TUMIVoyageur Patna Sling - Sling Bag - Crossbody Purse for Holding Essentials & More, Black/Gunmetal

The media could not be loaded.  I have been hunting for the perfect sling/crossbody/fanny pack style bag for years now. Something not too big like a big purse, or my massive leather work totes. And easy to maneuver, like a girls night out bag. And something that easily sits crossbody and lets you in and out without fuss or excessive struggle, and easy to access while holding the hand of a riggling 3yr old.I have tried so many bags over many years: the ubiquitous Lululemon slings, some other lululemon slings, fjallraven slings, patagonia waterproof waist pack, cotopaxi waist bags, bellroy sling, alpaka sling, some cheap tjmaxx pick ups, and a few tumi voyager crossbody line bags. (Including the Tumi Troy which I do adore, but is just a smidgen too small)I needed a bag that can last all day out in the city too - slim battery pack, sanitizer, phone, small notebook, wallet, makeup, keys, eye drops, bandaids, liquid bandaid, tweezers, airpods - all the essentials that I have to have. I probably have more in the bag than others might, but I dont feel like it is overstuffed or anything yet, and the strap is wide enough not to dig painfully into my neck or shoulder (Unlike many other crossbody bags I have with thin straps). A long list of needs.But when I first saw this bag at the Tumi website, I was very, very hesitant due to price and it looking sort of plain. However, I am beyond happy I went ahead and got it this past Christmas, because it is the perfect bag!!For all that it is sort of plain, it is also functional (key lanyard included), so far it is immune to any permanent staining from spills, super resistant to rain, and well laid out. The flat design is deceptive and it takes a shocking amount of stuff. It is wide enough to take a trade paperback book if you put less in it (see pic), or a lot of small items. But it is not too wide to make it feel cartoonish or overlong like my Bellroy large sling. The design of the strap makes it lay easily across my chest, my belly, or hanging on my left hip (also crossbody) without feeling unwieldy.My only real issue is that the back slip pocket doesn't have a zipper to keep it closed, only a magnet. A magnet on that back pocket would have made so much sense since, once placed on the backseat of our car, my notebook and pens fell out when my daughter shoved it over on the seat, and it was momentarily upside down. But even with that one issue, I still have yet to switch to any other bag since I began using it, and that is quite unusual for me for a 3month long stretch.It's also just small enough to be dropped into a big backpack or tote or larger purse if you need to add more room for things around it, like a soup thermos or books. There is a slight sheen to the fabric, same as with all of the Voyager bags, so it's not completely matte finish and boring.While I haven't been caught in a downpour while wearing it yet, I love that the tag said it is weather proof!! So I assume it is designed to be abused in travel, and I don't have to baby it like my leather crossbody purses. And i dont baby it at all, but it still looks great.Also, thanks to a very subtle sheen you can see in the picture taken with the flash on, and because I got the gunmetal on black coloring, I feel I could take it to a night out or a business casual affair and not feel it was too sporty. It's multi-situational, which is another plus.I highly recommend it despite the cost (and it is a high cost, don't get me wrong!). But I hope that Tumi reads this and never discontinues it! They should even bring in more colors. I know some people said here that it is ugly, but really it is just a simple design with clean lines and rectangular form. And you know what: sometimes all one really wants is for a bag to perform perfectly in a wide variety of settings without making your life more difficult or complicated. And this bag does all that very well!

Well made but not attractive.