WANDRD Toiletry Bag Medium Review

Ah, toiletry bags. If you already have one of these in your travel gear arsenal, then good on you. If not, it may be time to upgrade that Ziploc bag and get something more organized. The WANDRD Toiletry Bag is a solid pick with a decent combination of open space and pockets. Plus, it can double as a sling with the optional carry strap. Sound strange? Yes, it does. We like strange things, as long as they’re still functional—and this is.

Materials & Aesthetic

At the time of this review, the WANDRD Toiletry Bag is available in medium and large. We tested the medium, which is what this review will focus on. The large is just a bit roomier and also comes with a hook to hang it up. So if you prefer hanging your toiletry bag up to keep it off wet sink countertops, then maybe go with that one. The medium is two liters, while the large clocks in at three, and both come in black.

It has a modern look going on with its sleek fabric and taco shape. Not like a soggy hard shell taco, think more futuristic taco with a swishy water-resistant shell. The primary material on here is an N420 ROBIC Nylon with a TPU coating. The TPU is what gives it that swishy sound and is easy to wipe clean. We found that those dastardly toothpaste splashes sometimes take a bit of a firm scrubbing to get out completely. Maybe that’s on us for brushing like barbarians. We’ll work on that.

The weather-resistant YKK #5 zippers on here will keep exploding shampoo bottles contained. Just remember, water-resistant doesn’t mean waterproof. The toiletry bag will be safe on the sink, and leaky bottles won’t seep out to the rest of your bag. Just don’t give it a bath in the tub. We dig the plastic parachute zipper pulls on here, too, as they make for a seamless zip experience.

Large nylon loops on the sides help you grab this toiletry bag out of your backpack or duffel. They stick out a bit on the back and don’t look as clean as we’d like, but that’s a minor nitpick that may or may not bother you. There’s also a thicker carry handle on the bottom that you can fit your whole hand through. This seems like an odd place for a carry handle since it means you’ll be carrying your stuff upside down. We didn’t utilize it much.

Branding-wise, you’ve got a small WANDRD tag on the front and a logo on the sling carry strap if you opt for it. The attachable strap is made of a thick nylon webbing with a swanky metal buckle. There are a couple of reasons why you may want to add this, which is sold separately, and a couple of reasons why you may not. We’ll get into that later.

Features & Usage

Inside the WANDRD Toiletry Bag is a wide, open compartment with two stretchy mesh pockets on one side. These pockets are relatively small and are best suited for items like nail clippers or chapstick. Then just dump all your bottles into the main space.

There’s also an antimicrobial toothbrush sleeve to keep it separated from your other stuff. We broke out our in-house science lab to test how much bacteria actually grows (or doesn’t) on this thing and were shocked at the results. Just kidding, we don’t have a freaking science lab sitting in our gear closet, but keeping our toothbrush separated this way did give us peace of mind. We at least felt like it was protected seeing the head tucked in there. Seeing is believing, so that’s all we can really say about that.

You can use the gatekeeper clips on either side to attach the toiletry bag to WANDRD’s PRVKE and DUO daypacks. These clips are also so that you can combine two toiletry bags to make a “mega kit” if one just isn’t enough. That’s a bit much for us, but you do you. It could work if you want to use one bag for toiletries and another for cosmetics. Or if you have an elaborate range of fancy hair care products that need their own dedicated bag. Or if you want to attach the WANDRD Tech Bag and carry both at the same time.

The additional carry strap comes with its own gatekeeper clips, so if you decide to use this in sling mode, you’ll probably want to remove the ones already included with the bag. Otherwise, you’ll just have these extra clips in the attachment loops, and putting on the carry strap will be kind of tight. But also, the clips are very robust and a bit hard to remove. Just so you know.

To Sling or Not to Sling

At first, we asked ourselves what sort of weirdo uses a toiletry bag as a sling. After trying it, though, it kind of makes sense—and kind of doesn’t.

The beauty of traveling with a sling is having all of your essentials in one place—especially for air travel. Just put everything that would typically go in your pockets in one and throw it in a bin. It’s the fastest way to get through TSA outside of PreCheck and Global Entry. The WANDRD Toiletry bag’s mesh pockets make a good spot for cash, IDs, and credit cards. The open space in the main compartment is a good place to empty out your pockets. The front pocket is even a comfortable spot for your phone.

So, what’s weird? Walking around with a sling that’s covered in splashes of toothpaste and lotion. That’s what. Sometimes we like to leave our toiletry bag open on the sink to quickly grab what we need out of it. If you want to use it in sling mode, you’ll have to dump your toiletries out, leaving them unorganized in the bathroom. We do not like having disorganized things rolling around the countertop (or anywhere for that matter).

On the other hand, if the bathroom counter in your hostel, hotel, or Airbnb is straight-up gross (or nonexistent), carrying your toiletries this way makes total sense. Imagine strolling up to your hostel shower in a towel with your toiletry sling over your shoulder, i.e., looking like an absolute boss.