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Nomatic Travel Bag Review – Durable and Functional Duffel

This bag was a sensation when it appeared on Kickstarter, earning over $100K on the first day, with over 3 million in total funding. The Nomatic travel bag, is a new contender for a best duffel bag for travel. It is duffel, that is able to convert to a backpack, with lots of pockets that houses dedicated storage for all of your gear.

Looking for similar one bags? Check out our massive comparison post of all the Maximum Size Carryon Bags.

Cost: $279.99
Capacity: 40 liters
Dimensions: 9″ H x 21″ W x 14″ D
Style: Duffel bag
Weight: 4.5 lbs.
Laptop: 19” x 12″ compartment

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Overview of the Nomatic Travel Bag Review

The secret to the Nomatic travel bags funtionality, is access, and compartmentalization. The main zipper opens to a spacious duffel compartment for clothes, and 2 padded pockets for both a laptop and a tablet. The exterior features a fold-out lockable pocket for passport and valuables, and additional dedicated pockets for socks and underwear, water bottle, and a shoe compartment. Convertible straps let you carry the Nomatic travel bag using the handles, or easily convert to a backpack.

The Nomatic travel bag is slightly smaller than the maximum allowable carry-on size of most airlines. Measuring 9 x 14 x 21, and weighting in at 4.5 lbs, it easily fits into the airline overhead compartment. However, it is still large enough to hold your clothes and gear for a week’s worth of travel if you pack light.

Materials, colors, and sizes of the Nomatic Travel Bag

Henry Ford would be proud of the Nomatic travel bag, as customers can get it in any color they want, as long as it is black. While some people appreciate variety, I can advocate for the one-color-fits-all utility of this bag. It is designed to be functional, not colorful. Their motto is “The most functional travel bag ever” and not “The most colorful bag with the most variety of colors and fabrics ever.”

This one-bag-fits all theme applies to the Nomatic travel bag, which is the workhorse of the collection. It doesn’t not, however, apply to their full line of travel products. For size variety you can choose from the Nomatic Travel bag (9 x 14 x 21), the Nomatic Travel Pack (18.5 x 12 x 9.5”), or the Nomatic Backpack (18.5 x 12 x 7.5).

The exact difference between these last two products is a little confusing, with subtle differences in size and features. The quick breakdown is, if you want a one-bag style duffel, go with the Nomatic Travel Bag. For a smaller weekend pack, choose the Travel Pack, and for an everyday carry bag that will store a lot of electronics, pick the backpack. This page has a full breakdown between the Pack and the Backpack.

Durable “Materials” – Nomatic Travel Bag Review

The exact material used in the Nomatic travel bag seems to be a closely guarded secret, as it is not disclosed on their website. The product description of the fabric is stated as being “strong weather-proof material.” Material you say? Tell me more.

While we don’t know the name of the material used in the Nomatic travel bag, we do know what it looks like, and how it functions. My best guess is that it is a thick ballistic nylon fabric, impregnated with rubberized waterproofing. In face it is virtually identical to the material used in the WANDRD hexad Access Duffel bag. This makes the fabric thick and sturdy. The bag will hold its shape, even when it isn’t packed. The rubber coating is also 100% waterproof, meaning your valuables will be kept dry and safe.

Exterior components

The exterior components are what make this bag great. Think access, functionality, and security. One side of the bag boasts two large pockets for a book and travel documents. The other side has a full-zip pocket that folds out to reveal a lockable pouch for valuables, as well as 5 additional pockets for storing cords, chargers, and miscellaneous smaller items. The bottom of the bag is the home of the shoe compartment, while the top side 3 additional zipper pockets for socks and underwear, a water bottle, and a soft-lined pouch for sunglasses.

The mysterious shoe compartment

As an advocate of minimal travel, I usually recommend taking just one pair of shoes. Multiple pairs of shoes are the bane of the one-bag traveler, as they take up an enormous amount of space in your pack. That being said, the shoe compartment on the Nomatic travel bag is a useful feature if you want to carry an extra pair. Accessible from the outside, the easily accessible shoe compartment separates your dirty shoes from the rest of your clothes.

While it does seem like you magically get a dedicated compartment to store your extra sneakers. The mystery soon vanishes when you realize the clod hoppers you stuck in the exterior shoe pocket are now taking up half the inside of the bag. What, you mean my shoes don’t just disappear when I put them in the shoe compartment, whaaa?!

Straps, handles, zippers

One cool feature of the Nomatic travel bag is that it converts between a duffel bag and a backpack, using the same straps. While slightly confusing at first, once you get the hang of the way it works, it is really quite ingenious. Basically, the backpack and duffle handles are on the same strap, and adjusting the length of the strap determines which way you are able to carry it. It works great, and is easy to switch between the two modes.

The biggest design flaw of this bag that I can find is the zippers. Because the bag is made out of a thick, bulky material, the zippers have a tendency to get stuck on corners. They run smooth on the straight aways, but get caught up on tight corners because the material is too thick for them. They could remedy this by making the zippers slightly larger.

Interior components and design

This section will be short. The interior of the bag is…wait for it… a large duffel compartment! While this may seem a let down on a bag boasting to be the most functional travel bag ever, it isn’t. A large duffel pocket is generally easy to pack, and can offer a lot of versatility and organization, especially if you use packing cubes. There is no right way to pack a duffel, it is open to myriad packing styles.

As I alluded to in the mysterious shoe compartment section above, there are tradeoffs to the exterior compartment storage. As you can image, the more you store in the outside pockets, the less room you have available in the interior duffel bag. Check out this photo with the shoe compartment and the sock/underwear pouch fully packed.

This isn’t a product of bad design. However you just have to adjust your packing to accommodate the space taken up from the outside pouches. Pack the outside compartments first, then pack your clothes and gear around the remaining space.

Fit, durability, and testing

So far the fit of the Nomatic travel bag is great, the adjustable straps fit equally as well on a larger 5’10” male as they do on our shorter 5’4” model Amber. The padded laptop sleeve is located on the part of the bag that pressed on your back so it offers some added comfort.

The material on the back of the pack however, is the rubberized mystery material mentioned earlier. This can be a problem during hot days or when carrying the pack for a long time. There is a definite lack of airflow that will cause your back to become sweaty and sticky.

As far as the durability, this bag is solid. The canvas on the bottom of the bag is thick and durable. The rubberized nylon of the rest of the outside of the bag is basically bomb-proof. I don’t see this ever wearing through or ripping.

Overall summary

Overall, this is a great option for one-bag travel. The Nomatic travel bag will work best for the traveler who wants a lot of added features, and is willing to pay a little extra for it. While this bag isn’t outrageously priced, it does come in a little higher than some simpler bags in this category. The material is durable, and the bag is functional with lots of extra pockets, lockable pouches, and compartments.

The worst features of the bag are the slightly skimpy shoulder straps, and the plastic that touches your back making it hot and sticky when carrying it long distances. The description makes it sound like you get extra room with the exterior compartments, while in reality, they just take up room on the inside of the bag.

Details and Buy

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