I’m super excited to finally share a full review of the Leatherology Kress Hauler Tote Bag! The number of DMs I’ve gotten about this bag is honestly amazing — for good reason. This bag is seriously SO GOOD, y’all.
Since it’s a popular bag right now, I wanted to give you my honest thoughts and opinions on the bag so far. I’ve had mine for about 2 months, but I’ve used it a TON so I feel like I’ve got a really good idea for its pros and cons.
LEATHEROLOGY KRESS XL TOTE VS. MINI TOTE
One of the questions I received a lot after asking for your questions on Instagram was what I thought about the XL size versus the mini tote. You can get a good feel for the Kress mini tote in this blog post. Honestly, I love both sizes for different reasons. If I’m headed out somewhere by myself or without Four, I find myself grabbing for the mini tote, but the XL is perfect for the days I know I’ll be carrying a lot of things for a toddler.
The mini tote is 8.5″ H x 9.4″ W x 3.9″ D with a 20″ strap drop, while the XL is 12.9″ H x 15.9″ W x 6.9″ D with a 7″ strap drop. The XL bag also has 2 interior open pockets and 1 large interior zippered pocket whereas the mini tote only has one interior zippered pocket, so I find that it’s less easy to organize the things inside my bag with the mini tote.
The BIG perk of the mini tote is that it can be worn as a crossbody. With the XL, you have to carry it as a true tote. I’m always a fan of a good crossbody bag (which is probably why I do grab for the smaller tote more often. You’ve probably seen me wear this Leatherology crossbody bag all the time (read more about it in this blog post). It’s just easier to throw on and go if I don’t have to worry about bringing a lot of things with me.
PERSONALIZATION & PRICE POINT
Maybe my favorite thing about the Leatherology bags is that you can personalize them in several different ways. With most Leatherology bags, you have the option to personalize your bag using debossing, hand painting, or trapunto quilting. All of these are seriously gorgeous options, but I always prefer the trapunto quilting because I love the way it looks. The cost for debossing is $20, hand painting is $40, and trapunto quilting is $120. I should also note that if you chose to have your bag hand-painted, it takes an additional week to ship and trapunto quilting adds 4 weeks to your shipping.
STORAGE SPACE
In terms of storage space, the XL tote can’t be beaten. It has three interior pockets, which make it SO nice for organizing allll the items in my bag. Like I’ve mentioned, when I’m going anywhere with Four, I usually have a lot of stuff with me. While I do use these clear bags from Amazon to keep things organized, it’s also nice to have separate pockets inside this bag for easy access to certain items. Several of you wanted to know if it has a zipper on top — it does not; however, I never find stuff falling out!
LEATHEROLOGY KRESS VS. LOUIS VUITTON NEVERFULL
I had several questions about how it compares to the Louis Vuitton Neverfull (another one of my favs!). The thing I like about the Leatherology tote over the Neverfull is that it’s way more structured (although the panel at the bottom is removable if you want less structure). It’s got six metal feet so you can keep the bottom of the bag protected when you sit it down. Then, obviously, the price is much lower for the Kress versus the Neverfull. However, I will say that the Neverfull is more “bendy,” so I actually think you could fit more in it. I also use a tote insert in my Neverfull to keep it more organized and give it some structure.
EASE OF USE
At the end of the day, the most important thing to look for in a bag of any kind is how usable it is. I love a beautiful bag as much as the next person, but if it doesn’t give you the space, durability, and structure you need, it’s probably not worth the cost. In my opinion, this is a SUPER easy-to-use tote that is perfect for whatever stage of life you’re in. It’s actually very lightweight for the size, and the pockets help me keep things organized and off the bottom of the bag.
I honestly love this bag (both the XL and the mini tote) and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stylish bag that isn’t going to break the bank but will offer you plenty of storage space. Plus, the personalization is so different than any other brand of bag I’ve found, and this color goes with everything (although I also really love the black and blue versions).
PS – I also recorded a video review on my Instagram here in case you’re interested!
SHOP THE LOOK
Outfit Details: Top // Jeans // Sandals // Tote // Sunglasses
