Our Favorite Gym Bag Essentials of 2025

Welcome to SELF Checkout, a series in which we share the wellness-boosting products currently in our carts. In each installment, you can expect to find our staffers’ essentials as well as genuinely useful splurges and group-chat-worthy finds.

No workout is complete without our favorite leggings and sports bra, but gym bag essentials like water bottles, headphones, anti-chafe sticks, and other little must-haves are the low-key MVPs of our sessions. And if you’ve ever tried exercising only to wind up feeling uncomfortable and distracted the whole time, you know how important it is to pack your gym bag with items that’ll help you feel comfy, confident, and focused.

SELF’s staff includes runners, weightlifters, climbers, and hikers. But however we like to move, we always show up for our activities well-prepared. If your duffel bag is looking a little empty, we know exactly which necessities you should pick up. Check out four editors’ go-to items below—they’re just what you need to upgrade everything from your warm-ups to your cool-downs.

Katie Gunderman, SELF’s associate social media manager

Gunderman packs her (hot pink!) FP Movement bag with time-tested gear. “I have had my AirPods Max for a few years now and I would not be able to live without them,” she says. She adds that their noise cancellation is second to none, and their replaceable ear cups are easy to swap out when it’s time for a fresh pair (“which comes in handy if you’re a sweaty girl like me”).

Her Nike Free Metcon cross trainers have been her go-to gym shoes for the last three years. They’ve seen her through HIIT workouts, runs, and lifting sessions. (The experts would approve: Personal trainers also love the Free Metcons, thanks to their flexible yet grippy sole.)

For true workhorse status, Gunderman has relied on her Hydro Flask (arguably the mother of all reusable water bottles) for a whopping nine years, toting it to countless gyms and volleyball sessions. “This is my absolute ride or die,” she says.

We also love that Gunderman doesn’t stop at deodorant when she freshens up post-workout. “Orebella’s Blooming Fire Parfum lives in my gym bag,” she says. “It’s a floral summer gardenia scent I can’t get enough of. After a shower at the gym, this is my favorite scent to put on. Ms. Bella Hadid ate with these.”

Lexi Herrick, SELF’s senior director of audience

More of an outdoorsy person than a gym-goer? Take notes: Herrick hits the trails with everything she needs for an easy, breezy day outside.

She starts with Osprey’s super comfortable (and surprisingly roomy) Skimmer hydration pack: “I can fill it with water, snacks, and a light layer and still move like I’m not carrying a boulder on my back!” Then she fills up her Stanley IceFlow (a nice, leakproof alternative to the standard 40-ounce FlowState) and dabs on Tula’s Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel, which leaves a dewy finish without causing breakouts. “It makes me look alive and keeps me protected,” Herrick says.

In the great outdoors, safety is key—and Herrick prepares for sticky situations in style. For precarious terrain, she has a set of trekking poles that are “shockingly sturdy for the price.” Most high-quality pairs can cost over $100, but hers clock in under $50. For scrapes and blisters, there’s Welly’s adorable tin of bandages, wipes, and antibiotic ointments (which you can reuse and refill as you please).

Finally, Herrick always keeps a Lifestraw water filter on her, calling it “peace of mind in a straw.” It’s designed to filter H2O from pretty much any natural source on the spot. “I feel better knowing I can sip from a stream if I ever run out of water or find myself lost in the woods,” she says. “Better safe than sorry!”

Sarah Felbin, SELF’s senior commerce editor

If you’re looking for buy-it-for-life candidates, check out Felbin’s workout staples: The SELF Home Fitness Award–winning Powerbeats earbuds charge quickly, have a long battery life, and, most importantly, stay put. “The piece that goes around the outside of my ear keeps them in place, even if I’m stretching or bending over,” Felbin says. “And I barely notice them, once they’re in.” She also swears by Owala’s FreeSip water bottle, which keeps her water ice-cold for hours and has a clever two-in-one spout for sipping and chugging.

Next up: Two products for those who know hair care doesn’t stop when you start your workout. Allyoos’s hair mask is Felbin’s top pick for a slicked-back bun or ponytail. “It hardens into a thin layer over damp hair, keeping flyaways down while also hydrating my hair at the same time,” she explains, adding that it rinses out easily and leaves her hair feeling incredibly soft. Felbin has tried her share of dry shampoos over the years and Amika’s is her current fave: “It’s super lightweight—I can’t feel it sitting on top of my hair after I use it.” It goes on white but sinks in rapidly, soaking up oil and giving your hair a lift.

For warm-ups and overly air conditioned gyms, it doesn’t hurt to pack a lightweight layer. Felbin loves Spanx’s OnForm Long Sleeve Top: “It’s thin, super soft, has thumbholes, and doesn’t take up a ton of room in my gym bag, like a sweatshirt might.” And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Felbin uses the same quilted FP Movement tote as Gunderman. A gym bag with multiple fitness editors’ seal of approval? Now that’s the real deal.

Sara Coughlin, SELF’s senior commerce writer

Patagonia’s Black Hole pack is my main bag for traveling and the gym, and it has never let me down—it holds a ton of stuff; it’s weather-proof; and it’s seemingly indestructible. I’ve had mine for nearly a decade and, apart from some holes in the external water bottle pockets, it’s basically as good as new.

While I’ll usually spend some time on the treadmill and in the weightroom, I mainly head to the gym to climb. And pulling on plastic is far more enjoyable when I don’t have to worry about annoying chafing (especially around my armpits—I, too, am a sweaty girl). The Sportshield roll-on stick from 2Toms is far and away the best anti-chafe product I’ve tried. It glides on and stays for hours.

As a boulderer, I just need a chalk bag and a good pair of shoes for a gym session: After 10 years of searching for a solid all-around shoe to fit my narrow, low-volume feet, I’ve come pretty close to perfect with Scarpa’s Instinct. Unlike climbing shoes that use Velcro fasteners, the lace system on this pair makes it easy to fine-tune their fit—I can tighten them where I need security and loosen them where I need more room.

I also like to keep a chalk brush on me, just in case I need to clean some holds. Brushes come and go (or get conveniently “borrowed” by your climbing buddies), but I’m keeping 8BPlus’s brush close. Its bristles are fluffy yet stiff, its handle is sturdy, and it’s angled to reach into tight features.

I take recovery (and generally unwinding after a tough session) very seriously. My BlenderBottle always comes with me, and I make sure to stow an electrolyte packet or a scoop of protein powder in its attachable compartment for a post-gym beverage. And after being jammed into a pair of tight, sweaty rubber climbing shoes, my toes love nothing more than to spread and air out in my Teva slides. Their thick foamy soles and grooved footbeds feel incredible for my tired dogs.

Related:

• SELF Editors’ Favorite Travel Essentials for Truly Long Days
• The Best Fitness Trackers for However You Like to Move
• The Best Yoga Mats for Your Practice, According to Instructors and Editors

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