The 12 Best Women’s Toiletry Bags

Leonardo da Vinci said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” and when it comes to toiletry bags, we agree. In a sea of zippers and hidden pouches, the Lermende bags stand out for their clear, one-pouch design. Touted as “TSA-approved” (which means they hold TSA-size-approved bottles and are see-through), these work well for a weekend away. They’re high quality with a strong zipper and coordinating stretchy handles.

The Lermende were the only bags that earned a perfect score on our cleanability test, meaning the blobs of mascara and foundation we rubbed into them wiped away completely. They come in 16 different colorways, so there’s an option for every palette. However, we should mention that these bags are not large enough to hold a full bottle of shampoo, and they tend to emit a strong plastic smell when you first open them.

The Eagle Creek – Pack-It Quick Trip Packing Organizer is the same series as our favorite packing cubes, and this bag did not disappoint. This unisex style dopp kit is one of the smaller toiletry bags we tested, but it still holds many items. At 3.95” x 1.24” x 2.17”, we can fit an electronic shaver, toothpaste, hair products, and small beauty accessories easily in this bag. It comprises one main compartment with two side zippers for organizing your items better.

This is a bag we actually use all the time at home as sort of an organizer in a drawer. It has one main compartment and two sides. It’s just the right amount to separate often-used vs rarely used items, so they don’t get in the way. A single large compartment can sometimes be overwhelming and require an organizer bag inside (which we still use with this anyway), but conversely, some dopp kits can have way too many compartments.Read more…

When traveling, we love how its flat design means fewer items cover each other. The bag can sit on the counter without worrying about toppling it over while digging for items.

Its water-resistant material makes it worry-free for keeping on the counter or stains–we could just throw it in the wash if anything gets on it. At first, we were a little turned off by how floppy the bag was, giving it slightly cheaper vibes, but it actually can be a positive in terms of flexibility when filling in those final packing gaps in your backpack or luggage.

The REI Co-op – Shower Roll is our favorite hanging toiletry bag because it carries many items but packs up to a reasonable size (10.75” x 7.75” x 4”) to fit in your checked luggage or even in a carry-on. This toiletry bag comes in a bluesign® approved design with three separate compartments that roll up more compactly.

This bag comes in two sizes, and we like the larger size to fit all of our make-up, hair accessories, and bath toiletries for short and longer trips. However, if you want a smaller toiletry bag, we recommend buying the smaller size. Both shell and the lining are abrasion resistant and water repellent so it’s a very durable bag.Read more…

This bag also has a hook, you can easily hang it on a knob or loop it over a rack. It’s great when you’re traveling because it leaves you with more space on hotel counters. My only gripe is that the loop and hook can be a little difficult to remove once it’s hanging. There’s also a hidden mirror attached to the bag with velcro so that you can get ready anywhere. We also like that you can unzip the bottom transparent compartment to carry a smaller portion of items for a day trip.

The Expert Travel looks like a lunchbox, but we love that it unfurls vertically and completely (similarly-shaped bags on our list only unfold halfway). We were surprised at how well makeup wiped off of it despite its white lining, and it also lived up to its waterproof claims when we doused it in water.

The Expert Travel has storage for every product you can imagine (although there are no specific straps for makeup brushes). It was resistant to any tears during our testing, and the zippers held firm when we yanked on them.Read more…

Our only quality issue was with the handle: It’s a plastic material that’s meant to look like leather, but it doesn’t. We were able to leave temporary dents in it with a slight press of our fingernails, and we can imagine it would get dirty easily. The Expert Travel is available in over ten colors.

The first word that comes to mind when we look at the Yeiotsy bag is “whimsical.” With its curved edges, bright colors and polka-dot design, it would make a fun “purse” for a little one. Like the Lermende, it has a strong plastic smell when you open the package, but this will dissipate over time. Also like the Lermende, it’s one large pouch, but this one does have straps for makeup brushes. We love this bag because it’s one of the most cleanable ones we tested. (Plus, its dark lining hides mascara stains well.) It’s also got a smooth zip and is resistant to tearing.

Some people may not like that much of the Yeiotsy’s storage is in the lid, which could make it top-heavy if you don’t pack it correctly. There are also no plain colors available (only various shades of polka dots).

The IQ Travels bag is a no-nonsense choice meant for serious travelers. It comes only in black. We thought its oblong, utilitarian shape made it easy to fit in the bottom of our suitcases. Plus we liked that it was easily wipeable, and the black hid most of what stains remained. The IQ travels feels high quality for the money, with smooth zipper pulls. Our favorite part about this bag is that it has two side compartments that flip open with storage for brushes, shavers, etc. Though we didn’t notice it, some Amazon reviewers complained of a strong chemical smell coming from this bag.

The Freegrace is our middle of the road pick. This is another one that looks like a lunch box, but makes up for it with great storage. This is the kind of cosmetic bag that is your carry on, rather than one you put inside your carry on. That said, it might get hooked on your clothes as you carry it, because its hanger is not contained inside its flap.

The Freegrace is great for people who have a lot of cosmetics to keep organized. It has tons of storage, including mesh pockets, regular pockets and straps to hold brushes. It’s also good if you’re worried about your stuff getting damaged: It has more thick, protective padding than the other cases we tested.Read more…

The Freegrace passed only one of our cleaning tests: foundation came off of it easily, mascara did not. This bag also lost a couple of points because it arrived with some loose stitching, and we thought it was strange that all the brush holders weren’t in the same compartment. However, it passed our durability test well: The zipper didn’t break and the fabric didn’t tear no matter how hard we pulled. The Freegrace is available in seven colors.

We liked the cylindrical Pantheon for its packability and big carrying handle, and were happy to find that its dark lining was wipeable and hid mascara stains completely. We also appreciated that the hook attached to it zips inside the bag so that it doesn’t get stuck on things. The one big downside of this bag is that it’s shallow. There is a mesh pocket in the lid to add some extra storage, but overall, space is limited.

The Lay-n-Go is the most unique bag that we tested. Like the name implies, it lies flat in a circle with all of your toiletries inside. Then when you’re ready to go, you cinch it up. While it’s nice to have access to all of your products at once without digging around, we weren’t sold on this bag. The material has a sturdy, quilted feel to it, but it still felt less than secure. Because there are only a few straps sewn to the inside of the Lay-n-Go, most of your products are loose and tumbling around. One plus to this bag, however, is that it can go in the washer, (but foundation and mascara come off of it pretty well with a good wipedown).

For those living the vegan lifestyle, the Daisy Rose is a good choice. This no-frills bag is made from vegan leather, with a small carrying loop and no pockets. Its brown and black checkered design is reminiscent of some famous designer bags, which we think accounts partly for this one’s popularity. It has a dark lining, which means that any unlidded mascara or eyeliner won’t cause noticeable smudges. However if you get light-colored makeup or toothpaste on it, you’re out of luck because this bag is not easily cleaned. The Daisy Rose is structurally sound and resistant to tears, but we found the zipper a little sticky.

KIPOZI ranked last in our flat iron review, so we didn’t place much faith in this brand’s toiletry bags. Surprisingly, there were some things we liked about it, like its abundance of pockets that opened wider than most. However, it’s flaws far outweighed its good qualities. Because of the way this bag’s hook is attached, it gets stuck on everything, including its own zipper. The bag’s cream colored lining (while sophisticated looking) shows any cosmetic or toiletry spill stains. And finally, its narrow and deep design means you have to fish around to find what you’re looking for. It only comes in black, and like a couple of the other bags on our list, looks a lot like a lunchbox.

We didn’t start out on the best foot with the CHICECO; we found it wasteful that the bag came wrapped in multiple layers of plastic. Its tag and maintenance tips came wrapped in more plastic. Once we put it through our cleaning test, we were even more disappointed. It stained the most easily of all the bags we tested. That said, if you only want this bag for aesthetics, the CHICECO might be fine for you. The bag is a trendy elongated-pyramid shape made with luxe-feeling material, pretty gold hardware and a smooth zip. It comes in eight saturated colors. It’s also small enough to fit on-the-go in a travel purse.