It goes without saying that a fresh set of clothes, shower shoes and an easy-to-clean toiletry bag deserve a spot in your gym bag, but if there’s one product every fitness enthusiast should have on hand, it’s the Stnky Bag Pro. Since getting my hands on this ingenious odor-blocking laundry bag last year, there’s no product I trust more to store my dirty clothes until I can toss them in the washer.
At $28, the odor-locking wash bag is a practical and affordable way to carry and launder sweaty, smelly clothes. Here’s why I think the Stnky Bag is such a steal.
Instead of putting my damp workout clothes in a plastic bag or directly in my gym bag, I put them in this washable bag. Available in five colors and two sizes, the odor-blocking bag lets you wash and dry your clothes without having to touch them, making it ideal for gym-goers and travelers alike. Once my clothes are clean, I simply put the bag back in my gym bag so it’s ready for next time.
What I liked about it
It actually blocks odors and keeps my dirty clothes separate
When I was regularly going to the gym, I needed someplace to put my dirty clothes post-workout. (I wasn’t about to throw them into my bag with all my other stuff.) I also needed something that would lock in odors because my commute home from the gym involved taking the subway and a train with plenty of other people near me.
The Stnky bag’s supposed odor-blocking properties were the main reason I was so eager to try it out for myself. In the past, I’ve used just a regular plastic bag to hold my sweaty clothes, and while that works perfectly fine if you’re just looking to keep your dirty clothes separate from everything else, they don’t lock in odor and they’re flimsy. I’ve been let down by products in the past, so I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical at first. But after using it for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn’t smell the sweaty gym clothes I had just stuffed in there, no matter how close I put my nose to the bag. I was curious if leaving my clothes in there for a longer time would make a difference, so I even left them zipped in the bag for days — but I still couldn’t smell anything until I unzipped the bag.
It has a clever two-compartment design
The Stnky Bag Pro doesn’t need to be emptied when it’s time to launder your clothes, which is great if you need to wash something you don’t necessarily want to touch (like sweaty sports bras or workout leggings).
The bag is designed with two compartments: The inner bag is made of mesh and the clothes sit inside it, while the outer bag locks in odor and dampness. There are also two zippers, one on each end. When I’m ready to wash my clothes, I simply open the bottom zipper and turn the bag inside out, revealing the inner mesh bag. You can then put the bag with your washed clothes straight into the dryer.
The portable laundry bag comes in two sizes: standard and XL. I have the bag in both sizes, but I reach for the standard most often because I try not to let my workout clothes pile up. I like that I can fit a full outfit plus a few extra pieces in the standard size, and a couple of days’ worth of clothes in the XL size.
It can be used for more than just your dirty workout clothes
As great as the Stnky bag is for the gym, it also works well as a laundry hamper for trips or outdoor activities where you know you’ll be sweating a lot.
I went on a Caribbean cruise a few months ago and packed the bag in my suitcase along with another travel laundry bag. Because I wasn’t going to be doing laundry on the cruise ship, I wanted to make sure I had somewhere to stash all my dirty bathing suits and clothes, especially because I knew I’d be doing onshore excursions in the hot sun. It was a 10-day cruise, so the Stnky alone wouldn’t have been big enough to hold all my dirty clothes, but it was a great place to hold the overflow from my other laundry hamper, which can hold at least a week’s worth of clothes but doesn’t have any other special features.
What I didn’t like about it
It occasionally unzips
There isn’t much I dislike about this bag, but I’ve noticed if it’s completely filled, it occasionally unzips in the dryer. This is a tad annoying, but not a huge deal since I always take the clothes out and put them away once they’re dry anyway. Now I’m much more mindful of how much I put in my bags, so I haven’t had them unzip on me recently.
Bottom line
The Stnky Bag Pro is a total game changer and worth every cent. I’ve used mine for regular visits to the gym and while on vacation for over a year, and I still love the bags as much as I did when I first got them. It’s made laundering my dirty clothes a more pleasant experience, especially because it’s such a reliable way to transport and store workout clothes between washing. This bag truly deserves a spot in everyone’s gym and travel bags, and I know I’ll be using mine for many more years to come.
