Absolutely brilliant bag, the handle and strap design lets the bag be packed to all different levels, and be comfortable no matter what. The materials are very high quality, love the bag. Am about to purchase my fourth.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is a beautifully designed duffel. Really functional, usuable space, with just enough organisation for everything else, both inside and out. I use my duffel as a gym bag; it is absolutely perfect for that.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I'm impressed by the quality and design of this duffle. There are multiple pockets for storage, and the ability to adjust the straps is a plus. Additionally, the material of the duffle can really take a beating. Clearly a lot of thought went to making this bag.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I used this duffel on a 40-day travel across Europe, sleeping in 20 different locations. My goal was to carry with me what necessary to cover one of two nights and the following 48 hours. The 35L was the perfect size, and the abundance of zips was perfect for organizing and storing items fused frequently and less frequently. An excellent product.
I've used this bag for 6 years for 2-14 night trips. On trips up to about 4 nights I'll put in one large packing cube, one medium, and toilet kit. On longer trips I put in one additional large packing cube. I have enough room left over for ipad and a few books. The light weight is helpful when this is your sole piece of luggage and you want to meet the most restrictive 8kg/17.5lb carry-on limit for some international flights. I removed one handle and reattached the other to the loops on one of the short ends of the duffel so when I put it over my shoulder it stays high and tight to my side, so it looks more streamlined and doesn't bounce against my side, making it easier to walk fast. I've used it for weekend trips, trips to Amans, and bike trips where I removed the packing cubes and put them in the panniers then folded the duffel and put it in the panniers also. I appreciate the lack of hardware/straps on the outside which would not add utility for me and would destroy the clean look. I agree with criticisms the magnets should be a few orders of magnitude stronger (both the magnets that hold the handles together (irrelevant to me since I use only one handle), and the magnets that hold the end flaps of the zipper against the end of the bag, keeping a neat look (I solved that by placing supermagnets inside the bag at the end flaps)).
This is an initial impression, and I absolutely love this bag! I bought it to replace an old, similarly-sized gym bag, and what an upgrade it is! The semi-rigid opening doesn't pop into place (which I thought it might) but does offer easier access with the same effort. The light interior is so helpful, too. However, I landed on this bag because of the strap configurations; they are excellent! As a backpack, it's extremely comfortable on either one or both shoulders, and I appreciate the hand-carry closure is minimalistic instead of bulky or puffy - it doesn't need it. I have yet to see any benefit from having the (pretty weak) magnets on the ends, to keep the folded-over uppers in place. That said, they might do more once it's broken in; time will tell. Not exactly a key feature.
I bought this a few weeks ago and finally took it on a road trip and have nothing but praise for it. The quality is unmatched and I love the design as much as any other PD product. As others have said, the handles could be improved, but then again, this is a large duffel - I'm not carrying it with the handles for long periods of time so not a deal breaker for me. All in all, would 100% recommend this 50L version (especially over the 35L. This fits more but can squish to a similar size).