Best Padel Bags

Introduction

After you spend a few years playing padel, you learn how fragile padel rackets are.

That's why I'm so picky about the right padel bag. I think a good padel bag should be the third major padel product you buy - after your racket and padel shoes.

To help you with your choice, I've reviewed several padel bags I've used over the years and combined that with an analysis of the experience of several other padel reviewers.

I've tested these over the past year and watched and/or read over 20 padel bag reviews to give you the most informed comprehensive list of padel bags.

Our top picks

Best Racket Case

A racket case carries your racket and a few grips. Some models, like our favorite, the TWO TWO racket case, include a super useful additional pocket that is made to carry a can of balls.

I've also fit a 750ml bottle of water in it.

Racket cases prioritize portability over capacity. Because I tend to pack to fill my padel bags and not to pack only what I need, I like to bring small bags to force myself to prioritize.

The racket case doesn't allow me to bring a change of sneakers for getting to and from the match. As a result, it results in additional wear and tear on my padel shoes. Also, I prefer to use it on dry days where there isn't a risk of muddying up my padel shoes.

Note that many racket cases are so slim that they can easily be carried in a larger padel bag to protect rackets from scratches.

TWO TWO Racket Case | Check Price

I know I'm going to catch some flack for recommending an €80 racket case. The truth is: Two Two’s racket case is so good it’s almost in another category from the other racket cases, and I use it all the time.

It fits all the rackets I've tried it with (about 10), and it forces me to travel to the court minimally…I don't find myself rummaging around in my bag for over-grips as usual.

To travel to the court with balls and a water bottle, I put a can of balls into the ball compartment and loop a water bottle around the straps. The bottle bounces around slightly uncomfortably while I cycle to the padel club, but I prefer that to paying €2 for water at the club or being the guy who never brings balls.

Pros

• 2 straps for carrying like a backpack
• Ball carrying pocket
• Slick design

Cons

• Low padding
• No thermal protection

Alternatives

I’ve personally used both of these racket cases, and each has its benefits.

‍Volt’s Racket Case | Check Price

Volt’s racket case feels like a premium racket case with its padded minimal design that offers various small pockets for your keys, over grips, and other accessories.

It is provided for free with the purchase of a Volt racket.

If you’re not thinking about a Volt racket, at €15, this racket case is truly a steal. How can they not be losing money on this?

Varlion’s Summum Racket Case | Check Price

Varlion’s UV protection racket case will isolate your racket from temperature swings. I’ve slipped this into my large racket bag when I’m carrying a ton of rackets to the club.

Best Padel Backpack

A padel backpack generally has a capacity between 20-30 liters and carries roughly half of the following: balls, a bottle, shoes, water, soap, shower sandals, and a change of clothes.

I want to like racket backpacks a lot more. I think they have their place as medium-sized racket bags, but I have some mixed feelings about them.

While some of them provide good protection, many do not properly isolate rackets from the other items. Further, most will compress the racket face if you overstuff them with your gear, so please be careful.

Varlion Ambassador Backpack | Check Price

Varlion's Ambassador's backpack is my top pick for padel racket backpacks due to its combination of a slim design with good racket protection and useful compartments.

Its racket compartment is adequately padded and includes a laptop sleeve, which I appreciate as someone who sometimes has to jump into a work call shortly before or after a match.

It also has a ventilated shoe compartment.

Pros

• Great design
• Most features of a large racket bag in a more portable design

Cons

• Straps tear open

Alternatives

• Wilson Bela
• Bullpadel Hack backpack

Large padel bag

With capacities of over 30 liters, large padel bags carry basically everything you could need for a day at the courts.

These are better than backpacks for racket protection as they don't compress the racket face with they are overfilled.

When you need to hold multiple rackets and/or a change of clothes, you should have a large padel bag. These bags will hold all of your gear. Additionally, as a gear nerd, they orient your rackets perpendicular to the tension of the weight of your back, unlike padel backpacks, which means that they won't be compressed when you are carrying a lot.

Note that many on the upper end of the spectrum are very large, and as a result can be quite awkward to handle. I've had some uncomfortable situations on the underground when it was packed.

Here's an example pack list:

• shower gear: sandals, soap, towel
• 2 rackets
• padel shirt, shorts, shoes
• change of underwear and socks
• large water bottle
• can of balls
• towel
• overgrips and snacks

Nox Pro Series Racket Bag | Check Price

My top pick is the new Nox Pro Series Racket Bag (Padel Nuestro).

Nox has recently released a new racket bag, and it has improved a lot upon what was available on the market.

It has 2 insulated padel rackets and can be held like a classic suitcase or as a backpack. It has a ventilated shoe compartment. It has plastic "feet" to protect against sliding on the ground. Its straps run along the upper side, so when you wear it as a backpack, you won't be putting the dust from the ground directly onto your back as in other models.

It comes in three colors: black, navy blue, and camel.

Pros

• Classic synthetic leather material
• Insulated racket compartments
• Many pockets for accessories

Cons

• Multiple strap options are versatile but clunky

Alternatives

Varlion Ambassador’s Large Racket Bag

While I have used this bag for a few years, I am not including it on the best of list because I am concerned about the durability of its straps.

Hildebrand Padel Bag | Check Price

Hildebrand is a small, semi-luxury, Swedish luggage company that has expanded their line to include padel bags. They recently collaborated with STIGA to release a premium bag.

They also make padel bags under their brand, such as this one in canvas and this one in leather.

Their bags are produced in Montegranaro, Marche, Italy, a region famous for luxury shoemaking.

How to choose a padel bag

The type of padel bag that suits you depends on what your trips to the court are like. A few questions to help you decide:

• Do you carry multiple rackets? If so, then you should should get a large racket bag.
• Do you shower at the club after the match? If so, then you should should get a large racket bag.
• How do you get to and from the court? If you cycle or take public transportation, consider a padel case or backpack.

A padel bag should do the following:

• carry your gear
• keep it tidy at home
• protect it from rain (wetness)
• protect it from scrapes and bumps
• protect it from temperature swings

Evaluation criteria

Protection

Is there padding around the rackets? Does the bag exert torsion on the rackets? What about when the bag is overloaded?

Padel bags should protect your gear from force, abrasion, and temperature.

The most important thing your padel bag should do is protect your racket face from compression.

Well-designed compartments will keep your other gear in separate compartments, so your rackets won’t be scraped by your other rackets or your keys.

Capacity

How easy is it to carry stuff with? Are the compartments in useful places? Are the zippers and closures easy to use?

A padel bag’s job is to carry stuff. But how well does it do it for the type of bag that it is? Obviously, a massive, unwieldy bag has a high capacity, but I try to evaluate each bag for the category that it is in. If you are like me, you see the use of different sizes of bags in different situations.

Durability

Are the straps reinforced? How about the areas where there will be a lot of scraping? How large are the zippers?

Portability

Are the straps comfortable? Are there multiple ways to carry it comfortably? Does it fit tall, short, thick, and thin people?

Thoughts on padel bags

For about a year, I would take my laptop and notebook out of my backpack after arriving home from work. I would then fill my backpack with my padel shoes, a can of balls, and my racket. I was always looking for my gear scattered around my apartment. I noticed water spilling from my water bottle into my racket face. I found scratches on my racket face from throwing random stuff on top.

It was a mess. Something had to be done.

I’ve given you my top picks for the best padel bags above, but overall, I am slightly underwhelmed by what a lot of the brands are offering. Many seem to be copying one another or adding a new colorway and calling it a new bag.

I'd like to see some hard data on the actual protection that thermal insulation provides.

I’d like to see more creativity in bag designs. Or collaborations with professional bag manufacturers. It’s hard to make a good padel racket. Making both a good racket and a good padel bag seems nearly impossible.

Why trust us?

Padel FYI is the Metacritic for padel rackets. To help you find the best padel racket, I have cataloged 360 reviews of 106 of the most popular padel rackets to create the most comprehensive padel racket database.

We're also linking to deals from the most popular shops across the globe to help you find the best place to get your gear!