I recently returned from my incredible, dream bachelorette party weekend in Palm Springs (recap post coming soon!), and prepping and packing for the trip really encouraged me to look into purchasing a new weekender bag or oversized travel tote bag.
There are so many crucial factors to finding the travel bag. Here are a few of the checklist specifications that I find important, and can help guide you into selecting the perfect bag for your travels:
Overall aesthetic. Before even diving into the deets, you’ll definitely want to find a weekender bag or travel tote bag that fits your personal style. If you’re like me, I’m sure you will want something that looks chic and sophisticated as you carry it on your shoulder or secure it onto the top of your luggage to walk through the airport like it’s your runway.
Material. What is the bag made of – is it a high quality leather that will last for ages, a soft and lightweight nylon that is easy to wipe down? Maybe it’s canvas, which might be more difficult to clean, or a faux leather that could end up cracking and peeling. Make sure to select a bag that makes sense to invest in – something easy and manageable to clean and will hold up well, which you can see yourself using for years to come.
Pockets. The more pockets, the better. One inside zippered pocket just isn’t enough for me. I prefer multiple inside pockets (a mix of zippered and non-zippered is fine), so I can easily find my lipgloss, granola bar, sunglasses, hand sanitizer and those other small, easy-to-lose items. I organize them accordingly, and always know where to find them (no more digging through the end of the earth to find the pesky lipgloss that fell to the bottom).
Keep your wallet and other valuables safely secured in the zippered portions, especially when going through security. I also love the addition of outside pockets – whether they are big enough to store a water bottle on the side of the bag, or zippered options on the outside of the bag for easy access to non-secure items (extra snacks, sanitizing wipes, etc…). I also require that the bag has a zipper enclosure (snaps or ties just won’t cut it when we are dealing with a big bag loaded with my valuables and personal items.
Innovative features. I’ve seen some great, unique and innovative features that I now look for when shopping around. Some bags have a luggage trolley sleeve – a genius extra piece of material on the bag of the bag, which allows you to slip the entire bag over your luggage handles. Long gone are the days when your tote or duffle keep sliding off your luggage when you’ve attempted to throw the straps over your suitcase handles. Take a look at this feature on The ReNew Transit Weekender bag from Everlane.
For a shoe hoarder like me, a bag with hidden shoe storage is basically my perfect match. This Calpak Stevyn Duffle would allow me to store several pairs of shoes in the bottom compartment, leaving the rest of the bag open for clothes, makeup, toiletries, and essentials for a quick weekend trip!
Pouches. My final tip would be to stock up on some great zippered pouches that you can store additional small accessories and necessities in. I have a pouch for travel essentials that I might want on the plane, such as medicine, face wipes, bandaids, a nail file, a small compact mirror, etc… and another pouch where I keep all of my charges and tech accessories. Toss these in your weekender bag or travel tote, and you’re golden for your weekend away and travel journey!
