I’m very particular about my school/work bags. As soon as I entered high school, I abandoned backpacks in favor of something more professional-looking: black, simple, with either a single or a double strap. Unfortunately, none of them were quite right, so I was constantly on the lookout for something better.
Enter the Coach Voyager.
The Coach Voyager in all its glory.
Believe it or not, it’s a diaper bag (why anyone would want a designer diaper bag is beyond me, but to each his or her own). I did not realize that until after I had made my purchase, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about the bag — namely, in love.
Not the least reason for my warm feelings is the great price. I would be hesitant to pay full price for it (or for anything, really), but the outlet mall made the purchase almost a no-brainer. Also, while I don’t consider myself to be a brand chaser, I have a couple of Coach bags in my collection, and I’m incredibly impressed with how well they’ve held up over the years. Granted, I’ve only had the Voyager for about a month, so I can’t make a prediction about how long it’s going to endure everyday use, but based on my previous experiences with Coach, I’m very optimistic.
The signature Coach material, amazingly, does not gather any dirt and has managed to survive a couple of pretty heavy rainstorms while successfully protecting the contents of the bag. The lining is a very pretty and professional-looking dark blue. It’s a heavier fabric, which really distinguishes Coach from cheaper bags. I can’t tell you how many of my bags needed to have their lining repaired. By comparison with my other Coach bags, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that problem here, at least not for a long while.
One of the things I love about this bag is its width. It’s approximately 5 inches wide, which means that I can fit some pretty thick books/file folders in there without completely distorting it.
I have yet to use the outside pockets — one zippered, one with a magnetic closure, and two smaller side pockets — but the inside pockets are what make this back truly wonderful. The larger pocket that was meant to hold the diaper pad fits my MacBook Pro just perfectly. There’s a pocket especially for writing utensils; given my affinity for unusual pens, I prefer a pocket rather than individual pen loops that never hold anything properly anyway.
There are four (count ‘em) elastic pockets on the inside, intended to be for baby bottles. I have repurposed them to hold a water bottle, my computer charger, a pair of flip-flops that I walk to work in before changing into heels, and snacks. The remaining non-elastic pocket is perfect for my wallet, phone, and keys. If I ever needed to bring an umbrella, I’d probably stick that in one of the outside pockets.
Lastly, not only does the bag have two leather shoulder straps, it also has a longer detachable strap. I’ve already used it a couple of times to sling the back across my body when biking to a coffee shop. It’s wide, soft, and amazingly comfortable.
My only gripe is that even though there’s a zipper, when the bag is fully closed, there’s still a gap on either end. In inclement weather, that could be a problem. I’ll figure out a solution eventually.
All in all, I’m thrilled with my purchase. Here’s hoping that it serves me well for a few years!
