Needful Things: The Gym Bag

Row 1: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Row 2: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Row 3: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

My current gym bag is a drawstring Adidas backpack.  

It ain't cuttin' it.

I've been getting back into a regularly scheduled workout routine, but with all this travel I'm doing, it's been hard to stick to.  My rotation right now is mostly yoga, a barre class or two a week, with the occasional run thrown in the mix.  And I finally started taking spin classes!  I'm late to the game on that one, but really enjoying it so far (2 whole classes in!).

So, what am I looking for?  

Something that can hold a change of clothes, shoes, a water bottle, a towel, and ideally, my yoga mat. 

Something that is easy to carry and not too bulky.  

Something that can be taken on the metro or the bus and not have me whacking my fellow commuters in the face with it.

Something with some organization to it.  Places for my cell phone, keys, etc.

What are the front-runners?

I like the idea of being hands-free, so the Manduka backpack (Row 1, #1) is intriguing to me.  The price however, is not.

NordicTrack makes a bag (Row 1, #4) that is cute because it looks easy to use with or without the yoga mat.  And who knew NordicTrack made bags?

Gaiam's "Everything Fits" bag (Row 4, #2) looks good to me because well, it claims that everything fits.  

And I see lots of Lo & Sons OMG bags (Row 4, #4) around town and people seem to love them, so even with the absurd price tag, I'm considering it.