BELLROY FLIGHT BAG: REVIEW
Tested for business and casual needs.
FOREWORD
There are more than a few companies that reinvented themselves and then became very successful in a new niche. Who knew that Twitter started off as a podcasting platform before taking over the world of social media or that Nintendo dabbled in taxi service and noodle manufacturing prior to establishing itself as one of the most successful and long-standing game companies in history.
Tasteful minimal branding is one of many things Bellroy nailed with this bag
Bellroy was born a little over a decade ago with an ambition to reinvent a simple daily essential: your wallet. Their Slim Sleeve quickly became a runaway success allowing the company to expand the product line and offer more accessories such as travel cases and a wider range of wallets (the Travel Wallet turned the market on its head)
As the years went by the company became renowned across the globe as a go-to place to buy a new wallet for yourself or your loved ones. Exceptional quality, attention to detail, innovation in construction - all these traits quickly became synonymous with Bellroy.
And in 2017 something incredible happened, Bellroy released not one, not two, but 6 different styles of backpacks (including their outrageously successful Classic backpack) and forever changed the carry scene.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of the most recent offerings from Bellroy: the Flight Bag. Released in Spring 2020, culminating in over a decade of experience, innovation, sustainability and intuitive design.
Multiple carry modes allow the Flight bag to seamlessly transition from one mission to another.
Despite COVID-19 altering many of my travel plans and putting work trips on ice indefinitely, I was gladly looking for any opportunity to use this beautiful bag while exploring my beloved city of Kyiv and some light local travel.
Read on to find out what I discovered over the course of 8 weeks of using the bag.
WHO IT SUITS
Anyone looking for a beautiful and functional bag for short trips
If you are looking for a more business appropriate carry solution - the Flight bag will not let you down whilst trying to make a good impression
Those looking for a bag that can be carried in multiple different modes - adding more flexibility and comfort of use
If you are tired of relying on packing cubes and would like to have a bag with smart internal organization - this is it
I wasn’t sure how the Flight bag would fit into more casual activities and was pleasantly surprised how well it held up.
WHO IT DOESN’T
If you are looking for a bag that would “hug” your body and take your shape - the boxier and structured frame of the Flight bag might not work for you
Those who are looking for superior comfort could be wanting more than the basic comfort offered by the Flight bag
The boxier silhouette in action. It’s not bad, but worth noting that the shape won’t work for everyone.
ABOUT THE BAG
PRICE: $329
WEIGHT: 1.35 kg
DIMENSIONS: 380 x 540 x 190 mm
CAPACITY: 28L
As the name suggests, the Flight bag is intended to be your trusty travel companion. The look of the bag is nothing short of premium and it definitely aims to fill the need for business travelers, professionals and simply those who want to travel in style.
The capacity is enough to easily pack for a 2-5 days trip, while the dimensions are perfectly fit to comply with carry-on size restrictions (personally, I would not want to check-in this beauty knowing how the baggage can be abused in some airports).
I have to say, upon taking the bag out of the box I was immediately smitten. The Marine blue color looks incredible and every single detail on the bag is beautiful, thoughtfully designed and oozing with quality craftsmanship.
The clamshell opening of the bag helps to make packing and accessing your belongings effortless. Intuitive and thoughtful built-in organization allows you to keep your things neat and tidy even without using the packing cubes.
I am also happy to report that my Macbook Pro 16” fit like a charm and was very easy to access.
The Devis is in the details and Flight bag has so many gorgeous little things that quickly add up and make a very strong impression.
COMFORT
The bag has 3 main carry modes and I didn’t find them all equally comfortable.
1. Carrying the bag in a briefcase mode using leather top handles is fine as long as it is not over an extended period of time. As to be expected with leather, there is no padding in the handles, so even though the handles themselves are made from a lovely high quality leather I would not want to carry the bag for too long by those handles.
Top grab handle in action
2. The removable shoulder strap has sufficient length and has a padded section that slides up and down along the strap - you can adjust the placement as you see fit. The padded section is wide enough and has minimal, but sufficient, padding to make the carrying experience comfortable. I carried the Flight bag on one shoulder and across the body and even though I had no issues with the strap itself this carrying mode was not ideal, mainly due to the shape of the bag and its somewhat rigid structure.
To oversimplify this - Imagine carrying a box against your body, no matter how great the strap is the box is still stiff against your body. In Bellroy’s defence, this is probably the most beautiful and nice to the touch bag I have ever carried.
Shoulder strap mode. Even though the bag has a clear “front” I did find just fine carried on both sides.
3. Last but not least, the backpack straps are neatly tucked away in a dedicated zippered pocket but when removed and installed allow the Flight bag to become a nice looking, even if rectangular, backpack. Don’t even dream about finding load lifters, a sternum strap or some other fancy feature seen on most of the backpack straps. Bellroy’s straps are gently padded and all in all get the job done. Once they have served their purpose they get out of sight effortlessly in a zippered compartment on the back of the bag.
Carrying the Flight bag as a backpack is fine. Nothing new or crazy here but it allows you to free your hands while adding a few points to your style.
One-strapping or carrying it using both straps - you choose.
Overall, none of the three modes were ideal for me and my personal experience tells me that the Flight bag is not meant to be carried over extended periods of time, which is directly reflected in the design of the carrying modes.
If this was a hiking bag I would put this as a significant negative, but as a carry solution for trips where you jump from taxi to the airport, hopping on multiple planes, then getting yourself to a business meeting and finally your hotel - all of the modes are serviceable and adequate for the task at hand.
DESIGN & FEATURES
The design is simple and minimal but with an unparalleled attention to every detail. From the embossed owl (Bellroy’s logo) on the top grab handles to meticulously color matched leather accents on the bag, the design is complete and sparks joy every time I was looking at the bag and using it.
Beautifully designed owl never ceased to spark joy when using the bag.
The softshell has some give to it so the bag can be crammed in tight spaces, invaluable when you fight for every inch under the seat in front of you.
The front of the bag features a generous compartment with a couple of pockets to store your passport, phone, wallet, etc., as well as a metal hook for your keys.
Excellent built-in organization, no need to bring your organisers, the Flight bag has you covered right out of the box.
On the back there is a wide horizontal zipper to a fleece lined, padded and suspended laptop compartment. My laptop was always just one zip away and it’s hard to go back to any bag that makes you spend more time to get your work gear.
To keep things neat and provide a dangle-free experience Bellroy thoughtfully added a small leather loop to secure the top grab handles when not in use as well as plastic loops along the backpack straps to ensure no fabric is flapping around. It’s a small detail but the Flight bag is an infinite sum of those.
The bag also comes with two small pouches to help organize your things - you can throw a dirty pair of shoes in one and some dirty laundry in the other one. You basically don’t have to worry about buying extra pouches, the bag has you covered. Thank you, Bellroy!
The top wide pocket is excellent for socks and underwear. Dirty laundry pouches are also included!
When you open the full clamshell of the Flight bag you are greeted with two distinct sections:
Big zippered mesh compartment with a couple of big mesh pockets inside
Open space with compression straps (with magnetic clasp!) to secure your clothes. This section also has a long horizontal mesh pocket ideal to store socks, underwear and other small items.
The clamshell in all its glory. The best way to pack up and still clearly see where is what.
After using the Flight bag for over 8 weeks I came to appreciate its perfect balance of simplicity and features. Nothing on the bag is confusing, not one detail feels out of place or “too much”. Everything complements each other and enhances the overall experience of using the bag.
MATERIALS
As a person who deals with bags made primarily out of Cordura and Xpac the signature Bellroy Baida Nylon fabric used on the bag’s exterior is something truly special, I dare say magical. You think making a fabric unlike any other is a tough challenge? Try making it not just unique but extremely satisfying to the touch, durable, water and abrasion resistant while also 100% sustainable. Now that’s a real feat of engineering and Bellroy nailed it.
If there is an award for the best fabrics ever created Bellroy should have at least the nomination with their Baida Nylon.
The bag interior fabric does not fall short too: soft to the touch, yet water and stain resistant. It complements the outer fabric beautifully and creates a distinct premium experience that is hard to match. Also, the mesh used on the inside of the bag is probably the most pleasant I have ever used. At the same time it feels durable and does not ask you to be gentle with it.
The interior is perfectly color matched and a joy to use
The hardware is top of the line as well: YKK zippers with leather pulls, chunky matte black metal buckles to secure the shoulder strap and the stowable backpack straps. Bellroy spared no expense even with details that are not immediately seen.
The zipper heads have a hole to insert a lock for enhanced security (the lock is not included)
All in all, Bellroy can rightfully be proud about the materials across the board on this product. No wonder they have a dedicated section on the website detailing the fabrics used (https://bellroy.com/our-materials)
WHAT’S HOT
Outstanding build and materials. Bellroy in-house developed Baida Nylon is out of this world with a supreme tactile feeling coupled with extreme durability
Smart and intuitive organization, both on the outside and inside
Multiple carry modes to adapt to different situations
Premium quality and absolute attention to detail
Easy to access laptop compartment that fits up to 16 inch laptops
Included pouches for dirty shoes and laundry
WHAT’S NOT
None of the carry modes felt too comfortable. This is a bag not meant to be carried over extended periods of time and felt more appropriate for quick “sprints” rather than a “marathon”.
As someone who is spoiled by brands with lifetime warranties I found that the 3-year warranty offered by Bellroy a bit lacking, perhaps this is normal in luxury/premium segment of soft goods.
The softshell shape of the bag makes it quite structured which could be a positive for one group of users and a negative for another.
VERDICT
After reading my review it should come as no surprise that I am in love with the bag. I am baffled that Bellroy has only been making backpacks for just a couple of years yet their offerings are so strong, complete and with a lot of regard to the end user. Somehow, in these short years Bellroy has managed to take the market by storm and is now running circles around competition, being nominated as one of the best carry brand multiple years in a row (and winning a couple of awards in this 2020 Annual Carry Awards by Carryology)
If you are looking for a premium bag that does not ask you to be gentle with it, if you need a good-looking bag for short trips, if you value easy access and thoughtful organization, Bellroy’s Flight bag should be on top of your list.
The Flight bag is a culmination of Bellroy’s experience with making high quality, no compromise products. I am very curious to see what the company will surprise us with in the years to come.
Hiding in plain sight
Disclaimer
Flight Bag was provided by Bellroy as a sample for review purposes, the content of this review was not shared with Bellroy before publishing.
My goal is to share an honest, unbiased review that is not tailored to keep the brand happy.
POST-REVIEW NOTES:
I have found out during my testing that a small fraction of Bellroy Flight Bags had a minor manufacturing defect - the threading on the shoulder straps did not retain the set position and had a tendency to slide. After discussing with Bellroy representatives they were very helpful in providing instructions on how to rectify this defect.
See the instructions from Bellroy below.
