Industry Portage Tote Bag Review

Shortly after my write up on Cool Materials went live I received an email from RJ Diaz, the man behind Industry Portage; a company that I had never heard of until then.  So I did my usual dissection of the brand’s website and to be honest, I was quite mixed on what I saw.  Some of the items I did not care for, and others were a little outside my normal style, but in the good type of way.  So I obliged RJ’s request to review one of his products.

Eventually, RJ and I connected by phone, which I like to do with every brand I end up reviewing or working with and that’s when I really started to appreciate what Industry Portage is trying to do.  RJ’s background is in design and construction, which I believe leads to Industry Portage’s mix of functional and aesthetically pleasing designs.  RJ told me that ideally he wants to create a series of bags that appeal to various craftsmen and creative types.  Like engineers, designers, architects and the like; pretty niche stuff.  I didn’t say it then, but I will now, I hope he makes one for the medical profession (for doctors and EMTs like myself).  I guess one for menswear bloggers wouldn’t be a bad idea either…  That said, it became clear that RJ is not trying to take over the world with his bags, which I can respect.  He is trying to create a series of bags that will make life easier for a very specific type of person.

Although I liked the Classic Duffel and the Dopp Kit I thought I would get more use out of the Work Tote.  So we agreed that would be the item for the review.  Which admittedly is not totally in line with my style.  But I think accessories are a good place to try new things.  And in this instance I am glad that I did just that.

The bag can easily be dressed up or down, that is, I feel comfortable using the bag when wearing khakis or a suit.  Equally at home carrying a change of clothes for the gym as it is carrying my laptop.  I do not wear a lot of black so my biggest (and one of very few) complaint is that the bag only comes in grey and black.  I think the bag would look exceptionally attractive in shades of blue and brown.  Anyway, let’s take a closer look.

The question looms as to whether or not the tote bag is worth its $240 price tag.  I think the quality of materials and construction coupled with the design of the bag do substantiate the price.  But still, I think that it is something that is hard to justify for a large majority of men; but that depends on how much one plans to use it.  Which is why I think the bag would make a great gift.  But that aside, for those man looking for an everyday bag the Industry Portage tote is less expensive than many other ‘manbags’ out there while still boasting an attractive look and quality construction.   Personally, I expect to be using the bag indefinitely.

–JLJ

Note: FYGblog did receive the bag reviewed for the purpose of this post.  The utmost effort was taken to maintain and unbiased and objective opinion of the item at hand.