Having the wrong luggage or bags when you are traveling can turn a great vacation – into a bit of a pain. Hard sided luggage tends to be heavy, gets knocked around, and the handles brake constantly (ask me how I know). Meanwhile, backpacks don’t have enough space, and aren’t optimized for travel. THAT is where a good duffel bag comes into the picture, and in this case, that would be the Bellroy Venture Duffel 55L that the brand gifted me right here to check out.
So in this article, after thoroughly testing the luggage, I’m now going to share everything you need to know about it! That includes what is good, what isn’t so good, and exactly who this bag is for. So stay tuned for that!
Jump to:
What is the Bellroy Venture Duffel 55L?
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- The bag's massive size
- Padded handles and strap
- The material is really nice.
- The water-resistant pouch in the bottom
- The large easy to use zippers
- Sometimes it's just too big.
- Quite expensive
- I wish it had a few more pockets or dividers.
The Venture Duffel 55L is a massive duffel bag that aims to both be a minimalist bag while still offering you plenty of space for traveling for up to a week of being gone from your home. This bag has a wide opening, so you can pack it to the top easily, a water-resistant sack in the bottom (for things like wet towels or dirty shoes), rolled-edge grab handles, and padded shoulder straps.
You can also wear this duffel in a couple different positions, whether it be the standard strap over one shoulder, or even backpack style. The water resistant zippers have large, easy to use tags. I personally use it as a standard duffel, but having the extra options is always nice.
What do I like about this 55L duffel bag?
1. The bag’s massive size
This duffel is massive, so massive it likely could replace most scenarios where you might need a suitcase. I was easily able to stuff everything that I needed for a 3 or 4-day weekend in the bag with space to spare! While I haven’t used it on an airplane, I have no doubt this would be considerably easier to pack and transport than any hard-sided, standard suitcases. It is just truly big enough to do a great job as an alternative to those annoying luggage bags.
2. Padded handles and strap
This was the first thing that I noticed when I pulled this out of its packaging. All of the handles and the padded strap are so incredibly comfortable to hold. This goes a long way when you are lugging this massive duffel bag around, as most duffel bag handles dig into your hand or shoulder, forcing you to put them down every once in a while for a break. No brakes for you with this bag!
This extends to the shoulder strap as well, as the padding on that is one of the best I have ever seen on a bag like this (better be for the price).
3. The material is really nice.
While the Baida Nylon material this bag is made from wasn’t what I was expecting, it has grown on me! This is a leather-free material, that is incredibly durable, as well as easy to clean. This is especially evident in the Bronze color I have here (which doesn’t seem to be available at this time of writing (Paid Link)). It looks a lot like leather at a distance, but is a more cloth like material.
Everything on this bag feels extremely high quality, better than you would expect on similarly priced luggage.
4. The water-resistant pouch in the bottom
If you are someone who uses their duffel bag to go swimming or go out on a hike in the rain, this pouch is invaluable. It’s always a pain to figure out exactly what to do with your dirty or wet clothing, shoes, or towels, and this pouch fixes that. While I do wish the pouch was not all the way at the bottom (it’s hard to get to if you have other stuff in the bag), it has saved me multiple times and does a fantastic job of keeping things separate from the rest.
Now, I should mention, while it may be at the bottom of the bag, the pouch itself is completely removable, and is only held on via a hook.
5. The large easy to use zippers
This zipper pulls on this bag are massive, I’m sure this helps plenty with durability, but also makes it easier to use them, especially with how large the bag’s opening is. I never ran into hang ups on the zippers, and due to their massive size, I have no doubts that they will hold up to years of abuse (Bellroy has a 3-year warranty (Paid Link)).
What do I not like about it?
1. Sometimes it’s just too big.
This is one massive duffel bag, while this may be an upside (as mentioned above), it also heavily affects the usefulness of it outside of using it for travel. I have a hard time recommending this bag for things like going to the gym, or even short single day getaways. Because of that, if you are someone looking for a bag that does it all, you might want to think about opting for a smaller version of this bag.
2. Quite expensive
At over $200 (when it isn’t on sale), this bag is an expensive option. Now, it is high quality, well built, and an overall great product that is well worth its price; it is still over $200. I have no doubt this price puts it out of many people’s budget range, which is a bit of a bummer. Ultimately, I would mainly recommend this bag to someone who was already going to be spending this price on luggage (where you need the quality and durability), as people looking for a gym bag could easily find a cheaper option.
3. I wish it had a few more pockets or dividers.
This is a minimalist bag, and unfortunately that does translate into its usefulness. The interior of the bag only has one internal pocket (along with the water-resistant pouch), and one small pocket on the exteriors side. That means that 99% of your gear will be hanging out with each other on the interior of the bag.
Because of that, I do wish there were a few more pockets or dividers on the inside of the bag so that you can keep a few things in their own space. While I can understand that Bellroy comes from a minimalistic place, I have no doubt there could have been ways to add a few more of these without hindering the minimalistic nature of the bag.
Who should buy the Venture 55L?
If you are someone looking for a high quality, well-made duffel bag to essentially replace your suit case, then this is for you (Paid Link)! It’s a great duffel bag, with everything that you do need, but nothing that you don’t. While I do think they went a bit overboard on the minimalism, it still offers a fantastic option.
However, if you plan on using this for anything other than multi-day travel, you might want to get one of their smaller duffel bags instead, as you likely will find that this one is a bit too big for your taste (and a lower price point).
Where should you buy it?
Buying this bag from either Amazon or from Bellroy’s website is a great option (Paid Link)! It appears that when Bellroy runs a deal on its website, it lowers the price on Amazon to the sale price. You can check them out by clicking the buttons below!
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
