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Making sure you have room for all your essentials without taking up too much space with bulky luggage while packing for weekend trips can be a difficult endeavor. Personally speaking, I've never been able to find a duffel that is spacious enough to fit my clothes, toiletries, shoes, and other essentials. And, naturally, this inadequate bag situation has made me start to dread taking road trips and other quick getaways. That was until I found the Samsonite Pro Duffel, however, and I can confidently say that I've never been more impressed with a piece of luggage.
It's also worth noting that the weekender bag, which has been dubbed the "best carry-on duffel bag" by a shopper and has received many more rave reviews because it can hold a "week's worth of clothing," is currently marked down 20 percent during the Samsonite Summer Sale. Just use the promo code SUMMER at checkout to score the discount. Hurry, the sitewide sale ends on August 9 at midnight PST.
To buy: shop.samsonite.com, $200 with code SUMMER (originally $250)
What initially drew me to the Samsonite Pro Duffel was its zippered, multi-pocketed design, which provides maximum storage space while keeping all my belongings organized. There are two side pockets, one of which is an integrated shoe compartment that allows for access to its contents when the rest of the bag is closed. This also gives the Pro Duffel a Mary Poppins bag-esque quality, as you can fit more clothes and essentials in the pocket without hogging up space. The other pocket is equipped with a wireless charging pouch, a feature I never thought I'd utilize until I was met with an emergency low battery situation during my most recent trip. There's also a detachable cord pouch to organize your chargers — but if you're like me and don't travel with a lot of tech, this came in handy for my jewelry, hair ties, and other tiny accessories.
On the front, there's a convenient pocket that's filled with tiny organizational pouches and compartments to fit your phone, wallet, headphones, pens, keys, and other small essentials that you'll want to keep close when you're on the go. The spacious main compartment, which measures 21 inches by 16.5 inches by 13 inches, ensures that there's room for all of my clothing for a weekend trip. But my favorite compartment is definitely the mesh toiletry compartment inside the top flap. Thanks to this handy detail, I didn't need to pack a separate bag to hold my toothbrush, shower items, and skincare products.
For my test run with the Samsonite Pro Duffel, I took it on a four-day bachelorette party and was amazed that it was able to fit six outfits (including extra tops and a pair of jeans in case there was inclement weather), a bath towel, a denim jacket, a sweatshirt and sweatpants, as well as three pairs of shoes. I was even able to stock the side pockets with extra decorations and party favors for our Airbnb.
Even when it was fully packed up, the duffel was still incredibly compact and easy to carry; it actually took up less space in the car than my friend's go-to under-seat luggage and our groceries combined. The bag's rubberized feet also kept it from sliding around, and its structured shape and wide-opening top created hassle-free packing and finding items inside during the vacation. Since its inaugural trip, I've taken it on road trips, more weekend getaways, and I was even surprised to see that it kept my bridesmaid dress relatively wrinkle-free for a wedding.
Not only is the Samsonite Pro Duffel the ultimate weekend trip bag, but it could easily be used to replace your carry-on suitcase for longer trips. It also has an external luggage sleeve that allows it to securely sit on top of your rolling suitcase.. And, you can use its removable shoulder strap for easy carrying, in addition to the top handles.
While $250 is, without a doubt, a hefty price to pay for a weekend bag, you won't be disappointed with the Samsonite Pro Duffel — especially once you see just how much it can actually hold. Get the high-performing duffel bag for 20 percent off during the Samsonite Summer Sale and treat yourself to the weekender of your dreams.