The 14 Very Best Weekend Bags

Materials: Recycled nylon | Capacity: 24 liters | Weight: 2.4 pounds | Method of carry: Top handles

Co-founder of Rifle Paper Anna Bond travels with this classic everyday tote from LeSportsac. It’s made from tough, recycled nylon and features a zip that runs across the lip of the bag, which Bond says is “a huge plus when I’m going to the office or traveling.” The bag has plenty of deep pockets for keeping things organized — or stowing unexpected cargo. “Every day is a little different, but as a working mom, I sometimes need room for my laptop as well as for items for my son,” says Bond.

Materials: Triple-coated recycled canvas | Capacity: 20 liters | Weight: 1.42 pounds | Method of carry: Backpack straps and top handles

Writer Rebecca Selkirk travels frequently and doesn’t like to pay for a checked bag. Her solution is to fold away all of her weekend essentials into this Roka backpack. It’s available in three sizes, and Selkirk recommends the largest option, which can store the equivalent of 20 liters’ worth of luggage and still be considered a “personal item.” Selkirk says, “You can easily take all your essentials plus some nonessentials — I can fit my camera, tripod, and action cam in it.” The bag has specific pockets for a laptop, phone, and water bottle, so you’ll know where everything is without too much rummaging.

Materials: Nylon | Capacity: 24.5 liters (27.5 liters when expanded) | Weight: 2.6 pounds | Method of carry: Backpack straps and top handles

This is the backpack I’ve been whizzing around Europe with this spring. It counts as a personal item on most European airlines and stows easily beneath the seat in front of me on planes and trains. But it’s still pretty roomy: On a recent trip to Paris, I packed three days’ worth of clothes and toiletries without even having to expand it (including a big puffy summer dress that’s truly not compact at all). Thanks to the padded straps, it was hours and hours before I got an ache in my shoulder from traipsing around galleries. Luckily, it also has a lengthy top strap so you can carry it like a duffel to give your shoulders a break. My favorite feature, though, is the padded laptop pocket at the back — which means you don’t have to fish through your bag for your electronics at security. And when I’m having a proper break — i.e., not traveling with my laptop — I put my book and journal in there, so I can slide them out without fuss.

Materials: Germany Makrolon® polycarbonate hard-shell material | Capacity: 41 liters | Weight: 10.6 pounds | Method of carry: 3-step aluminum telescopic handle

When a suitcase feels more appropriate for her travels, Mensink prefers this scratch-resistant carry-on. She has no problem fitting her collapsible tripod, camera lenses, external hard drive, and tablet, and she takes advantage of the internal mesh dividers to organize her tech on one side and clothes on the other. Even when fully loaded, the well-balanced suitcase won’t fall over, which hasn’t always been the case with luggage Mensink has used in the past. The 360-degree spinner wheels are supersmooth (and quiet), so Mensink has no problem dragging this carry-on over inconsistent city sidewalks. She notes that she hasn’t “seen a more expensive suitcase that would be better than this one” and even influenced a friend to pick up the same model.

Materials: Polycarbonate shell and aluminum frame | Capacity: 39 liters | Weight: 8.1 pounds | Method of carry: Spinner wheels and telescopic handle

Kiki Reginato, New York Magazine’s senior director of e-commerce operations, says that she’s “completely obsessed” with her carry-on closet suitcase. It looks like a standard carry-on, but features a compressed packing system when you open it, pulling out into a shelving system. Reginato says that “the genius system means that you never have to unpack” — a time-saver when your trip is so brief. In this size, the case has 360-degree spinner wheels and is small enough to work as a carry-on for both U.S. and European budget airlines.

Materials: Double-line ripstop nylon | Capacity: 60 liters | Weight: 4 pounds | Method of carry: Backpack-style harness and waist belt

Chyla Anderson, founder of Outdoorism, an apparel brand geared toward Black women and other underrepresented communities in the outdoor-recreation space, relies on this backpack that has served her well on multiday backpacking trips as well as camping weekends. Even though she has had the same one for seven years, it still looks brand-new and outshines a lot of the other bigger-name brands Anderson was considering, which often run up to $200. On excursions to Kilimanjaro, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia, she uses the numerous compartments to keep everything organized and easily accessible. Since you’ll likely be trekking with this pack, comfort is key, and Anderson is quick to assure that you can customize the fit with the adjustable torso and waist belts.

Materials: Ecocraft canvas | Capacity: 29.4 liters | Weight: 2.4 pounds | Method of carry: Trolley handle straps, removable shoulder strap

For a structured bag with an especially stylish silhouette, consider this weekender that Robert Khederian, a former Curbed staffer and current Compass broker, recommends. Stain-repellent silicone coats the canvas exterior (and keeps your stuff dry), which is accented with recycled vegan leather for a “classic yet distinctive” profile. For a trip length of two to three days, Khederian finds this weekend bag “roomy without being cumbersome,” but expects that an exceptionally light packer might be able to squeeze a few more nights out of it. On longer trips when you use this bag as a carry-on, a pass-through panel allows you to slip it over your suitcase handle. If you really want yours to stand out from the crowd, you can get it monogrammed, starting at $25 for embroidered letters and $75 for hand-painted emojis.