Most gym bags we’ve owned over the years have been either too small to fit everything or so enormous that carrying them felt like a workout in itself before we’d even arrived. Getting this right matters more than it probably should because the bag you bring to the gym is also frequently the bag you’re carrying through the rest of your day and a battered old logo bag from a sports event six years ago is doing your overall presentation no favours at all. We look for something with a decent main compartment for kit and a separate section for shoes because nobody wants their trainers touching everything else. A ventilation pocket is genuinely useful rather than just a selling point. Beyond the practical stuff we want something that looks clean and considered when it’s sitting next to your desk or by the café door while you have your post gym coffee rather than something that looks like it’s been through actual warfare.