Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Boat and Tote Zip Top Pocket Medium

It's a truly fantastic bag, excellent for corralling puppy travel gear,I just wish the handles were bigger so I could more easily loop it over my arm instead of only being able to carry it by hand.

Great bag, love the zipper top and love the front pocket. I wish the handle was a little bit longer, that would get 5 stars from me.

I love this bag but the size is a bit awkward. I wish I'd bought the long strap version because it doesn't really fit over the shoulder but you don't always want to carry it by hand. The pink only came in medium, but a slightly bigger one would have more function, i.e. would hold a tennis racket. Quality is great.

Love everything about this bag except it is smaller than I wanted. The advertising picture looks much larger than it actually is. Got it personalized so I can't return/exchange it

I love the bag and thinks it's a great size for everyday errand use. I wish the monogram was in the front pocket and not the back of the bag. That wasn't clear in the description when I purchased.

I ordered this tote bag with a monogram on it expecting to have the monogram placed on the outside pocket; very surprised when it arrived with the monogram on the "back" of the tote. I did not have enough time, due to a scheduled hospital appointment, so I kept it and all worked out well. I would also like to have the straps a little longer as I used it as a shoulder bag. All in all the tote is great and quality is super!

I don't understand the reasoning behind a couple things. This single tone bag with pocket in large is $15 more than the one without the pocket but there is no option to have long handles on it....? Seems like a stretch. If it had the option for long handles I would recommend it. Please, give us the option of a long handle.

I've ordered this for my wife as a gift for Boston commute and suddenly I've seen threads coming off the bag from here and there and only has been used lightly few times. Not a big deal but considering the hype this brand has is just kinda odd.

I purchased this bag in both the medium and large sizes in black. The construction is solid. The zipper to close the top is awkward to use, but it doesn't impede the functionality of the bag too much, unless you need frequent one-handed access to contents. I found the rubberized logo patch ugly and unnecessary addition to an iconic bag, and it appeared cheap compared to the rest of the bag. I removed the patch using a seam ripper and it looks much better now (the holes where the patch was sewn relax with use and are no longer visible). An interior pocket would be a welcome addition. Attn LL Bean Design Team: Please stop adding ugly logos to the exterior of all your products. Let your brand identity be evident in the quality design of your products, rather than through logos pasted everywhere. Tags belong on the inside, not the outside of products.

Wish it had a longer handle. Love every other aspect of the bag.

For the price, this bag should be larger, wider and taller.

I was excited the boat tote finally came in solid blue, and in my excitement thought it had the long handles, which it sadly does not. I just find these little handles to be too small for the large size. Being a short older lady with big arms, I need to haul a load this size on my shoulder, and it's too hard to get my arms through these dinky handles wish it came with the long option like the other colours.

The bag is excellent. But when you order in advance and it won't be fulfilled for 2 months, you realize the company waits for a bunch to accumulate, then they start making them. Not the way LL Bean used to be. The same thing happened a few years ago with Bean boots. I guess when you actually only make like 3 products in Maine and the rest is imported, you wait to mass produce. Very disappointing!

Tote bag was sturdy and roomy. Just got very disappointed because I ordered the one with monogrammed initials as a gift and it came with nothing.

I ordered this as a gift for my daughter in July. It was finally delivered after four months at the end of November. She absolutely loves the bag. But the service and item update was less than satisfactory.

Love the bag and text! I just wish the straps were a tiny bit longer. The long straps are just too long for the medium bag

I bought two of the medium Navy totes about three months ago, one for school and one for my mum for work. Overall, the colour, utility, and monogramming is great. One major issue straight out of the box was the sheer amount of loose threads. They get caught in the zipper and unravel, and it makes the overall experience of the bag almost fragile. The stitching in both are loose, both constructed by the same seamstress via the card. Compared to the pictures in other reviews, I feel that mine were of a more subpar quality, but I did not want to write a review until I'd used it for a bit. I had to take the time to sit and snip the loose bits on both which was just inconveniencing. Currently, I am using it as a beach bag, which is great b/c of the zipper and external pocket. I'm currently looking at LE for other options as returning the bag is too big a hassle from LA.

I read tons of reviews saying that the straps are not long enough but I don't mind a bag snug on my shoulder, so I thought I'd give it a go. But the straps on this tote are really, really short and I cannot ever carry it on my shoulder even for a short time. It's a bag that will absolutely always take up a hand which for me is a bummer. Back it goes. The mineral red is gorgeous and I'm really sad to send it back.

So unfortunate the handles are too short to wear this tote on your shoulder. It seems like a sturdy, well-made bag that would work well for hauling a laptop, water bottle, and other typical purse stuff every day, but I haven't used it because of the handles issue. I wish there was the option to choose length like on the traditional boat & tote bags.

I've got about 10 Boat & Totes of various sizes I've purchased over the last 20 years or so. The bags have gotten slightly bigger in size, but the handles have gotten shorter! Typically, I order the traditional bag with the long-handle option. However, I really liked the solid color sage green bag I got a few years ago, and thought I'd get the warm gold medium bag for shopping and library trips this summer. Mind you, the solid color M or L bag only has short handles. I figured I could manage--as a person with long arms, the long handles have me dragging the bag if I don't have it on my shoulder. However, these short handles are SHORT. They're a good two inches shorter than my L w/ short handle from 2003. Not so versatile. I prefer being able to choose my handle length. But, even just making this a "one-size-fits all" length of 9-10'' would have allowed a better mixed use. Sadly, I'll be driving or shipping this back up to Freeport.

The handle is too short to put over a shoulder. The seams are messy. But, the color is beautiful and the construction is strong.

I'm a little disappointed. It's not BAD, but it's not what I expected. When I think of L.L. Bean, I think top tier quality. I purchased the medium black bag with a monogram. A lot of the stitching looks very chaotic, which is mostly my complaint. **I tried to include photos, but none would go through** The bottom portion of the handles have stitching that looks like its about to come undone. In comparison to the product photo, there's definitely a difference. Where the panels meet on the side, the stitching seems to just be overkill? There's a lot of back and forth and loose threads. The monogram has a little gap in the "c" and isn't the worst thing, but just to note. The color is a true black, to me it looked more "washed black" in the product photos. I'm fine with it but others take into consideration. Shipping was VERY quick, I think less than a week. Which was very impressive considering a customization. The L.L.Bean label is black instead of blue/gold like in the photo as well. Feels like I'm playing spot the difference! All in all, good bag but mine seems to be a fluke in regards to stitching.

Love the color. Love the sturdiness. I don't love that the monogram is on the back! Why not place it on the pocket below the LLBean tag on the front?! I could have sworn I saw somewhere on the website that the monogram would be on the front. Buyer beware if you're looking to monogram this particular bag - remember, you can't return it.

straps are too short - doesn't really fit around my arm if I'm wearing extra layers

Still see fringes from thread line. Perhaps the finish product should be clean and free from untrimmed thread line. Also the canvas is a tougher material so I would use this bag to the beach instead of my grocery shopping trip.