I admit I have a lot of handbags, but nothing compact and sporty for when I'm running around in sneakers. I'm not at all familiar with the Kipling brand (!), but their bags came up in my search. They're so cute! I can definitely see why they'd have a trendy following. I noticed that several other Amazon reviews were written by Disney theme park-goers, and that cinched my purchase. (My in-laws and niece live near a Disney park and, alas, I am never carrying the "right" bag.)I bought the white one, although I was hesitant because another reviewer didn't like the pale gray strap, which they felt was mismatched to the bag. Once the bag arrived, however, I could see that the strap actually matches the plastic of the exterior zipper pull, as well as the hanging monkey charm.I realize us$25 is a steep price for a bag of such diminutive size (and I really would have struggled with the "list price"), but I really don't mind as long as the bag is well made. This bag has excellent stitching -- no loose ends or snags to be found -- and seems as sturdy as a lightweight bag could possibly be. The chrome hardware appears to be especially durable.There are a lot of subtle design details; there's even a Kipling logo on the strap's sliding buckle! (Again, this is my first Kipling bag, so everything is fresh and amazing to me.) The flap snaps shut with a satisfying clack, as the snap itself is magnetic. I like the built-in key leash, and I especially like the metal charm loop, which appears to be standard on all Kipling bags. (To the charm loop I added a reflective star, so cars might have a better chance of seeing me, plus a white Tile tracker -- I have misplaced this bag several times since buying it!!)The bag itself is surprisingly capacious despite its pint size. It has two zippered pockets, one inside and another right on the exterior flap. In the main interior I can fit an iPhone Pro Max, a spare battery of similar size, gum and a pack of cigarettes, a 30ml tube of hand cream, a small card-wallet, a few tubes of lipstick, and a pill bottle.Within five minutes of receiving this bag I actually spilled chicken soup all over it, and I SCREAMED. Then I started laughing with relief as I realized that the chicken soup was beading up on the fabric, and I wiped it away with my sleeve. The bag is made of a nylon "windbreaker" material, similar to a Baggalini bag, so of course it's chicken soup-proof!In conclusion, I love this practical little crossbody pouch. It definitely won't be my last Kipling bag -- which is really saying something, since I only wear gold tones and therefore avoid silver hardware on my bags! (I wish Kipling would make bags with gold hardware, as well, but I don't get the sense they'd consider my suggestion.)
Excelente compra!
De muy buen tamaño y calidad. Es una muy buena inversión, ademas de bonita se nota que durará muchísimo.
Perfecta mochila
El tamaño es Perfecto es grande como la necesitaba y trae compartimiento por separado para la lap
I wanted a cute but big and useful backpack for school and travel. It is exactly what I wanted but keep in mind that the color is a little lighter than the picture.
Color adecuado, funciones que necesito y se ve bien elaborada con los detalles adecuados.
I love Kipling bags and it is the only name brand bag I buy. So I’m familiar with the quality of these.I received the XL backpack that seems authentic, but it isn’t like in the photo. I’ve attached photos of my bag.The first big thing I noticed: there’s no zippered laptop compartment in the back as shown. There is a small zipper on the top with a super-tiny pocket (think wallet, phone, passport or plane tickets… maybe not all depending on your phone and wallet size). There is an open pocket inside with some padding, however. But not easy access to the laptop, so I don’t know how this is advertised as a laptop bag. Maybe it was a redesign because there’s complaints about the zipper breaking? I can see that this will be stronger in the long run not having a zipper near the back straps.There is an additional unpadded pocket in the main compartment as well that isn’t shown in the advertisement photos at all. Mine is beige where the photos show blue and no extra layers.The other difference is the pen/accessory pocket sewn in the front large compartment is also different than shown on my bag… Mine has one big pocket toward the back of the bag and a place for pens. No padded pocket up there nor a pocket on the front flap.Finally, the bottom corners are without lining like I expect from Kipling bags – so it is not reinforced precisely where backpacks usually get holes. There is lining on the bottom, but it doesn’t extend all the ways to the corners. It seems odd and may shorten the life of the bag. It also diminishes protection of contents if anything hits the bottom corners. This is designed for clothes in the main compartment, not school books or binders with pointy corners.I’m not sure if I got a fake bag. The barcode had black lines through it, but the bag seems unused otherwise. The rubber monkey keychain is the same as with other bags.I’ll give it a try as the size and weight are what I need (it should be perfect as a Spirit or Frontier personal item), but I will report back if the laptop is hard to access in transit. I am not using it to carry binders or school books so the corner weakness may or may not be an issue.I’ll try to report back. This will either be a redesign for the better (for travel and non-school use), or will be a pain through TSA and trying to work on the plane.