Dagne Dover makes my favorite elevated gym bag — it's way sleeker than your average duffel

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• I'm on a perpetual hunt for the perfect office-appropriate gym bag.
• Dagne Dover's Landon Carryall in medium ($185) is the best duffel-bag option I've found.
• It's made out of the suave neoprene usually used in scuba gear, has intuitive and superior organization, and looks and feels slimmer than you'd expect for how much it can carry. 

Ever been stuck in an elevator with your company's higher-ups while carrying a banged-up gym bag?

It kind of takes the wind out of your sails. Unsurprisingly, the monogrammed high school hockey team bag doesn't do much to advance an early-career agenda of becoming synonymous with good judgment.

For this reason, I started looking at a way to cart in my gym clothes to work without feeling like reception might try pointing out where my mom's office was first. After recommendations from coworkers and the gratuitous research that follows from working as a professional product reviewer, I landed on Dagne Dover's Landon Carryall in medium, ($155).

UPDATE: It's been over a year-and-a-half since I started using the Dagne Dover Landon Carryall, and I've tested many more gym bags in the meantime. This is still my favorite duffel-bag option for its superior organization, versatility, and style.

I'll break down the specifics below, but if you're looking for the ideal duffel-like gym bag for the urban dweller, you're not likely to find a better option, even at $185.

Size:

The Landon Carryall comes in five sizes: extra small (your purse), small (your commute), medium (the gym), large (travel), and extra-large (a lot of travel). However, if you're an over-packer, you might find the large is best for the gym. For instance, if I take up hockey in the future I'm probably going to regret getting a medium. For kickboxing, yoga, and dance, though, it's the perfect size. The expandable sides (via buttons on the side) give me added wiggle room when I need it without adding weight to the whole shape when I don't.

The medium bag fits more than you'd expect. I bring my gym clothes, water bottle, laptop, kickboxing gloves, a small cosmetics bag, a book, flip flops, and a compact pair of shoes with a little room to spare. The smart internal system makes it easier to carry more things in general and to make locating them feasible. I used to overpack my gym bag, and I appreciate that this has just enough room for what I should be bringing and keeps me from ruining my posture and the goodwill of subway riders with a larger bag I don't need.

Freelance writer Talia Ergas tested the extra large among the best weekender bags. "The oversized interior compartment offers 35.2 liters of packing space, which was more than enough for a pair of sneakers, a toiletry bag, and a weekend's worth of clothing. I had a decent amount of space left over and could easily use this bag for four- or five-night trips," she writes.

Organization:

Dagne Dover excels in organization. There's a lot to write home about, and we have done exactly that for the Allyn Tote, the brand's signature work bag. Former executive editor Ellen Hoffman calls it "the work bag professional women everywhere have been waiting for."

For the medium Landon, that means a 13 x 8-inch laptop sleeve with elastic closure, detachable key leash, shoe bag, small Air Mesh Zip Pouch, and three interior pockets in addition to the laptop sleeve. The side pockets are perfect for water bottles, lip balms, and external batteries, and the second long side is where I keep my pre- and post-workout, RX bars, and cosmetics. Perhaps most helpful, though, is the exterior phone pocket. I don't have to unzip everything to grab my phone out, and I've also started keeping my metro card there as well.

It also has both an adjustable and detachable crossbody strap along with two smaller handles that you can button together so they don't slip off your shoulder as you walk. Below you can see the interior of the size small carryall, which has less space, but a similar organizational structure.

Style:

In terms of style — and organization, if I had to pick two — Dagne Dover will always hit it out of the park. Using the neoprene material is an excellent choice — it's 'repurposed' from scuba gear and unusual enough to add personality and edge. It's also functional as a hand-washable, fast-drying material that's both insulating and shock-absorbent. 

The Landon is currently available in seven colorways and three mesh versions. 

Cons:

Price: At $185 the bag isn't cheap, and you can fill the need with less money and probably be happy. For me, the cost is justified by elevated style, organization, and its ability to go from the gym to the office without making me feel like a high schooler coming back to class from football practice, and office-to-weekend-trip in a pinch. I'll likely use this until it gives out or I buckle and buy it in another color.

No exterior water bottle holder: I found myself grudgingly opening up the stuffed bag to grab or stow my water bottle. I love the sleek design, but an exterior water bottle holder wasn't ideal. 

Not entirely waterproof: Neoprene is quick-drying, but you're not heading out with water-repellent nylon. It's one reason why the bag looks so high-end, but it's also the reason your high school hockey team's bag has an edge. 

The bottom line:

If you need a gym-to-office bag, the Landon Carryall is the one you should be looking at. It looks suave and high-end in person, is a bit pricey but not unattainable, and won't disappoint in style or next-level organization. If you tend to overpack or see your needs as exceeding the Medium (recommended for gym use), then you'll want the Large ($215). I use it almost every day, and I've yet to regret it.