Longchamp Le Pliage Travel Tote Review

Longchamp Paris has been in business for nearly 70 years and consistently produces such high-quality, long-lasting leather and nylon goods that it’s been a fan favorite of the “elite” for many years.

The bag comes in a multitude of colors from black to Pepto Bismol pink, and in large and small sizes, but we prefer the large bag. Coming in at about 12” x 11” x 7”, this shoulder tote will comfortably carry all your belongings for a day out on the town, at the coworking office or a couch crashing at a friend’s place. It’s also the perfect size to fit under the seat in front of you on a plane!

One of the best parts about the Le Pliage tote is that in three easy steps it folds down to the size of a large envelope, meaning you can easily stuff it in your other travel bags and take it everywhere. The folding ability of this bag made it the brand’s most successful product and one of the world’s most popular handbags. While the Le Pliage tote bags could be considered the cult bag for any girl on a college campus, the Duchess of Cambridge herself, Kate Middleton, has been known to carry several.

Longchamp Le Pliage Travel Tote Folding

The tote is made from polyamide canvas, which is a fancy way to say nylon with a coated interior, and leather handles. Basically, this means that the tote is durable AF. We’ve pushed this bag to the limits in terms of weight— computers, textbooks, laundry, a case of wine, groceries—whatever your priorities are, this bag will hold ‘em safely on your shoulder, though you may feel it after.

The nylon material is mold and mildew resistant which is great especially when you accidently leave those weird, exotic fruits from the street market sitting in the bag all day in the sun. The coated lining makes it easy to wipe the bag out and prevents odors. In technical terms, polyamide is not water resistant, however, if you get caught in the rain running from car to café, your possessions will be perfectly dry. We don’t recommend submerging the bag in water, but with some common sense for its care, the bag is reasonably water resistant.

About three years into utilizing this bag, there was a devastating accident: the body of the bag was sliced on the saddle of a camel in the Sahara Desert. The hole was about 1 inch wide, just big enough to slip a finger through. The silverlining though is that 8 months later the hole has not grown even a millimeter bigger from when the potentially murderous stabbing occurred. The outer layer of nylon has not frayed either. Talk about a good investment!

A letdown of this bag, although it should not deter you from using it every day, is that there is only one small interior pocket. The pocket will easily fit your essentials, a.k.a. your cell phone, a small wallet, chapstick and your keys. However, they are likely to fall out of the pocket into the cavern of the bag without the luxury of a pocket zipper. The bag is not the best for organizational purposes, especially with a black interior that seems to swallow your belongings into darkness. We wouldn’t consider this a deal breaker though since the tote is not typically the only piece of luggage you’ll carry.

Given that Longchamp is an internationally-known brand, the price tag for this puppy is on the high side at about $145. While this may hurt your wallet initially, four years down the road when you have yet to replace the bag, you’ll be thanking yourself for the purchase.