Adidas Defender Small Review

The Adidas Defender is a utilitarian bag that serves its purpose without stealing the show. If all you need is a bag to store some light equipment that's easy to carry and can resist a little wet grass, this is a great option at an affordable price.

Storage and Ease of Packing

The Defender has a very traditional — yet completely sufficient — pocket design. The main storage compartment is accessed by a large D-shaped flap, ideal for fitting and storing larger items. During testing, we had no trouble tossing in foam rollers, large water bottles, soccer balls, and extra clothes. Although the fabric is quite thin, the Defender held its shape well. When open, the flap stays out of the way, letting us easily load and access the equipment we tossed inside.

On both ends of the Defender are two smaller zipper storage pockets. We were thankful that these pockets had dedicated space — that is, not cutting into the space of the main compartment — enabling us to easily use them even when the main chamber was full. The larger of these pockets is just large enough to fit a pair of cleats, running shoes, or sandals. The smaller one is perfect for your phone and wallet.

New to the updated model is a ventilated shoe tunnel and a small pocket on the front of the Defender. The ventilated pocket will fit a pair of cleats or stinky and wet clothes. We do wish the material of this pocket were more water-resistant on the inside, to prevent water from soaking into your bag. The other small pocket is perfect for small items.

Previous Next

Ease of Transport

The nicest part about lugging around the Defender is that its weight and small size make it easy to toss around and shove in small spaces. During our testing, we tossed it into the trunk, behind and underneath car seats, and under bleachers, where it fit with ease.

Beyond that, there were not many features of the Defender that stood out. Similar to most traditional duffel bags, there are no backpack straps, though it does have both traditional suitcase-style handles and a single messenger-style shoulder strap. When the bag is heavier, the shoulder strap isn't the most comfortable to use and has no padding. Given the Defender's size, though, it's difficult to overload it. There is a single grab handle on the bottom of the duffel, which is oddly placed and so thin that it's probably meant for storing the bag on a hook, as opposed to hauling the bag when full.

Protection

While the previous model of the Defender did surprisingly well on our high-pressure hose test, the recent version was quick to cave when faced with water.

While our contents were dry after a brief and very light sprinkle, even 15 seconds of simulated rain soaked right through the bag. What was most disappointing was the amount of water that seeped through the bottom; we would have at least liked a more water-resistant boot to the duffel. We liked that the bottom of the bag was lightly padded, a benefit for protecting gear when tossed in a metal locker or bleacher bench.

Construction Quality

Although we think this bag is a great option for daily use at the gym, we don't know how the Defender would hold up over years of use and abuse. The light fabric cuts some weight from the design of the bag, but probably wouldn't stand up to really rough edges as it gets crammed and yanked in and out of spaces. That said, we didn't have any rips or tears during our testing period.

Like most value options, the hardware on the Defender is plastic — albeit a thicker plastic than others we tested. Again, we're happy that this saves on both weight and cost, but for a bag designed for athletes on the go, we'd be concerned about anything breaking over time. The seams on the bag are also questionable, especially on the thin grab handle on the end of the bag.

Weight-to-Volume Ratio

The Adidas Defender is one of the lightest bags in our lineup, and with 42 liters of storage, it also has an excellent weight-to-volume ratio.

Weighing in at just over one pound, this ultra-light bag shaves weight through its thin fabric and plastic hardware. We appreciated the minimalistic feel of the bag that let us focus on our gear and equipment instead of hauling extra weight before and after a workout.

Should You Buy the Adidas Defender?

If you're looking for a duffel bag that you can use for the gym, pool, or your next sports practice, the Defender is a great budget option that will get the job done. It's not the most durable over the long term and doesn't have any fancy features that will stand out from the crowd, but neither will it hold you back from doing what you need to do.

What Other Duffel Bags Should You Consider?

The other duffel bag in our lineup that stood out for gym class, sports games, or practice is the Puma Evercat Contender. There are only very minor differences between the two — while the Puma might not hold as much gear as the Adidas, it does have two breathable side compartments and slightly better construction quality. Which you prefer is probably up to style, though. If you're in the market for a duffel that can also be used for weekend travel, day trips, or road trips, the HYC00 Travel is a budget-buy bag that has plenty of organization and storage features geared for on-the-go use. If you want a more rugged bag that can keep up with the demands of extensive travel — and comes in a wide range of sizes, the Patagonia Black Hole and Gregory Alpaca are both excellent options and worth the investment. The Black Hole is equal parts stylish, rugged, and user-friendly, while the Alpaca packs many of the same high-end features as other high-scoring adventure-ready duffels at a slightly lower price point.