Customer Reviews Peak Design 35 L Travel Duffel

Bought this a few weeks ago. Took it on its first trip through 4 airports. Love the look, love the durability, love the pockets. Shoulder strap is ok, not my favorite. But The handles are terrible. Magnets?? The magnets aren't strong enough, why are they even there? The weird seam on the handles make them too awkward to hold. I never used them, so I just took them off. The end grab handle ended up being my favorite way to carry on and off the plane. I wish there was an alternate handle we could buy, they are detachable after all.

You might expect glowing report from a satisfied customer over here in the UK? Or you could get ready for a comment on the complacent videos by the company. However you get what the design and manufacture of this super travel bag deserve. Glowing praise for the design and ergonomics, delight with the fabric that is light yet strong, clever thoughts of security. Yes this product, like all of PD products is far from cheap, but loads of value make up for the high cost. When a cheap product fails you remember exactly how much you wasted. When an expensive product works well, you consider it good value. QED.

You always hear about the Everyday bag and the Travel Backpack, but you never hear much about the Travel Duffel. It's a great bag for short trips, but it's also super convenient as your carry-in bag. Since it opens with a top mounted zipper (instead of a panel, like the Travel Backpack), it's easier to access on planes, buses, and trains. The wide open interior fits a wider variety of stuff versus the Everyday bag. I wish the straps were a little longer so it could comfortably worn as a backpack sometimes.

I got the 35L version and I love using it as my carry on. Even for a 5-7 day trip, the size is perfect. My only wish is that they made a smaller version for when I hit the gym or the pool! One thing I would fix with the design of the duffel is are the handles and the magnets that hold them together. The magnets are too small that they practically separate when you carry the bag from the handles. The handles are also bent in such a way that picking the bag up in a hurry would basically make this happen.

Bought this to use as a carry on bag and was worried it wouldn't hold 1 weeks worth of clothes. My previous duffel bag carry on was 40 L and is good for maybe 3/4 days worth of clothes. I managed to fit more in this bag which is 35L using the packing cubes Peak Design sells. I was able to pack one pair of boots, ten shirts, 2 pairs of jeans and 10 pairs of socks and boxer briefs along with a wash pouch. It is also a plus that the bag is black and sleek and love that the Peak Design logo is subtle. If there are any criticisms it's that the magnets on the handles and on the sides of the bag are weak and are almost useless. If I don't place the bag on the ground ever so gently, the handles come apart. Also I wish the clips for the shoulder strap were made of aluminum like the ones on the handles instead of plastic.

If I had a financial advisor I'm sure they would suspect that Peak Design asserts undue influence on me. I've spent that much money and have that much of their gear. Pretty much I love all of it Functional and beautiful in the best way - the beauty grows from the design, not just style for style's sake. I immediately felt love for my new (and still relatively untested) travel duffel. But there are two, nearly unforgivable, flaws that downgrade the review to 4 stars. The magnetic handles are worthless. They literally do not stick even at rest, much less in use. They are uncomfortable to grip when there is any weight in the bag (camera, laptop and a few clothes). This shows up in a lot of reviews which I assumed had to be wrong since Peak is always good! I was bamboozled! They are that bad and it is amazing that this hasn't been fixed. The other problem is that when you open the bag it doesn't, like a doctor's bag, stay open. You constantly have to use one hand to prop it open. Except that I like the rest of it so much I would return it. And maybe keeping it will turn out to be a mistake as the irritation grows with use. I love the main compartment and then the various side pockets for creating a good hierarchy. Materials are great. It looks sleek and I like the way it appears small and slim when you don't have much in it but grows upward as you pack more in. Peak (Lawrence, I'm looking at you!), how can you extoll those magnetic handles that don't stick together at all, much less stay 'snapped' when using? I do have to give kudos to the the website in general for clarity in explaining all the gear and Lawrence and Zona for their focused, comprehensive and fun video presentations.

As with all PD bags, it's stylish and the materials and zippers are top-notch. The 35l is good enough for a weekend to week travel, I can put inside tech pouch, wash pouch, 2 jeans, 8 shirts, some underwear and socks, my laptop (in a case) and some accessories and all fit great without being overload. What I want to see on next version? bigger side pockets and inner pockets, I think ther can be bigger, right now they are not that big enough when the bag is fully packed. The handles are ok for me, but you do have to hold them in the right way to be comfortable. I don't think they need a redesign but PD can add some soft neoprene strap to wrap the handle together that people can add to make it more comfortable when moving around. All in all, a classic duffle with a premium feel. All in all, I am happy with this duffle

The twins Handle should be able to wrap together just like the 66l brother I think the width of the bag is not enough. Since I can't fit the camera cube (L or M) with a good look. If I fit a camera cube (L or M) in the duffel , the bag just looks like a flat box, not good looking at all Therefore it is better to add some width to the bag or you may design it better

I bought it for travel up to 1 week and sauna visits. What can I say? All stuff fit in! Luckily the 65l doesn't have any magnets to carry it. With the 35l, these were not well received. Perhaps the only downside is that you sometimes swap the front and back side pockets, because you quickly forget what is stored where. Would I buy them again? Yes! you definitely need the packing or camera cubes to keep things tidy. So order now. The disadvantage here is the somewhat high price, unless you already own some.

I bought the duffel a bit over a year ago as my companion for business trips because I wanted something reliable, sturdy yet sleek and minimalist looking. Not disappointed. I travel a lot for work as a consultant and this thing never seizes to amaze me. I throw it around a lot and don't particularly treat it nicely but it still looks pristine after all those trips - matter of fact it looks like I just bought it. The build quality is insane and the things I look most for in bags is reliability, utility and versatility. This is where PD really delivers. The only thing I would change is the way the two hand straps come together. Though they are magnetic, I find it hard to hold the bag for a longer period of time with just my hands and because the handle are solid they move about in your hand causing friction. Other than that - love it!

I bought this bag a month of so ago and have been enjoying using it as a gym bag between weekend trips. Solid construction, good features, and it's a super clean design. It's been enough for all my gym and pool needs, as well as a 3-4 day trip with moderate camera gear. I could likely use it for a week or more if I really slimmed down the tech and chose clothing more efficiently.

Bought this a month ago- the handles are awful though. Really painful.

I got this bag right before heading to Europe had been searching for a duffel and this one is pretty sweet. Very well made and is also not trying to be too much. Just a duffel, not a hybrid duffel / backpack. The only thing that isn't ideal is that when it's really full the outer side pockets aren't really so useful and the inside little side pockets are honestly a bit too small for what I wanted to put in them.

Got this gor a 3 day trip. Size was perfect. All the pockets are great for organisation. Only the handles feel weird when carrying for a longer time. They cut into my hands and would have been better if they were ergonomically shaped or cushioned. All in all solid tho.

The travel duffle has great features. Multiple carrying options and plenty of pockets. Quality seems top notch. Haven't had the bag long enough to comment on durability. Only complaint is the hand carry strap isn't very comfortable. Understand the magnet idea for the hand cary strap but magnets used are too weak to really keep them together. Can use more padding in the hand straps.

Overall great design. I like the different options available to carry the bag. The different compartments are a great way to keep things organized. Would give a 5/5, but there is one small flaw. The over the shoulder strap is hooked on by a hard plastic hook. This hook broke once (although was quickly fixed thanks to the Peak Design team!). I think it would be optimal if the shoulder strap had metal hooks, identical to the metal hooks for the backpack straps.

The other reviews are right! This is a beautiful bag and mostly well thought out/designed like all the other Peak Designs bags and products I have bought over the years, but the handles are a huge miss. Such a bummer and the difference between 3 and 5 stars based on how critical they are to carrying the bag. The magnets are weak and the handles are not comfortable to hold. Could be easily improved with at least a wrap around the handles. I hope they come up with something like that.

By far, this is the best looking duffel I've seen out there. Outside pockets are great, main capacity is...a duffel...wide open for loading however you see fit, material and craftsmanship live up to the PD reputation. Big gripe with this bag is that the magnets do not work at all to either keep the handles together or to keep the bag's top corners pinned down as advertised. Biggest grip with this bag is that the handles are oriented so that they sit on their edges in the hand. This was done so that the magnets could keep the handles together, but the magnets don't work and the handles, in that orientation, are senselessly uncomfortable and awkward in the hand. Even if the handles weren't in this orientation, the leather is still very stiff and uncomfortable for hand carry. I don't carry duffels in backpack mode, but I can't imagine these handles are doing anybody any favors in that mode either. This bag needs a redesign quick, fast, and in a hurry.

I love so much about this bag but there's two huge problems. I'm disappointed every time I pick up my bag by the handles. They aren't comfortable and they never stay together. They've fixed this with the 65L bag. But they need to fix the 35L bag. I would buy a new on in a second if they did. Also the clips holding the should strap have both broken but luckily you can feed it through the handle and it still works. Not at all ideal but it didn't make the bag unusable. Needs to be fixed in a new version.

I had the black version and it worked fine, but certain things made it less stellar than many of the other PD products I've used. The semi-rigid handle lost its rigidity after a few trips of use. The magnetic tab holders were nice in thought but they weren't strong enough to hold them down as I moved with the bag. With the black version, I had a hard time seeing the logo tab so then I often couldn't tell which side was which and opened the wrong external pocket. Feel like for the money, I would've been happier with a different duffel.

I've had this bag for a little over a month and have used it on several trips. The 35L size is perfect for trip to the gym or a long weekend. Only complaint is the design of the carry handles. The nylon canvas material is used for the grip which creates an uncomfortable rigid feeling. The edge where the handle material is sewn feels "sharp" at times adding the the discomfort. However, this only applies to the Black color since on the Sage bag a soft brown leather is used for the handles. Wish to see a similar design with black leather. Also, as noted in other reviews the magnets in the handles are very week and virtually useless.

I bought this bag because the PD travel backpack was too heavy and unwieldy for travel, especially at airports. I love everything about it which make its flaws particularly pronounced, especially as it's otherwise so well-designed. THE HANDLES: I just don't get it, it's a well- documented complaint, the magnets just don't work. It's too weak. Why have they not replace the magnets with something stronger? It's so frustrating. All over bag magnets are weak too, not just the handles but the latter is the most interacted feature. The whole uncomfortable awkward design is not worth it if the magnets don't work. Fix this and the bag would be sublime.

This bag is honestly just badly designed. It takes a standard duffel bag, which is simple and reliable, and makes it complex and broken. First, the magnetic hand straps are feeble. I have stronger magnets on my fridge. And due to the angle at which the leather was applied to the straps, completely incapable of holding them together when being carried. Second, the strap attachments are just unnecessary potential points of failure. Why aren't these just simple loops and buckles or carabiners or something? It feels like the designers just changed this to look cool but ended up with something odd and inconvenient. Thirdly, the bag's structure does not at all allow it to stay open as the product description says. The only structure in the bag are two horizontal bars attached behind the heavy exterior pockets. So the two long sides collapse inwards at all times. The only time it'll stay open is when it's already loaded, which is pointless. So yeah, I'm ultimately very disappointed in this and will be returning it. It also exceeds multiple EU airlines carry-on dimensions. Which, although it'll probably squash down, is worth noting.