10 Gym Bag Essentials You Should Always Have

From cycling to swimming to yoga and other fave fitness classes, we are staying active and taking some time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. However, it’s not easy to workout if you are not well prepared. So, we polled all of the girls in the office, went on a hunt for the latest and greatest products and researched some cult favorites, so you can dominate your workout and feel good too. Scroll down to find out about our top 10 gym bag essentials! Warning: Your bank account may be depleted after purchasing these cute (but necessary!) finds.

1. Staple Gym Bag

When we saw this bag, we flipped. We are a sucker for banana palm leaves (just look at our Pinterest), so this bag was a must-have. However, what we did not realize was how much this gym bag can hold! From our water bottle to our yoga pants and running shoes, we love that this bag can carry all of our essentials and more! Plus, all of the inside pockets make for easy access and storage. We like to slip our phone, earbuds and sunglasses in the side pouches and stash our wallet in the zippered enclosure across from it. The attached strap makes it super easy to throw over our shoulder on the way to the gym. And that tassel detail on the zipper is simply too cute for words! Just don’t be surprised when everyone at the gym stops you and asks where you got that adorable bag (trust us, it will happen).

2. Water Bottle

If you have not heard about these S’well bottles, you have been seriously missing out! Not only are they super cute, but they keep your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours! We know. We freaked out when we heard that too. But, we can promise you that this product completely lives up to our expectations (even in 100 degree heat). Plus, S’well is a supporter of UNICEF and has donated $200,000 since 2015 to help provide clean drinking water for those in need. And we think that is pretty cool. Our favorite water bottle collections? The Elements and Wood collections! We love the fun prints and think they spice up any desk space.

3. Makeup Wipes

If there is one item we cannot forget in our workout bag, it is this skincare gym kit. Give your skin some TLC with this power duo! Inside, you will find workout wipes and workout wonder gel (aka what helps soothe your aching muscles). We love the workout wipes, because they totally cleanse your face before and after a workout (think makeup, dirt, oil and sweat). Have a breakout? No problem. The wipes are formulated with anti-bacterial ingredients, so that you are left with pimple-free, radiant skin guaranteed. And we cannot help but love the cucumber and mint scent! After we use the wipes, we massage some of the workout wonder gel into our skin, and it literally works wonders. We are always amazed at the results. Our body instantly feels more relaxed, even after the most stressful workouts. This kit is a total gym bag essential!

4. Dry Shampoo 

Trust us, we have been on a never-ending search for the best dry shampoo, until we found this gem, and we got totally hooked. Our main problems with dry shampoo are that it can sometimes leave white residue, can smell bad and simply, cannot get the job done. And let us tell you, this product defies the norms. Most importantly, it makes us feel clean (just got a blowout kind of clean). Hence, the name “Perfect Hair Day.” So, no need to fret after you went ham in your spin class or just finished a Kayla Itsines workout. This stuff is magic in a bottle. All you need to do is spray the product , massage it into your hair, and “tada!”, you have got a fresh new hairdo. Did we mention the time-releasing fragrance? So, now you can smell good all day long. No need to thank us later.

5. Sweat Towel

Talk about #squadgoals with this sweat towel. Sweat to your heart’s content, because this towel helps you stay cool and dry (and totally motivated). It is big enough to sling over your shoulder, but small enough to carry in your bag and wipe your face. Its absorbent fabric makes sure you are not covered in sweat and its terry cotton blend is super soft, so it is gentle on your skin. We also love that this towel does not shred, even when wet. So, we are not left with towel remnants all over our skin after a intense sweat sesh. Ready to join the #sweatsquad? We will see you there.

6. Earphones

We are big music junkies over at the IBT office. We love to blast the latest jams and sing along to our favorite artists. But, when our earphones malfunction, it instantly ruins our workout (talk about that awkwardly silent treadmill ride). So, these earphones are an essential. The “urbeats” have solid metal housing, which makes sure you don’t hear your neighbor’s loud push-up grunting or your fitness trainer’s yelling. It also makes sure you are listening to the highest quality music and have the best sound. One of our favorite features is that the cables are tangle-free, so you do not have to worry about getting your earbuds tied up in a knot. Lastly, they have multi-sized ear tips, so you can make sure they stay in place (RIP earbuds escaping out of your ear). We always make sure to carry these with us 24/7. And of course, we have them in pink.

7. Running Hat

Baseball caps are one of our favorite accessories. We love that you can slip them on as you are running out of the house and still look put together. Whether you are going to the gym or going to lunch, we love that this hat can easily transition from fitness to fun. And the best part is that its Dri-FIT fabric wicks away sweat and the mesh fabric is super breathable, so you don’t have to suffer through the heat. Our favorite color is the black and white, because, it is simple enough to match with any ensemble. No need to worry when you want to break out those bright pink leggings. More power to you! This featherlight cap is a total summer essential. Just like Nike says, just do it (aka just buy it).

8. Hairbrush

Tangly hair? We feel  you. Especially after a workout (we know the Hermione Granger hair all too well). Consequently, we always make sure to pack a hair brush, so we don’t walk out with 50 shades of crazy locks. Our go-to brush is the wet brush. It works great on wet or dry hair (so don’t be afraid of sweat) and never pulls or breaks your strands. So, it glides through your hair and detangles your knots with ease (aka pain-free). We think it works better and faster than a regular brush. And it is under $10! Basically, we want it in every color and design. Floral print brush, we are talking about you.

9. Activity Tracker

We love our fitbits. They have totally changed how we workout. We love how the wristband tracks our steps, distance and calories burned, so we know how active we have been. Don’t be confused if you see the IBT girls power walking around the block incessantly, because we are probably just trying to get in our 10,000 steps for the day. And it is super easy to see if you are close to reaching your goal, because the LEDs light up like a scoreboard as you keep progressing. Want to go for a quick swim? No need to take your fitbit off, because it is completely water-resistant! Plus, it can monitor your sleep cycle and set a silent alarm, so you can make sure you are having the best night of sleep and getting up on time for the day. That’s some serious fitspiration.

10. Protein Bar

If you are always craving something sweet, these protein bars are for you. From chocolate chip cookie dough to cinnamon roll and strawberry cheesecake, the flavors are indulgent, so you feel like it is cheat day. Yet, all of the bars have 20-21 g of protein, are soy and gluten free and have no added sugar. And did we mention they are under 200 calories each? We are totally obsessed with these bars and make sure to keep them in our cars, bags and desk drawers, so we can snack smarter and on the go. Who knew clean eating could be so yummy?