Gear Review: Ebags Motherlode TLS Weekender Convertible

I can only imagine what happened. One day, the designers at Ebags decided to come up with a convertible bag that had the best features of its near competitors while improvings all the downsides.

The result: The Ebags Motherlode TLS Weekender Convertible.

The basics: The bag is 22 x 14 s 9. With shoulder strap and waist belt, it weighs just over 4 lbs. The bag is 3300 cu in and expanble. It’s made of 840 denier twisted polyester. 

Now for the details. I could start listing them but ebags has done such a good job making a promotional video for this bag, wouldn’t you rather watch that then read my prose? 

So, sit back, watch the video, and then come back to get my take on it:

Now for the extras….the bag is expandable but that would make it too big for carry-on. 

The orange interior is bright but will allow you to see everything you’ve packed. 

For those who are worried about thieves breaking into your locked bag using the moveable zipper method, Ebags has place small rings allowing you to lock the zippers in one place making it more difficult for a thief to hid their tracks. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, search Youtube for videos on opening up a locked suitcase.)

The laptop pocket is convenient and fuctional. The adustable sling fits most size laptops and having it in it’s own pocket makes the laptop easy to remove for security. I’ve tried both my 15” laptop and netbook in the sleeve and fit with no problems. 

Now for the negatives. The bag is heavy at just over 4 lbs. The D rings are made of  plastic and the ones for the backpack straps are exposed and could be torn off if you checked—gate or regular.

While I prefer a nylon bag, the polyester used seems durable. It may also, believe it or not, be overdesigned. Just too many features. 

All in all, for the money, you can’t beat this bag. It retails for $100 but I’ve never seen it not on sale for $90. Wait a  few weeks, or join their email list and you’ll get discounts down to $80 or even less.  If you buy it through Ebates,, you’ll get free shipping and a 6% rebate. 

According to a conversation I had with Ebags PR guy, this bag is Ebags #1 seller of all the thousands of bags they have for sale. 

If you’re looking for an inexpensive but feature full bag, you can’t beat this one. 

Comments

[Till]

Awesome initiative. That's what I call a quick response. :)

Very cool bag, I find, from what I can see. I think overall 4lbs are not too bag for such a full-featured bag. It's the same weight as the Tristar but is bigger. It's the same size as the Airboss but has backpack straps. And it costs less than half or even just a third. Which is why I find that it's a particularly good entry point to onebagging, a point supported by the excellent sales success.

D-rings in plastic are not so bad, I'd say. Sure metal looks and feels heftier. But modern plastics can be amazingly strong. And breaking plastic parts might be covered under the warranty.

Thanks for the review!

[Jeremiah]

I did a bunch of research before buying this bag for my only bag on a month long trip to Europe last year. It worked out great and was very durable. All of the pockets definitely help to organize things and provide quick access to stuff like your 3-1-1 bag for security or a jacket if starts to rain in transit. It did not show any wear and held up very well even after having to be checked on a small commuter flight. I definitely recommend it.

[Dave B]

I've used this bag for a number of recent trips, including a two week trip to Paris via Houston (long story). I'd heard about it when looking at the Rick Steves bag and confirmed its utility on this site. I was able to wait out their sales and got it for around $55...then waited some more and got bags for my sons for last Christmas at the same price. It does everything they say it will and easily fit in an overhead bin. I didn't find the shoulder strap useful as it slipped a lot, but the back straps work fine. As noted by many others, this is a good all around bag.

[DannH]

I have both this bag and the similar one from Rick Steves. The eBags was half the price but twice the quality. Zippers & seams MUCH stronger.

[Frank II]

I have a Rick Steves convertible from the early 1990's. It was a great bag and made very well. In fact, it was my first"one bag.' Sadly, it got misplaced in a move.

I bought a new one about three years ago. Boy was I disappointed. The quality had gone down drastically and it is very poorly designed.

Between the two, although it's heavier, the Ebags Weekender easily wins.

[Maggie]

Looks/sounds like a great bag but it's just too heavy for carry-on weight limits that are 7kgs (all are where I live).

[Paul]

Frank, I've noticed the same (about the RS convertible). I still
have my 'old generation' RS bag as a fall back option, but the
new ones are considerably inferior. They do work, but I can
recommend quite a few other bags before I would the current
generation of RS carry-on. In fact I have a 'older generation'
Veloce bag that I use as a daily laptop bag, but again the newer
ones are not as well constructed.

Happy travels ~

[Larry]

I have the Weekender, an L.L.Bean Quickload and the OPEC. The eBags is almost twice the weight of the Quickload and so most trips that require a lot of walking get the Quickload. The eBags has definely got more organization though and gets the nod when I go by car.

[Andy]

I own the original eBags Weekender, and took it on a 95-day backpacking trip through 20 countries.

It's 3 lb 11 oz, and I think it's WAY too heavy and won't be used again. I'm sure this one is better, but it's also heavier, so it's not at all in the running for a regular bag for me.

On my last 30 day trip, my bag (Patagonia Lightweight Travel Duffel) weighed 6-8 lbs fully packed. I can't imagine carrying a bag that weighs almost as much EMPTY as mine does fully packed.

[MJK]

If you can wait, I got mine on sale for $39.99 at the end of last summer during the Back to School Specials combined with a discount code that was linked by one of the readers of this site. Having been and ebags shopper for a while now I've noticed the sales cycle at the same time every year. I love the bag and the price!
P.S. Thanks to everyone for all of the great bag advice

[Andrew]

Yes, eBags' constant sales plus frequent additional coupons means you can with patience get the Weekender for around $50-60 if you wait.
Great bag. Yes if anything it's overdesigned. And yes it could/should be lighter, and I would gladly pay more for a lighter overall fabric. If it were made of the LLBean Quickload nylon fabric it could easily be 1-1.5 lbs lighter overall. The detachable shoulder strap can be left at home since the backpack straps work just fine over one shoulder.
Great review. Since it's their #1 bag I hope eBags chooses to bring out a lighter version.

[Cindy]

HI! I can see that this bag has the "hide away" shoulder straps and that it has a "traditional suitcase" grip handle. Does it have rings to allow the attachment of a traditional "one shoulder" strap, like the Claw strap?

[Frank II--Editor]

Yes it does. In fact, it comes with a shoulder strap. In the last picture of the above review, you'll see a photo of the bag with two items underneath. On the left is the included shoulder strap and on the right, the waist belt. (I didn't unwrap them for the photo.)

While the shoulder strap isn't bad, I replaced it with the Tom Bihn Absolute Strap. The Claw will also work..

[MH]

I bought this bag about a year ago after searching for the best "one-bag" with backpack straps. I really liked the volume of this thing... there was virtually no limit to what it could hold! It allowed me to push the limits of the carry-on rules a bit, without anyone noticing. Lots of great features, and good organization capabilities.

But then after using it a few times a month for ~4-5 months, the piece of fabric that holds on the D-ring for the shoulder strap broke! Now it sits in my closet and collects dust. I don't care if something has a warranty... its such a pain to send it back, and it shouldn't break in the first place. I don't want another one of these things... I assume it will just break again. I can't recommend this bag.

[Rebecca P]

"The D rings are made of plastic and the ones for the backpack straps are exposed and could be torn off if you checked—gate or regular." This issue has bugged me for awhile in regard to this bag because I would like the option to check it without worry if necessary. And if the D ring(s) break, then its useless as a backpack. I wonder then whether if would work to put some duct tape over the D rings the odd time the bag is checked. Perhaps that would provide adequate protection?

Not sure how to solve the poster above's problem with the ripped/broken fabric that holds the D ring though, unless the fabric has worn because of being checked, and the duct tape idea would also protect the fabric around the D ring.....