Vera Bradley Cotton Utility Oversized Tote Travel Bag - Large Durable Carryall for Women, Work, Gym & Weekend Getaways | Perfect for Commuting, Shopping & Beach Trips

What I like best is the size. I have several duffels: at 18 to 22 inches, they're too big. I wanted something to use primarily for the gym and secondarily for travel (since I already have other travel bags). The size of this is just right -- holds my hairdryer, flat iron, jelly shower shoes, swim stuff, shower stuff, and a couple of other little things. I am a small person so it was important to find a bag that would be big enough but not too big. This bag seems to fit into a niche -- there are few other bags this size. What else I like: this bag has aesthetics -- medium dark green, less yellow than it seems on the monitor (a good thing), and the bag has personality! Also liked the bit of brown trim on the green bag. The straps are long enough to carry on the shoulder, and they stay on the shoulder. The fabric looks and feels good. It is not going to be as durable as a nylon or neoprene. But overall, this bag meets my needs more completely than all the many other bags I considered. I was afraid the green would be too bright but it is a great shade. I was prepared for finding that I might not like it but when it arrived and I filled it up with my stuff, I could see that it was just what I had been looking for.This bag is great! I love all the pockets! The side pockets with elastic stretch more than usual and I like that for the sake of a hydroflask. I like that it has handles and a strap. Can be used for several things other than travel. Everyday, school, nurse, diaper bag, etc. I ordered it in black and like the bag so much I plan to order another for a backup just incase my one wears out or they discontinue down the road.I love Vera Bradley. And Vera Bradley bags are superb. They tend to be very well made, and they last for YEARS. The cotton is strong and durable, and the patterns on the colorful cotton (if you get a patterned bag) are bright and interesting. The stitching is tight and even.But when I received this Vera Bradley Cotton Utility Oversized Tote Travel Bag, the first thing I thought was, "Oh no! They sent me a diaper bag!" I thought that for a long time, until I compared pictures of the bag I held in my hands to the pictures of the bag online. Yup, it was the same bag.See, this bag REALLY resembles a diaper bag.Now, you can certainly use this as a diaper bag, the same way you can use any bag as a "diaper bag". I mean, when I did not have an official "diaper bag", I just threw some diapers and wipes, and some extra clothes into an old tote bag and called it a "diaper bag". It wasn't fancy, but it worked.However, this black bag just really looks like something that would hold bottles, and changing pads. It's huge and bulky, with odd pockets hanging out on the sides. It has a large carrying strap. While it can hold a TON of stuff, it doesn't look particularly elegant. However, if you are more concerned with the carrying capacity of the tote, this can hold quite a bit. Highly recommended.Where do I begin with this bag? I am a teacher, and have to carry many items back and forth, including files, work, books, etc. I like everything to be nice and organized so I can find what I need in a flash. Because this bag has a nicely padded tablet/computer compartment, and lots of very well laid out space for binders, notebooks, files, and organizing mesh slip pockets for school supplies, planners, cords etc., this makes a fantastic teacher bag.The bag is roomy enough to hold all my essentials, but also works on those days when I need to carry a personal laptop, an iPad, and work laptop, and this bag holds it all without skipping a beat. It also makes a great on-the-go office bag for commuters because it seems to be designed nicely for anyone who travels!Not to mention it has 2 great-sized side pockets to carry 2- 18 oz Yeti/Hydroflask tumblers (a must for me!) or 1 tumbler and an umbrella for those rainy days. (Not all bags have this on the outside of the bag and this is a definite plus because it helps keep me more hands-free, and plus I never understood those bags where you store your bags inside the bag, because if they leak or spill for some reason, there go your invaluable electronics.) It also has a generously sized yet protective phone slip pocket that also keeps your phone secure, yet can be easily accessed. The clip pockets or zippered pockets work well for easily accessing lanyards or phone, laptop cords, snacks, etc.But the beauty of this bag doesn’t end there. I am now using it as a carry on travel bag for my upcoming trip, because the size and style makes a weekend getaway packing super stream-lined, since those great organizer slip pockets are the perfect size for storing all those critical vacation necessities too, and that great padded compartment will help me feel like my electronics will be securely protected. I am telling you, with a bag this great, you can use it literally all year round!So I can fit everything except the kitchen sink in this bag! I am enclosing two sets of photos, one showing it for a 4 day trip, yes 4 day trip! I thought it would only hold enough for a 2 day trip and was totally surprised that everything fit in perfectly using my typical packing techniques (which is using 2 same size packing cubes and rolling whatever doesn’t fit in the cubes). I did not have to leave anything out that I wanted to bring…that’s 3 shirts, 1 dress, 2 pair jeans, 1 pair shorts, and in the packing cubes all my delicates, 4 pair of socks, 1 pair of slipper socks, 2 pair of pajamas, 1 slip and 2 pair nylons, swimsuit! Like I was amazed at all the items I could pack. And this is small enough even when packed with all this to be a personal item/carryon.As you can see from the photos, it holds a lot, and has room to spare! And it is super light compared to my usual bag and carries more! Plus Vera Bradley also has matching pieces to coordinate with if you are matching obsessed like me! (In my review you can see that I am using one of the matching trapeze cosmetic bags (also by Vera Bradley) that work nicely with this bag.)I did notice that with the black color (just like most black items) did tend to attract cat fur, but my cats are also shedding right now enough to make another cat LOL!—-Not a problem for me because it wiped off easily with a damp cloth. I would still personally choose the black color because it holds up nicely with all the daily use. I also love that this bag can be washed, which is nice to know just in case, because I can’t tell you how many times I go home with washable paint on something I own LOL! (Job hazard!)This bag has a trolley strap too, which makes it practical for travel…the only change would be that I would want a trolley strap that zippers when not in use so you can use it as an extra pocket in the back for my teacher planner (but later I plan on adding some velcro on the bottom so I can make a pocket of my own…love that this bag has that flexibility to do that!) This is just a preference…I still totally recommend this bag 100 percent because it is so durable and versatile.Between the very heavy duty yet comfortable to hold handles, adjustable and removable strap with shoulder pad, so you can carry it like a cross-body, versatility to do double duty as a work and vacation bag, there’s lots to love about this bag!This Vera Bradley bag is very nicely made from dense and soft fabric. The bag has robust and smooth zippers, and sturdy straps. It's a high quality bag, and looks and feels the part.The bag is quite large. The main compartment easily holds enough clothes for a weekend trip for two, while the other pockets hold toiletries and other items. I appreciated the wide variety of small compartments on the outside of the bag with zippers, magnetic latches, and open pockets. If the bag was a bit smaller it would even make a great day-to-day bag, but it's just a bit too bulky for that. It works great for travel.All in all... a great bag.