A good travel bag has to check a few boxes: It’s utilitarian and fits all of your things without bursting at the seams, it’s comfortable to carry through airports and giant train stations and it looks good. Sounds straightforward enough, but with so many options on the market, it can be tough to zero in on that Cinderella bag. That’s why I decided to put two of the most internet-beloved travel bags to the test: the Calpak Luka Duffel ($128) and the Béis Weekender ($108). I’ve taken both bags on multiple trips—both short weekend getaways and multi-stop international journeys—and here’s my honest review.
Calpak Luka Duffel vs. Béis Weekender: We Tested Both Travel Bags to See Which One Reigns Supreme
*So* many pockets
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Published Feb 20, 2024
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sarah stiefvater; background: getty images
What Sets Calpak and Beis Apart?
Calpak and Béis are two of the most popular travel accessory brands right now, and for good reason (as you’ll soon see). Calpak was founded in 1989 and started as a small collection of handbags and wallets. Béis was founded in 2018 by actress Shea Mitchell, and quickly went viral. Each brand has since expanded to sell hard-side luggage, organizational bags, work totes, garment bags and more, all at affordable prices considering their high quality.
How I Tested the Travel Bags
I’ve used each of these bags on multiple occasions, but for the sake of this review, I’m going to compare how they fared on two separate, two-week-long international trips with stops in three countries (and transportation via plane, train and car). On flights, I used the Calpak Luka as an under-seat item, whereas I stowed the Béis Weekender in the overhead compartment. Each bag has been lugged from London to Positano to Amsterdam to Berlin on planes and taxis and trains. And as much as I wish I was someone who treated their belongings with the utmost respect and care, I’m just not that person. I put my travel bags through the ringer and luckily, these two have risen to the occasion.
calpak
My Calpak Luka Duffel Review
What We Like
- lightweight and comfortable to carry
- lots of color options
- easy to store between trips
What We Don't Like
- shoe compartment is bulky when in use
- slightly more expensive than Béis
calpak
- Aesthetic: 19/20
- Organizational Capability: 18/20
- Comfort: 20/20
- Durability: 18/20
- Value: 18/20
TOTAL: 93/100
While I’ve had my Béis Weekender for a couple of years, the Calpak Luka is a newer addition to my travel bag collection—and it’s already made an impression. The Luka duffel is super lightweight and ultra comfortable to carry, thanks to its padded exterior. It features nine different pockets—both zippered and not—and a built-in shoe compartment (that I typically don’t use because I find it takes up too much space when filled with shoes). It has smaller top handles, a detachable long strap and a trolley sleeve that’s a godsend when you’re traveling with a rolling suitcase. While it holds a ton of stuff, it’s still compact enough to be used as a personal item and it fits comfortably underneath the seats of multiple airlines I’ve flown (though you should check the airline’s website beforehand to make sure the specs are OK).
I got my Luka in the limited edition copper color, and while I do love the way it looks (especially paired with my white Away carry-on), I think I would’ve been happier with a subtler neutral in the long run. (Note that there’s also a Luka Large Duffel if you want even more space.) A huge pro to this bag is that it’s so easy to store in between trips. Unlike the Béis bag, which is a bit harder to compress into small spaces, the Luka is so squishy that I can maneuver it to fit into any available nook or cranny—a major win for those of us who don’t have a ton of extra space.
Fast Facts
- Size: 12" x 16" x 7"
- Capacity: 22L
- Compartments: nine
- Colors: 18 options
- Trolley Sleeve: yes
beis
My Béis Weekender Review
What We Like
- grown-up, refined look
- metal feet keep the bottom clean
- structured under-bag compartment comes in handy
What We Don't Like
- can feel bulky to wear with the long strap
- fewer color options
beis
- Aesthetic: 19/20
- Organizational Capability: 17/20
- Comfort: 20/20
- Durability: 19/20
- Value: 17/20
TOTAL: 92/100
I love this bag and have already reviewed it on its own. To summarize my experience, I’ll say this: Anytime I travel with this bag, I feel like a fancy woman who has her life together (even though I’m not actually a fancy woman who has her life together). The bag’s main compartment is roomy, and has multiple pockets, and the opening has a wire frame built in that lets you prop it open to see everything inside. But the real selling point, in my opinion, is the spacious zippered compartment at the bottom of the bag, which is perfect for storing shoes, toiletry bags or even dirty laundry. Like the Luka duffel, it has a shorter strap, a detachable longer strap and a trolley sleeve. If I’m not using the trolley sleeve feature, I typically opt for the top handles, but that’s just because I *hate* when long bags slam into my body as I walk.
While I’ve seen that you can jam it underneath the seat in front of you on certain airlines, I’ve always opted to store my Weekender in the overhead compartment. (Béis also has an equally chic Mini Weekender and Convertible Mini Weekender that might be better for folks looking to use it as a personal item.) The biggest issue I’ve had with this bag is that, because it can fit so much, it’s very easy to weigh it down with too much stuff and end up struggling to tote it around. As mentioned earlier, it’s also a bit harder to store than the Luka duffel, but that shouldn’t be an issue if you aren’t super tight on space.
Fast Facts
- Size: 19in x D 9.8in x H 15.7
- Capacity: 49L
- Compartments: seven
- Colors: eight
- Trolley Sleeve: yes
Calpak vs. Béis Final Notes
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either of these bags; it really just comes down to preference and which one will better suit your travel needs. Personally, I choose between the Calpak Luka and Béis Weekender based on the trip I have planned. For flights, I’m more apt to take the Calpak, as it slides under the seat in front of me easily but still holds a ton, while Béis wins out for car and train rides because it holds slightly more and I prefer the under-bag storage. The bottom line is that these are both stellar travel bags that get the job done in style and without breaking the bank. What more could you ask for?
