GORUCK Gym Bag – Our Review

This isn’t the first time we’ve put the GORUCK Gym Bag under the microscope.

A few months back, we put it and the GORUCK Kit Bag(s) up against each other in a head-to-head matchup.

The Kit Bag won…easily…as in, it won every single measured category.

…I guess you could argue that the Kit Bag is just that good…and you wouldn’t be wrong; all of its iterations are pretty legit.

I wish I could tell you that this is the case, but I gotta be honest with you; the Gym Bag really isn’t my favorite GORUCK gear item. If I’m being honest, it’s actually pretty close to the bottom.

I’m sure you’re probably wondering “how can a gym bag be one of your least favorite items? Like, how do you screw something like that up?”

Well, not everyone seems to share my opinion (just check out those customer reviews!), but give me a few minutes of your time and I’ll tell you all about my experiences with it…

Sizing (not scored)

I want to provide a few special pictures of the Gym Bag to give an idea of sizing. For reference, I’m ~5’8″:

Gym

The good news is that the most important category for a gym bag isn’t the GORUCK’s bag’s lowest scored category.

The bad news is that this category is one of the bag’s lowest scored categories.

In my experience, this bag is “functional” in that you can throw a few moderately-sized items into it and lug them to the gym (or anywhere else) with you. However, this isn’t an overly impressive quality for an expensive gym bag to possess. I mean, a plastic trash bag could serve this same purpose (and I can attest it works in a pinch!)

The bag definitely looks bigger in its official advertisements than it actually is; I couldn’t believe how small it was when it arrived. So right off the bat, I was skeptical of its actual utility and ability to transport things like my weightlifting belt, Olympic lifting shoes, chalk bag, and other, smaller items with me to the gym.

I rarely bring a change of clothes to or shower at the gym (sue me!), but the thought of being able to carry my training gear and my change of clothes all together in this bag is pretty laughable. I have also found the dedicated shoe compartment to be only semi-functional since it doesn’t really free up any additional space; it only put a somewhat thin layer of material between your shoes and the rest of your stuff.

Something else I need to add is a bit more…unusual. To be honest, it’s really kind of ridiculous to mention and it may be completely specific to me, but I need to discuss it anyways.

I feel like there is some kind of “black hole” in my bag.

For some reason, every smaller item (ex. thumb tape, grips) is way harder to find than it should be. Like, when I have 6 or 7 items in the bag, I should be able to just reach in any grab the item I want/need without looking or thinking.

This isn’t the case with this bag; I constantly find myself having to essentially turn my bag inside out to locate these objects…as if they’ve been somehow swallowed…

Yeah, I know; it’s a weird thing to admit to. Maybe nobody else has experienced this and/or everybody else is better at organizing their stuff. However, I’ve never had a gym bag that required that much effort to get what I need before a workout.

I can’t put the blame solely on the bag…but it’s kind of a weird coincidence…

Anyways, I don’t find the GORUCK Gym Bag to be so intolerable for its stated task that I have stopped using it for said task…but knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have opted for it in the first place.

Gym: 70

Travel

For all of its shortcomings as a dedicated gym bag, GORUCK’s take on the genre doesn’t bode much better as a travel bag…and arguably does a bit worse in this category.

For one, the 30-liter load capacity isn’t really going to move the needle for anybody looking to take more than weekend’s worth of stuff with them on vacation (if this is you, I’d just opt for one of the company’s “Travel Rucks” instead). To be fair, its smaller size does present the advantage of more easily fitting overhead…

So there’s that!

The next detriment to this being a viable travel bag is its relative lack of built-in organization facilitators. By this I mean that you really only have the main, large storage area, a couple of very small zipper pockets, and a place to store your shoes (which is as large as you’re imagining). There isn’t a place for a dedicated laptop or for other, more fragile items.

If, for some reason, you chose to check this bag (which I don’t think you’d have to, but…yeah), the Ripstop option might not be as resilient in the transit process (getting thrown around and smacked against other bags). If you do have plans to travel with and to check yours, I would highly suggest going with the Cordura model.

One last thing to note is that unless you intend to get the Gym Bag for traveling and for traveling only, there is a pretty good chance that your nice, clean vacation outfits are going to suffer the effects of residual grime, dirt, etc. from your gym gear (at least I know mine would). Of course, you could make this argument about any bag, but when gym bags are concerned, this is especially relevant.

I can’t really recommend the GORUCK Gym Bag as a travel bag and would not suggest purchasing it with this purpose in mind. Even as a secondary purpose…an added “bonus” of getting this bag, it doesn’t really work.

Travel: 65

Load Capacity

This one is kind of tough to rate because there are so many different bags that serve as “gym bags”. I know I’ve used standard school backpacks, old duffel bags…hell, I’ve probably used a trash bag before. As such, it isn’t easy to make a general “this is a big/small gym bag kind of statement”.

With that being said, with a 30-liter load capacity, the GORUCK Gym Bag isn’t one of the bigger gym bags I’ve used and, as you can imagine from reading the previous sections, it actually feels smaller than this stated capacity.

Looking at other dedicated gym bags, I was surprised to find a number of others that are actually smaller than GORUCK’s offering as well as a few that were only a few liters larger so it probably can’t be classified as a “small” gym bag…but it ain’t big.

If overall load capacity is a priority for you, you could do worse, but I think you’d be better off opting for any number of larger bags. My wife uses the GORUCK Kit Bag as her primary gear-toating bag and with 32, 57, and 84-liter options, you’re guaranteed to find more space in any of these size options.

Load Capacity: 80

Materials

The GORUCK Gym Bag comes in two different primary material options: Ripstop Robic and Cordura. I have the Ripstop option, but regardless of which option you go for, the bag is going to have some amount of Cordura in it.

…and this is a good thing. I can’t think of a gym bag I’ve had that feels as resilient as my own (even though mine is more Ripstop than Cordura).

Granted, if you know anything about GORUCK, you know that Cordura is pretty much the name of the game. It doesn’t tear easily and it doesn’t scuff. It makes sense that in my Ripstop bag, Cordura lines the internal shoe compartment.

However, I can appreciate the 420D Ripstop that primarily comprises my bag as this material is less abrasive against the skin (my bag inevitably hits my leg when I carry it) and it doesn’t feel quite as…I don’t know…”bulky” as an all-Cordura bag would.

I definitely prefer Cordura more in my rucks, but like Ripstop for my gym bag (I won’t be travelling with this bag so it avoids the problems I mentioned before).

While it’s nice to have a gym bag made of such nice materials, a gym bag is about the last thing I need to be made of nice materials. Still, gotta call ’em as I see ’em.

Materials: 95

Price

Okay, I’ll admit that my price data may be a little off. I can’t check to see what the bag is currently selling for (since it’s not currently in stock or even listed on the GORUCK.com page) so I have to go off of what it’s selling for on the EU page.

Normally the Euro gear is 15-20 percent more expensive than the American stuff so we’ll say that the GORUCK Gym Bag retails for about $150 USD. I can’t imagine that there are too many people that get all that thrilled about shelling out $150 for a gym bag.

Truth be told, you can certainly find more niche or even “exotic” gym bags selling for more than $150, but most of them have some type of special feature or otherwise “bonus” that at least partially warrants the higher price tag.

At the end of the day, you’re paying for higher-quality materials (although they’re not that much higher in quality to justify this price differential) and the GORUCK name. If these things are worth it to you…cool. However, if not, this is, simply stated, an objectively (very) overpriced bag.

Price: 65

Customer Reviews

We like to reiterate on this site that you should not take our conclusions and general takes on different gear items as Gospel truth. Sometimes (most of the time?), our conclusions will be similar to those of numerous other users, but other times…our take is a little bit different.

You can probably see where this is going.

The GORUCK Gym Bag actually gets pretty high ratings on the official GORUCK website (well, technically, it gets high rating on an official GORUCK website; I pulled these from the GORUCK.eu page)…higher collective ratings than I would be anywhere close to giving it.

Granted its collective 4.8 out of 5 is only calculated from a pool of 48 reviews (at the time of this writing) so there isn’t the biggest sample size (I also haven’t inputted my score rating yet…)

Ironically, of the two “negative” (3-star) reviews of the bag, one complained about the bag being too small while the other claimed it was bigger than they had expected.

You know things are going well when there is no consistency in the less-than-stellar reviews.

One last thing to mention is that it is impossible to find a large body of reviews for the GORUCK Gym Bag on a page other than the company’s main site. Recently, GORUCK gear has started to show up on Amazon and there are actually quite a few items for sale on Rogue…but not gym bag. As such, you’re just gonna have to trust what the “official” customer reviews have to say on the topic (or…ya know…trust me!)

Customer Reviews: 96

Customer Service

I’ve always had pretty good experiences with GORUCK’s customer service personnel. These interactions have, admittedly, been rather numerous (which doesn’t mean I’ve had problems with their gear!) so at this point, I’d like to think that I have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this crew.

I have found that these people are pretty responsive, getting back to inquiries quickly and with actionable information i.e. I seriously doubt they’re bots or slave-wage, “cut-and-paste response” workers. Additionally, in just about all of my experiences with them, they have attempted to resolve situations in ways that favor me.

Event refunds outside of the designated window. Quick order cancellations that didn’t even charge my credit card. Reduced shipping on return items.

Granted one of my earliest experiences with GORUCK personnel resulted in an entire order having to be cancelled over a simple error made when inputting my address (why they couldn’t have just updated on it on their end was beyond me). However, besides this mildly annoying experience…no problems.

If you’re on the fence with ordering from a more niche company, concerned about ramifications if something goes…not well, rest assured that your experience will likely be similar to my own with relatively quick, easy, and pain-free communication (and probably an equivalently positive resolution).

Customer Service: 95

Who is the GORUCK Gym Bag really for?

This part is actually pretty easy to discuss, mainly because I think that there are only a couple of very specific groups who will most appreciate the GORUCK Gym Bag.

Let’s take a look at who these exact people are:

GORUCK Bag Enthusiasts

The main group of people who the GORUCK Gym Bag will most likely appeal to are those who have to get their hands on everything the company puts out. If you’re a GORUCK enthusiast and want to get every bag for your collection, it makes sense to get their gym bag.

I know this isn’t the best reason to buy…anything, but this seems like the most appropriate demographic for this bag.

Gym-goers who don’t bring a lot of gear

I’m of the mind that a bigger bag is generally better, even if you’re not likely to use or need all of its space for your stuff. However, I know that it can look a bit ridiculous, and even be a bit awkward, to lug around a bigger bag than is necessary.

If you only really need a bag to stash shoes and a couple of smaller, non-bulky items, this gym bag may be preferable to some mammoth duffle bag. However, this also limits future potential to expand your horizon (you’re kinda screwed if you want to start hauling a leather belt and dedicated Oly lifting shoes with you).

Not for those seeking a legit gym bag

If you couldn’t tell by now, I don’t really think GORUCK’s gym bag is all that great of a bag in general, yet alone one for hauling gym gear. If you actually need to bring more than a water bottle, a change of shoes, and…I don’t know…that pair of gym shorts you wear every day, you’re going to run into some trouble.

Also, I don’t know how to explain it and I know it sounds ridiculous, but stuff just gets swallowed up in there…despite its smaller size. If you don’t want to have to pour out the entire contents of your bag before every workout, I would advise steering clear of this one.

How we reviewed the GORUCK Gym Bag

I know, I know…you see a website with “Garage Gym” in the name and probably wonder, “why is this guy hauling gear to a gym?”

It’s a good question and, truth be told, I do go to a commercial gym in town from time to time to complete certain workouts that I’m not able to complete (or to complete as well) in my home/barn gym. Because of this, I was excited to put the GORUCK Gym Bag to use hauling my gear.

Over the last few months, it has pretty much assumed its role as my primary gym bag…pretty much because I’ve been too lazy to completely clean it out and transfer the usual items into another bag. There is enough space for most of my stuff, but my wife usually fits some in her Kit Bag.

I haven’t taken it travelling nor have I used it as an everyday carry bag in this time, but I feel pretty good about the conclusions I’ve made about it in this time period. It is a “gym bag” after all!

GORUCK Gym Bag Alternatives

In case you’re not totally sold on GORUCK’s gym bag offering (and, to be honest, I can’t blame you if you’re not) take a second to check out some of the best alternative options. I’m pretty sure each of these would probably be a better pick:

Frequently Asked Questions

Not too many FAQs today; special focus on that second one!

The GORUCK Gym Bag…my least favorite GORUCK item…?

Recently, it seems as though more of my GORUCK gear reviews have focused on items I’m not quite as thrilled with.

The GORUCK Sand Kettlebell, the Jerry Cans, and now…the Gym Bag.

I’m pretty sure it’s intentional; I’ve reviewed just about all of their items that I currently have in my possession and have saved my least favorite ones for last.

…but is the Gym Bag truly my overall least favorite?

Yeah…probably.

I can get a decent amount of functionality out of the sand kettlebells, even if I can’t practically use them for overhead work. The jerry cans are…interesting, but will allow me to do some specific movements at home (specifically long farmer’s carry sets) that I’d otherwise have to go into the local gym to perform.

…the Gym Bag, though….ehh…I’m not really a fan at any price. Considering how much it costs…yeah, nah man.