Tote Bag Mania - Internet Surfing

The Rick Steves HideAway tote is our absolute favorite - check it out here in the SHOP and see the video. It's light, weighs nothing, folds into itself, has a zipper- wonderful day bag and carryon or personal item. We use it at the Xmas Markets for our purchases. It is big, but easy to use because it weighs nothing and we can come home with it full if needed as we do tend to buy a lot at the Xmas Markets. It's our favorite day bag around Europe. We also like the Patagonia Black Hole bag, but the strap can be short if wearing a coat, but also love that it has backpack straps!! I love all the Baggalini totes too.

My favorite TOTE with a Trolly strap as a carry on or personal item is Lo & Sons Catalina Bag (I have the large and small one in the recycled material -Navy) -- love the bottom section has a place for shoes. And they're having a Summer SALE now.

If you have money to spend, I love the Briggs & Riley tote - it also has a Lifetime warranty if anything ever happens to it.

I bought a bag called The Foldie which has a trolley strap. The price has gone up considerably since I purchased it but there are others out there that look exactly the same and cost far less. My only problem with this bag is that when you fill it up it weighs a ton and is no fun to haul through the airport.

I recently bought this for my upcoming trip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079GSKV3W?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

ChinaLake,
The Hideaway looks quite large. I have the much smaller RS cylinder shaped duffel which fits nicely in a carry-on bag or underseat even when fully packed with dirty laundry.
Roubrat, thanks for the link. That’s the best value underseat bag I have seen online. How’s the quality?
I like the design. Dimensions are good for budget airlines like Frontier.

When I hear “tote bag,” I think of those square canvas numbers with a logo or other design, usually obtained with a subscription or donation or purchase … I have two with me on this trip. One small one that I got from Penguin back in my bookselling days and a huge New Yorker one that I have on me today because I didn’t want to unpack my suitcase all the way to the bottom to get to my usual day-out small backpack (I am only in this hotel two nights and go home tomorrow).

I haven't used it yet but it seems fine. Folds up fairly compactly and it's light. I'm planning to pack it folded up and use it on the way home as a personal item.

Traditional canvas boat & tote - LLBean zip-top, Made in USA. No trolley strap though.

I love my Kipling large tote with trolly strap. It has been tugged, thrown, stuffed and still looks new. Fit's perfectly under the plane seat. Love the two large front pockets that I put all the stuff I will be using on the plane facing out including any medicine, books, gum, lotion, ear pods etc.

Le Sportsac Weekender comes in 3 sizes. The medium & large now have a bottom zipper on the outside pocket so it can be converted into a trolley strap. My weekender, which I've had forever, doesn't have this.

I find Sportsac bags very lightweight and they last a very long time. And I like the cute prints they come in.

You can purchase a separate trolley strap. I have NOT used one so have no idea if they work or not but they look fairly sturdy.

https://tinyurl.com/2szfp3vy

I've been looking at luggage, totes, blah blah over the last month so I am getting a huge number of targeted ads, lol. I've seen another trolley strap come up somewhere that looked different than this one but I don't know where I saw it.

Baggallini Totes usually but not always (so look at the description) have trolley straps. I got this one for my trip last spring and it does have the sleeve. It weighs 19 + ounces so am reconsidering for right now as I'm on a mission to go as light as I comfortably can.

https://www.baggallini.com/any-day-tote-with-rfid-phone-wristlet/ADT336-BG-B0938-NS.html

I've got several Le Sportsac totes but they do not have structure and by the time you add things to give them structure you've of course added weight. Mine are so old they do not have trolley straps.

Form factor and closure security are the considerations I look for. Cross-body products Tom Bihn and PacSafe come to mind first.

Pam,
That Any Day Tote by bagallini looks well designed as an underseat bag for travel. The black floral color is on sale for $72. Not bad compared to others for a stylish bag.
The bungee strap is a great idea. I wonder how well it works and how durable the material is.

i have a samsonite fold up that i somehow got on clearance at Macy's a couple of years ago for an obscene $10.... and no strap.
But, i have a sewing machine so that will be rectified before my NEXT trip!!

Sun-baked...I love the floral print. I did take it on my month-long trip last April/May and it fit great under the seat on Delta. I really like the light blue interior as it's easier to see stuff in there. The interior and exterior pockets are well-thought out. I wound up being able to get my packing cube with charger cords in to one of them and it was pretty secure. The only downside is that I can get more packed in there than I should so it can get heavy but that is normal for me, lol!

I believe $72 is what I paid.

Sun_Baked, I've been searching for a couple of months for one that had features I wanted (luggage strap, external & internal pockets, can be used as backpack, etc.). But I'm also aware of the specific measurements allowed by British Airways (the airline I'll be using in Sept) for the personal item (not just the carry on). Many have been too big (even without following BA requirements, some are ginormous), but I just found this one I'm ordering soon. It seems most airlines have only a weight limit and that it can fit under the seat, but BA seems more exacting. This is the Lovevook Laptop Backpack. It also has an external USB port which may come in handy.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Pd6ZRm5gS._AC_SL1500_.jpg

Thanks for all the posts! I’m having fun looking up these bags. There are 3 in particular that I really like. Pam,
I really like the soft blue interior of the Bagallini. I forgot to mention that feature. Light colors make for good contrast when searching in a dark “hole.” I question why flashlights often have black handles.
JulieS,
That Lovevook pack looks well designed. Nice combination of backpack and tote handles. I like that the top opens up wide like the mouth of a large mouth bass. Easy to load packing cubes in there.
Hmmm...

Last weekend, I couldn’t pass up a tote bag at the local caladium festival. Handmade and has yellow fabric with little pictures of canned spam all over it. Truly a one-of-kind. Quirky. I wish I could post a photo here. My teenager wants to borrow it.

That Lovevook looks interesting and is only 1.82#.

I’m also slowly being seduced by that darn Longchamp Large tote at .63 #/10oz even though I know it needs organizational inserts.