Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Boat and Tote Large

For several years, I've purchased this bag to give as a baby gift. I have the baby's name monogrammed on it and stuff it with board books and baby toys. I also bought one for my dog to transport her items to the dog sitter. My boys each received one when they were born and they used them for years to transport their "stuff" on trips. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it used to come in many more colors. (The fuschia was my favorite.) But the color options are now very limited. That said, this gift is always appreciated!

I ordered the medium size the first time. It was too large to use as a lunch bag tote. The small size is just right for my needs. I like the heavy duty canvas and the stitching is very clean ( no loose threads or problem stitching). I will find a use for the larger size.

It would be nice to have size choices for a name or monogramming. I ordered a med. tote with a name. I was disappointed that the scale of the name did not fit the size of the tote. 1 inch letters seem too small.

It would be more useful if you had a pocket inside the bag. also the letter could be a little bit bigger. and instruction to wash.

I needed a gym bag to fit all of my gear and that was not black inside. This is a huge bag and works great. I probably only needed a medium bag as I often put way to many things in this bag. The only thing I wished it had was a zippered pocked inside. Great quality and I can use it for the pool and beach towels. I definitely recommend the long handles if you like to carry bags over your shoulder. I wouldn't recommend traveling on an airplane with this bag as it does not have a zipper and it wide open.

great quality. super strong. will carry even my heaviest grocery load. only thing, I wish the material was softer -- it is almost impossible to fold up into a storable form.

I really enjoy the bag a lot. I use this for my wheelchair to hold the things I need everyday.

I ordered two of these totes and they are very different from the larger ones I have from LLBEAN. The canvas is so stiff they stand up on their own. I rather like that. I am curious though, it the other sizes are also made with this new stiff canvas. The size was a little smaller than I expected, more like a large purse size. If there had been some sort of closure at the top I would use it as a purse/ tote. There were lots of untrimmed long threads, but that was easy to deal with. A good item that will last forever, I am sure. I can't imagine wearing it out. I bought it to carry groceries and placed the folded plastic bag it came in into the bottom to keep it clean. I don't think this will be washable.

I love the size and fit.

Growing up in Maine and now living in New Hampshire, everyone around here has these totes. I finally treated myself to one. I even opted for the monogram, which really adds a nice touch. It feels very sturdy, and I'm confident I'll have it for many years to come. I plan to use mine as a carry-all between my vehicle and my house. I tend to use a small purse, so by the time I get home from errands I have several loose things: a stack of mail, things I bought without a bag, the dog leash, etc. Now I can toss it all in the tote along with my purse and carry it all inside easily. I really like that it stands up on it's own, so if you set it down it doesn't flop/tip over. I do have one word of caution: the sizing is misleading in my opinion. I got the Medium. The description says 12"H x 13"W x 6"D. Looking at the pictures, it seemed hard to believe it was only 13" wide; it appeared wider on the model carrying it to my eyes. When I opened it I was surprised how large it is, so I took out my measuring tape. It turns out that they're measuring the bottom inner corners, which is much narrower than the overall width. So the very bottom of the colored portion is technically 13" wide, however the width of the rest of the tote (the entire cream colored portion) is actually 18" wide. So it's a good 5 inches wider than the description makes it seem. It's almost too big for my intended use, but I'll get used to it. Hopefully this will help someone else who spent as much time as I did looking at the photos and trying to decide what size to get. Overall I'm happy with my new tote and I think this would be a great gift idea, especially with the monogram.

Nice fabric. I like the long handles. Construction not up to par: thread ends not trimmed, side seam puckered.

There's no other tote for me but LL Bean.

I am a college student and I wanted a tote that I could put some books in on the go to campus. I originally ordered the large but that was too big for my liking, the large looked more like a beach tote or maybe if you have children and need to carry a lot of things.The medium is a better size for everyday use, but I do wish it was just a tad bigger for the days when I have to bring a lot to campus with me at once. Also, I wish it had either a front pocket or some kind of inside pocket to store my phone, keys, small things etc. Other than that, it is very nice quality and I love the navy trim with my navy monogram :) The option to chose long handles is nice because I like to carry totes over my shoulder. I called customer service to do the exchange and it was very simple and not stressful at all. My new product came in earlier before the estimated delivery date. Great company!

I have had these for years this new one I wore out to brunch and the hitting on my dark jeans legs left denim marks, it was filthy. Didn't realize it took stains so quickly. Looks a bit beat and I cleaned it when I got home. I am about to throw it in the washer. I ordered a huge one for the beach but didn't wear dark denim those times. That bag looks great still.

I bought this bag to replace my much loved older model that I've had for the past decade. My sister bought it for me when I became a teacher, and I hauled papers, lunch, coffee, and a laptop in it everywhere! After so much use, I decided to replace it. While this new one has shorter handles and anarrower bottom, it's slightly taller than my old one, and is ample to haul my teacher stuff once more. Here's to theenxt decade!

These are definitely the best totes around. They hold their shape and are durable. It's a plus that different sizes are available. I would like to see the burlap offered in different colors--the off white does get dirty easily.

I like the size, color, and quality of the bag. I'm a little disappointed that the material isn't more flexible. I also wish the straps were just a tiny bit longer.

I love Boat and Totes. I have 8 of them. I recently bought a small one as a gift and got it monogrammed with script. I was so sad when it arrived. The bag was the same wonderful quality as usual. However, the script was way too tiny for the small bag. I was very disappointed. I returned and I'm awaiting a replacement in a different font. I really hope it's better. I have no idea what LL Bean is thinking using such a tiny, unreadable font. I still love the company and buy often, but this needs adjusted. Nobody wants a tiny, unreadable font on their bag.

This bag feels thinner and less structured than the one I bought for a gift last year.

I must agree with some of the other reviews. Has the material changed? The quality? The bag is thin and stiff. I have one from another company that I have had for years, and it is soft and bendable. My daughter wanted the Bean tote because it was advertised and apparently was the one going viral. I hope she likes it, but I am not pleased with it myself. I bought her the little keychain to give as a gift, because the bag was on backorder and I didn't think it would get here in time for Christmas. The little keychain feels more like what I would expect the big bag to feel like. It is the soft and thick material.

New look / design - less bottom trim - the color that matches the handles - what a surprise to see this so small. I have had these bags for years and the color came up a couple inches on the sides. On the recent purchase maybe an inch. The photo is accurate - much smaller. A change to a classic that might not be the best.

The monogram is small and does not fit for the size of the bag. Looks bad. Very disappointed

I purchased 5 of these bags but only 1 was delivered on time. In fact, 1 order want canceled on me after a month of delays, and another I'm still waiting for after 2 months. Cute but not worth the wait.

The quality's all over the place. It's a good bag overall, but there are so many minor details that make me wonder how nobody caught them.

Love this bag so much and purchased for my daughter's baby shower. It said "boy mom" but when it arrived it was very off-centered. Disappointed because I waited several weeks and it was a gift.