinforced pull tabs that didn’t snap off when we tugged hard. The internal mesh pockets are coated in silicone, so it’s easier to wipe them clean than dealing with traditional mesh pockets. As a bonus, all pockets turn inside out for cleaning.

The Peak Design Wash Pouch has a lifetime warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Peak Design’s hook has a shallower shape than the hooks on our other picks, so it’s more likely to slide off a towel bar when, say, you’re digging for a contacts case at the bottom of the bag. (Peak Design’s arc radius is roughly 200 degrees; the hook on the L.L.Bean Personal Organizer, by contrast, has an arc of 270 degrees.) We preferred to use it like a dopp kit, letting it sit on the counter; that way, it was easy to access all its different compartments without worrying about it slipping and scattering our toiletries.

Capacity: 2.5 liters

Dimensions: 10.2 by 6 by 4.4 inches

Colors: black, sage green, tan

Advertisement

This contemporary-looking bag packs down flat but is still roomier when expanded than most of the dopp kits we tested. It does, however, lack pockets and a hook.

Get this if: You’re a heavy packer who doesn’t need a lot of organizational compartments.

Why it’s great: The Topo Designs Dopp Kit is fun to look at. It’s shaped like a prism and comes in solid colors or complementary color combos. It remains upright when full, yet packs completely flat for storage. Its spacious main interior holds oblong toiletries well, including a full-size hair spray canister or electric razor kit. And the structure has some give, so you can stuff the bag into sharp suitcase corners without compromising packing space.

The dopp kit is covered in an abrasion-resistant 1,000-denier nylon that’s textured like canvas and zips closed with a heavy-duty YKK zipper. The inside of the kit is lined in nylon pack cloth for easy cleaning; it doesn’t trap moisture or leak between layers. There’s also a long strap that makes it easier to grip the bag with one hand. And it has a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although the bag’s nylon lining helped trap small leaks, bigger spills may still seep through the bag’s zipper teeth. Like most dopp kits we’ve seen, this one has no hook. Unlike most dopp kits, though, this one has no pockets at all apart from the main compartment. If you prefer a toiletry bag that isn’t a gaping hole, opt for one of our other picks instead.

Capacity: 3 liters

Dimensions: 11 by 5.5 by 5.5 inches

Colors: about a dozen frequently changing solid and multi-colored options

This lightweight, well-organized bag fits a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries into a compact package. It’s meant to be hung, which makes it good for tight spaces, but it doesn’t have much in the way of internal structure.

Get this if: You’re a light packer who wants to hang up your bag for easy access.

Why it’s great: The Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small) is our previous top pick, and we still love it. It’s compact, holds enough gear for a week-long trip, and is durable.

Unassuming in size and appearance, the Sea to Summit is small enough to stash in a backpack or laptop bag, but it holds enough travel-size toiletries to keep us supplied for a week. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can open it and hang it from a shower curtain or towel rod to easily see and grab your items. It comes with a shatterproof mirror, two micro-mesh zip pockets and an open pocket for toothbrushes, lip balm, and tweezers, and a large compartment for bulky lotions and hair care products.

This toiletry bag is also tougher than it looks. Its ripstop nylon exterior didn’t tear in our tests. And the seams didn’t give when we stuffed it full of travel toiletry bottles, a toothbrush, toothpaste, facial tissues, and more. This bag comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Long-term test notes: Wirecutter’s Shannon Palus traveled with the Sea to Summit toiletry bag for two months, including a trip to Europe and weekend trips, and said she loved it: “I like how small it is, I can easily throw it in a backpack so I have meds and makeup et cetera on the plane too. There are so many random pockets, it’s easy to stash extra hair ties or a back-up $20 and not have them get lost. One complaint: One of the ties on a zipper broke off almost immediately.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Sea to Summit weighs just under 3 ounces, making it lighter than our most-versatile hanging-bag pick, the State Bags Benson Dopp Kit. Its willowy shape becomes lumpy when packed to the brim with travel toiletries, so some people may prefer a bag with more structure.

And though small spills are no match for this bag’s water-resistant exterior, bigger messes may be a problem because moisture leaks through the zipper.

Capacity: 3 liters

Dimensions: 9 by 6 by 3 inches

Colors: gray, blue, orange

Advertisement

This bag is inexpensive and sturdily constructed, and it holds enough to supply multiple users.

Get this if: You’re packing for a beach getaway for two or a family trip to a theme park.

Why it’s great: We like the L.L.Bean Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag because it’s big enough to hold a family of four’s bathroom essentials and it’s long-lasting.

With 6 liters of capacity, the medium-size L.L.Bean toiletry bag offers more room than the Peak Design and Topo bags combined. Our testers thought the bag was intimidatingly large for solo travel and preferred its roomy size for excursions with partners or a family. There’s plenty of space for packing full-size bathroom essentials to share among the group. We fit one full-size bottle each of shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and hair spray into this bag and still had room to add a hairbrush. And it’s loaded with storage features, so everything has its place. It has a wide handle, three external pockets, two interior waterproof zip pockets, a zip mesh pouch, and three small mesh pockets for taller toiletries, like a hairspray canister or sunscreen. There’s also a hook, removable shower caddy, and a removable mirror.

The bag is heavy when crammed full, but when we suspended the bag (stuffed with shampoo, toothpaste, hair spray, and more) by its metal hook for an hour, the hook didn’t break or bend. Its YKK zippers skate across the teeth, making it easy to open and close when full. And the bag’s abrasion-resistant cover didn’t scuff in our drop tests. The L.L.Bean toiletry bag has a one-year warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: This toiletry bag has two external side pockets for stashing smaller items, like lotions or facial tissues. But they’re too stubby for a regular toothbrush, so if that’s where you want to pack your toothbrush, you’ll need a travel-size one instead.

While moisture from a spill did bead up on the surface of this toiletry bag, it’s not completely waterproof. Major spills are still a problem, as liquids leak through the zipper teeth.

Capacity: 6 liters

Dimensions: 11.5 by 9.75 by 3.5 inches

Colors: about a dozen solid, print, and plaid options

After nine years of reviewing toiletry bags, we have a solid foundation in what travelers value in a bag. Still, we approached this guide as first-timers and read dozens of travel blogs, message boards, and bag review guides. We also consulted a panel made up of occasional travelers and frequent fliers to find out what matters to them the most, whether traveling across town or across the continent.

From there, we compiled a list of 69 different toiletry bags and divided them into four categories: plain bags, clear TSA-approved bags, dopp kits, and hanging bags. We reviewed each contender’s design, size, weight, storage capacity, materials, notable features (like a travel shower caddy or extended warranty), availability across retailers, and third-party reviews. We narrowed it down to 23 of the best-reviewed toiletry bags with a mix of features to accommodate different kinds of uses and various tastes in style. Then we called in the bags and tested them using the following criteria:

Overall design and construction: We reviewed each bag’s materials, the quality of the seams, and smoothness of the zippers, as well as the usefulness of each compartment. We also considered the bag’s weight, the sturdiness of its hook (if it had one), and color options, wanting to accommodate a range of tastes.

Bag capacity: We filled each bag with a selection of travel-size or full-size toiletries, depending on the size of the bag. Most bags contained a combination of the following toiletries: a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, body razor, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, facial tissues, feminine hygiene products, condoms, cotton swabs, a hairbrush, hairpins and ties, sunscreen, lotion, and a pill bottle.

Shape retention and durability: We closed each bag when stuffed full of gear and noted which bags deformed and if the seams puckered or tore under pressure. If the bag had a hook, we hung it up for at least half a day and checked both the bag and hook for structural integrity.

Contents retention: We shook each bag around and dropped it on the ground to see if the contents spilled out or became rearranged during handling.

Waterproofing: We ran each bag under a kitchen faucet for a few seconds to see how well the exterior repelled water. Then we spilled a tablespoon of water inside each bag, closed it, and shook it to see how easily it would leak a less viscous liquid (like spilled eye-makeup remover or toner).

Community review: We asked a panel of staffers with varying travel needs and family sizes to look at the bags from our list and offer feedback.

Advertisement

We’re currently testing new toiletry bags from Aer, Eagle Creek, and other companies.

The Matador FlatPak Toiletry Case is the thinnest and lightest bag we tested and folds flat like a sheet of paper when empty. Its roll-top design ensures there’s no wasted space, and it snaps closed with a YKK buckle. But the roll-top unfurled easily during our tests, spilling smaller items, like travel toothpaste, onto the floor.

The CableintheBay TSA-Approved Clear Toiletry Bag is made of plastic that’s thinner than other clear bags we tested, so it’s easier to puncture the bag when cramming it into a suitcase. It also leaked during our spill tests.

The Tom Bihn Clear 3D Organizer Cube is made of a ballistic nylon, which is scuff-proof and tear-resistant, and it has YKK zippers, so it’ll outlast most other toiletry bags. But at just 7 by 4 by 2 inches, it’s the smallest bag we tested and barely had enough room for three travel-size toiletries. It’s also twice as expensive as other clear bags.

The Travel Smart by Conair TS78SK Transparent Sundry Bag is the largest bag in this category, at 9.75 by 6.33 by 3.66 inches. A TSA spokesperson recommended that all clear toiletry bags remain under 1 quart (typically 6 by 9 inches), and we don’t want to risk getting detained at the security checkpoint with the wrong-size bag.

The Herschel Supply Chapter Travel Kit 5L holds more than any other dopp kit we tested, so it’s large enough for a couple to share on an extended getaway. But it isn’t leak-proof, and the bag tips over easily when full of gear.

The KomalC Leather Toiletry Bag is roomy, with enough space for full-size toiletries. But the zippers are clunky, and the bag’s lid is a flap-top design that doesn’t close completely.

The Vetelli Leather Toiletry Bag has wide storage compartments, and it didn’t leak during our tests. But those panelists who would buy a leather bag preferred the real leather of our (now-discontinued) pick from Cuyana over Vetelli’s faux leather bag; those who wanted an easier-to-clean option would have gone with one of our nylon or plastic picks.

The AmazonBasics Hanging Toiletry Kit doesn’t have as many storage pockets as other bags we tested, and the bag leaked during our moisture tests.

The Freegrace Hanging Toiletry Bag is the largest bag tested, so it holds enough toiletries for a family trip. But its size makes it cumbersome to carry when full. The storage compartments are narrow, so it’s harder to fit bulky or odd-shaped items, like wide-tooth combs or hair gel, inside. The bag also leaked during our tests.

We liked the toughness of the Tom Bihn Deluxe Spiff Kit, with its YKK zippers, ripstop fabric, and reinforced carry handles. There’s also a fold-out shelf covered in Velcro that keeps four 1-ounce jars from falling to the floor. Our testers thought the jars were too small, though, and not worth the additional cost. The bag also leaked during our tests.

We also tested and dismissed other toiletry bags and dopp kits from Aer, The Container Store, and Eagle Creek that have since been discontinued.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Advertisement

Kaitlyn Wells

Kaitlyn Wells is a senior staff writer who advocates for greater work flexibility by showing you how to work smarter remotely without losing yourself. Previously, she covered pets and style for Wirecutter. She's never met a pet she didn’t like, although she can’t say the same thing about productivity apps. Her first picture book, A Family Looks Like Love, follows a pup who learns that love, rather than how you look, is what makes a family.

by Kaitlyn Wells

Always losing cables, SD cards, and tubes of lip balm in the depths of your backpack? A bag organizer will help you corral what you carry every day.

by Kit Dillon

The Waterfield Air Porter Carry-On Bag is a great bag for tech-carrying travelers to slide under an airplane seat. We also have options for other travelers.

by Elissa Sanci

We recommend the Junes Carry-All sacks in our guide to reusable produce bags—but these mesh bags are impressively versatile.

by Gabriella DePinho

If a free carry-on isn’t included in your ticket, don’t pay extra for it. Here’s how you can pack a personal item for a weekend trip.

Advertisement