Some of my clients would show me some pictures and tell me that they need to have this type of Duffels bag customized. I replied to the customer, “We are a professional Duffels bag factory. Of course, we can customize Duffels bags for you. However, the bag in your photo that looks like a Duffels bag is not actually a Duffels bag; it’s just similar in appearance.” The customer asked me, “So what exactly is a Duffels bag? What are the standards for a Duffels bag?” Now I will explain to you all what a Duffels bag is and why there are standards for Duffels bags.
1.How to define a Duffels bag
1.1The definition and functional positioning of a Duffels bag
A Duffels bag is not just for holding things. From an industry and material perspective, its structure and design must be able to withstand the “transportation environmental stress”. This stress includes repeated impacts during transportation, falls from heights, vibrations under long-term heavy pressure, and extreme temperature changes. Therefore, the design of a Duffels bag must be more durable than that of ordinary bags.
To determine whether a bag is a qualified Duffels bag, one needs to check if it complies with industry standards. For instance, the Chinese QB/T 2155-2018 “Duffels Bags and Cases” has specific requirements for the mechanical properties of Duffels bags. These standards serve as the basis for evaluating the structure and safety of the bags. A qualified Duffels bag must ensure that key components such as the handle, strap and the case itself will not easily break, get damaged, or fall off during transportation.
1.2The evolution trend of Duffels bags
As people’s expectations for Duffels have become higher nowadays, Duffels bags have also been changing rapidly. They are no longer just containers for holding things, but have become more functional and better-designed tools. This change is mainly reflected in having more functions and better materials. When designing them now, features such as charging ports, comfortable stress-relieving straps, adjustable space, etc. are all added.
The structure of this bag must be flexible, meaning it does not have built-in handles or fixed wheels. This design makes it lighter and more adaptable to different spaces. Unlike ordinary backpacks, the key design of a travel bag lies in its load management system, and it will adopt an openable or flap-style opening like a suitcase, which makes it easier to organize and access items.
1.3The principle of lightweighting
The key point of soft bag design is to reduce its own weight. When traveling abroad, especially in Asia, the weight limit for carry-on luggage is very strict, usually 7 or 8 kilograms. In such cases, the weight of the soft backpack itself is usually less than 1 kilogram, while even the lightest rolling suitcase has a minimum weight of at least 2 kilograms.
This weight difference directly translates into an additional 25% to 50% of packing space. For those travelers who seek efficiency and want to “travel with one bag”, manufacturers have achieved “weight arbitrage” through lightweighting of the structure, converting the saved space in the bag body into the actual weight of the items that passengers can carry. This makes soft bags more advantageous than rolling suitcases in certain markets (such as in the multi-country transit in Southeast Asia).
1.4Flexible capacity and adaptability to the environment
The advantage of soft luggage is that it is very soft, allowing for flexible and variable capacity, and it can adapt to different shapes. When encountering the measuring frame at the airport for luggage size, the soft luggage can simply be squeezed or use the compression straps inside to deform. As a result, even if the size is just barely acceptable, the soft luggage can pass through the inspection smoothly. Hard-shell luggage doesn’t have this advantage because it is relatively hard and cannot “cheat” in this way.
1.5Subcategories of travel bags
Non-railway-rod soft travel bags mainly include the following types:
- Travel backpack: This is the most common type of travel bag. It has a complete carrying system, including shoulder straps, waist belt and chest strap. Usually, it has a main compartment that is like that of a suitcase, opened on both sides.
- Soft travel bag / handbag: These bags are mainly used to carry items from the top or sides, making it convenient to carry them. They also try to maximize the internal space. They are often used for short trips or carried as “personal items” on airplanes.
- Convertible backpack: This type of bag is very flexible and can quickly hide the shoulder straps. It is usually fixed to the suitcase via a strap. This allows for easy switching between the backpack and the handbag, making it suitable for various occasions.
2. Design of structure and capacity
The capacity of Duffels bags is not only determined by their external dimensions, but also by the combined effect of their internal organization design and external storage areas.
2.1Internal Design: Professional Partition Design and Protection for Electronic Products
The interior design of Duffels bags is intended to replicate the convenience of suitcases, maximizing the utilization of space.
- Main compartment design: It is usually opened completely like a suitcase, facilitating the organization of items. There should be dividers and numerous pockets inside the main bag, allowing for easy storage of small items such as passports, wallets, and keys.
- Electronic product compartment: There must be a rear mounted, padded, individual zipper compartment for the computer. This compartment is usually located near the back, ensuring a balanced weight distribution and capable of accommodating a 15-inch laptop or a 13-inch tablet.
- Multifunctional design: When the electronic product compartment is not being used for storing a computer, water bags can be placed through the water outlet on the top. This design is very thoughtful.
- Professional side pocket bags: On both sides of the bag, there are usually zipped pockets or elastic pockets, which can be used to hold water bottles or umbrellas, etc. For better designs, at least one of the side pockets will have a waterproof lining and ventilation design. This way, you can store those damp or smelly items without dirtying the main compartment.
2.2Capacity expansion design and compression design
The greatest advantage of soft packaging is that its capacity can be flexibly adjusted.
- Zipper extension: Many bags are equipped with zippers that, when opened, increase the available space. However, using this feature may cause the bag to exceed the size limit set by the airline for carry-on luggage. Before boarding the plane, be sure to close the zipper to ensure the bag complies with the regulations.
- Storage grids and compression bags: Whether a soft bag can hold something and how much it can hold largely depends on these small designs.
- Storage Grid: This design divides the bag into small compartments, allowing you to separate clean clothes from dirty ones, or categorize them by type. This organization method can significantly enhance the efficiency of your travels.
- Compression bag: This design can squeeze out the air inside the clothes, reducing the volume by up to half. If you are carrying heavy clothes or planning to travel to many places, and need to reorganize your luggage, this design can save a lot of space.
3.conclusion
From this, it can be seen that a design that resembles a travel bag does not necessarily mean it is a travel bag. As professionals in design, we definitely have the obligation to inform our clients that we not only need to be responsible for them, but also for their clients. This has always been our philosophy. The steps and requirements for designing a travel bag are to meet the needs of travel. There are also various exquisite designs that we can discuss with you.
