Women's foldable travel bag

The foldable travel bag, from £14.90 to £114.90

A foldable travel bag packs flat in a suitcase or a drawer, then unfolds when you need an extra bag: coming home from holiday, shopping, an impromptu weekend, a gym session. Our selection runs from the small foldable nylon model to the 80 L wheeled duffel, with a few soft bags alongside for those who want a smarter style.

Light foldable bags, from £14.90 to £29.90

• Patterned (£14.90 to £27.90): leopard, pink or green camouflage, black or blue, for shopping and getaways.
• Large-capacity nylon (£19.90): water-resistant, for the weekend or the plane.
• Cabin 22L (£21.90): ultra-light waterproof nylon, which its product page states is cabin-compatible.
• Ultra-light foldable (£22.90): water-repellent fabric, to keep as a spare bag.
• All-rounder (£24.90): blue or beige, for short stays and business trips.
• Large capacity 30L (£24.90): waterproof Oxford, in five colours.
• Women’s expandable Oxford 51 cm (£29.90): an expansion to add room on the way home.

Most are unisex; the same need for men has its own page men's foldable travel bag.

Large capacity and wheels

To add volume, the 65L foldable model (£49.90) offers a shoe compartment and several zipped pockets. For long trips, two foldable duffels roll instead of being carried: the 65 cm (£109.90), with adjustable straps, and the XXL 80L (£114.90), with a shoulder strap. A foldable bag of this size replaces a suitcase; to compare with bags that don’t fold, see also our Women's large holdall.

Three foldable backpacks

The Vanaheimr 20L (£22.90 to £42.90), which weighs 85 g according to its product page, the 20L hiking model (£32.90 to £63.90) and the 31L in nylon (£33.90) fit in a pocket once folded. Handy for hiking or cycling, they also work as a second bag at your destination.

Leather look and smarter models

The foldable PU leather model with suit storage (£69.90) keeps an outfit crease-free and separates the shoes. The range also includes soft bags that don’t fold: the PU leather weekend tote with gold-tone finishes (£56.90), the patterned tote with detachable strap (£34.90 to £49.90), the vintage canvas and PU leather model (£34.90 to £44.90) and the genuine leather one (£149.90). The rest of our women’s models is on the page women's travel bag.

If you want leather without the folding, our leather luggage for travel offer genuine leather models, with a vintage look or in cabin size.

Which foldable women’s travel bag should you choose?

• As a back-up bag in the suitcase: a foldable from £14.90 to £24.90, as light as possible.
• As hand luggage for the plane: a product page that states cabin compatibility, like the 22L, and our selection of cabin bag for flights.
• For the gym: a shoe compartment (the 65L).
• For a long stay: a 65 cm or 80 L wheeled duffel.
• For walking: a 20 or 31 L backpack.

An extra bag, without an extra suitcase

The point is simple: add room without adding a suitcase. On the way out, the travel bag is folded at the bottom of the main luggage; on the way back, it takes the shopping, dirty laundry or beach accessories. For business trips, it lets you keep a light carry-on and only bring out the extra space on the return. It is better to look at the capacity, the material and the way it folds than at the brand, and to add a light second bag rather than one more suitcase for your trips: these are what decide how it is used.

If you travel often, our article on the advantages of the foldable travel bag goes back over the space saving and storage it offers day to day.

Also think about storage accessories: a pouch or small bags added in the main compartment stop everything getting mixed up, and a small zipped pocket keeps fragile accessories apart. Before slipping the bag into your luggage, check the fastening and the size stated on the product page: it is the most practical way to compare the materials and parts of each model.

Using and looking after it well

Empty it and let it dry open if it has got wet, then fold it into its pocket or flat: it then takes up little room at the bottom of a suitcase. The product pages mention nylon, high-density polyester or Oxford, light and tough fabrics; for a heavy load, choose a wheeled foldable rather than carrying everything on your shoulder. A gentle hand wash in lukewarm soapy water preserves the fabric.

To see all our models, go to the page travel bag, to all the foldable travel bag or, for men, to our selection of men's travel bag.