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

The black "reinforcement" fabric on bottom is no longer sturdy canvas of the original, made-for-lifetime-of-heavy-use bag of Bean repute. Now it's a flimsy decorative material, sure to wear through quickly. We certainly don't set our bags on the ground or floor, but occasionally at athletic events others who don't know any better do so (bless their hearts, doubly baffling that anyone would a. move someone else's belongings and b. set any bag on floor/ground) and we would want to be able to clean the bottom of our Bean tote thoroughly if this happens. Alas. Iconic workhorse, much loved, is now reduced to a preppy fashion item.

LLBean totes that I have had in the past were strong, durable and lasted. These new ones have a second rate zipper that the person I gave it to got stuck the first time she used it. Since then, the zipper continues to be flimsy. The canvas is not as strong as it once was.

I ordered a medium bag with my name stitched on it and ended up receiving a small bag. The quality of the bag is top notch and the only reason I am unsatisfied is that i received the wrong size. Unfortunately, it is already personalized with my name. This is a very nice product but getting the wrong size limits what i had intended to use the bag for. I will try to make it work, but it is hard not to feel very disappointed that my bag will not be utilized on an everyday basis as I had planned. I hope that in the future, LL Bean will be able to improve its' the accuracy of sending the correct items that customers purchase. Thank you.

Good quality, but SO stiff that it's almost uncomfortable. Had thought I was ordering the same bag as my daughter's, but turns out that was from another company. Wish I had paid closer attention and ordered from the other company. I like the zipper enclosure, but miss having any additional pockets on the inside or outside. Wish I hadn't had it monogrammed as I would return it in a heart beat.

I ordered 4 large zip-top bags with monogramming for welcome gifts. The quality of the bags is excellent. Unfortunately on one of the bags the monogramming sewed the flap to the monogrammed message making it impossible to close or zip the bag. The LL Bean quality check should have caught this significant issue prior to shipping.

Agree with the previous poster. I ordered a large tote and it's (sadly) huge. I measured the width (widest part) and it's 23.5", way bigger than what is described. It's even bigger than the stated dimensions of the extra large. No way it will work as a tote to put under the seat on a plane. It's going back.

Initially decided to purchase this bag based on the photo/video and was disappointed when I realized that the handles were cloth rather than leather as shown in the video. Recommend changing the design of the bag to leather handles for durability and a classic look.

Just received my small boat and tote. I have another one that looks great but unfortunately this small has messy, not great seams. Bummer.

Ever since the day I got the bag the handle has been unraveling.

Pretty disappointed. Soo many loose threads with the zipper top

I've had this bag for a month and today a small amount of water happened to land right on the embroidery. It wicked through the embroidery and I found out the hard way it does not have color fast dye. Now the bag is permanently stained and customer service is telling me they cannot help me:) if you buy this bag, either don't embroider or pick the canvas color

It was a Christmas present and came the middle of January. It was estimated to come in mid December.

I dont know for the life of me why this is a bestseller, inner or outer pockets. The land ends version is way better! I will stick to that one. Even trader joes bag is better.

Just got this in today it was a gift and I was looking forward to LL bean quality. Will be returning

The worst all the stiching is coming off from all u

We purchased the first LLBEAN Boat and Tote back in mid 1980s.The quality of the tote was marvelous. It was sturdy, with thick material, tight stitches and lovely pine corns design. It went with us on numerous trips, carried items when our kids moved to their colleges. After all of those years, I thought it is the time to get a new one. I could not believe the poor quality of this new tote. The workmanship is shabby, the stitches are sloppy, loose threads are dangling that at least should be trimmed, it is near impossible to close the zipper. I returned the tote. I am so disappointed while mourning over the beloved that seems is a long lost LL Bean quality.

I've been waiting months for my canvas medium zip top with long straps. Upon receiving it, I immediately had trouble with the zipper. It was very difficult to open and close. It needed to be pulled and held at a certain angle. I was thinking it may just need to be broken in, but looking closer it might be the uneven stitching/sewing application of the zipper entirely (when closed there are giant bumps that indicate there is a misalignment). I don't even use the zipper option because of how inconvenient and time-consuming it is. But now the entire zipper is unraveling, and there are loose threads EVERYWHERE. I've had the bag for about 2 weeks now and did not expect it to fall so quickly. Absolutely disappointed

I ordered this bag on December 5th 2024. The bag was not delivered until August.

I was so excited for this bag to come in only for the embroidery to be stitched right over the zipper, which makes the zipper unusable. Really expected a lot more from L.L. Bean.

I purchased this bag over the phone with an LL Bean employee. When the bag came, the bag was correct but the monogram was not what I asked for. Their customer service team gave me two options - send the bag back and they redo it (the bag is on back order until September so wait another month and go through the headache of sending it back) or I just keep it with the monogram incorrect, neither of which are options that would satisfy the situation. Customer service was not apologetic that an error was made on their behalf and there was no additional accommodation made to try to "make it right." But I was reassured by Tom (LL Bean employee) that they have the best customer service world wide. This is not customer service. The error was made on the company's behalf, not mine and nothing was done to make it right.

Multi-decade user of boat and totes, and one of the reasons I order from LL Bean is reliability - I expect not to have to go through the hassle of a return. However, my recent (spring 2025) order of a medium sized zip top boat and tote was super disappointing - one corner looks like the sewing machine and the bag got into it, and the machine won - a pile of random stitches, some missing stitches, bunched up sewing. It's just a mess.

I received the correct color bag, but the straps were the wrong length and no zip top.

I ordered this tote with a monogram on DECEMBER 4th and have still NOT received my order. LLBEAN has sent me multiple notes telling me how small the company is that makes these and to be patient. Then BEAN lost the order and had to find it to give me new dates. Now I am told it will be August before my bag is sent. After years as a customer ...No more LLBEAN for me. DO NOT BUY

Ordered a Vintage Rose Boat and Tote, Zip-Top, Large with Long Handles on March 11, 2025, which at the time was backordered until April 1st, as a Mother's Day present for my wife's first Mother's Day. On March 26, it was delayed until April 29, no worries, still plenty of time before Mother's Day. However, on April 23rd it was delayed again until June 1st, which would mean it wouldn't arrive in time for Mother's Day. After reaching out to customer service 5 or so times via different methods, they finally at least offered me 10% off for my trouble on April 29. Fine. Oh wait, I get another email exactly a month later saying now it won't get shipped out until July 2. Oh, and I checked and they're still selling these too, doesn't say Out of Stock online. So I call and email Customer Service 5-10 more times and they just lie and lie to me saying "Oh yes, it'll definitely ship out by July 2" until I finally reach a supervisor, who apologizes for my experience and doesn't know why the customer service representatives would stand by that date, or why I'm given a date at all, or why they continue selling the product even though they're already 6 months behind. Another 15% off, but it's really not about the money, I want the product I ordered, that again, is a Mother's Day present for my wife that never arrived. I'm writing this review on June 27, 2025. 2 days ago, on June 25, the item was delayed again, until "August 5" (notice how they're all arbitrarily 1 month increments, tells you they have no idea what they're doing). Reach out to Customer Service again, and the lackeys refuse to offer anything other than "I am sorry for the frustration and disappointment the further delays have caused." Which is even more insulting than refusing to compensate me for ruining my wife's FIRST Mother's Day. Because you're not sorry L.L. Bean or lackeys, because if you were, you'd be bending over backwards to fix or rectify the situation. I've lost all faith that I will ever receive this item. I will never purchase another item from L.L. Bean ever again and I urge every single person that every reads this to do the same. This company is an abomination and deserves to be shut down.

I purchased a medium , zip top , short handles. The underneath of the handles had 3 good size hard , balls of extra thread. Since it's short handles , my hands are going to be touching them all the time , opposed to if it had the long straps. So bummed. I was so excited for this bag!