I was initially drawn to the brilliant colors offered by the Lipault line. But I was embarking on a 3100 mile road trip and needed oodles of storage; so the fact I could pack 2 weeks worth of clothing and miscellany in this Behemoth was the greatest appeal. (The ability to store it flat after my travels were over was like the cherry on top).
It feels great--slick, silky yet durable. It has some give so if you overstuff it, you can still zipper it nicely. The zipper pulls are quality. There's an inside pocket and a side pocket too for last minute things. Most importantly, it survived being hauled in and out of my Jeep dozens of times...it can withstand some abuse. I was worried it might get stained or attract dust at the variety of roadside motels we stopped into, but it doesn't look too worse for the wear! Naturally the wheels are scuffed but that's unavoidable the minute any luggage wheel rolls over concrete.
I didn't use the included lock; some reviewers have complained about the durability of Lipault's locks. So can't vouch there. But the ID tags are awesome. The retractable pull arm is decent, it locks into place well and releases nicely. I thought, considering the gigantic size of the bag that it could have felt slightly more heavy duty, but it didn't fail me. A vertical and horizontal soft handle made grabbing it from the trunk easy no matter how we orientated our pack.
Due to its spaciousness and attractiveness, I would highly recommend. But ultimately it's durability that I'm after. The Lipault succeeded on all fronts. By the way, if you use packing pods, this sucker will store them VERY nicely. I stuffed in eight large pods with room to place loose things too. Can't wait to hit the road again with this duffel. But because you can put so much into it, even with the super light weight construction--another big selling point with this line-I still feel this may be too impracticality big for short trips via the airlines. You'd likely be shelling out the bucks due to weight. But I find it ideal for road trippers who wanna pack one bag and be done.
ETA: UPDATE 1/2013
It's been nearly a year since I purchased this bag. It's still doing great! I discovered it's ideal for lugging large, awkward items. I had a spa night with my mom at a local hotel and was able to place two fully boxed foot spas inside. It even zipped! So it's cool I found uses for this duffel beyond long haul travel. It's so forgiving for over stuffing!
Another reviewer mentioned how awkward and "floppy" this piece is. Keep in mind, it's foldable. You can store it flat when it's not in use. Those who live in small spaces may find that invaluable. The possible downside is the bag must have bending points to perform that function; it may feel/behave slightly differently than standard rolling duffels but I can couch for it's durability. It's not a structured suitcase, rather it's super collapsible in any area where it's not stuffed full. And if you're used to standard rigid luggage, the dimensions may throw you off as it's taller than it is squat. I had zero issues with it falling over.
Unfortunately, this 30" size is outside Amtrak's carry-on allowances. Few travel by train these days, but I do. Consider the 27" if you can't fill the 30" to the brink or need to ride the rails.
Ultimately I still haven't come across a duffel that allows me to use so many packing cubes. I'm a chronic (female) overpacker with slight OCD. So this Lipault is ideal. But this bag is far too large to store things loose inside and not expect it to feel like you're swimming around inside trying to fish out a specific item. Go with the cubes.
The Lipault line is durable, light weight and attractive. We are very happy with the line. We would recommend any number of the various sizes available.
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Great for packing bulky or oddly shaped items. The material feels durable and looks great. Love how it stores so flat.
It survived it's first 20 hour trip. Not very structured but since I use packing sleeves and cubes it's not an issue.
Very light. All in all perfect for trips when you have to pack a lot.
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I researched and researched all the lightweight luggage lines and found Lipault. I thought this was wonderful, and what a price! I bought 3 pieces since we needed all new luggage due to some problems of suitcases ripping on our last trip.
The duffle was going to be used prior to our longer trip to Great Britain. I needed to be away for a week and this seemed like it was the right size to carry everything. And it does carry everything, but very sloppily. Things were always shifting. We only put the bag in the car and up some stairs. It was a real pain. It was difficult to maneuver up stairs, out of the car, on the sidewalk. You name it and it flopped over. It was a mess, and the sides never stayed up as I was living out of a suitcase since there was no place for me to put my clothes. If I could have returned the duffle right then and there I would have, but it had been used. I returned all other pieces and bought Victorinox Werks.
We just returned from Great Britain and the duffle was no easier to use when flying. It was too large to go through the regular drop off so it was sent with the over-sized bags. One saving grace is that it is so lightweight that we did not go over the 50lb. mark. It was always falling over and again the clothes were flopping all over the place. In addition right out of the first flight the side pieces that were plastic looked like they were either badly scuffed or starting to crack. This piece looks like it will not last in the long run. The only reason it got 2 stars was that it is really lightweight. that is not enough.
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Just received this item, haven't traveled with it yet. But it looks awesome! Perfect size, not super big, not small. Feels very durable. Looks very nice!
The top loading of this pack makes getting contents in and out a little difficult. We purchased this knowing it was a little on the smaller size but have been surprised at how little actually fits in the bag. Like the look of it, would not buy it again though.
