The cosmetics/toiletries bag has always been a Goldilocks-style conundrum when it comes to travel—they’re too big or too small, overdesigned and almost militant, or poorly structured but pretty. It can be so hard to find one that really works for you, but once you do, travel is just that much more streamlined. After road testing so many of the below over the years, speaking to friends who swear by their go-tos, and examining every detail from dimensions to linings, pockets and special features, we landed on these 22 dopp kits that fit the kitchen sink, don’t leak, and are easy to pack.
1. Anya Hindmarch Night and Day Pouch and In-Flight Case – A few people we’ve interviewed for our packing series have mentioned their love of Anya’s toiletry bags. The Night and Day Pouch is a hanging bag with four triangular Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) pockets that form a compact cube when rolled up. The In-Flight case is a structured clear TPU bag with leather trimmed sides, and even if the contents of it are chaotic, it just looks so good when you pull it out of your bag.
2. Rains Wash Bag – Their washbag is sleek, waterproof, and has a capacity of 1.2 gallons, but if you’re not filling it all the way, there are buckles mounted to each side that can compress it to minimize the space it takes up in your carry-on.
3. L/Uniform Toiletry Bag – This waterproof canvas bag is so chic you could almost use it as a clutch. It has one large main opening and an exterior side zip pocket, but best of all is that it’s fully customizable, so you can pick the color of your fabric and trim, and add a monogram or motif to make it yours.
4. Prada Nylon Travel Pouch – If you want to invest in a bag that will last forever, Matt has had this Prada Nylon dopp kit for over 20 years, and still carts it all around the world with him.
5. Calpak Hanging Kit – For those who can’t decide between a hanging bag or bucket bag, this is a solid middle ground. You can unfurl it to hang on the door of the bathroom, or fold over the top to keep the main compartment open, with easy access to all its pockets and elastic loops to tuck things into. The material itself is a recycled ripstop polyester with a water-resistant coating that currently comes in 14 cheery colors, all of which have buckle closure to make sure nothing slips out.
6. Cadence Parcel – I tested their parcel and capsules a few months ago after seeing everyone rave about them, and a few months and several trips later, still really do like both. The parcel is made of transparent TPU that’s welded in the corners and has a magnetic closure (which really does stay shut), so there’s no seams where any leaks could get through. It’s incredibly easy to wash out with soap and water, and when you use the Cadence Capsules and the bag together, you really can maximize your liquid allowance.
7. Parallelle – Our friends Pia Baroncini and Natasha Nyanin both spoke about this bag with a passion nobody has ever used about their cosmetic bags before. It’s designed so you can place your makeup brushes, bottles, and whatever else standing up, then roll the walls of the bag down and have easy access to everything without dumping the contents of your bag on the counter.
8. LL Bean Getaway Organiser – In classic LL Bean style, it’s got all the features you need and nothing more—it stands up on its own or can hang from a hook, has two interior zippered mesh pockets, a zippered water-resistant exterior pocket, and two straps to secure your toothbrush. A friend of mine said she’s had hers for 25 years and it still looks and works great.
9. Quince Cosmetics Case – This case made of water-resistant leather looks like it could be way more expensive than it is. There’s an interior lining that is removable, with four different slots to keep things organized, and it looks so good we might just keep it on the counter at home.
10. Saie Large Vanity Case – Writer and Prix Fixe founder Oset Babür-Winter recommends the Large Vanity Case from Saie. The makeup brand cleverly designed these to perfectly fit their larger products, with an interior organizer that you can pull right out and use on the bathroom vanity when you get to your destination.
11. Filson Travel Kit – Leave it to Filson to make a dopp kit out of industrial-grade twill fabric and saddle-grade leather. The interior is lined with waterproof nylon, can hold up to 5.5 liters, and it has two exterior pockets (though they don’t zip). But really the best part of this one, like any Filson bag, is that it just gets better with age.
12. Le Sportsac Dopp Kit – This double-decker dopp kit has a shallow bottom compartment with elastic loops to keep your flat items like a toothbrush or razor in place, and a larger top compartment with plenty of space for everything else. Of course, it’s made in their signature ripstop nylon that you can even throw in the washing machine if it gets mucked up.
13. WELLinsulated – Makeup artist and founder of Shop Reed Clarke Fiona Stiles told us about these brilliantly designed bags in a metallic fabric that not only look cool, but are heat resistant and leakproof, so you can leave one of them in your car or bring it to the beach and not worry about everything melting.
14. Away Hanging Toiletry Bag – After using the Away Large Toiletry Bag for a few years, I realized this is the better version of it. The Hanging Bag unzips fully down the middle, so the two halves lay flat on a counter, which is annoyingly not the case with the Large Toiletry Bag. Of course, being able to hang it is a plus, as are the two capacious mesh pockets and detachable clear pouch for liquids that you can put right in the tray as you go through security. Another bonus: the nylon exterior is very easy to scrub down with a sponge or towel.
15. Muji hanging toiletry kit – Yolanda said “the Muji hanging toiletry kit is my forever favorite—even after my husband bought me a very chic navy/red striped one in Genoa and I have to use it because it was expensive and I feel badly not to, I still long for my Muji. Everything stands up in it, and while it doesn’t hold a lot, I love that it has little compartments and somehow manages to fit everything.”
16. Truffle Train Case – Similar to the Anya Hinmarch in-flight case, but even larger and for a fraction of the price!
17. Patagonia Mini Black Hole Cube – Helen Nguyen, founder of Preserve Travel has gone through so many bags that skew both high and low, but she loves the Patagonia dopp kit. It’s not overly-designed—there’s just one main compartment with a 3 liter volume, and the bag is made in the same highly durable and weather resistant fabric as their larger Black Hole duffels. But best of all it comes with Patagonia’s lifetime warranty, so you know it will last!
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Cuyana Travel Beauty Case – The top half is designed for makeup brush storage, with elastic loops to secure them in place, and the bottom is a deeper chamber for bottles and larger cosmetics. It comes with a removable zip-pouch that cleverly clips into their other modular products. If you’re apprehensive about a leather case, I have their travel case set in ecru and can vouch that even the off-white leather it is easy to wipe clean with micellar water if pen or lipstick gets on it.
Clare V Vacances Bag – Their Vacances Bag is rectangular, with a zipper that runs diagonally through it, so it opens up much wider than the typical dopp kit which prevents you from endlessly digging around to find the tiny tube of eyeliner stuck in some corner. It has four zippered compartments and a bright nylon lining to keep things organized and tidy.
Étoile Vanity Case – This case comes in a dozen great colors and has a removable leather insert with four separate sections so your bottles can stand up without clanging into each other. The top of the bag also has double-layered elastics where you can secure watches, combs, and even sunglasses.
PVC bags from Amazon – Yolo contributor Tess Ramirez swears by these inexpensive clear bags from Amazon, and keeps several stocked with toiletries, chargers, first aid/vitamins, and jewelry, admitting that “it’s not the chicest look, but I’d rather stick a fork in my eye than dump out the contents of my bags to find something.”
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