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Looking for the best men's holdalls and overnight bags for that long-awaited weekend trip? We’ve got you covered. Wherever your destination, be it a stag weekend, base camp, romantic getaway, wedding or other, a good travel holdall by your side is key to ensuring the smoothest of trips.
There's a lot to be said for packing light, but minuscule bags such as laptop-sized carriers are cutting it fine with the ever-growing list of overnight essentials like toiletries. And with airline fees for check-in luggage and limits to carry-on cases at an all-time premium, bringing a stylish suitcase with you can prove pretty pricey. The reality is that by the time you’ve packed a change of shoes, washbag, some reading material and that most essential change of underwear and socks, you’re likely well into holdall or weekend bag territory.
Enter the new breed of mini-break holdalls, designed expressly for 24-48 hours elsewhere. The finest luggage brands are available to accompany you on your travels, so you’ll find quality options from the likes of Carl Friedrik, Reiss, Mulberry, Cos and more, and don’t be afraid to go heavy on the monograms: it’s only for one night, after all.
Oh, and don't forget to check out our other dedicated guides to the best suitcases, best carry-on suitcases, best luggage brands, best cheap suitcases, best backpacks, and best laptop bags. Phew.
What are GQ's best men's holdalls?
You'll find all the holdalls worth your consideration in the gallery below, but first, here's what our editors are carrying:
- Best leather holdall: Carl Friedrik Palissy, £795 at carlfriedrik.com
- Best durable holdall: Stubble & Co The Weekender, £165 at stubbleandco.com
- Best neoprene shoulder holdall: Reiss Neoprene Holdall, £158 at reiss.com
- Best tote holdall: Arket 48-Hour Tote,
£97£53, at arket.com
Skip to: How we pick the best holdalls and weekend bags | What type of holdall should you buy? | How much should you spend on a good holdall?
How we test the best men's holdalls and weekend bags
To ensure we don’t recommend any luggage that we wouldn’t be proud to own ourselves, we’ve picked the best luggage brands, rated for their quality, value and overall sartorial chops. We’ve collected a range of duffel bags, backpacks, weekend bags, crossbody bags and canvas/leather holdalls, with an eye to equip you with the highest-quality travel bags around.
What type of holdall should you buy?
As mentioned up top, we’ve gathered some of the best brands around, which means there are many different types of holdall to peruse. Before grabbing your credit card and spending, you must get your head around the various designs. While you could, of course, use a cotton canvas gym bag to lug around the airport, there are much more fashionable or versatile alternatives if you’re willing to spend a little more and not stink of BO on your travels.
Weekend bags typically will only have handholds and won’t have a shoulder strap or laptop sleeve, so keep that in mind if you want to save your biceps the stress over a flight or long train journey. The best weekend bags will offer a few different ways to carry it, like detachable shoulder straps, wheels or a telescopic handle, with extra functionality such as external pockets thrown in for good measure.
You’ll either find full-grain leather or canvas holdall bags on this list, which have their obvious headaches when it comes to durability and maintaining its shape. If that’s going to bother you, we’d look at more rugged options from DB or Osprey, which will often be a nylon weave to contend with the great outdoors.
How much should you spend on a good holdall?
A quality bag that will last you a lifetime is priceless, but that’s not very helpful when you’re looking to actually buy one for your upcoming trip. To give you a general figure to aim for, the most basic entries should cost around the £30-£50 mark. These will likely not last for more than a few years of travel and might show signs of stress after a few trips. Mid-tier options will step up to over £100 and can cost more than £300 for more sartorial options, while designer options will go beyond £1,000.
Check out GQ's guide to the best men's holdalls 2024…
Carl Friedrik
Fancy newfangled materials are great, but if you're a fan of the simple classics, then look no further than the Palissy Weekend bag and its delightfully decadent vegetable-tanned Vachetta leather body. Crafted in Florence in a small leather goods factory, the attention to detail is plain to see, with nickel-silver-finished hardware and zippers posing a striking contrast to the organic body. The perfect accessory popping on the back seat of your classic soft top as you hurtle along the Amalfi coast. Saluti.
Bellroy
Beloroy's minimalist, barrel-like duffel is as rugged as it is stylish, with clean lines and reinforced rolled-edge grab handles making it a dependable companion on demanding journeys. It comes with a detachable padded shoulder strap to give your arms a break post-gym session, while an internal pocket (complete with handy key clip) and a detachable water-resistant stuff sack make for some very useful extras.
Aspinal of London
Touted as a contemporary and masculine option, Aspinal of London's weekend bag will look just as comfortable perched on a boardroom table as it will on the floor of a squash court. Handcrafted from durable, lightweight tight weave nylon canvas (and softened with full-grain leather trim detailing), its timeless design will dutifully serve you on your travels for years to come. External and internal pockets, coupled with a removable shoulder strap provide bonus versatility points.
Carl Friedrik
While its chocolate and charcoal variants are undeniably handsome, we're besotted with the olive-coloured version of Carl Friedrik's Compact Weekender, which is perfectly complimented by its dark brown Vachetta leather handles and nickel-silver-finished hardware. The main body of the bag itself is made from premium nubuck leather, with a hydrophobic finish for shaking off everything from rain to accidental spills. Inner and outer pockets provide ample space for accessories, while a 40mm shoulder strap lets you mix things up as you see fit.
Monos
Monos' Metro Weekender is the perfect companion for those looking for something to see them through weekend getaways or short work trips. Designed with the capacity of carry-on luggage, it's perfect for people who'd rather ditch the cumbersome wheels without sacrificing on space. Our favourite feature is its separate zipped storage compartment, which provides the perfect place to slot in a pair of shoes or laundry. An outer sleeve fits laptops up to 16 inches in size, while a built-in trolley sleeve lets it pull double duty as an extra bag if you do decide to go full-luggage mode for longer trips.
Stubble & Co
The Weekender hits the sweet spot for premium design, classy looks, and a more palatable price tag. Designed to meet airline carry-on requirements, its large capacity options, coupled with a rugged Tekwax canvas build, make for a formidable bit of kit during your travels. There's a laptop slot for notebooks up to 16 inches, while a trolley sleeve lets you slot it through luggage handles on longer trips.
The Row
A perfect example of quiet luxury done right, The Row’s latest offering in the accessory department is a must for those who like to travel with elegance. Crafted in Italy from a khaki-hued brushed suede, this well-structured holdall is lined in leather and accented with flattering gold hardware across the top two-way zip fastening. Guaranteed to age with grace, you can rest assured that your travel style will garner extra points both now and in the future from its patina.
Marks & Spencer
Affordable quality? Marks and Spencer is serving it well with this latest weekend bag. Sitting in the high street store’s Autograph range (acclaimed for its premium investment pieces), it has been made from responsibly sourced leather and is shaped with an excellent curved handle on top – but there’s also a detachable shoulder strap if you prefer. Offered in two timeless shades – brown and black – we suggest the former to add a touch more richness to your travel attire.
Saint Laurent
Searching for a classic holdall which communicates the strongest style sensibilities? Saint Laurent is the brand to source it from. Embroidered with the French house’s distinguished logo across the centre of its body, this jacquard-crafted design is shaped to a generous size and equipped with multiple pockets at both the interior and exterior – wonderfully working together to store your most treasured belongings.
Bennett Winch
A leather holdall: the undeniable champion of suave weekend getaway bags. It’s a thing we know well and love. What happens when you improve such a staple of the male wardrobe? You come out with this one from Bennett Winch. The stowaway compartment for your shoes is a detail so utterly simple and well thought through it borders on genius. It’s constructed of classic grain leather and tough metal hardware, making it a top-quality weekend bag.
Arket
True to its name, Arket's 48-hour tote is a practical choice for storing two days' worth of stuff. It's got inner compartments for your laptop and other gadgets, plus plenty of room for an outfit change or two. Because Arket understands the pain of packing soiled socks on the go, it also comes with a convenient dust cover that doubles as a laundry bag.
Briggs & Riley
Making your adventures as effortless as possible, Briggs & Riley supports your curiosity with its innovative approach to design. In a versatile navy blue, this weekender holdall bag is sleek, spacious and hassle-free… and we can only hope your explorations are the same. Happy travels.
Bennett Winch
Unlike Bennett Winch's thought-out weekender and Bond-favoured suit carrier holdalls, which pay close attention to carefully organised packing, the label's more recent cargo bags offer a no-nonsense approach with Tardis-like main compartments, available in small (50L), medium (85L) and large (125L) sizes. Perfect for last-minute trips or for especially stylish surplus storage at home, it's available in all black or the brand's ever-popular olive colourway – a long-time favourite of ours.
Rains
As the brand's name might suggest, Rains is an authority on all things weatherproof, and our unpredictable summers can make the Rains product selection something of a saviour to us oft-damp Brits. So, after investing in a reliable raincoat, your next port of call ought to be this 13200 Weekend holdall bag, designed to maintain your adventurous spirit regardless of what the weather looks like.
Connolly
The ‘sea bag’ gets its name from its fluid styling and minimalist details. Its boxy nature means it collapses easily for storage, but contains a large space volume inside to swallow up all your luggage when you need it. The clincher, however, is the quality of black supple leather and the vintage palladium silver hardware.
Troubador
Proving that good things come in small packages, Troubador's Embark duffle features easy-access pockets, a bottle holder and a separate shoe compartment in a sleek and compact design. Because the last thing you need on a short stay is a cumbersome load, it's constructed from a lightweight fabric that'll allow you through any baggage check in a breeze. It stows neatly under seats or in the overhead locker too.
The North Face
Sometimes, you can over-complicate things. Stick to the basics. Stick to what works. This voluminous black and white The North Face duffle bag works. Lugging this about, you might look always on the verge of running off to the mountains and pitching a tent, but it is a highly practical bag with a tough weatherproofed exterior, shoulder straps and easy zip access. These are not things to be sniffed at.
Prada
In Prada’s iconic black nylon construction, this holdall is instantly recognisable as a derivative of the famous Italian fashion house. Punctuated with the signature enamelled triangle logo plaque, this holdall guarantees turned heads in the terminal. Finished with rounded top handles and a secure zipped fastening, it’s ready to just grab, go and, let’s face it, receive a whole load of compliments.
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