Best Basketball Bags (Reviewed)
A good basketball bag should be spacious, easy to use, and comfortable to carry while being durable enough to withstand wear and tear.
Our in-house testers tested 14 of the most popular basketball bags over two months, taking them to court and gym almost daily. In the end, we found six basketball bags that passed through all the tests.
Here are our top picks.
Best High End
Under Armour Undeniable 3.0
Best Overall
Nike Hoops Elite Pro
Best Inexpensive
Point 3 Road Trip Basketball Backpack
Last Updated: 3rd May, 2020
Do you need to find a new basketball bag on your trips to and from the court? Maybe your old bag wore out, or you’re just getting started shooting hoops at your local gym. Whatever your individual case may be, this ranking will help you find the best bags based on their practicality, comfort, and, of course, their looks.
Whenever you find yourself going to and from your local court, whether it is an indoor or an outdoor court, you need to have a bag that can carry all of your equipment. You’ll need room for extra basketballs, for your shoes, for your clothes, and maybe even for a sweatband.
If you are serious about hooping, you need to invest in a quality bag specifically geared towards basketball. These bags will be specially designed to accommodate the equipment you have specifically for basketball. Not only are they practical by keeping your stuff organized, but they make a statement every time you step onto the court that you are ready to ball out.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your game, look into these amazing basketball bags.
We have pulled together a list of the best overall backpacks and duffel bags and earmarked some specifically for budgetary concerns and bags for kids.
Our Picks for the Best Basketball Bags
Backpacks
- Under Armour Undeniable 3.0 Backpack- Pro Pick (Backpack)
- Nike Hoops Elite Pro Basketball Backpack - Best Overall
- Point 3 Road Trip Basketball Backpack - Budget Pick
- Gonex Basketball Backpack- Best for kids 8 & under
Duffel Bags - Under Armour Undeniable Duffei 2.0 Gym Bag - Best Basketball Duffel Bag
- Nike Hoops Elite Team Black Duffel Bag - The largest bag
1. Under Armour Undeniable 3.0 Backpack: Pro Pick (Backpack)
The Under Armour Undeniable 3.0 takes the top spot on our list as the best overall basketball backpack. This stylish pick features an oversized Under Armour logo on an all-black bag, ensuring that you will also look good when going to the gym. If, however, all black is not your personal preference, there are other color options available.
That’s not all, though. There are some fantastic features in this bag that make it worth your money. The bag is built using some truly durable materials, meaning that you don’t have to worry about rips or tears forming in your bag and that everything inside it will stay nice and dry on rainy days. There are also pockets for a water bottle on either side of the backpack, so you can stay hydrated while you play ball.
The bag itself measures in at 12 inches by 9 inches by 20 inches - large enough to hold everything you need. This gives you room to fit an NBA-sized basketball inside along with the rest of your gear. There is also a front compartment to the bag for your shoes. This thoughtful feature keeps your smelly basketball shoes away from the rest of your stuff, a welcome nod to keeping good hygiene. Plus, if you want to use this bag for more than just playing basketball, there is also a laptop sleeve that can hold laptops up to fifteen inches in size.
Features:
- Plenty of space for an NBA-sized basketball along with your workout and basketball clothes
- Specialized compartment for your shoes
- Room for a water bottle in the side compartments
- Durable materials to keep your stuff safe
- Dimensions: 12” x9” x20”
2. Nike Hoops Elite Pro Basketball Backpack: Best Overall
The Nike Hoops Elite Pro Basketball Backpack takes our slot as the best overall basketball bag that you can get. The backpack itself measures 13 inches by 9 inches by 23 inches. This bag is constructed out of quality materials that will last for a long time and is filled with thoughtful details that will help you get the most out of the bag. The versatile polyester construction is durable enough to keep all of the contents of your bag safe.
In addition to simply being constructed out of quality materials, there are plenty of intelligent touches to the Nike Elite Pro that make it worthy of being deemed our best overall basketball bag. For example, the backpack has a special ventilated compartment for your shoes. This way, they will be able to air out while you carry them to and from the court, and they will not make the rest of your equipment smell bad.
The Nike Hoops Elite Pro Backpack also has smaller foil-lined compartments that are perfect for your favorite beverage. These will keep your drinks cool throughout the duration of your time playing basketball. Finally, there is a large main compartment in the backpack that will be able to store all of the gear that you need.
Nike does not sacrifice looks for the practicality of this bag. Rather, they turned the design up to eleven with an understated look to this bag that is simultaneously sleek and just plain cool. The bag is available in several colors, including black, white, grey, red, and blue. There is a line running down the middle of the bag that turns into a dotted line before terminating in the iconic Nike swoosh logo.
Features
- Thoughtful design by including pockets that keep your drinks cold and shoes ventilated
- Large main compartment that is able to store all of your gear
- Nike ProAdapt straps offer extra comfort when wearing the bag.
- Dimensions: 13” x 9” x 23”
3. Point 3 Road Trip Basketball Backpack: Budget Pick
If you’re a baller on a budget, look no further than the Point 3 Road Trip Basketball Backpack. This special offering has all of the features that you need from a high-quality basketball backpack without any of the higher price tags that you find from a name brand like Nike or Under Armour. This basketball backpack has all of the same features that you would expect and nothing superfluous that you don’t.
Point 3’s Road Trip Basketball Backpack is a bit larger than some of the other options. It comes in at 20 inches by 12 inches by 22 inches. While this might sound unwieldy to some, it also means that you will be able to fit all of your stuff and then some in this bag.
When designing the compartments of the basketball backpack, Point 3 made some of the same observations that we have seen in the other backpacks reviewed in this article. They have added multiple compartments so that you can keep your shoes isolated from the rest of your gear, while still having ample room to pack your clothes and a basketball in the main compartment. They even took this one step further by adding a mesh bottom compartment for any sweaty clothes that you want to keep isolated after a long session of shooting hoops with your friends.
However, if there is a spot to knock Point 3’s backpack, it is that it does not have the same refinement and polish as do the backpacks from Nike and Under Armour that we reviewed previously. The design of the bag is basic and only available in two colors. While the features of this bag are fantastic, if you are looking for a bag that is more than just a utilitarian device to get your equipment between your home and the gym, you may want to look more at the other bags we reviewed. The Point 3 Road Trip Basketball Backpack is all about function over form.
Features
- Thoughtfully designed compartments that separate dirty and sweaty shoes from everything else
- A third mesh compartment just for sweaty clothes
- Lower price means that this bag will be an option for more people.
- Dimensions: 20” x12” x22”
4. Gonex Basketball Backpack - Best for Kids 8 & under
If you have a kid who loves to play basketball, the Gonex Basketball Backpack is the best choice for him or her when going to the gym. This backpack was designed specifically with kids in mind, so although it has all of the features that you would expect and require from any basketball bag, regardless of age, it also caters to kids with some fun color options and a smaller size.
The design on the Gonex Basketball Backpack also differs slightly from the other backpacks mentioned above. Most of those used the main compartment of the bag as storage for a basketball, but the Gonex offering has a mesh slot on the outside of the bag specifically designed to hold a basketball. This design choice means that you or your child will always have easy access to a ball without having to dig through the other things stored in the backpack.
Like the other backpacks on this list of the best basketball bags for 2020, the Gonex backpack also has a spot for dirty shoes to keep them separate from the rest of your stuff. There are also mesh pockets on the side of the backpack that can hold a bottle or two of water so that you or your child can stay hydrated when playing basketball. However, there is also a detachable bag in this backpack that is just big enough to carry one basketball or a few smaller items.
In terms of style, the Gonex Basketball Backpack lags slightly behind the other three bags we have discussed. This one goes all in on a function over form approach. The usefulness of this bag, especially in the external ball compartment and in the detachable bag makes sense pragmatically. However, it comes at the cost of a slightly more basic design than the minimalist beauty of the other bags on this list.
Features
- Detachable gym bag, so you don’t always have to use this entire bag.
- External mesh pocket for an NBA-sized basketball.
- Waterproof construction
5. Under Armour Undeniable Duffel 2.0 Gym Bag: Best Basketball Duffel Bag
If you place a premium on being able to store the most stuff possible, then looking into a duffel bag for all of your basketball equipment is the best option for you. If this is the case, the best duffel that you can get in 2020 is the Under Armour Undeniable Duffel 2.0. This duffel measures at 11 inches by 22 inches by 10 inches - it can hold a lot.
Under Armour’s Undeniable duffel bag is made from quality materials that will keep your stuff safe inside the bag and will last for a long time. The water-resistant materials will keep your basketball gear dry even on days when you have to walk in the rain to your local gym or basketball court. The bottom of the bag is also reinforced, so you will have that extra layer of protection if you have to drag it on the ground.
However, if you are buying a duffel bag, then you probably care most about how much it can store. Do not worry - this bag will be able to store all of your basketball gear and then some. The main compartment has room for an NBA ball and your clothes. There is also a ventilated compartment for your dirty shoes or clothes so that they are not stinking up the rest of your gear in the main duffel compartment. Needless to say, the Under Armour Undeniable Duffel is the best option for those of you who want the most storage possible or if you want to avoid the backpack form factor.
Finally, the design of the Under Armour Undeniable duffel is attractive. You will make a statement when walking into the gym with a bag like this one. It is available in many different colors with a large Under Armour logo on the side.
Features
- Large size that can accommodate all of your basketball equipment.
- Waterproof polyester construction to keep your things safe and dry
- Padded handles and shoulder straps for ease of transport.
- Dimensions: 11” x22” x10”
6. Nike Hoops Elite Team Black Duffel Bag: The largest bag
If you are a coach or captain of a local team and regularly find yourself carrying large amounts of basketball gear to and from your gym, then you will need the Nike Hoops Elite Team Black Duffel Bag. This option has plenty of storage for everything you need and will help you to support your team by giving you a fantastic option to carry all of your equipment. This duffel has dimensions of 12 inches by 25 inches by 12 inches. You will be able to fit everything you need and then some into it.
Size is not the only thing the Nike Hoops Elite Team has going for it. It is also constructed out of high-quality materials that will wick away moisture and keep all of the equipment that you and your team need safe and dry. Plus, since it’s a larger bag and you will probably be carrying heavier loads in it, this duffel also has the special Nike Max Air shoulder strap that will help you feel more comfortable when carrying it to and from practice. This shoulder strap will absorb shocks and distribute the weight more evenly.
Finally, the compartments of the duffel bag match up nicely with the compartments in the other bags we have seen. There is the shoe compartment that you would expect, but Nike took things a step further and added in a wet and dry clothes separator to the interior compartment and a cooler pocket for team drinks to stay cold. These thoughtful touches make it the best large basketball duffel that you can find and a perfect option for those of you coaching a local team.
Features
- Spacious interior that will hold all of your team’s equipment
- Wet/dry separator for the interior compartment to go along with shoe compartment and cooler compartment
- Quality materials used in construction that will keep your team’s equipment dry.
- Dimensions: 12” x25” x12”
Basketball Bag Buyer's Guide
When it comes to basketball bags, each player has his/her own preference and needs. Some may need a bag that can also double as their school or gym bag while professional or serious players need a bag with ample storage.
Independent of what category you fall into, here are some of the factors you must keep in mind while shopping for a basketball bag.
Key Considerations
<Backpack or Duffel Bag>
Start by deciding what type of bag you need. You have two options here - Backpack and Duffel bag.
Backpack type basketball bags are versatile and overall quite convenient to use. However, they aren’t that spacious.
Backpacks are the preferred choice of most basketball players.
Duffel bags, on the other hand, come with ample storage space. Professional and serious players who carry a lot of additional accessories tend to prefer duffel style bags. Additionally, if you go to the gym regularly, you’re better off choosing a duffel bag due to a whole lot of extra space you get.
<Bag Size or Storage Capacity>
Next, you need to decide on what bag size you need. Beyond the usual items like basketball, shoes, and clothing, if you carry a lot of additional gear, you would need a bigger bag. Most Basketball bags offer 35 to 40L storage. However, the storage capacity may not be specifically mentioned in the description.
A good way to verify the capacity of the bag is to check its depth. For backpacks, anything above 10” depth is a good indicator of larger size. And for a duffel bag, look for at least 12” width, so that the basketball fits snuggly in it.
<Price>
Basketball bags can cost anywhere from $30 to all the way up to $100 for pro-quality ones. While the higher priced ones are better built and offer a host of extra features like an insulation pocket and ease of access but most of it is non-essential for most.
A good price to shop for basketball is somewhere in the $40 to $60 range as you get great value in this price spectrum. The build quality is excellent, and the bags come with all the necessary features that you would need in a bag.
Avoid cheaper bags (less than $30) as they tend to wear out soon and might be cumbersome to use.
Let's Wrap Things Up
There you have it - six of the best basketball bags that you can find on the market today. Each of these options will fill a special niche, whether you just want to get the best bag that money can buy or you want to find a roomy duffel bag that can fit all of the equipment that you need for your team.
A basketball bag is really a fantastic way to take your game to the next level and a practical way of carrying your stuff to and from the gym. If you need a basketball bag now or you might need one in the future, check out this list as a great way to get started on your search for a new bag.
We have combed through all of the options you have out there and extracted just the best ones for you to look at. Now get out there, play some ball, and go treat yourself to a new basketball bag to show your dedication to the game!
