Whether you’re heading up to pickleball tournaments this weekend or keeping your gears organized while at the local courts, we bring forward the best pickleball bags to get you covered with all your stuff. Bummer! You can’t take “any bag” to store all that materials, i.e., pickleball paddles, pickleball balls, a water bottle, a towel, etc. Because 1. Ordinary bags don’t have “dedicated” storage. 2. You put them on the verge of getting damaged because pickleball gears are naturally sensitive.
Bummer Pro: Not every pickleball bag is for everyone. Some may prefer large-size comfort, mainly because of their physique, while others need something that they can easily carry and manage.
Bummer Pro Max: Comfortability is just one factor. The choices further differ in terms of style, portability, compartments, capacity, weight, and above all, “BAG TYPE”.
So, which is the best pickleball bag?
Although we own like 12-15 pickleball bags, we’d still have our eyes on the Franklin Sling pickleball bag. It’s simply a masterpiece whether you test it for the capacity, compartments, quality, price, manageable weight, comfort, and even the style! Nothing can beat that. It’s the first pickleball bag we purchased, back in 2017, and it’s still new as we got it tomorrow. Plus, the way it protects the gears inside it, no one can resist it.
But obviously, you need something compact for your area’s local tournaments and that’s where Pickleball Fanatic Sling Bag, so both of these covers you up if you’re into one shoulder sling bags.
For the tournament play, we got the Pickleball Fanatic Duffle Bag with extra compartments plus feathery weight and padded insides for the safety of gears. Alongside it, we kept a budget option that gives similar advantages, with 2-3 reduced sections, and that is the Game On Pickleball Duffle Bag.
To mix them both, we also have 2 best pickleball backpacks, i.e. Onix Pickleball Durable Backpack, the coolest one with the best safety and design, and Franklin Sports Pickleball Premier Competition Backpack that provides premium versatility through its removable compartments.
These are just a few reasons for them being the best. However, you need to stick with this entire article, where we’ll explain all the ins and outs of these bags, besides covering you up with a detailed guide, so you don’t go wrong!
1. Franklin Sports Pickleball X Elite Performance Sling Bag – The Best Pickleball Sling Bag
9.8/10 – Our Score
You Must Notice
- It is stylish
- Uses a compartmentalized design
- Extra-large storage
- Protective felt cover on the inside
- Comes with a hanger
- Paddle strap for comfort
- Suitable for both men and women
- Comes in five color variations
We already discussed Franklin Sports when recommending “best pickleball gloves”. Franklin Sports, as we know, stands behind batting gloves so high that it got each of its gear quite a spotlight.
When using this bag, you don’t have to worry about all your things getting mixed up and then you have to waste a lot of extra time to find all of it, thanks to its compartmentalized design. It has different compartments for everything including your paddles, balls, water bottle, your phone, and your keys. So you can easily get anything you want. Also, it is one of the few Pickleball bags that offer extra-large storage, this bag can store up to 6 Pickleball paddles, 40-50 Pickleball balls, and of course, your phone, keys, water bottle, and towel. And you don’t have to worry about any of these things breaking up because the bag comes with a protective felt cover on the inside.
The Franklin Sports Pickleball X Elite Performance Sling Bag, just like the batting gloves, sits at the top of the line through its added quality, space, and style. Not only the pro’s choice, but this bag is also the sponsored bag of the US Open Pickleball Championships–what’s more, you’ll need to trust the quality?
Features and Storage:
- Design: When using this bag, you don’t have to worry about all your things getting mixed up and then you have to waste a lot of extra time to find all of it, thanks to its compartmentalized design. It has different compartments for everything, including your paddles, balls, water bottle, your phone, and your keys.
- Capacity: It is one of the few Pickleball bags that offer extra-large storage. This bag can store up to 6 Pickleball paddles, 40-50 Pickleball balls, and of course, your phone, keys, water bottle, and towel. And the bag shields the stuff from breaking up because the bag comes with a protective felt cover on the inside.
- Hanging type: Also, the bag has a little hanger on the handle so you can easily hang it on the court fence while playing. The strap of the bag uses a padded design hence, it is highly comfortable but also sturdy.
- Best for: And what’s make them unique is the Unisex design, i.e. suitable for both men and women, in five color variations include black, shocking pink, grey, blue, and green. So you have options!
Overall, this is the best sling bag made for Pickleball players, with the best quality, capacity, and the design. This bag is the best of both worlds. It keeps up your class, comfort, as well as your budget.
2. Pickleball Fanatic Sling Bag – The Best Compact Pickleball Bag
9.7/10 – Our Score
You Must Notice
- Compact design
- Reasonable pric
- Velcro flap pocket on the front
- External zipper compartment
- Mesh pocket on the side
- Enough space to hold 4 paddles and 10 balls
- Padded strap
- Unisex
- Comes in three different colors
- Durable and lightweight
Franklin Sports is still unbeatable, though, but the extra size might be a turnoff for local players and that’s where the Pickleball Fanatic Sling Bag comes in handy. Pickleball Fanatic Sling Bag is our go-to choice when we want to keep things simple and compact.
- Compartments: The most highlighting feature of this bag is the Velcro flap pocket on the front in which you can keep your small accessories, such as keys or mobile phone. The external zipper compartment can come in handy for you to store an extra set of clothes, or even your food. For your water bottle, the bag features a mesh pocket on the side.
- Capacity: The bag has enough space for at least 4 pickleball paddles and 10 pickleball balls so that you have enough gear for at least a day on the court. Besides that, it holds minimal accessories, clothes, and essential stuff you might need at the court.
- Comfort: The padded shoulder strap keeps up the comfort, so you don’t end up aching your shoulder while carrying all this stuff.
- Compatibility: This bag features a unisex design and comes in three different colors, green, gray, and blue. We like the blue one, as it stays cleaner for longer than the other two colors. Also, it is a hefty bag but also very lightweight, so you have durability but no extra load on your shoulder.
- Best for: It is specially designed for those people who don’t want to carry a lot of things and wish to keep things as minimal as they can. Using a pyramid-shaped structure and a sleek design, it is also one of the most reasonable bags under $100 to complement budget-minded yet style-conscious freaks.
To wrap it up, we would just like to say that this bag makes a perfect choice for you if you want to go light. Its compact design makes it one of the most demanded bags in the market and works fine for every pickleball player.
3. Pickleball Fanatic Duffle Bag – Best Professional Duffle Bag
9.5/10 – Our Score
You Must Notice
- High-quality
- Very organized
- Different compartments and pockets for everything
- Extra space for your extra pair of shoes
- Velcro belt on the manual handle
- Also comes with a shoulder strap
Pickleball Fanatic lived up to impress us with its duffle bag, besides ruling the compact bag industry. For the way it stores things, you can pack the whole world inside, including an extra pair of shoes and an extra set of clothes. This duffle bag is specially made for professional pickleball players who play tournaments and need to have extra pickleball gear.
Compartments: The bag comes with separate compartments and pockets for everything.
- There’s this large compartment which is the main storage space where you can keep your paddles, balls, and clothes.
- Followed by a zipper pocket where you can keep your personal items such as your mobile phone, keys, shades, etc.
- After that, there is an open mesh pocket on both sides which can work as the water bottle holder for one side and a towel holder on the other side.
- There’s also an inside smaller mesh pocket where you can keep your small accessories such as watches, jewelry for women, etc.
- And of course, you can’t keep your shoes with your clothes and all, hence, there’s this lower pocket specially made to keep your shoes. Hence, everything is easy to locate and keep clean.
As you know, duffle bags come with manual handles and so does it, but what makes this one special is that there’s this Velcro belt on these handles that keeps them together, providing a good grip that makes it easier to hold the bag.
And unlike other duffle bags, this one also comes with a shoulder strap so that you have an alternative option to carry it back when your hands are tired from all the games you played.
When it comes to duffle pickleball bags, we don’t think you can do any better than this one. However, it might be a tad expensive, but the quality and durability it provides are worth it. It also comes with a six-month warranty from the company, something that no other pickleball bag offers.
4. Game On Pickleball Duffle Bag – Most Reasonable Duffle Bag
9.6/10 – Our Score
You Must Notice
- A budgeted duffle bag
- Stylish and spacious
- Suitable for both male and female
- Enough space for all pickleball gear, water bottle, towel, clothes, shoes, and lunch
- Slip pocket on the outside for your phone, keys, and accessories
- Four color options
- Lightweight
- Beautiful embroidery on the outside
- Features both manual handles and shoulder strap
The Game on duffle bag is a revolution with its budgeted price tag at a sacrifice of separate compartments, but with the same storage as the Fanatic Duffle bag. It’s kinda decent and takes care of both style and space in the best way and is suitable for both male and female pickleball players. It’s the safest and well-organized pickleball bag that manages your stuff in a way that they don’t mix up and you don’t have to waste extra time to locate everything.
- Storage: Game on duffle bag is an all-purpose tote bag for your pickleball equipment. The space is enough for you to carry 4 paddles and 70+ balls, water bottle, towels, clothes, shoes, and even your lunch. On the outside, there’s this cute little slip pocket where you can keep smaller objects such as your phone, keys, and accessories.
- Compartments: It has a few compartments compared to the Fanatic. However, there’s one main compartment to keep all the equipment and apparel. You have to keep the water bottle within, however, if there’s a leakage, bring it separately or hang it on the backside of the bag. There are also slip pockets on the inside, so all your accessories and small items go there.
- Design: The bag comes in three traffic signal colors (blue, red, and green) and is extremely lightweight. And don’t forget to cherish the beautiful embroidery on the front saying ‘Game On Pickleball’ with “Zero Zero Two” It can be both carried away with the manual handles and hung on by the special shoulder strap.
Coming at this price range, this is the most budgeted option for you when it comes to duffle pickleball bags. This is a highly economical, stylish, and convenient bag you could find. It will keep all your belongings safe and organized, and carrying it will definitely give you classy pickleball player vibes!
5. Onix Pickleball Durable Backpack – The Best Durable Backpack
9.4/10 – Our Score
You Must Notice
- Highly durable
- Lightweight
- Comes under a budget
- Multiple-pocket approach
- Zipper protected pockets
- Mesh pockets in front and back
- Square-shaped design
- Padded shoulder straps and back
In 2018, Onix brings “The Durable Backpack” combining the compact design of a slingback, and the wider space and capacity of a duffle one, As the name suggests, this backpack is highly durable plus the coolest one in the market, and unlike all the other backpacks, it uses a multiple pocket approach to keep your things organized.
- Compartments: There are compartments on every side of the bag and there’s one for everything such as your paddles, balls, shoes, clothes, lunch, mobile and accessories, towel, and water bottle. And the zippers protect all of these compartments, so it keeps all your stuff secure.
- Pockets: The bag features mesh pockets in the front and back, which allows you to put your used towels and clothes in them so that the inside of the bag does not get any sweat smell that might come from them.
- Comfort: The square-shaped design of the bag makes it super easy to keep it standstill while playing. The shoulder straps and the backside of the backpack are padded, providing a comfortable way to carry it and avoid any kind of back and shoulder pain.
- Weight and Affordability: The backpack provides a great deal when it comes to money and you can get it under your budget! Also, don’t forget that it is one of the most lightweight backpacks you will find.
The Onix Pickleball Durable Backpack delivers everything it promises, and the durability can last even for years if you take good care of it. It holds all your belongings in the most organized way a backpack could put them!
6. Franklin Sports Pickleball Premier Competition Backpack – Most Stylish Backpack
9.3/10 – Our Score
You Must Notice
- Stylish
- Strong and sturdy
- Rectangular-shaped
- Separate pocket for paddles
- Tube-shaped pockets on the side
- Zipper compartment for personal belongings
- Secluded removable compartment for shoes
- Sternum shoulder straps
- Padded back
- A portable handle on the inside
It is not a coincidence that the first and the last bags on our list are from Franklin Sports. As we mentioned earlier, Franklin makes the top quality pickleball bags, and this Pickleball Premier Competition Backpack is no exception.
It is a stylish bag by looks but strong and sturdy by nature. Everything about this bag just screams class, the color, the shape, the design, all of it! But style is not the only thing that’s best. This rectangular-shaped backpack also provides high quality.
- Compartments: There is a separate pocket for your paddles that can store up to 6 paddles, the side pockets are designed in a tube-like shape, allowing you to store your water bottle and 20+ pickleball balls. For your belongings such as phone, clothes, keys, wallet, and towel, there is a fleece-lined zipper compartment. Also, for your shoes, there is a secluded compartment that is easily removable and keeps your shoes separated from everything else so it all keeps clean!
- Comfort: The specially designed sternum shoulder straps provide comfort and protect your shoulder from aching. The back of the backpack also uses special pads so that you don’t get back pain while carrying it.
- Weight and compatibility: Since the bag has added compartments and is built with polyester, it adds weight to this bag. However, its rectangular shape divides the weight when you pack it up with stuff, so it’s a win-win for storage and transportability. Also, there’s a portable handle on the inside, which makes it easier for you to hang the bag on the court fence while playing.
Although this bag is a little heavy compared to all the other bags on our list, the comfort it provides is unbeatable and it can make you forget all about this extra weight. It is suitable for every pickleball player and provides enough space to carry all the gear a player would need.
Buying Guide
Buying the best pickleball bag is not rocket science, but also it’s not as easy as deciding what to have for breakfast. It lies somewhere in between. But this decision requires brief thinking because obviously you will be spending money, so you need to make sure you get the best option from the market. And to find that, take a look at the following things before buying one;
Type of the bag
As we mentioned earlier, the pickleball bags come in three different kinds and each of them is different from each other in terms of size, space, and quality. These three kinds are duffle bags, sling bags, and old-school backpacks. Every player prefers a different kind of bag depending on his or her needs. Hence, you also need to make sure that you go for the one that meets all your requirements.
Space
A pickleball player needs to carry a lot of things with him, including pickleball paddles, pickleball balls, his belongings, such as shoes, clothes, towel, water bottle, mobile phone, keys, wallet, and some even carry a snack with them. All of these things require a lot of space, hence, you need to make sure that the bag you are getting is spacious enough to fit all your things or not. The easy way to do that is to make a list of everything you plan to carry with you when you go play pickleball, and then check your options and decide which one will be able to carry all your stuff.
Comfort
While going to the match carrying all that weight is pretty easy and fun because you have all this energy and dedication to play the game. But imagine carrying all that weight back home after a long tiring day of pickleball matches. For that purpose, you need to make sure that the bag you are getting has managed to provide you comfort so that your already tired body does not start aching. We prefer bags with pads so that you don’t get shoulder or back pain.
Weight
The weight of the bag is a very important thing you need to consider before getting one because this will be the extra weight you have to carry along with all your things. Hence, make sure you get the most lightweight bag you could get because it will only help you reduce the burden on you. The heavyweight will make you even more tired than the game will, and you might end up getting pain in your shoulders or hands while carrying it.
Durability
When you buy a pickleball bag, you are obviously buying it to use for a long time, right? You don’t want a bag that is damaged or ripped off just after a few times of carrying it. Hence, checking the durability of the bag is as important as looking out for anything else. Go for a bag that provides the most promising durability to help you in the longer run. Less durable bags will ruin after a few times and you would have to make a purchase again, that’s just a wastage of money. So make sure you put your money in for a highly durable bag!
FAQ’s
Final Verdict
Having the best pickleball bag makes your life a hundred times easier as a pickleball player because now, you don’t have to worry about carrying all the stuff you need and forgetting something important back home. All you need to do is make your bag a night before your match and keep all your important things in it.
Now, the only thing you need to do is decide which kind of bag fits your requirements the best and we have given you two of the best options for it, select the one you liked better, and voila! You have got the best pickleball bag for yourself.
Our top three choices are the Franklin Sports sling bag for sling bags, the Pickleball Fanatic Duffle Bag for duffle bags, and the Onix Pickleball Durable Backpack for backpacks. Let us know whether you agree with us, and if not, do tell us which one you decided to go with. We hope we were able to help you and provide the information you need!
Harry is a freak who often argues that O in his name may well stand for “Obsessed with Pickleball.”
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