This TikTok-Famous Bag Was the Unsung Hero of My 2-Week Vacation (& It’s Under $100)

Value: 20/20
Functionality: 17/20
Quality/Ease of Use: 19/20
Aesthetics: 20/20
Capacity: 18/20
TOTAL: 94/100

As someone who has near-constant anxiety about…nearly everything, I’m very lucky that I’m a fairly chill traveler. Long overnight flight? I’ll download an extra book. Connection through Zurich? I’ve always wanted a Swiss stamp on my passport. Turbulence? Literally nothing I can do about it.

Still, after a two-plus year travel hiatus thanks to COVID, I felt a little jittery about getting back out there. And yet, instead of easing myself back into planes, trains and automobiles, I booked a 15-day trip to six different cities in three different countries. (I’ve never claimed to be rational.)

Though I was a little bit nervous about taking a big trip for the first time since the world…you know…one thing I didn’t have to worry about was my luggage situation, and that’s largely thanks to the Beis Weekender Bag (with an assist from my beloved Away The Medium).

I first learned about Beis on—where else?—TikTok, where the brand has received millions of likes on its minimalist, aesthetically pleasing packing-related videos. In the market for a non-wheeled carry-on, I read tons of reviews and decided to give The Weekender a try. At an affordable $98, I figured hey, even if I hate it after this trip, it’s not going to do too much damage on the old wallet.

Seven airports later, I am obsessed.

Visually, the bag has everything I look for in a travel accessory, by which I mean it’s totally minimal and timeless. I chose the black color since I exclusively wear black while traveling (and while not traveling, honestly), but it’s also available in beige, gray and navy. It’s sleek and no-frills.

The bag’s main compartment is roomy, with one large zippered pocket, two small zippered pockets and a Velcro-lined laptop sleeve inside. The opening of the bag is sturdy, with a wire frame built in that lets you prop it open to see everything inside. The real selling point, in my opinion, is the spacious zippered compartment at the bottom of the bag, which is perfect for storing shoes, toiletry bags or even laundry.

On the exterior, there’s a small but handy pocket for a wallet, passport or COVID documents and an additional zipper that allows you to slip the bag over the handle of a suitcase. This feature in particular was a godsend when I was struggling to navigate cobblestone streets in Killarney and shimmying down narrow train aisles in Naples. You can also choose to carry it as a top handle bag or over your shoulder with the detachable strap. (I typically opted for the top handles, but that’s just because I *hate* when long bags slam into my body as I walk.)

The only downside is that this bag is so roomy that you can accidentally make it very heavy—a bit of a bummer while rushing through airports. It’s also too large to store under airplane seats, but Beis recently came out with a Mini Weekender, which the brand says fits under some airline’s seats.

The Beis Weekender has easily earned a spot among my travel essentials and I’m jazzed to see where it comes with me next. (Crested Butte, perhaps?)

Buy it ($98)