By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated December 17, 2020
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6 min read
We’ve previously told you all of the great gear must-haves that every shuttler needs to show up to the court with the best badminton bag. Preparation is key. But like most other gear purchases, choosing the right bag to carry all of your rackets and essential items can quickly get overwhelming. There are a lot of options!
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The badminton bag or backpack, whichever you find you prefer, isn’t just an item of convenience. This bag protects your favorite rackets, shoes, and shuttles from the wear and tear of going to and from your facility. If you’re a professional player participating in tournaments worldwide, your gear gets a lot of travel time! You need to be sure that you’re providing the best protection to extend the life of your equipment. If you are not a professional player, but perhaps only playing recreationally or at a beginner level, you’ll still need to protect your equipment and avoid paying the cost of replacements. Proper badminton bags are designed to protect your racket from dust, temperature fluctuations, and moisture. Why temperature fluctuations? Rapid cooling or heating of your rackets can actually affect your string tension. Some bags come with insulated racket pockets to try to combat this phenomenon.
There are so many different features that make your bag the best badminton racket bag for you. If you know you want to upgrade your kit bag, or perhaps you need to make your first bag purchase – we’re here to give you some idea of what to look for in a racket bag.
When choosing a bag for your badminton rackets, you’ll want to consider a few things. Price, design, and space are the three biggest factors. There are a lot of bells and whistles attached but there a few main types of bags.
Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash
Badminton kit bags, regardless of the shape are often (but not always) convertible. What does that mean? It means that while they can be carried alongside you with a handle, they often have detachable straps that allow you to carry them backpack style. This lets you have the convenient carry style of a backpack, with the generous storage space of a duffel. Kit bags typically have a bit more storage space than a backpack, though full racket backpacks do offer quite a bit of room. Badminton bags range in price depending on brand, size, features, and sometimes design. The racket bags in our ?awards? section range in price from $28.99 to almost $200! Those prices can change with time as newer models enter the market.
Choosing the best brand is a highly debatable topic with any sports equipment. Some of the best racket bags are made by Yonex, Babolat, Karakal, Senston, Adidas, Lining, Victor, Wilson, and countless other brands. Clearly the front runner in quality on almost everything badminton is Yonex, but there are definitely good kit bags made by other brands.
Yonex came out with three series in 2020: Team Series, Active Series, and Pro Series. All of them have kit bags and backpack variations, but run at different price points. The Pro-Series is the most expensive, but they are arguably the best Yonex badminton bags on the market right now. They even have some awesome LIMITED EDITION designs in their newest pro-series that are a very modern white with gold accents.
Victor released 7 updated bag designs in 2019. They’ve got four different styles with double main compartments, two rectangular bags, as well as a well designed backpack (that comes in pink!!). Their bags have some great features, but one simple innovation takes the cake. They have placed icons beside the zipper pockets to indicate WHAT GOES INSIDE!! No more opening the wrong side of your kit bag to access your racket only to find all of your other accessories instead.
Senston has one very common badminton bag that is a great value. It’s not the bag a pro player would seek out, but it could fit 5-6 rackets (6 being a tight squeeze). It doesn’t have any of the bells and whistles you’ll find in some of the other badminton racket bags, but it is very affordable – especially for a beginner.
Let’s take a look at some of the best badminton backpack and bag options. These get a ribbon from us for ‘Best-in-Show’ in their respective categories:
Best Large Size Badminton Kit Bag
Yonex Pro Series 12 Racket Bag is giant. Though 12 rackets might be a little snug, you can fit a ton of rackets in here along with all the other gear essentials in your badminton bag. It’s a convertible bag that can be side carried, or transitioned into a backpack. It’s not too bulky to carry as a backpack. This bag has ThermoGuard pocket technology in one of the three main compartments, protecting your rackets from rapid temperature fluctuations. It’s got a separate, spacious badminton shoe pocket. It also boasts a large front compartment for accessory organization. There’s a great review on this pro series bag by Tennis Warehouse. Don’t let the word ‘tennis’ fool you. Yonex’s racket bags are for both tennis and badminton.
Best Overall Features Combination
The Victor BR-9209 is just a really great bag from one of their newer lines. It’s got some really cool features that I think set it apart from even a similar Yonex bag. One of my favorite TINY features, is the icons indicating what’s INSIDE each compartment. The shoe compartment is clearly marked with an icon. How many times have you unzipped your bag to find yourself staring at accessories when you’re looking for a racket? It’s a convertible bag style, so in addition to carrying it alongside you, it can be worn as a backpack with ergonomic straps designed for comfort and posture. It’s got a thermal insulated racket compartment to protect the racket from temperature fluctuations and UV exposure. It comes in a few color combinations to satisfy your style preferences.
Most Affordable Badminton Bag on the Market
The Senston Badminton Racket Bag is water proof, dustproof, and spacious enough to accommodate 5-6 rackets as well as a bit of additional gear. Six rackets makes for a slight snug, but there is a front zipper pocket that offers a bit of additional storage space. It’s a basic design with moderate padding and comes in multiple colors. It’s got one shoulder strap for carrying. This bag also has a breathable vent that allows some airflow, helping with that dreaded ‘stink’ factor. It is a great bag for beginners at an affordable price.
Best Simple Courtside Bag
The Yonex Team Series 3 Racket Bag is a basic bag at an affordable price for a Yonex Product. The Team series is the most affordable of the newer bags. This bag boasts great quality and simple design with one main compartment that can fit three rackets as well as a few pieces of necessary gear. While it doesn’t have ThermoGuard technology or a separate shoe compartment, it will get the job done and last for quite a while with that trusted Yonex quality craftsmanship.
Best Small Backpack
The Karakal Pro Tour 30 meets all the standard needs of a badminton backpack. It’s boasts a racket compartment which comfortably fits up to 2 rackets (though handles are protruding). It’s got moderately padded straps for a comfortable carry. The front shoe compartment has a ventilation button for breathability. (There’s a reason we recommend sneaker balls on our gear must-haves overview!)
Best Full Racket Backpack
Yonex’s newest Full Racket Backpack from their Active Series is at a median price point with great quality and features. It covers the entirety of your racket with no handle exposure. It’s got a generous accessory compartment that can quickly be separated into two sections with a velcro panel. The shoe compartment is located on the bottom of this bag, and is a simply zipper pocket that doesn’t eat up the space inside the main compartments. It won’t carry as much gear as some of the previously suggested bags, but offers more space than the Karakal.
The Bag with the Swag
Yonex Pro-Series Limited Edition bag is an elusive tote. This bag was released less than six months ago and is stunning. The premium white color is accented by a sleek blue and blood red design and a classy gold logo. It’s the highest price point of all the bags recommended here. It was only launched in select markets and has been listed as sold out and out-of-stock in almost every American online pro-shop. It boasts the same structure and features as the Pro Series bags, but comes in a definite design upgrade!
Choosing the best badminton bag for your needs is going to depend highly on your individual preferences. Maybe you don’t carry 6-9 rackets to the court regularly. Perhaps you don’t travel for international tournaments but simply ride your bike to the nearest badminton facility. Check that your badminton kit bag dealer is legitimate and review their return policy before investing in the best source of protection for all of your prized badminton gear. Check out what gear is absolutely essential to have in your badminton kit bag!
