It is not a secret that I am an overpacker.
My husband is always miffed at how full and heavy my luggage is whenever we go on a trip. I myself am miffed (“How did I stuff this luggage for an overnight trip?” I mutter to myself, sitting on top of my hard-shell luggage while struggling to zip it closed). But ya know, a girl’s gotta have options - I just want to make sure that I have *choice* when I am on vacation. I never know when I might be feeling too bloated for that tight dress, or if the weather might change on a whim so I’ll need that extra crewneck...and my skincare regimen is oh so important, so of course I need all my face products!
Lo & Son's:
I’ve listed the pros and cons of the bags below.
My husband is always miffed at how full and heavy my luggage is whenever we go on a trip. I myself am miffed (“How did I stuff this luggage for an overnight trip?” I mutter to myself, sitting on top of my hard-shell luggage while struggling to zip it closed). But ya know, a girl’s gotta have options - I just want to make sure that I have *choice* when I am on vacation. I never know when I might be feeling too bloated for that tight dress, or if the weather might change on a whim so I’ll need that extra crewneck...and my skincare regimen is oh so important, so of course I need all my face products!
Then there are those short weekend trips where a roller luggage seems excessive. Do I really need to pack a hard-shell luggage for a getaway to Lake Tahoe, or to Los Angeles to visit the in-laws? Nah, not really. So thus began my hunt for a weekender bag that would 1) be large enough to fit my overpacking needs, 2) be decent quality, and 3) look stylish because I no longer want to look like a collegiate flying with a ragged gym bag.
Ads on my Facebook feed had been stalking me for a while with the Lo & Son’s Catalina Deluxe Weekender Bag, so that was the first bag I looked into. The reviews on the bag were stellar, so after debating between sizes (comparison here), I ordered the Catalina Deluxe Weekender Bag in size small. I really liked how there was a separate compartment at the bottom of the bag, for shoes or other heavier things. Reviews claimed that this bag would fit several day’s worth of stuff and slide under the seat in front of you on the airplane. I thought that not only would I have a new weekender bag, but I’d have a bag that could complement my luggage as a personal item for the international trips that I take. I was quite excited for the bag to arrive in an upcoming overnight trip to the in-laws.
The bag arrived only a few days after I ordered it from Lo & Son’s (fast shipping is always a plus in my book), and I was pleased to see that the bag was made of great quality, had many compartments for easy organization, and looked great. A big upgrade from gym bags of years past. However, I noticed that it was smaller than I had anticipated - there was no way that this would be able to fit all of my stuff for more than 2 days worth of travel. Perhaps in the summer, when my wardrobe consists of light summer dresses, but definitely not in the winter when I had to pack 1-2 heavy sweaters. My hypothesis was confirmed when I finished packing for my overnight trip and there was not a lot of space remaining for anything else.
For reference, I had packed the following in my bag:
For reference, I had packed the following in my bag:
Top compartment
- Undergarments and socks for 2 days
- Tshirt and long pants
- A soft-cover book
- Comb
- Crewneck sweater
- Maxi dress
- Pair of sunglasses in case
- Cross-body purse
- 2 blouses
- Portable phone charger
- Phone chargers and other cables
- Airpods
Bottom compartment
- Bag filled with skincare products
- Makeup bag
- Pair of jeans
- Flats
I wear size Small in most of my clothing, so my clothes do not take up that much space.
Dejected, I decided to order the Catalina Deluxe bag in Large to see how that compared. After it arrived and I packed it, it was evident that it would be too large for my needs. I compared it side by side with my hard roll-on luggage and it was the same size!
There would be no point in purchasing a bag of the same size of something I already had. Not only that, but the Catalina Large bag would be extremely heavy to lug around the airport by itself. Not super convenient if the airport is large! I really wanted this bag to work given the great quality and look of the bag, but unfortunately neither size worked for me and I returned both.
At the same time, I had been following a new product line, Beis, for some time. Beis is a travel-oriented company that was created by Shay Mitchells, who is an actress from Pretty Little Liars. I noticed Beis had a weekender bag in stock, but at the time thought that it wasn’t the bag for me because it did not come with a crossbody strap. (One lesson I learned from the Lo & Son’s bag was that even though it did come with a crossbody strap, the bag itself would be so heavy when fully packed that it hurt my shoulders to actually use the crossbody strap...hence, it was easier to carry the bag on my shoulders.)
Who would’ve thunk that I should have purchased it at the time, because the weekender became so popular that it was constantly sold out! After much time spent stalking the product page online, I was able to land my hands on the Beis black weekender bag online at Nordstrom’s.
It arrived a few days later. I instantly noticed that the quality was not as great as Lo & Son’s, which was disappointing because the rave reviews on Bei’s website noted otherwise (note to self: take online reviews with a grain of salt). The exterior canvas was nice and thick, but the inside’s PVC lining felt cheap, like it was from a child’s backpack. Compared to Lo & Son’s thick canvas, the quality was definitely inferior. However, when I purchased the Bei's bag, it was at a very reasonable $78 price-point. I did not expect the quality to be amazing. (However, I see now that prices have raised to $98, though they have added some features -like a detachable shoulder strap - since I first purchased the bag.)
Here are the dimensions of each bag:
Beis:
Beis:
Lo & Son's:
I’ve listed the pros and cons of the bags below.
Pros of Lo & Son’s Catalina Deluxe Bag
- Better quality than Beis
- Zippers slide more easily
- Top compartment has 2 zippers for easy closure
- Includes a crossbody strap, which is a great option
- Smaller size could ideally sit underneath airplane seat
Cons of Lo & Son’s Catalina Deluxe Bag
- Small size is too small, Large size is too large
- Price point seems high for what the bag is - though there are usually sales which reduces the price
Pros of Beis’ Weekender Bag
- Size is perfect - not too small and not too big
- Great price point
- Has a laptop compartment inside of the bag
- More structured - easy to get in and out of the bag
Con of Beis’ Weekender Bag
- Could be better quality; inner lining feels cheap and not certain about duration of the bag
- Top compartment only has one zipper
- Zippers are hard to pull and not smooth
Litre Capacity
- The Catalina Deluxe Small has a capacity of 32.2 liters, and the Catalina Deluxe Large has a capacity of 38.9 litres
- According to the Beis team, the litre capacity is about 30-35L, but I am inclined to say that it is 35 L based on my packing experience with both bags
Here is the Lo & Son’s Catalina Deluxe Small and Beis’ Weekender bag side by side. As you can see, Beis’ Weekender bag is a bit bigger which allows more storage space. The bottom portion of the Lo & Son’s Catalina Deluxe Small is the same size as the Large bag, so Beis’ is bigger than both bags on the bottom compartment.
At the end of the day, I stuck to the Beis Weekender bag because it was a better fit for my needs despite the lack in quality. If Lo & Son’s comes out with a bigger weekender bag that is more structured, I’d definitely consider purchasing that as well.
I hope you enjoyed my comparison between the two bags. If you own either (or both) bags, leave your thoughts below in the comments!
-Mina
