Kathy Van Zeeland Duffel Bag Reviews

The Kathy Van Zeeland luggage collection caters to women and fashionistas of all ages with its line of printed handbags, suitcases, and in this case: Printed Rolling Carry-On’s. This brand is known for its marketing strategy of affordability for all customers, and because of this and the style of her bags Kathy Van Zeeland is currently one of the fastest growing fashion designer brands in the world. Her company is named after her maiden name in honor of her father who passed away some time before 2004. Since its founding, this company has built, marketed, and shipped bags made from affordable materials with bold beautiful patterns. Each year they put out 4 exciting new collections per each new season, and with a Van Zeeland bag you get to be a part of this growing fashion movement.

This Kathy Van Zeeland rolling carry-on offers a design which will surprise and interest the light-packing traveler constantly running between connecting flights. Its lightweight construction features polyester fabric which will make your travel less cumbersome. Featuring the dome shape commonly associated with Kathy designer bags, this doesn’t only offer style, but also plenty of packing room. It’s vintage vibrant prints and fully lined signature interior will never leave you wanting more, and they’re so lightweight and flexible that when done with your travels the bag can simply fold down and be tucked in storage. Not only does it wheel for maximum speed in a crowded airport with the added bonus of being flexible enough to snake around people, but it also has two convenient carrying handles to lift your bag like a tote. Also, while held like a tote or even wheeled on the ground, benefit from the easy access zippered side pocket which can hold all your different travel papers. All signs point to making this your next short trip bag!

A dome shaped rolling duffel with easy zipper closes, one of the main draws to this Kathy Van Zeeland bag is its large opening with plenty of storage. The extra-roomy construction even allows for some expansion when you’ve done a little extra packing and needed help getting the zipper closed. It has around 35-40 liters of space available for all your belongings (that’s around 3-4 days of clothes) with an additional organized side pocket for valuable which might bounce or roll around in transit. For the best use of the space, remember to pack your heavier and bulkier belongings – like boots – near the bottom of the bag with more flexible items – like clothes – near the top so that they won’t inhibit the zipper from easily closing. Fully packed it will not fit under your seat, but will slide quite snuggly into the overhead compartment.

Other than its initial printed designer look which any Kathy Van Zeeland fan will recognize, this rolling duffel features two forms of portability: two design-pressed neoprene tote carrying handles with excellent stitching and metal brackets, and an ergonomic telescopic handle which will give you the most comfortable grip. The telescopic handle is also made from sturdy long-lasting machined aluminum, and stows with a push button into a zip-away compartment. A small zippered side pocket gives a little bit of extra room for stowing your phone, travel papers, and can even protectively fit anything up to the size of an Ipad. In-line skate wheels are made from the strongest polyurethane and screwed into the suitcase rather than incorporated with weak rivets; these wheels are much more capable of navigating hard streets and thick carpets than spin-wheels would be. However, these wheels are rather recessed into the bag and do eat up some of the space; they make up for it in an added ability to meet common airline carry-on requirements of a 22-inch length or less. Finally, the Kathy Van Zeeland bags inside gives you space without extra pockets but with the benefit of a water-resistant inner lining (in pink no less!).

Unpacked, this styling duffel weighs a measly 3 pounds – talk about easy lightweight foldable storage – and fully packed it would be around 40 pounds; some dependency on the weight of your belongings. Its materials are all polyester with the trade off of weightlessness for slightly decreased durability, though most carry-ons are designed this way with the idea that you checked bags will feature heavy weight ABS and polyurethane. Due to the lightweight polyester fabric, this bag will easily meet all weight regulations for most national and international airlines, while also easing the strains on your back from lifting into the overhead compartments. When the flight is over, this bag is so light not even old age will keep you from easily getting it down from above your head. Also keep in mind that at full capacity this bag might hurt your hand or shoulder if carried as a tote.

As previously stated, the tradeoff for lightweight polyester is decreased durability. This Kathy Van Zeeland carry-on duffel won’t be nearly as scratch and tear resistant as other nylon-using brands, but for minor drops and bumps it should resist most wear and tear while also protecting your belongings. Beside the polyester design, all the zippers and zipper-closings are durable and will hold up over time. The telescopic handle is made from machined aluminum which is much stronger and longer lasting than a shoddy neoprene handle would be. For tote carrying, the loop handles will fit snuggly around your shoulder and their neoprene design is reinforced with strong metal brackets attached to stylish tethers stitched into the bag. Our advice: don’t check this bag due to its lower durability, instead check your bulkier and uglier bags while wheeling this one around in style. Against puddles and rainfall, it’s quite water-resistant inside and out, though keep your packed bathroom materials in Ziplock bags because there are no inner pockets included in the lining. With added care this bag will easily last you for years of travel to come.

The Kathy Van Zeeland brand lives up to its name with this dome-styled rolling Carry-On duffel. It not only offers the buyer added room but 9 different styling patterns from the really cute Black Polka Dot to a true designer masterpiece called Summer Paisley. Like any decent carpet bag design, it offers amazing space that no one would believe without its inner objects making it look clunky and ugly on the outside. Additionally, each print is a Van Zeeland classic that will be recognized and admired by fans and will keep you from ever losing your luggage in a busy airport or mixing it up with another person’s duffel. You can carry this bag like a stylish tote – although it’s best doing this when lightly packed – or you can roll it along behind you like a flash of style through a crowded terminal. Want our advice? Purple Plaid is definitely one of the best print styles available and will make you stand out in a stylish and confident way.

Although you could check this bag and might have to if you pack over the general 50-pound weight limit – check your airline for these specifics – this Kathy Van Zeeland bag is recognized as a medium-large carry-on. Its exact dimensions are 22 x 5.5. x 16.5 for around 35-40 liters of total packing space. In a nearly full overhead bin there should be enough room to still fit this flexible polyester bag, though it will be a tight pull getting it out after landing. Since it won’t fit under your seat grab all your snacks and important devices/papers out of the bag before the plain departs. Airlines which specifically state a 22” carry-on maximum include American Airlines, Jet Blue, Sky West, Spirit, and even United. All in all, this is a great choice for all your national or international flights.

Most Kathy Van Zeeland bags come with a limited 2-year warranty on all facets of the purchase, interior and exterior. Although there is no specific warranty listed on Amazon, you should be able to negotiate the brands common warranty for added protection of your purchase.

This item was ranked #4 in the list: