This giveaway is closed.
The search for the perfect travel purse can feel never ending. You find a super cute bag with great pockets but no zipper. Or an incredibly functional bag that is also incredibly boring. Or worse yet, a bag that seems to be everything you wished for, and then breaks on your second use. Business travelers are hard on their purses, and we need bags that are incredibly tough and well made, with lots of pockets, that zips, and (hopefully) makes you happy to look at.
If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, you know that I love my Lo and Sons O.G. I have had the black one for close to three years, and is the best travel purse I’ve ever used (see my original review here). Recently, Lo and Sons came out with a number of improvements to the O.G. that have made it better than ever, not to mention some beautiful new colors. They sent me a Sky Blue O.G. to review, and here are my thoughts.
The new features:
Messenger strap. My old O.G. had two handles. The new O.G. still has those, and they fit over all of my coats just fine. However, if you have super bulky clothes on or just don’t want to use those straps, it now comes with a messenger strap as an extra carrying option.
Padding on interior. There is additional padding now on the interior that keeps your laptop and other belongings even safer.
Even more pockets. The O.G. has a pocket for your laptop, another large pocket for folders or magazines, plus two smaller pockets and a zippered pocket, all on the inside. They now also have three zippered pockets on the outside, and one of them has slots for pens, a passport, and other small items.
Something I noticed, in addition to the obvious new features, is that the bag seems to distribute the weight inside better than before. When traveling, I found I wanted to keep checking to make sure I had my laptop because it felt too light. Also, one of my favorite things about the O.G. is that it holds so much stuff—today I had my laptop, a Kindle, magazines, wallet and phone, a huge water bottle, a scarf, a jacket, and a few random things—it zipped just fine, plus held its shape. And however much stuff I put in it, it will still fit under the seat in front of me.
Finally, I can’t do a review without talking about the colors. Over the past year, Lo and Sons has offered an array of new colors for the O.G. including hot pink, royal blue, purple, and of course, the Sky Blue. The Sky Blue is a lovely, vibrant shade of turquoise, and I love it SO MUCH. I got a comment a few days ago wondering if it is professional enough. My opinion is that unless you are in an incredibly conservative office environment, it will definitely come across as professional. However, if you’re concerned about being overly bright, the black is classic for a reason.
Note: The website says it will only hold a 13″ laptop, but mine is 14.1 and it fits fine.
Overall, I can’t recommend this bag enough to frequent travelers. It is incredibly functional, will hold everything a road warriorette needs, and looks great doing it. I get compliments everywhere I go!
You may be wondering how to get one of these amazing bags for yourself. One option is to go to the Lo and Sons website and get 25% off thru the end of October using the code RDWARRIORETTE2013. Another option is to enter this giveaway! One reader will win an O.G. in their choice of color. All you have to do is leave a comment answering the following question: What is the most important thing you look for in a travel purse? The contest will end Monday, October 28, with the winner chosen randomly soon after. As always, only one entry per person.
Good luck!!!
It has to look good but still be functional.
That pass-through pocket to attach your bag to your roll-a-board. It’s a must-have for me (otherwise I will spill my coffee in the airport. every time.)
That it hold a lot of things and is durable. I hate for the handles to tear off.
Space, lightweight with pockets for easy organization.
I want a bag that is big enough to hold my absurdly big heavy laptop (cheap employer!), my knitting, my pashmina, my carry-on toiletries, etc etc etc, but I don’t want to be overwhelmed by it. It has to have an outside pocket for boarding pass etc. It has to close securely – no magnetic dots! It has to be able to go on my shoulder. It has to be able to go under the seat in front of me. It has to be comfortable. And it has to be professional. Can one bag do all that?
We’re all making the same points– lightweight, pockets, zippers, and looks professional with style! With all of us saying the same thing, you’d think there’d be lots to choose from….
Stain repellent and lightweight.
That is made of high quality and if it will have a “safe spot” to hold my laptop and also hold my DSLR camera.
The most important things for me are the ability to hold a little, or a LOT, organization and style!
definitely a shoe compartment to keep my dirty flats from the rest of everything else – definitely love this about the lo & sons bags!
I look that it has plenty of compartments and is made of a durable material.
Lightweight and durable.
Tons of space but still fits under the seat in front of me & lightweight.
Zippers. I don’t want things falling out on the X-ray or under a seat!
LOTS of zippered compartments to keep everything organiaed and lightweight!
All of the above – and ‘structure’: I need for the bag to hold its shape – both when stuffed with my infinite ‘necessities’, and after being used as my pillow or pulled out from under the seat in front. I.e. shape and a durable yet sleek structue is important. (My last one’s sleek tall sides gave way after my niece used it as a lapdesk…)
1. a zipper. 2. pockets. 3. for it to be LIGHT!
All my favorite bags are leather, but a leather bag big enough to be helpful as a travel purse gets pretty heavy! I’m still for the perfect bag for that, and this one looks great: not leather, thus I’m assuming lighter, gorgeous, with a zipper and a ton of pockets… Love it 🙂
Durable definitely, but it also has to have outside pockets so I can organize and easily grab things like my phone, wallet and reading material.
A travel purse must be light weight & durable. Zippered compartments for organization are a definite plus too.
Zippers, a messenger strap, and lightweight – My highest priorities are not losing things and being mobile.
The perfect size…like the three bears, just right!
I need lots of pockets! I love to stay organized and I hate having a big bag with only one pocket! I can’t organize anything that way!
Lightweight, professional looking, and lots of pockets!
It’s got to be lightweight as my work laptop gets pretty heavy when you’re traveling around with it and everything else! And it’s definitely got to be able to slide onto my roll-a-board. Those are not negotiable.
I look for a large purse that will sit on top of my laptop roller bag and the strap is long enough to hold with the laptop roller bag handle. Also, large enough to fit a book, water bottle, all the usual purse items as well as my liquids. Lastly, I want it to look stylish enough that I would use it even when not traveling.
By far, the most important thing in a travel bag is pockets for organization. I like a designated spot for everything (keys, passport, ticket, chargers, etc) when going through the airport.
I look for a bag that zips closed and holds its shape if you set it down.
I care most about lightness; my laptop + everything else is heavy enough.
I have a Lo&Sons Brookline and it’s pretty good, but I wish it fit more – so the O.G. is perfect!
Question: Are you going to select the winner before the end of the month? ‘Cause I think a bunch of folks might want to use that code if they don’t win…
It has to be big enough to hold a book (or two…) plus all my other necessities.
It has to be lightweight with dedicated areas so I can find things quickly and easily.
Good mix of different sized zippered pockets and compartments, both inside and outside. A big plus if the interior is lined in a light color that makes it easy to find things.
As long as there is enough space for a) my Ultrabook, B) my planner (yes, I’m the last person using a planner), and C) my 1L water bottle, the travel bag is sufficient 🙂
Lightweight and lots of pockets. I’m still on the hunt for the prefect bag!
Everything must fit, and it has to zip – laptop or iPad, kindle, water bottle, make up bag, scarf or pashmina, etc.
I like having different compartments for different purpose items eg. passport, medicine, small electronics etc with zipper to secure the compartments. Strap that doesnt dig into your shoulder.
Something stylish, that has a crossbody option 🙂
Must have space for my ipad, cords and snacks!
I would say having different compartments especially a safe compartment for an iPad!
I’d say comfort/ease of use and style!
Plenty of pockets and compartments for easy organization!
Big enough to fit my eyepad, and zipper pockets to store cash and my passport. It also need to be ligthweight and comfy!
The most important thing I look for in a bag is space! I do frequent overnights for school (e.g. conferences, debate tournaments, etc), and it’s always awesome to find something that has enough space for the essentials, gadgets, and a little extra! Love the Lo & Sons, can’t wait to afford one in the future 🙂
Pockets pockets pockets! But more importantly a comfortable strap that wont weigh your shoulders down and will hold enough stuff so you can be out all day.
Organization and style are a must! I need to be able to get to everything quickly but still have a great look when traveling. You don’t want to fit in with the black business bags everyone else has. That is why I love all the wonderful colors from their bags!
The most important thing I look for is a travel purse that fits everything I need in one bag. I’m so used to carrying multiple bags when I travel. trying to find the perfect bag to carry on with me is the hardest thing, and something that’s fashionable and cute doesn’t hurt! 🙂
i love a travel bag that has lots of pockets, looks smart/professional and is relatively lightweight!
Lightweight with lots of compartments and durable fabric, and stylish of course!
Stylish, sleek and organized. Always number 1 when it comes to a travel purse.
Often you really want to be able to feel like you can get all the grime of travel off of your bag, so it has to be easy to clean.
Absolute must is my wallet-ID inside! then come keys and cellphone. 🙂