If you’re serious enough as a bowler to have your own bowling ball, then you also need your own bowling bag. You have to be practical—how else will you get to your local bowling lane without a proper bowling ball? 

You may think that you have some bag somewhere at home that should work just fine, but that’s not really your best option. After all, you also have your other equipment to consider. At the very least, you may want to bring your own bowling shoes. 

And if you’re even somewhat serious about bowling, you probably don’t just have one bowling ball. You have at least two, one for the strike shot (the first shot) and the other for the spare shot. That will work fine for most people who only play at the one local bowling alley. 

But some people (especially travelling players who play in different venues) tend to have even more bowling balls. Most pros have at least 5 or more bowling balls, to account for various lane conditions. 

So, it’s a bit obvious that your regular weekend bag won’t work. You need a bowling bag. And to make sure you get the right bag for your particular needs, you can’t just base your choice on the price. You have to factor in these considerations: 

Carrying Capacity

Bowling bags are often categorized by how many bowling balls they can accommodate. So, you have your popular 2-ball bags, but there are plenty of 6-ball bowling bags as well. Obviously, you need at least enough space to carry all the bowling balls you currently have. Just make sure the balls fit in nicely, and you’re able to get them in and out easily. 

But you should also account for your future purchases. Buying a 4-ball bag now for your current 4-ball arsenal will be a mistake, if you’re planning to buy another ball in the near future. 

Compartments for Accessories

Another reason why a bowling bag is better than just an ordinary gym bag is that the bowling bag typically have compartments made for bowling accessories. The most important of these is for the bowling shoes, and the space should be able to handle your shoe size properly. Then you may want space for other stuff, such as:

• Gloves
• Shirts
• Ball towels
• Powder grip sacks
• Grip Tape
• Thumb protectors 
• Wrist guards

You may also want space for other personal items, like a water bottle, your smartphone, and your wallet and keys. 

It’s best if the bag has enough space to comfortably carry everything. It’s no good if you end up with a bulging bag. It’s not just pretty, but it might also damage your bag zippers. 

Material Quality

With the quality of the bag material, you need to combine both ease of use and bag durability. Obviously, it’s better if you have a tough bag. It should be able to deal with the overall weigh without straining. 

It ought to be waterproof, too. It’s best if the material is also tough enough that it won’t easily get damaged by rodent attacks, or by pet dogs and cats. Quite a few bags get damaged this way when they’re stored at home, so you need some really tough material. 

At the same time, it can’t be too bulky and heavy. That just makes the bag a lot more difficult to handle. So, forget about using some type of steel case for your bowling equipment. That’s just silly and impractical. 

You need some tough fabric (such as genuine leather) that can provide for your needs for both durability and flexibility. Of course, if it’s possible you should also look for a bag that looks great. There’s no need to get saddled with a goofy-looking bag. 

Your best bet is to get as high a denier count for the bag fabric as you can. The higher denier count signifies thicker material and greater protection. You should also look for a higher thread count, for greater durability. 

Carrying Ease

It can be annoying to carry around your ordinary bowling equipment the usual way, even with just 2 bowling balls. It’s virtually impossible for many folks to lift up such a bag when it comes with 6 bowling balls. 

Fortunately, most terrific bowling bags comes with wheels, so you can just pull it along behind you. The telescoping handle should be reliable and should extend long enough for you to pull the bag comfortably. It ought to lock at the length you need. 

Then you should consider the quality of the wheels. Again, they have to be tough, considering all the weight the wheels have to bear. The wheels should also be able to handle different types of terrain, as you may not always be so lucky as to have nice, smooth floors beneath your feet. When indoors you’ll eventually deal with turns and stairs, and outdoors you may have to go through grass paths or rough pavements. 

Versatility

There are some 6-ball bags that have removable components so that they become more compact for a 2-ball setup. That way, you can use the 6-ball setup for serious tournaments in other city, but you can go with the 2-ball setup when you’re just playing with buddies at your local alley.