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The Spruce / Marcus Millan
Garment bags are an effective way to store your most cherished clothing items safely at home and keep them wrinkle-free in transit. But if you’ve never purchased one before, it can be tricky to know if you could benefit from them. “I love to place my suits that I travel with in a garment bag because it protects them from possibly getting damaged,” writes Cedric Wood, a travel content creator who gave us first-hand advice on how to pick a great garment bag. “Specialty garments will remain in great condition traveling with them in a garment bag versus in traditional luggage.”
Garment bags used to store clothes at home can also help protect your clothing from dust, sun, and even pests. Wondering if a plastic dry cleaning cover will work for at-home storage? To cut to the chase, no, as they can cause discoloration. Wood strongly suggests investing in a breathable option instead.
We researched across retailers to find the most effective and convenient garment bags to help keep suits, dresses, and everything in between protected both at home and on the road. If you’re looking for a piece that can do it all, one at a more budget-friendly price, or even a carry-on option, there is a garment bag in nearly every shape, size, and style.
Best Overall
SwissGear 7895 Premium Rolling Garment Bag
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Amazon
Two-hook system allows it to be hung
Features two shoe pockets
Has a zippered wet bag
Too large to use as a carry-on
Only has two-directional wheels
Swissgear’s 7895 Premium Rolling Garment Bag is an all-around excellent garment bag, offering a suite of at-home and on-the-go features, easy transportation, and plenty of room for both clothing and accessories. It generously has two shoe pockets, along with a zippered wet compartment, multiple zippered mesh pockets in different shapes, and six stretch pockets. Aside from clothing storage, there’s also a generously-sized front pocket for storing extra travel necessities, such as your phone charger, hand sanitizer, small toiletries, or anything else you need for a comfortable trip.
Traveling with this garment bag is a breeze, as it has in-line wheels, a telescoping aluminum handle, and a built-in stand to keep it upright when it’s not being wheeled. Though, what clinches this as our top pick is its ability to unzip and essentially turn into a wardrobe when hung from its two included hooks. You can set it up in a closet at home when packing and when you get to your destination.
The only major downside of this bag is that it’s not the correct shape to use as a carry-on, necessitating a checked bag if you’re flying with it. But, the positive trade-off is a well-organized bag with plenty of space for all of your clothing, shoes, accessories, and more.
Price at time of publish: $200
Dimensions: 24 x 23 x 9.5 inches | Material: Polyester, aluminum | Carry-On Friendly: No
Best Budget
Whitmor Zippered Garment Bag Natural Linen
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Amazon
Made of breathable, linen fabric
Keeps out dust
Slim profile for storage
Doesn’t prevent moth damage
No window to see what’s inside
If you’re purely looking to protect your specialty clothing while it's stored in your closet, a simple zippered bag made of a natural material is all you really need and is budget-friendly to boot. This Whitmor bag is made from 100 percent linen, which is natural, breathable, and can be easily washed if needed. “Breathable fabric prevents mold, and [mold] can destroy my valuable garments,” writes Wood, who highly recommends breathable bags over any made of plastic or non-woven fabrics.
The downside of this bag is that it’s not going to necessarily be heavy-duty enough to travel with. You can absolutely hang it in your car, if that’s your mode of transportation to an event, but there are many better options for flying.
Price at time of publish: $14
Dimensions: 22 x 3 x 40 inches | Material: Linen | Carry-On Friendly: No
Best Rolling
Traveler's Choice Carry-On Softside 8-Wheeled Spinner Garment Bag
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Amazon
Eight spinner wheels allow it to roll any direction
Fits exact dimensions of carry-on limitations
Has lots of extra pockets
Not able to hang in a closet
A bit short to use for longer dresses
If ease of transport is your number one consideration when looking for a garment bag, this wheeled piece by Traveler’s Choice will be a welcome addition to your selection of luggage. It has four sets of spinner wheels, which allow you to roll your bag in any direction using its telescoping, aluminum handle instead of only pulling it behind you. It has a padded interior to keep your garments safe and wrinkle-free, as well as a clamp to keep your hangers aligned and in place. Two large mesh pockets frame the hanger area and are removable if needed.
But, the bag’s main appeal is that it’s able to be used as a carry-on piece of luggage, eliminating the hassle of needing to check your garment bag. Not to mention, it comes in at a rather reasonable price point considering its convenient features.
Price at time of publish: $160
Dimensions: 21 x 14 x 9 inches | Material: Polyester, aluminum | Carry-On Friendly: Yes
Best Duffel
Modoker Carry on Garment Duffel Bag
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Amazon
Has a shoe compartment
Features a back strap to attach to wheeled luggage
Available in seven colors
Dimensions slightly exceed carry-on guidelines
Zippers can be stubborn
Love a weekender bag, but need to bring a suit or a few other specialty garments along? This duffel-shaped garment bag is the perfect way to carry your most formal clothing in a casual bag. Instead of folding like an envelope, the flat garment bag folds upward into a duffel shape, creating room for more clothing inside, if needed. This bag has a huge variety of extra pockets, including a large, solid, zippered side pouch, mesh and solid accessory pockets, and even a zippered shoe compartment. It has a shoulder strap for carrying, as well as a trolly strap so you can affix it to rolled luggage.
Although the listed dimensions slightly exceed standards for carry-ons, as it’s a soft-sided bag, many reviewers report that it's able to be used as a carry-on without issue. Just be aware that the zippers can be a bit stubborn and slow down your packing and unpacking process a bit.
Price at time of publish: $60
Dimensions: 22.8 x 11 x 11.8 inches | Material: Polyester | Carry-On Friendly: Yes
Best Moth-Proof
Household Essentials 3392-1 Cedarline Collection Hanging Garment Bag
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Amazon
Has slots for cedar planks to defend against insects
Clear window allows you to see contents
Made of breathable, 100 percent cotton material
Not easy to fold and travel with
Can’t hold many garments
This simple Household Essentials bag is a great option for keeping your specialty clothing safe while stored in your closet on multiple fronts. It’s breathable and budget-friendly, but its extra features make it especially suited for preventing your clothing from moth damage. Instead of utilizing plastic, or other manufactured materials that could potentially cause damage to your clothes, to prevent insects, it has elastic loops on the bottom of its interior where you can place cedar planks, which naturally repel moths. It’s also made of cotton, which Wood prefers as a garment bag material since it's, “lightweight, breathable, and affordable.” An extra perk? “For protection against sun exposure,” Wood writes, “cotton is the way to go."
Price at time of publish: $23
Dimensions: 54 x 25 x 3 inches | Material: Cotton canvas | Carry-On Friendly: No
Best Compact
Calpak Compakt Small Garment Bag
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Calpak
Can fit inside of a traditional, rolling carry-on bag
Tons of pockets for accessories
Super lightweight
Not able to fit long dresses
Can only hold a few garments
Sometimes you just need to bring one or two items along that you’d like to remain unwrinkled, but going through the effort of carrying a garment bag just doesn’t seem worth it. This small and slim trifold bag is small enough when folded to pop into most traditional, rolling carry-on bags. This means you won’t need to pay for yet another extra bag on your next flight. It has a few pockets on its folded exterior, but the main accessory storage areas are in its face when folded. There are two large, solid and four smaller, zippered mesh ones.
We haven’t tested this bag personally, but we do have some other luggage from Calpak and find smart design at every turn. Their zippers have proved to be especially strong and the style and colors available are absolutely gorgeous. This bag comes in six bright and neutral colors and patterns, which is somewhat rare for a garment bag.
Price at time of publish: $80
Dimensions: 40 x 19 inches (unfolded) | Material: Nylon, polyester | Carry-On Friendly: Yes
Best for Business Trips
Samsonite Xenon 3.0 Spinner Mobile Office Laptop Bag
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Amazon
Separate laptop compartment
Multi-directional spinner wheels
Has strap to connect to other rolling luggage
More space for accessories means less for garments
Can’t hang in a closet
If you’re in search of the perfect carry-on for business trips, look no further than the Samsonite Xenon 3.0 bag, which functions as both a garment bag and a laptop bag. The garment bag section features cross straps to keep your clothing in place and to prevent wrinkles, though it does lack the plethora of extra compartments for shoes and accessories that many other rolling garment bags have. (Though, in its place is a padded laptop sleeve in a separate zippered compartment, as well as another front section with a tablet sleeve and room for notebooks, pens, and other work needs.)
As for transporting this bag, it has four spinner wheels and a telescoping handle, making it a breeze to bring through the airport to use as a carry-on. And if you’re using it along with another piece of large rolling luggage, it even has a luggage strap to rest on top of it—a rarity for a bag that rolls itself.
Price at time of publish: $210
Dimensions: 16.25 x 13.25 x 7.25 inches | Material: Polyester | Carry-On Friendly: Yes
Best Over-the-Shoulder
Mancro Garment Bag For Travel
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Amazon
Budget-friendly
Simple design
Able to be hung in a closet
Needs to be carried
Doesn’t have a high capacity
You can think of this over-the-shoulder garment bag as the classic garment bag style. In many ways, it's the “best of both worlds” between bags mainly used in closets and those used for intense travels. It can easily unfold and hang from its hook, and it’s more lightweight than styles that are more like luggage. But, in addition to the main garment compartment, it has a mesh pocket for accessories and small clothing items, a front pocket with organizational compartments, and a trolly strap so it can easily sit atop luggage.
Its strap is adjustable and removable, so you can make the piece work for you and your transportation needs. The bag is also made of a water-resistant fabric to keep your clothing extra-protected while you’re on the move.
Price at time of publish: $40
Dimensions: 22 x 22 x 3.5 inches | Material: Polyester and nylon | Carry-On Friendly: Yes
Best Splurge
TUMI Alpha 3 Extended Trip 4-Wheeled Garment Bag with TSA Lock
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Amazon
Large interior space
Four multi-directional spinner wheels
Integrated TSA luggage lock
Shoe pocket holds up to three pairs
Would need to be checked to fly with it
Expensive
Sometimes a long trip requires specialty luggage, such as this splurge-worthy TUMI Alpha 3 garment bag that has the largest capacity of the garment bags on this list. TUMI claims it can fit up to six suits, which will have you set for any extended voyages you have coming up. You’re going to need some shoes to go with those fits, and this bag has shoe compartments for three pairs. There’s also a separate compartment for other clothing. Despite its size, it’s easy to transport on its four spinner wheels and with its telescoping aluminum handle, though you should note: it’s too large to use as a carry-on and will need to be checked on any flights. This high-quality bag is also rife with special features like a zippered interior and exterior pockets, a TSA combination zipper lock, and two removable, mesh, zippered pouches.
Price at time of publish: $1350
Dimensions: 24 x 25 x 13 inches | Material: Ballistic nylon, aluminum handle | Carry-On Friendly: No
The Swissgear 7895 Premium Rolling Garment Bag is our pick for the overall best garment bag, thanks to its versatile wardrobe-to-roller design, plethora of extra pockets and storage space, and generous capacity. For a carry-on, rolling option, consider the Traveler's Choice Carry-On Softside 8-Wheeled Spinner Garment Bag, which will be simple to travel and fly with. Only looking to protect your clothing from dust, sunlight, and other damage possible through storage? Check out the budget-friendly Whitmor Zippered Natural Linen Garment Bag, which will do just that at an excellent price.
What to Look for in a Garment Bag
Extra Storage Options
If you’re using a garment bag as an extra piece of luggage, an important consideration is what additional storage you need. Most bags, even slim ones like the Calpak Compakt Small Garment Bag, have at least a few extra zippered pockets for various accessories. Mesh pockets are great for items such as belts and socks, while solid pockets are better for small items like jewelry that might otherwise snag on the mesh or fall through the mesh’s holes. Larger, more luggage-adjacent garment bags can also come with specialty shoe compartments, removing the possibility of dirtying your clothes with them, as well as the need for buying a separate duster bag. The TUMI Alpha 3 Extended Trip 4-Wheeled Garment Bag goes so far as to have room for three pairs.
Ease of Carrying
While garment bags are incredibly helpful for keeping clothing neat and protected, they can come at the cost of being yet another bulky item to travel with. There are plenty of over-the-shoulder garment bags, which are often more budget-friendly, but if you’d prefer the easiest transportation possible, there are many solutions like the Modoker Carry-On Garment Duffel Bag, which features a trolly strap so you can set it atop any rolling luggage you have in tow. If you’re not carrying a lot of items in your garment bag, some are slim enough to fit inside of traditional rolling carry-on luggage, eliminating the need to carry a second bag at all. Some are pieces of wheeled luggage unto themselves, with your choice of two wheels—like in our "best overall" pick, the Swissgear 7895 Premium Rolling Garment Bag—or four spinner wheels—like in this Traveler's Choice Carry-On—for ushering along with even greater ease.
Travel-Friendly Design
Some wheeled garment bags are small enough to use as a carry-on, which Cedric Wood, an Atlanta-based content creator who provided expertise for this article, prefers. “I travel a lot and we all know how many airlines don't provide the best care when handling customers' checked luggage,” he writes. “Therefore, for suits and other expensive slacks or shirts that can't be folded, I love to use a garment bag that is carry-on size appropriate that I don't have to check in at the airport.”
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What is a garment bag and do I need one?
A garment bag is a fabric cover that is used to protect clothing from dust, wrinkles, and anything else that might cause damage. There are many different styles of garment bag, but they fall into two main categories: simple garment bags that are used in closets for storage, and garment bags used to travel with specialty garments. If you’re concerned about dust, sun, and moth damage during long-term storage, you may want to invest in the former.
If you find yourself traveling with suits and dresses with some regularity, it’s a good idea to take a look at the latter. “Garment bags are very effective for transporting suits and ironed clothing that will easily get wrinkled if transported in traditional luggage,” writes Wood. So, especially if you’d like to avoid extra ironing, steaming, or even dry cleaning upon arrival to your destination, a garment bag is a worthy investment.
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What is the best material for a garment bag?
“A breathable fabric is ideal for a garment bag to be made from,” writes Wood. “Cotton is lightweight, breathable, and affordable.” If you’re looking to use a garment bag mainly to store and protect clothes, it’s easy to find high-quality, breathable bags made of cotton, as Wood recommends, or linen. The two materials have similar properties.
However, it’s difficult to find a durable travel garment bag made out of these materials. In this case, Wood recommends at least sticking to a woven fabric. Woven polyester is the most common, even among high-quality travel bags. Perhaps more importantly, Wood has advice on what materials to stay away from. “Disappointing garment bags include plastic and non-woven bags,” he writes. “These bags are usually cheaper and can cause major fading and discoloration to your clothing.” He also recommends staying away from suede and leather, which are not breathable and can cause damage as well.
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How much does a garment bag cost?
The cost of a garment bag varies greatly with its style, material, and capacity. Simple garment bags made of natural materials like linen and cotton are, of course, less expensive, but are generally not suited for travel and don’t have any special features. It’s reasonable to find one for under $20.
There’s a much greater variability in the price of travel garment bags. According to Wood, “A reasonable price range for a garment bag ranges from $75 to $150, but a high-quality garment bag can cost you from about $100 to $500.” Wheeled luggage-like bags begin at around the $100 range, but vary greatly in price based on brand, quality, and capacity. As with most luggage, with a higher price usually comes a higher quality. Sturdier zippers, higher-quality fabrics, and more special features like pockets, TSA locks, and shoe compartments are to be expected.
If you’re looking for a good deal on a travel garment bag, it may be worth it to you to forego wheels altogether. Over-the-shoulder and weekender garment bags start at about $40, and are a good entry point if you’ve never purchased a garment bag, and want to be sure you’ll use it before investing in a more expensive one.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Rachel Dunkel is a contributor to The Spruce. She has been writing curated commerce stories since 2018, recommending products across categories to millions of readers at various outlets. She covers travel, organization, and cleaning content. For this story, Dunkel researched countless garment bags and evaluated them for their material, ease of transport, capacity, and extra features. She also sought the expert advice of Cedric Wood, an Atlanta-based travel content creator with tons of experience transporting garments.
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