Lo & Sons

With the exception of those months after college when we were backpacking around Europe, we here at The Pink Mixer have always been more of a rolling suitcase kind of traveler instead of the mighty hefted over one shoulder duffel bag.  Our prejudice is simple.  Rolling suitcases? Brilliant, mobile invention.  A duffel bag?  Those buggers can be downright heavy.

Still, they serve a great and wonderful service when a rolling bag won't do, particularly for a weekend get-away.  Last July, after noticing our tried and true (and old) Vera Bradley duffel was becoming frayed, we treated ourselves to The Catalina from Brooklyn based company, Lo & Sons.  We liked the catch-all nature of the bag, the price was right, and the tipping point was that well-designed bottom pocket - perfect for shoes, a wet bathing suit, or dirty clothes.

We put The Catalina to work immediately, taking the bag to a wedding in Connecticut and later in the summer, on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.  However, after only a few uses, we tucked it away, as fall turned to winter and those quick weekend jaunts were put on hold until some of the snow melted away.  Or at least until mid-February when we decided to use a long weekend to fly south to visit family.  As we arrived at our destination, we noticed an unfortunate rip right at the seam of that aforementioned bottom portion of our duffel.  Annoyed and frustrated - we'd only had it for a handful of months! and only used it minimally! - we decided to do what any good consumer does.  We contacted the company and informed them (politely) of our complaint.  And then Lo&Sons did what any good company should do.  They responded immediately, ( and politely) gathered a bit more information, and suggested a solution - a solution that involved a brand new bag since the damage did not seem easily repairable.

Isn't it immensely refreshing when things go the way they are supposed to go?  Companies make good on their promises, treat their customers well, which makes those customers want to spend more money at the company, and everyone wins in the end?

Guess that duffel is even mightier than The Pink Mixer had originally suspected.

Average price: $120

Rating: 5 out of 5!