I spent two months, off and on, looking for a new gym bag to replace the 1.5 year old, $20, Wilson bag I had that was falling apart. My choices came down to the Land's End bag and this one. I could see in the picture that the Land's End bag didn't have a good quality shoulder strap, so this one went to the top of the list and I bought it.First, let me say, Amazon didn't have the bag in stock so I ordered it at the Armor Gear site. But, the order went smoothly, the bag was shipped promptly and I received it when expected.
The bag appears to be constructed very well, but I've had it less than a week so I don't know how well it will last over the long term. My problems, however aren't with its construction but with its design. There are some serious problems that would not have occurred if some thought had gone into how it would be used. Also, the main selling point for this bag, for me, was the "padded, ergonomic handles and shoulder strap," although I was more concerned about the shoulder strap as I explain below. But to take them in order, some observations:
1. The bag is pictured as rectangular and with a flat bottom. If the bag is sitting on a flat surface, this is what it looks like. However, there really isn't anything in the bottom or sides of the bag itself to make sure it maintains this shape once something is put into it and it is picked up by the handles or shoulder strap. Don't put anything into it that you don't want crunched since the first thing it does is collapse in whatever direction it's pulled. This includes the "flat" bottom, which doesn't have anything rigid in it-whatever is in the bottom bends and twists.
2. The handles do have a padded Velcro "clasp" (attached to one side) that connects the handles from each side of the bag. But, it is the worst designed clasp I've ever seen. It doesn't tightly secure the strap that the Velcro isn't attached to and the straps themselves are very thin so it's very difficult to keep them from being tangled and twisted when you're trying to secure them. The old Wilson bag had a better design.
3. The shoulder strap has two main problems. First, it attaches to the bag diagonally, but it can only attach to one diagonal. I believe this was done, in part, because the bag has a pocket on one side--which should always be facing "out"--but this forces the bag to be worn on the right shoulder. Carrying the bag on the left shoulder places the front diagonal of the shoulder strap on the outside, far from the body, rather than on the inside, close to the body. This does two things, first it works to squish anything in the bag by pulling it "in" and second the strap is less likely to stay on the shoulder because the mounting point is trying to pull it "out." I, of course, am right handed, have my cell phone and pager clipped to my belt on the right side, and need to carry the bag on the left--(I'm also a veteran and the Marine Corps spent years drilling into me "carry stuff in your left hand so you can salute with your right" and now carrying anything on my right side seems "unnatural" if my left side is empty). I have to have the bag on my left.
The second problem is the strap itself, there is nothing "ergonomic" about it. It's a straight little piece of padding that slides up and down the strap. And to my great annoyance, it (like every other one I've ever owned in this style) tends to rotate around the actual strap so that the padded part is facing up rather than down against my shoulder, padding the load and preventing damage to my coat--that nylon strap will work its way right through a leather coat. An actual ergonomic strap would have the padding as an integral part of the strap itself so it couldn't rotate and it would be contoured so that it wouldn't want to slide off the shoulder. Take a look at the strap on any half-way decent camera bag and you'll see what I mean.
To be fair, if you drive to the gym and carry the bag 100 feet from your parking space to your locker, you'll probably never have a problem with this bag. I, however, live and work in Manhattan and walk whenever the weather allows it. On the days I go to the gym I carry the bag to work, about a mile and a quarter, and then carry it to the gym, about a mile, and then carry it home, about a half mile. I've done this circuit twice now with this bag, and there is no way "pack mule" is an appropriate name--it's crumpled documents I was bringing home from the office, it keeps trying to fall off my shoulder, the flimsy little pad on the shoulder strap keeps rotating and I have to keep stopping and adjusting it, &c.
If you actually intend to carry your gym bag any distance, save yourself the hassle and don't buy this one--after less than a week I'm looking for a replacement. 2 stars
