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Matador FlatPak Soap Bar Case
Cost: $13.99
Capacity: 6 fl oz. (0.18 L)
Dimensions: 4” x 2.4” x 1.3” (10.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm)
Weight: 0.4 oz. (11 g)
Materials: Cordura nylon; Dry-Through ™ coating
Origin: Made in China
Ziploc Freezer Quart Bag
Cost: $0.14
Capacity: 1.0 quart (0.95 liter)
Dimensions: 7” x 7.4” (18 x 19 cm)
Weight: 0.2 oz. (5 g)
Materials: Low Density Polyethylene
Origin: Made in USA (maybe)
Intro
The Matador Flat Pak soap case gets a lot of attention on travel channels like this and is one of the most often recommended minimalist soap bags. It’s a lightweight waterproof rolltop case that claims to dry your soap out while it’s sealed inside the bag. It seems like the perfect minimalist travel product.
I’ve been using the Matador Soap Case for over 2 years now. While I think it’s a useful soap container, I (any many others) have noticed its ability to dry out a bar of soap seems overstated. It’s also expensive and not as accessible to many people when compared to the classic Ziploc bag.
So, to test its effectiveness I conducted an experiment comparing the drying ability of the Soap Case, compared side-by-side to a Ziploc bag. I also address a few other criticisms I’ve seen, namely the size and functionality, and offer a few alternatives.
Drying vs Zip Lock
For the first experiment I started with two identical bars of soap. I decided to go with Dove Original bar, as it is inexpensive and fairly common in the US. I soaked both bars in a tray of water for about 20 minutes. Then I shook off the excess water and placed one bar in each of the Ziploc and Matador bags without allowing them to dry first. The bags were sealed and left to sit overnight.
Neither soap bar was dry after the first day, but the Ziploc soap was noticeably wetter and squishier than the Matador Soap Case bar. I’ve noticed that some soaps will appear dry even after sitting in a Ziploc overnight. This could indicate a leak, but in most cases the bar of soap tends to absorb the water, causing it to become soft and deteriorate quicker.
Dove isn’t a particularly absorbent soap bar compared to some other brands. But to ensure we’re giving the Matador bag a chance to work its magic, I decided to repeat this process 4 more times. After 5 total cycles of soaking and placing in the bags, both bars were very wet, soggy and squishy. The Matador bar performed slightly better than the Ziploc, but the difference is nowhere as noticeable as you imagine it would be.
Letting the Bar of Soap Dry out for 1 hour
So now I wondered, if the Matador bag doesn’t dry your soap out that much when it’s sealed inside the soap case. What would happen if you allowed the soap bars to dry out before putting them in the bags?
I then repeated this experiment with two new bars of soap. Allowing them to soak for ~20 minutes (a few of these went over), then letting them dry for about an hour before putting them back in the bags. This experiment is also repeated 5 times.
After 5 days, both soap bars were less wet and squishy than the first non-drying experiment, but neither was dry. This may have worked better if I had allowed the bars to dry completely before putting them in the bags instead of timing it for an hour. After the first day it was difficult to tell the difference between the bars. However, after 5 days of moisture accumulation, both bars were noticeably soft.
Again, the Matador bag performed only slightly better here than the Ziploc, however the soap bar is still soft and squishy and nowhere near dry. The difference is more noticeable by feel, the Ziploc bag bar is wetter, and more soap comes off on my hand when I hold it. But as you can see from the photo, it’s difficult to tell these soap bars apart.
Is the Matador Soap Case Big Enough?
Another criticism I’ve seen about the Matador Soap Case is the size. This is an uncommon experience, but I’ve seen it mentioned in comments several times, so I think it’s worth addressing. To test the capacity of the Soap Case, I purchased (in the US) several standard brands of soap. These included Dr. Bronner’s, Kirk’s Castile Soap, Yardley Bath Bar, Dial, Irish Spring, Dove.
Like any dry bag, the Matador Soap Case need to be rolled at least 3 times and clipped to be effective. This greatly reduces the capacity of the bag from what it appears to hold when laid flat. Long story short, every bar easily fit in the Soap Case with 3 complete rolls, the smaller bars (Dove, Dial, Yardley, Irish Spring) fit extremely easily. The Dr. Bronner’s bar was the tightest, and I was barely able to get a complete third roll on the closure. Just for fun, I also tested a Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar, which unsurprisingly is way too long to fit in the Soap Case.
The calculated capacity of the Matador Soap Case (4” x 2.4” x 1.3” ;10.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm) is just under 7 fl. Oz. (200 g). However, the largest soap bar I have that fits is a 6.0 oz (177 g) Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap. One downside with this smallish size, is you have to almost completely use up the first bar before starting a second bar. You won’t have this issue with a quart Ziploc, which has over four times the capacity of the Matador Case.
TL;DR – If you buy a non-standard size, or giant hand-made bar of soap, the Matador Soap Case likely isn’t large enough. However almost every standard bar soap brand will easily fit.
Doesn’t Work Well in Shower
The other criticism I see on this bag, is that unlike a standard soap dish, the Matador Soap Case doesn’t work well in the shower. This is a fair criticism as it doesn’t drain like a standard soap dish. This is probably not an issue in hotels but could be an issue in a shared shower situation, especially if the shower doesn’t have a proper shelf.
There is no great solution here outside of just using a soap dish, but likely this issue is more a matter of personal preference. One solution would be to just use the Matador Case as a soap dish, it won’t drain and you will likely have to wash it off, but not a big deal. The second is to try and hang the Soap Case in the shower by attaching a small cord to the loops on the corner. This also isn’t ideal and may not work in every shower.
Alternatives
For anyone who doesn’t like or can’t justify the price of the Matador Soap Case, I have a few alternatives to consider beyond a Ziploc.
The Snowkingdom Travel Soap Case is a fantastic soap dish, it’s extremely leakproof and comes with a little drying mat and a thick silicone band to hold the lid down. It’s heavier, but not horrible at 2.5 oz. (73 g) and is only $6 on Amazon (here it is side by side with Matador Case). Make sure to get the one with the band, as they sell it without for the same price.
A small cloth (muslin) bag also works great, is extremely lightweight (0.1 oz; 4 g), inexpensive, and allows your soap to dry out even more. I find 4”x6” (10.2 x 15.2 cm) to be a great size for most soap bars. The downside is you need to dry your soap bar out before putting it in a cloth bag. It can also be difficult to buy them individually, so you may have to purchase them in bulk.
Summary
While the Matador Soap Case may not be the magical self-drying bag some people think it is, I think it’s still a very useful product. If you’re someone who moves hotels every day or stays in hostels a lot then the Matador Soap Case will help dry your soap bar out, reduce water absorption, and help it last longer.
However, it doesn’t work nearly as well as they claim. If you have time to dry your soap bar out before putting it in a bag, then the Matador Soap Case doesn’t perform much better than a cheap Ziploc back. I think the biggest advantage of the Matador Bag is the durability. I’ve had this one for several years, use it all the time, and it still looks almost as good as when I bought it. The price tag may be a little steep for a tiny soap bag, but it will last years, so I think it’s a good investment if you travel a lot.
