The Best Light Weekend Bag for Women

The best weekend bag for women weighs about 2 pounds empty and slides over a suitcase handle, like the Vera Bradley Weekender Travel Bag. Vera Bradley says it can go in the washing machine. Below are 5 more picks at different prices, and who each one is not for.

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How Heavy Should a Weekend Bag Be?

Aim for 2.5 pounds or less, before you pack it. On the train, you lift it yourself. Amtrak says you must be able to lift each carry on bag over your head onto the shelf. Every pick on this page weighs 2.4 pounds or less.

Some weekend bags weigh much more. Béis lists its Weekender at about 3.7 pounds empty, and its Mini Weekender at about 3.1 pounds. That is over a pound more than our top pick, before you add a sweater.

The One We Would Pack: Vera Bradley Weekender Travel Bag

See the Weekender Travel Bag at Vera Bradley

It is made of Vera Bradley's quilted Premium Cotton.

• 2 pounds empty, and about 18 by 12 by 8 inches. Vera Bradley says it holds 27 liters.
• It rides on your suitcase. A sleeve on the back slides over the handle of a rolling bag.
• The strap adjusts and comes off. At its longest it is 52 inches. Wear it across your body and keep a hand for the railing.
• It goes in the washing machine. Vera Bradley says to wash it cold on the gentle cycle and hang it to dry.
• Not for: anyone who wants a separate spot for shoes. That is the Lo & Sons pick below.

The Lightest Bag: Baggallini Carryall Expandable Packable Tote

See the Baggallini Carryall on Amazon

• 13 ounces empty, Baggallini says on Amazon. That is the lightest bag on this page.
• It gets bigger when you need it. It is 12.5 inches tall, and 18.5 inches tall when you expand it. It is 16 inches wide at the bottom and 22 at the top.
• Baggallini calls it packable. An extra unlined tote comes with it and folds into its big front pocket. Handy for what you bring home from the shops.
• It rides on your suitcase. A sleeve on the back slides over the handle.
• Not for: anyone who wants a bag that holds its shape, or a spot for shoes.

Under 1 Pound and Folds Up: Longchamp Le Pliage Original L Travel Bag

See the Le Pliage travel bag at Longchamp

• About 14 ounces empty. Longchamp lists it at 392 grams.
• About 18 by 14 by 9 inches, and it holds 30 liters, Longchamp says.
• It folds up small, like every Le Pliage bag, so it takes little room in the closet.
• A zip and a snap keep the top closed.
• Not for: carrying on your shoulder. The handles are short, 3.5 inches, and Longchamp lists no sleeve for a suitcase handle.

For Shoes Kept Apart: Lo & Sons Catalina Deluxe Small

See the Catalina Deluxe at Lo & Sons

• A zip section at the bottom for shoes, with a padded liner you can take out and clean.
• 2.4 pounds empty. Lo & Sons says the Small holds 40 liters.
• It rides on your suitcase, and the sleeve zips on both sides to fit a wide or narrow handle.
• A padded strap with memory foam, Lo & Sons says.
• Not for: the washing machine or under the airplane seat. Lo & Sons says to spot clean the canvas, and the bag will not count as a personal item when full.

Small and Light, with a Shoe Pocket: Baggallini Set Wave Weekender

See the Set Wave Weekender at Baggallini

• 1 pound 12 ounces empty, and 16 by 12 by 8 inches.
• A side pocket for shoes, so they stay off your clothes.
• A padded strap you can wear across your body. It adjusts and comes off.
• It rides on your suitcase. The sleeve on its back fits over the handle of a rolling bag.
• Not for: someone who packs a lot. At this size, it suits a light packer.

The Budget Pick: BAGSMART Weekender, Large

See the BAGSMART weekender on Amazon

Amazon lists it as the BAGSMART Gym Bag for Women, Carry on Weekender Overnight Bag, size Large. It is model BM0102006.

• Under 2 pounds empty. The listing gives 2 different weights, and both are under 2 pounds.
• About 20 by 12 by 9 inches, and 34 liters, the listing says.
• Soft nylon, with side pockets for a water bottle or an umbrella.
• The listing says it has a trolley sleeve for the handle of a rolling suitcase.
• Not for: a dressy look, or a spot for shoes. It is sold as a gym bag too.

Compare the 6 Bags

Weight, Suitcase Sleeve and Price

Shoes and Care

What Is a Trolley Sleeve?

A trolley sleeve is a flat strap or pocket on the back of a bag. You slide it down over the handle of your rolling suitcase, and the bag rides on top. Your shoulder gets a rest in the station, and one hand steers both bags. Some makers call it a luggage sleeve.

How We Chose

We compared 19 weekend bags from 8 brands, on the makers' own sites and on Amazon, in September 2026. We kept the ones that weigh 2.4 pounds or less empty and were in stock. Then we chose one for each kind of packer, from the lowest price to the highest.

We have not run a lab test. We compared what matters on a weekend away: the weight, how you carry it, where the shoes go, and how you clean it. Where 2 sources gave different numbers, we left the exact number out. No brand paid to be on this page.

Flying or Taking the Train with a Weekend Bag

On the train, a weekend bag counts as a carry on bag. Amtrak lets each rider bring 2 carry on bags, each up to 50 pounds and 28 by 22 by 14 inches. You may also bring 1 personal item, up to 14 by 11 by 7 inches. Every bag on this page fits the carry on size, and Amtrak says bags must fit the sizer at the station.

On a plane, plan on the overhead bin. Some bags call themselves a personal item. But United's under the seat limit is 9 by 10 by 17 inches, and none of our picks is that small on paper. Lo & Sons says its bag sometimes fits under the seat when it is only partly packed.

If your tickets live on your phone, tuck a power bank in an outside pocket. Here is the one we would pack.

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