Metro Duffle

I first saw this bag standing in line next to somebody at the airport—it looked gorgeous and seemed wonderfully functional. But after purchasing one, it’s just a semi-functional plastic bag. First, the good. It’s nice looking and well thought out. Good pockets, lots of space. Although the laptop sleeve is very flimsy. But then it’s got a whole bunch of cons. First, the price is ridiculous for plastic. Perhaps they have an extra special proprietary plastic, but at the end of the day this thing made of petroleum but is priced like a leather bag. Worse, the corners of my plastic bag are rubbing off after only one trip, so the quality just isn’t there. Another problem is the odor—yup, you guessed it, smells like plastic. It’s also super sticky because it’s got some kind of matte coating on it—so when you try to put it under the seat in front of you, it’s doesn’t slide in easily and is super awkward. Likewise, the luggage handle sleeve is all sticky so it’s a total pain to slide the bag on and off your carry on. And the little pouch, a total pain to slide in and out because… you know where I’m going with the sticky plastic. These might sound like little things, but when you travel a lot ease and efficiency are super important and this bag just doesn’t live up to the hype. Super disappointing product.

I was excited to see Nordstrom is carrying Monos; it's a great brand. I ordered this hoping to love it, but I returned it for a few reasons. First, it's a bit smaller on the inside than I had anticipated. This one was nylon so the weight was fine. The quality of the materials was also great. I didn't love the color; a bit bright, which was surprising. The front pouch, which could be used as a toiletry case or for other small articles, clipped on to the front of the bag. While that would necessarily be an issue (I would have removed), you were then left with the unsightly snaps, so something needs to be there. In doing research, I've learned that Monos has figured out this is an issue and redesigned the bag, which is great. I'm looking forward to seeing if and when Nordstrom receives this new style online. Great and easy customer service as always!

It's smartly designed. I like all the pockets and both folio kits . There's a hidden zipper on the bottom that opens up to allow you to put it over the suitcase handle. When not in use its a functional extra pocket. I love that feature. The vegan leather is beautiful. I love the compartments inside, looks like it can put a water bottle as well. Got this to pair with my monos suitcase.