Every pickleball addict knows the trifecta of success: a good paddle, reliable shoes, and the perfect bag. This guide is your key to unlocking that last essential piece.
Diving deeper into the world of bags, it’s apparent that the market is saturated with generic models from manufacturers, modestly adjusted and adorned with a brand’s emblem. Yet, amid the sea of sameness, there are standouts dedicated to the art of pickleball. Through rigorous search and scrutiny, I’ve unearthed the crème de la crème: the ultimate large, medium, small, and budget-friendly pickleball bags that break the mold. Here they are, curated just for you.
Table of Contents
ADV Pickleball Backpack V2 - The Best Large Bag
Category: Large
Bag name: ADV Pickleball Backpack V2
Dimensions: 12″ W x 21″ H x 9″ D (37L)
Price: $225 ($202 with code PBEFFECT)
Link to purchase >>
About ADV:
ADV got their start making bags for tennis and brought their expertise to pickleball in 2024. They are a bag company. They build their products from the ground up with feedback from the community.
Overview:
If you tend to pack a lot and want to keep your shoes in your bag, this is a great choice. It has plenty of accessory pockets and some special ones too, like a cooler pocket outside and a toiletry pocket inside. Check out the video above to see how I pack my essentials and still have lots of space left.
It’s nice that shoes in the bag don’t hog all the space or block other important pockets, which can be an issue with bags that have shoe compartments. Additionally, the bag stands on its own and has a structured design, making it easy to load and unload. The material is durable and easy to clean, and it features high-quality YKK zippers. You can comfortably fit three paddles in the dedicated paddle sleeve. You can even fit a couple of more paddles behind the shoes in the main compartment if you wanted to.
Although the bag is large, it’s comfortable to wear and doesn’t look too big on people.
The bottom line:
This bag is great for its spacious design, practicality with specialized pockets, and quality construction, making it an ideal choice for those who carry a lot without compromising comfort or accessibility.
Use the code PBEFFECT on ADV’s website for 10% off their bags.
KTCHN Court Caddy - The Best Medium Bag
Category: Medium
Bag name: Court Caddy Pickleball Bag
Dimensions: 8″ D x 12″ W x 20″ H (30L)
Price: $299 (Free add on with code PBEFFECT)
Link to purchase >>
About KTCHN:
KTCHN was founded in 2024 with the sole intent of making the highest quality pickleball bags. They don’t do anything else. The founder has started and ran another bag company before he fell in love with pickleball and brought his background and skill set to pickleball
Overview:
This bag was designed with the feedback of over 500 players and you can tell when you use it. It has several specific features designed for the needs of pickleball players.
Here’s what I like about it. It stands up on its own, the water bottle pockets can hold bigger water bottles and close flat when not in use, has ball sleeves that are accessible from the outside, super high quality materials that are easy to clean, minimal branding, smart pockets, and comfortable. It also features a computer sleeve and several paddle sleeves in the main compartment.
KTCHN designed the bag to be modular too, which I thought was clever. You buy the bag and then there are add ons like a shoe cube, eyeglass case, or paddle sleeve you can buy to customize it how you like. Or not buy, if you don’t need them. Speaking specifically to the shoe cube. You can attach it to the back of the bag but it gets bulky at that point and I prefer to just carry it. If that’s annoying to you then it’s something to be aware of.
This is also the best bag I tested that’s good for taking to work. It’s not oversized, isn’t over branded, and has a laptop sleeve. People in your office won’t know that you will be headed to the courts as soon as 5pm hits.
The bag was designed to be a daily driver type bag, so while there is ample space in there for your everyday pickleball needs, if you’re heavy packer then you’re going to wish there was more space and more pockets. It gets especially tight on tournament days when you’re packing extra water bottles, food, clothes, towels, and other things.
While I’m a big fan of the bag, I know people will look at the price and think nope, that’s too much. I will say this about the price, though. When you get the bag in the mail, it feels and looks like a $300 bag. Its materials and quality are a couple steps above every other pickleball bag I’ve tried. They even back it up with a lifetime warranty. This thing will last you forever if you take decent care of it.
You can watch my video review of the bag here >>
The bottom line:
If you’re a pickleball junkie want the best quality bag you can get, this is it. It has a place for all your essentials and is going to last you lifetime. Not the best choice for players who like to load their shoes in the bag or are heavy packers.
Use the code PBEFFECT on KTCHN’s website for 10% off their bags.
JOOLA Vision II Deluxe Backpack - The Best Small Bag
Category: Small
Bag name: JOOLA Vision II Deluxe Backpack
Dimensions: 20” H x 12” L x 8” W
Price: $79.95 ($72 with code PBEFFECT)
Link to purchase >>
Overview:
This bag was simple yet had the right pockets to carry all your essentials. It’s also a great bag for people who want to take their gear with them to work and then hit the courts right after. It has room for your pickleball gear and has a laptop sleeve.
It’s a backpack style bag with a paddle compartment, main compartment, two bigger side pockets and a couple of smaller accessory pockets. With it being a backpack style bag I liked that it has a paddle pocket that sits behind the main compartment and is separate from everything else. It holds two paddles comfortably. Joola actually advertises this pocket as a laptop sleeve but it’s better as a paddle pocket and then there’s a separate sleeve in the main compartment that fits any size laptop.
There are two larger compartments on the sides that stretch the entire length of the bag. I really liked these. You can fit a good size water bottle on one side and then you can use the other side to hold up to four balls perfectly and makes it easy to access the balls when you need them.
It also had just enough number of accessory pockets to hold your phone, keys, overgrips, tungsten tape, and other smaller items though there wasn’t much room to spare afterwards.
It also has a shoe compartment on the bottom of the bag that is ventilated. When you have shoes in the bag there is still some room to put things on the side of the shoes in the main compartment as well as on top and I was surprised by how many things I could fit into the larger compartment.
I also like that the bag isn’t goofy looking and has some style to it. There was a surprising number of smaller pickleball backpacks that weren’t attractive looking.
The main downside to the bag was the obvious cheaper materials. It could see it easily ripping and the stitching was starting to fray in some places after only using it a few times.
The bottom line:
This bag is a great option for the person that takes their gear to work, or the person that doesn’t want a large bag. It has a computer sleeve, dedicated paddle sleeve, and enough pockets for the essentials like shoes, balls, a change of clothes and a water bottle. While it’s not the highest quality material, it does the job for a good price.
Use the code PBEFFECT for 10% off this bag and other JOOLA gear on their website.
Aniviia 2-in-1 Duffle Backpack- The Best Budget Bag
Category: Budget, size medium
Bag name: Aniviia 2-in-1 Duffle Backpack
Dimensions: 24” L x 10” H x 10” W
Price: $69 ($58 with code 15EFFECT)
Link to purchase >>
Overview:
This bag came as a surprise to me and I wasn’t ready for how much I was going to like it. One of my followers on Instagram suggested I try it and I’m glad I did.
It’s a duffle style bag like something you would take to the gym but it has a built-in paddle sleeve in the main compartment that holds up to two paddles. The main compartment also has other smaller pockets on the sides that are easy to access and will hold those smaller items you don’t access as often like Tylenal or something. I know you have that in your bag ;).
There are also two other larger accessory pockets that go the length of the outside that fit a lot of things. Plenty of space in this bag for your smaller items. And since it’s a traditional duffle style bag, it has the two bigger compartments on the ends. One of those compartments is for shoes while the other is perfect for some balls or whatever else. The bag’s 10” height doesn’t slope like many of the tennis style duffle bags you’ll find so I found that I had more space in the main compartment even after I put shoes in there. It felt roomy and nice.
Another highlight of the bag is the strap system. It has the duffle strap, two grab handles, and has two backpack straps that are storable on the bottom. You can carry the bag in a lot of ways. I found myself using the duffle strap the most. It was so convenient to just throw it over my shoulder rather than having to do the backpack straps like every other bag has.
Lastly, I’ll call out that the material felt good. It wasn’t super thin, had a leathery feel, and the zippers were coated. All this is combined with minimal branding that makes the bag look really sharp.
The only complaint I had was that when I had a paddle or two in the paddle sleeve the bag would collapse onto itself which was a little annoying when you wanted to dig around in the main compartment. The CRBN Tour bag and some of the other duffle style bags typically stand up on their own with more structure to them. Additionally, because their was less structure to the bag it didn’t hang well on a fence and was floppy there, it was much better when you just set it on the ground.
The bottom line:
This bag is one of my personal favorites and I pull it out all the time, particularly when I’m traveling and want to fit a bunch of stuff into a carry on. It also has a very good price and feels like a steal for what you get. I liked the multiple ways to carry it, the quality, and the good organization. It was big enough to hold the essentials plus some extra space without it being over the top big.
Braydon competes at the 5.0 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and would play more if time allowed it.
