Online: www.REI.com
URL for this product:

From the U.S. and Canada — Call 1-800-426-4840
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
International — Call 1-253-891-2500
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.

$REI Balance Gym Bag - Women\'s$

BLACK

REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's

$59.50

(20)

Item # 827997

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Gear and Advice You Can Trust

This item ships for free! Learn more

To view videos or use the zoom feature on REI's websites, please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

NOW PLAYING

It's easy to get to the gym with the REI Balance Gym Bag. Its features make it a breeze to pack, and the sleek silhouette delivers a fun, athletic sense of style.

Size and shaped to fit conveniently into gym lockers; designed with main access to be used while hanging in your locker
Single straight zipper provides quick and easy top-side access
Front flap compression system conveniently holds a yoga mat, or creates an easy jacket stash location
Separate compartment is vented and seam-sealed with waterproof fabric, providing a great place to stash stinky gym shoes or a damp bathing suit
Side bottle pocket fits 1 liter bottle
Back panel zippered pocket has fleece-lined slot pockets for quickly stowing phone, MP3 and small accessories
Interior zippered mesh pocket separates small clothing articles from main compartment
Adjustable-length shoulder strap with sliding shoulder pad provides comfort and secure single-shoulder carry

Imported.

Item 827997

$11.90

with coupon code ANNV13
May 17-27 Details

Not a member? Add a Membership

View all REI products

REI Membership

REI Membership $20.00

REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's

4.4

(based on 20 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (18)
Good zippers (11)
Durable (10)
Easy to transport (9)
Easy to carry (8)

Cons

Small capacity (6)

Best Uses

Gym (7)
Weekend trips (7)
Short travel (6)
Gym bag (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual adventurer (9), Practical (6), Comfort-oriented (5), Modern (3)
- Travel Frequency:
- 6-10 annual trips (4)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Comfort driven (7), Survivalist / minimalist (3)
- Primary use:
- Personal (8)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (19)

Reviewed by 20 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-10

Previous | Next »

Apr

2013

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Terrific portable bag!

By MorganRae

from Boulder, CO

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Good Zippers
Lightweight
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Airline Travel
Gym
Short Travel
Weekend Trips
Yoga

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

I really love this bag. I bought it initially for the yoga mat strap but it has so much more to offer. I can easily fit both my yoga and running gear in here which makes the weeks less hectic when I am working out while on the go. The dedicated shoe compartment is a useful addition and there are LOTS of pockets of varying sizes to keep clothing and accessories easily organized. It's also just big enough to use for a weekend trip either in the car or to carry onto a plane. The sway-back design makes the zipper difficult to close sometimes which is my one and only complaint. Otherwise it is a very useful and modern looking bag that gets the job done and then some.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

4.0

Great Gym Bag

By ryder

from Minneapolis, MN

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Good Zippers
Lightweight

Cons

Small Capacity

Best Uses

Airline Travel
School
Short Travel
Weekend Trips

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

This is a great bag. Perfect for sports and gym.
It is just what I was looking for. The loop on the end hangs in a locker perfectly!
Just wish it was a bit Bigger

Comment on this review

Mar

2013

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Love this! Makes me go to the gym more

By lemme outta here

from Los Angeles, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Good Weight Distribution
Good Zippers
Lightweight
Medium Capacity
Smart Design
Stylish And Cute
Stylishcute

Cons

Want More Colors

Best Uses

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

Either I'm so lame that I need this cute, new bag to motivate me to go to the gym more, or this bag is just *that* cute. I didn't think I'd love a gym bag this much, but I do. This is such a smart, well-thought out bag and I'm so happy with it. I recently saw the first (older) version of the Balance bag and this definitely is a great update.

I would consider this a medium capacity gym bag. If I'm leaving from home already wearing my workout gear and just need to carry my gym stuff along with a change of fresh clothes and shoes, then this bag is sufficient. However, if I'm headed to the gym after work and need to carry workout clothes plus fresh clothes after I shower (I don't want to wear office clothes again afterwards if my day is done), then I'd say this bag is probably a bit small.
I use the main compartment for my clothes, my separate toiletry kit bag, my locker lock, swim goggles, weighlifting gloves, my bulky wallet and phone. The mesh zipper panel within the main compartment is for a spare set of contact lenses and fresh underwear that I always leave in there, in case I forget to pack a pair. The so called shoe compartment on the end is too pretty for me to just throw in dirty or wet stuff, so I only put in dry flip flops for the shower. I put my dirty/wet items in a separate bag first (usually a drawstring plastic bag from a store), and then place it in the bag. Maybe in the future when I've undoubtedly dirtied and scuffed this REI gym bag, I would feel less guilty about throwing in my shoes and wet clothes directly in the side compartment.
The front outer flaps are perfect for a yoga mat, or in my case, swim fins. After I shower, I like to hook my wet loofah ball from the strap/clip buckle until it dries. The small flat zipper pocket on this outer flap is good for my keys and parking pass for the gym.

The other minor pluses include the soft nylon material that is still sturdy but not super stiff or...crunchy (for a lack of a better descriptor). The sizeable outer drink cup pocket on the other end and the ergonomic, feminine shoulder strap padding are great bonuses also. The silver interior also makes it easy to see inside the bag in low light conditions.
I am normally a black, grey and neutral shade type of girl, but I saw the green color and fell in love with how pretty it was, and got it. Now I'm looking for a cute luggage tag to loop onto this bag. I would almost wish for a pair of short, arm handles on this bag to make it easier to grab from the other side of the car, but I don't want to mess anything up on this already perfect bag.

Comment on this review

Mar

2013

5.0

Great bog!

By reader 81006

from Colorado

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Good Zippers
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

School
Short Travel
Workoutgym

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

perfect size, well-made. Love this bag!

Comment on this review

Jan

2013

5.0

Great gift for my wife

By runnerbob

from Dallas, TX

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Good Zippers
Large Capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Extended Travel
Gym
Weekend Trips

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

My wife loves this bag! It's got well-suited pockets for a variety of needs. It's not overwhelming with pockets everywhere, but seem to be placed exactly where one needs them. Comfortable shoulder-strap. She's used it as a gym bag for the most part, but also taken it on some short trips we've had.

Comment on this review

Jan

2013

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

REI Balance Gym Bag

By montyandmarie

from New Jersey

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Zippers
Large Capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Short Travel

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

I researched a lot about a good, functional gym bag and found this to have most of the features I want in a gym bag. It arrived quickly and I loved the appearance right away and all the pockets are great. I've used it once so far and great quality. I just wish the strap was either removable with shorter handles or a shorter strap. I'm 5'4" and the strap is way too long making the bag hit me below my hips. I moved the plastic thing that adjusts it through the pad to it's shortest possible length which helps but is still longer than I'd prefer. Being a mom and often carrying a ton of stuff, adding extra handles or a shorter strap would definitely help.

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

4.0

Great bag!

By HBOchoa

from Monterey, CA

See all my reviews

Pros

Good Zippers
Lightweight
Many Useful Compartments

Cons

Strap Very Long

Best Uses

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

I especially like the many compartments and the towel/yoga mat holder on the outside. My only complaint is that it is difficult to shorten the shoulder strap as much as I would like because the doubled portion doesn't fit into the shoulder pad on the strap.

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

3.0

Balance Gym Bag

By bellinghamsue

from Bellingham WA

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Good Zippers
Lightweight

Cons

Small Capacity

Best Uses

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

Love the color, love the style, love the concept, love the quality ... but was disappointed in the size. Exercise shoes are bulky and once I put them in the shoe pocket, the internal part of the bag was largely consumed. Wish the shoe pocket had been on the outside. I will use this bag but not as extensively as I had envisioned. I would recommend to a friend but warn them about the lack of interior storage.

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Smart Design

By Artsy Outdoorsy

from Bellingham, WA and NYC, NY

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Transport
Genius Design
Good Zippers
Large Capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Gym
Yoga Class

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

This is, simply put, one of the best-designed bags on the market. From the separate section for shoes and the INGENIOUS outside attachment for your yoga mat to the nice fabric (that doesn't catch on your clothes) and the wide, comfy shoulder strap.

I liked it so much that I bought one for my sister... who is also now a big fan of the bag.

Give an award to the person or team who designed this bag. It's one-of-a-kind and really solved the "ugh... I hate carrying my yoga mat to the gym" issue for me. Now, I strap it in, throw in my extra clothes, and jump on the subway, totally self-contained and nothing bumping or slipping or falling out of place.

Thanks, REI!

Comment on this review

Oct

2012

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great Gym Bag

By Gym Rat Liz

from Boston, MA

About Me Comfort-Oriented, Practical

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy To Access Items
Easy To Carry
Good Capacity
High Quality
Lightweight
Stylish

Cons

Best Uses

Gym Trips
Yoga Class

Comments about REI Balance Gym Bag - Women's:

I have had this bag for almost 2 months. I use this bag to cart my stuff too and from the gym and yoga class. I love it. It is balanced and despite its size it holds a lot of stuff. For example, I cart my gym shoes and shower sandals in the shoe compartment; my small bathroom kit, loofa, hairbrush, and clothes in the main compartment; my headphones, keys, protein bar, and 2 small, reusable shopping bags in the accessories compartment; my gym card in the small front pockets; and my water bottle in the water bottle compartment. Moreover, even when full, my yoga mat fits nicely in the exterior yoga mat holder. However, adding the yoga mat does add a good bit of weight to the bag.

I bought this bag because my other bag was unbalanced, big, and uncomfortable to take on my 20 minute walk (each way) to and from the gym. I was skeptical about the size and comfort of the bag, but with REI's guarantee I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. This bag is the best gym bag I have ever owned.