Customer Reviews Briggs & Riley Baseline - Large Shopping Tote Bag

I bought this B&R tote to use as my “personal item”, along with an Away wheeled carry-on, when I travel by air. I am replacing a Tumi tote which I love but is too small for my needs. At first glance, I liked the bag. It is well made and roomy. It is not as stylish as my Tumi nor does it have a computer compartment, but I was expecting those things. The interior fits everything I need - an extra sweater, my computer, an iPad Pro, extra set of clothes, a small purse, a book, my clear “liquids” bag and there is room for more. The pockets are nice and make it easy to compartmentalize my medication, pens, Tylenol, keys, lip balm, etc... The waterproof bottle holder is small but you can squeeze in a 16 oz can of soda or water bottle. The fabric is good quality and seems resistant to rips. The zippers are good quality as well with nice heavy duty yet fashionable zipper pulls. The good, however, stops there. The snap in toiletries bag was useless for me and I removed it. It wasn’t large enough to hold my hairbrush and other toiletries nor is it made of clear material to use as a “liquids” bag in air travel. The bottom does not have any added structure. When loaded with heavier items such as a computer, the bottom, which is nothing but fabric, conforms to whatever is inside and folds up along the side to expose the feet. (See picture). Why are there feet without a structured bottom? Got me. It looks ridiculous. The bag overall is lacking in structure and has a slouchy look. (See picture) That’s ok, but lack of firmness in the bottom is an oversight in a bag this large. The biggest problem, however, is with the pass-through trolley sleeve. It is way too big and doesn’t keep the tote securely on my rolling carryon. At first I thought the large size was handy - my Tumi was annoyingly snug and needed two hands and a stiff tug to get on the handle. I quickly learned, though, there was a reason for that! Pushing my bag along with all 4 wheels on the ground, my B&R tote stayed nicely in place. When I had to tip back and pull it on 2 wheels, it wasn’t long before I’d hit a bump and the tote would fall to one side, twist around and end up hanging off the down side of my suitcase. It happened over and over again. I ended up having to remove it from my carry-on and just put it on my shoulder. The pass-through sleeve is just over 11” wide and the lack of structure in the bag only makes things worse. (See picture) Perhaps B&R wheeled carry ons have a wider handles than others, but 11” is is extremely wide. It’s absolutely useless with my Away bag or other carry-ons I own so I am unable to use this tote as I had intended. Overall, it’s a finely made bag and if you plan to use it to go to the market, or some other purpose like that, perhaps you will find it suitable. For air travel, though, I find it severely lacking in basic functionality.

This bag is large enough to fit my laptop, purse and everything I need with me on a long trip. I have the baseline roll aboard and this fits on top perfectly - though it is a little slouchy. I only really use this bag for travel as it is a little large for everyday. It fits just fine under an airplane seat. I highly recommend anything Briggs and Riley. The quality cannot be beat. It is certainly leagues ahead of Tumi.

WOW!! If you are hesitating at all because of the price or any other reason, stop hesitating and buy this tote bag....NOW! I actually saw this one first as I was shopping for totes, and loved it but bypassed it because of the price. Then I ordered 2 other totes that were around $100 and just weren't good at all. I finally bit the bullet and bought this one and am so glad I did. I can fit so much in this tote - right now I have it packed for Barcelona with a pair of clogs, a puff jacket, a change of clothes, all my toiletries, kindle, purse, electronics....it's like the clown car of tote bags. The best part is that it doesn't look or feel that big. And so easy to put on the back of your luggage. I LOVE the storage compartments and did away with all of my small bags that I used to shove in my other tote. The quality is A+, and I can see it lasting a lifetime.

I love this bag! I've used a tote bag for more than 20 years to take all of my stuff to work (small purse, lunch, umbrella, sunglasses, etc.), and this is the best tote bag I've ever had. This was more money than I wanted to spend and was heavier than my previous tote bag, but I couldn't find anything else, so I "settled" for the Briggs & Riley bag. And I'm so happy I did. The structured bottom adds to the weight, but it actually makes the interior space seem larger and more usable than the lighter-weight bag I replaced, and the bag feels comfortable to carry even when it's loaded with all my stuff. It has plenty of pockets to keep things organized, and the zippered slip-through back pocket has a separate pocket so that you can use it to hold things even if you unzip the bottom to put it on a rolling bag. I usually buy black but I ordered the olive one and I really like the color and the look of the contrasting khaki straps. Overall, this is a fantastic tote bag.

Amazing bag - fits everything, easy to carry on your shoulder or over the handle of your suitcase. Also fits under the seat in front of you on an airplane (as long as you don't need too much leg room). Great pockets to keep it organized. So happy with this purchase!

Love this tote. Got it 4 years ago for an extended trip. Worked perfectly. Loved the pockets. Easy to find items. The zip through pocket to put the tote on luggage works great. Gave the bag to my daughter to use for a trip and never got it back from her so I'm purchasing another one.

I have been on the hunt for the perfect carry-on and this is it. It is well made and spacious with thick, comfortable straps. I can tell that I will enjoy this bag for many years. I was hesitant to buy this bag due to a Zappos review that complained about the strength of the bottom of the bag. After inspecting the bag in person, I think that particular review and the accompanying photos are grossly misleading. Yes, the bottom of the bag is wide, but it is a carry-on, not a computer bag. I tried to get the bag to mimic what was shown in those photos, and I could only do so by applying a tremendous amount of pressure. Bottom line, if this bag is in your budget, buy it, you'll love it.

First off, I am a tote addict. I could never seem to find the 'perfect' one for travel. Eureka .. I have found it!!! I love Briggs and Riley for their style and quality and this tote is no exception. I just retuned from a 2 week trip to Paris and this fabulous tote was stuffed to the gils with every thing that I wanted to use during the flight with room left for lots more. With all of the pockets and compartments, it was easy to retrieve what I wanted without rummaging through and removing any contents. I am a creature of habit and all of my luggage is black...just like everyone else's. This time I choose the olive green color to hook over my wheelie handle and it was a nice color combination. Thank you Zappos for your fabulous Customer Service.

Finally replaced a beloved road warrior carry-on I've had for 10-15 years. (Of course they don't make it anymore.) Needed the new one to fit atop my Rimowa carry-on and absorb any of my giant handbags with iPad, water bottle etc. and still count as my "personal item" under the seat in front of me. This fit the bill. If the sides had reinforcement to stand up when empty or under-filled it'd be perfect. But I will say the soft sides allow it to collapse smaller and leave more room for my long legs. Call that a draw! I got the black and it's nice, neat and nondescript enough to suit its purpose. Lighter than expected. Roomier than expected. Let's call it the Mary Poppins bag for modern travel. Haven't pulled out a lamp yet, but then I haven't finished unpacking my from my last trip.

Very sturdy, comfortable and convenient carryon. Fits perfectly over my Briggs and Riley suitcase handles, where Tumi bags do not (slit is too narrow!). It’s pretty big but still fits under seat on aircraft. It’s the size I needed to allow me to not check a bag. Can use this with my roll on suitcase and voila. Not the most stylish as others have said but it certainly gets the job done.

This is a great travel tote. It has everything I was looking for including the pass thru slot on back to slip on top of luggage. My only criticism is the water bottle pocket is way too small to be of use. It will only fit a pint size bottle so I am using it for sunglasses instead.

So glad I ordered this bag! It's just the right size and I love all the pockets. Super sturdy and just perfect for work. It looks nice too!

Love this bag! Not too big, but holds everything I need for a weekend, including my laptop. Fits under the seat in planes. Looks sharp. Cleans easily by wiping it off with a damp cloth.

Fantastic travel bag. So many compartments, I have trouble deciding what to put where. Fits a laptop plus everything else I need on long flights. Big enough for an overnight or two. But most spectacular is Briggs & Riley's guaranty. My bag ripped due to mishandling (very long story), I shipped it to B&R's repair center, and they sent me a new bag within 2 weeks. Amazing customer care! All my bags will be B&R from here on out.

Works great as carry on bag. Excellent exterior pockets for quick access to boarding pass, phone. Slips easily over suitcase handle.

Great travel bag. This is a light tote while being sturdy with very comfortable shoulder straps. I'd been looking for that bag to accompany my rolling carry-on that could hold plenty of items and still fit under the seat. I was really impressed by the organization, lots of efficient pockets. Not sure why it's advertised as a shopping tote, though it could certainly work for that. I think it's a wonderful travel tote. I own other Briggs & Riley and am very impressed with the quality and warranty.

Great travel bag - bigger than I expected.

Very nice bag, but measurements don't work for me. Actual drop is 11 1/2 from top of bag so too tight over a coat when travelling. Just like picture, top is wider than bottom because the zipper is 20" long. Would prefer it to be more rounded on the top like the bottom, with a shorter zipper so sides could go straight up. Gorgeous bag otherwise.

Great bag! I travel for work and not only will I utilize this for my travel bag but also by hand while on the road! The only thing I would like to have seen is a center divider for the compartment otherwise it's perfect

I love this bag. I use it for the gym and overnight travel. It is stylish & has a tremendous amount of room. I feel very organized using this bag.

Terrific bag. Like one outside pocket has magnetized closure. Love all the zippered and open areas for tucking stuff you need when you open you bag. Don't want to be rifling around like you're a nomad. Too big for needs right now, but will reconsider in future.

I love this bag! Very durable, fits all of my work related supplies, and my purse! Fits easily under the airplane seat when traveling. Love the zippered panel on the back to slide the bag overtop of my carry-on suitcase retractable handle.

Love this bag. It looks great and it serves exactly the purpose I was looking for. As a frequent flyer, I can keep my laptop, kindle, iPad and other items on hand, and shove my purse in for boarding. It looks professional while being extremely practical.

Just gave this to our daughter (soph @ Penn State) for her 20th birthday. She loves it. It's got lots of pockets, well made of durable material and is big enough to use for a lot of different uses.

This bag is fantastic! If this doesn't keep me organized when I travel nothing will. Very roomy and can hold my purse, a few magazines, my Kindle, some makeup and even a change of clothes! It will fit under the seat on a plane and zips close for security. Love it!