Review: WaterField Designs’ Air Duffel

The WaterField Designs Air Duffel fairing well in Ethiopia.

Product Description

Before I even begin this review I need to make it crystal clear that WaterField Designs sent me this bag for free. But they didn’t reach out to me, I reached out to them because I was looking for a computer case to travel in waxed cotton and leather. I am not an affiliate and do not get anything from any sales this review might generate. I made it clear to them that I would do a review, but it would have to be honest and without any brand hype other than my true feelings. So, with that out of the way – here is the truth; the good, the bad, and the – well, there is no ugly.

As I stated above, I needed a computer bag. I used to own a 13” Macbook Pro, but last January I upgraded after many years to the new 15” Macbook Pro. I had been carrying my 13” MBP in a Think Tank Photo My 2nd Brain Briefcase. I loved it. I went to the Think Tank website to order a new My 2nd Brain Briefcase compatible with my larger computer, but they don’t make this bag anymore! I guess all good things come to an end. With that in mind, I started looking at waxed cotton canvas bags. I think you could say I am kind of in a waxed cotton phase; I love the casual look and feel of waxed cotton and the way it wears. I found many inexpensive options on Amazon, but none of them had a luggage handle pass-through that I needed. Most of them were relatively small and frankly so cheap I worried about the quality. After all, I was putting a costly laptop in it, and I need the assurance that it would be protected

The Air Duffel and photographer Caroline Castendijk can make even this old traveler look good!

WaterField Designs have lined the bag with a bright gold material that makes losing things in your bag nearly impossible. I like the space, and it would be perfect for stashing large headphones or extra clothes. Since I don’t travel with either of these things, I decided to put a camera insert into the bag. I happen to have one that I bought for another bag (I tried to make my own carry on duffle concept last year, but it didn’t work so well). My insert is brown and gold like it was made for this new bag! (By the way, Gary at WaterField Designs if you are listening, a fitted camera insert would be a very cool option to sell with this bag and others.)

A look inside the main compartment – I used the key tether to attach my Think Thank SD Pixel Pocket Rocket.

One of the more touted and prominent features of the Air Duffle is the feature where the whole side of the bag unfolds and lays flat, so you don’t have to remove your computer when putting it through the x-ray machine. I was a little skeptical that this would work in Asia and Africa. Just because this feature is TSA approved doesn’t mean it will be accepted in other parts of the world, right? Well, I was proved right. Flying from Penang, it wasn’t an issue. But every security check after they insisted I remove the laptop. Even in Singapore, where I thought they might subscribe to TSA regulations – everyone asked me to remove the computer from the case. Let’s face it, Southeast Asia and Africa airport security are not TSA, so the same rules don’t apply.

There is a great little feature I found handy, and that is the in-bag charging of your laptop. I traveled this trip with a rather large 20,000 mAh capacity power bank called the Omni 20+ AC/DC/USB-C/Wireless Charging Power Bank. I use this monster to recharge my camera batteries in places that have no electricity or undependable electricity. So I was able to connect my Omni 20+ directly to my computer without ever needing to remove it from the bag.

Taking advantage of the in-bag charging using my Omni 20+.

There are ample pockets on this bag, one on each end of the bag that can double as a water bottle pocket or quick access for your passport of other quickly needed items. This bag was designed to fit upright under the seat in front of you on the plane. So you can stash whatever you need in the end pockets and have access to it with ease. The pockets don’t stop there; I count something like 13 pockets, not counting the computer compartment, the main compartment, and even the three small pens “pockets.” One of my only criticism on this bag is I wish the pockets were deeper or at least one or two of them. I also wish they varied in size. I travel with business cards, and the pockets are all so large that my business card case slides down sideways and gets lost. I also if a few of the pockets were deeper, they would hold longer items like long power banks or my iPhone.

I touched on the fact the bag stands upright under the seat in front of you on the plane. This is not a small feature for computer bags. So many bags are either too narrow or flimsy that they can’t stand on their own. This one doesn’t have that problem. Outside of the leather base, I don’t know how they have accomplished this, but they manage to pull it off.

I have the waxed canvas version, and as such, it repels water. All the outer compartments and pockets but one are zippered shut with splash-proof zippers. The front pocket flap is a naturally-tanned full-grain leather and is kept closed by two N35 rare earth magnets.

The bag is not without its faults. On this past trip to Ethiopia, I chose the Think Tank Airport Advantage as my roller bag, and I slipped the Airport Duffle over the handle. This bag, unlike the Roller Derby, does not roll sideways. I rarely fly business, and as such, the aisle in the economy section is often narrow on one Ethiopian Airlines flight more than usual. While pulling my Airport Advantage and Air Duffel combo through the aircraft aisle, I found the shoulder strap of the Air Duffel kept catching the armrests of the seats. If I were using the Think Tank Airport Roller Derby, this would not have happened. The reason being is I would have turned the roller bag sideways, and the Airport Duffle would have been able to clear the seats with no problem. I ended up just carrying the bag sideways ahead of me and pulling the Advantage behind me. But this is not why I get a personal item with a handle pass-through, to carry!

Pass-through slot slips over rolling suitcase handle.

The other small issue and it is small, is the D-rings for the straps (see the photo below). I would have preferred them to be at each end of the bag rather than on one side. As they are now, they are situated over the computer section. It’s not bad this way when you have a computer in the bag, as the weight of the laptop balances the rest of the bag. When not carrying the laptop in the pocket and the bag is filled with camera gear, the bag leans slightly away from my leg. It was not designed as a camera bag. So I can overlook this.

I would have preferred the D-rings for the strap to be at each end of the bag rather than on one side.

Lastly, I think the handle pass, though, could be a bit tighter around the carry-on handle. My waxed cotton version tended to stretch with use and the bag when full even twisted around the handle at times. Maybe the ballistic cloth version would stretch less. I combatted that by simply passing one of the bags handles over the carry-on handle, and that helped a lot.

The bag comes in two versions: waxed canvas and leather version weighing in at 3.25 lbs (1.47 kg). And the black ballistic nylon and leather version weighing 2.7 lbs. (1.2 kg). Its dimensions are 16” x 10.25” x 8.25”. 

There were a few folks on this trip that couldn’t believe the airlines would allow something of this size could be listed as a personal item. But if you look at the list, I have compiled below – you will see it fits well into the U.S. carriers limits for a personal item. It falls short of many if not all of the international carriers but only by an inch or two. I doubt any airline will pull out their tape measure. But that is a risk. If you feel it might be a tad too big for your airlines, then I suggest you try the Air Porter by the same company. This bag is almost identical to the duffle reviewed here but smaller. 

Pros & Cons

Specifications

Price & Options