Premium Leather Overnight Bag

What Makes the Best Leather Overnight Bag?

Whether you're looking to replace an older, well-worn favorite or step up to a bag that shows you're "arrived", our Premium Leather Overnight Bag is for you. Perfectly proportioned and detailed, it's the weekender bag you've been looking for. Use it as a day use or overnight bag, the design never dictates its purpose to you. Whether used for business travel or a weekend getaway, the timeless design is at home in every environment. 

The latest in a series of interviews about the story behind the design of MacCase products. For this interview, we are speaking to MacCase Chief Creative Officer Michael Santoro about the Premium Leather Overnight Bag. 

JKD- The MacCase Premium Leather Collection has been around for more than tens years without a serious general use travel bag. Why launch this type of bag now?

MS - Our leather messengers have been part of the collection since the beginning. Many of our customers purchase one and do not use it for a laptop or tablet. They use them for travel.

I've often been asked why we don't make a larger, general use bag that is more appropriate for a weekend getaway or a few days on the road for the business traveler. Now we have two. Each with their own style and character. 

When I started the design process I wanted to build the best leather overnight bag. What does that mean? There is a lot of competition out there. Most major designers make a leather overnight bag of some sort. 

The problem for shoppers is you often wind up paying for a designer brand name on a subpar product. Many times the names are just licensed out to a low-end cut and sew manufacturer. Moreover, there are big advertising budgets that are part of the price you pay as well. 

Two Overnight Travel Bags

JKD: Do you think you have an answer for that?

My goal is to bring a very high style, beautifully executed product to market without the burden of a licensing fee or a colossal ad budget to pay for. What if we took all the resources available and put it into the actual product? What if we did a leather overnight bag that had the attention to detail of a $1200 European designer brand for a third of the price? 

At the end of the day, "best" is relative. There is only what is best for you as an individual. I felt we'd have the best overnight bag if we could offer the best value. It's not cheap. If you buy a cheap bag, say for $60 and it lasts 6 months and then you need to buy another, it's a terrible value. 

But a $400 bag with all the style and build quality of a $1200 bag is a value proposition that can be hard to beat if you do it correctly. This can represent the definition of "best overnight bag" for many people.

When people talk about the "best" of something, for most people, "best" represents the best value. What's the best overnight bag for my money? That's what we have built here. The value is incredible. 

JKD - This bag and the Duffle Bag are two answers to the same questions. Can you speak about the differences? Why would one choose one over the other? 

MS- That's a good question. I am sure when people come to shop these form factors they are comparing the two. In many ways, they are very similar and in many ways they are different. It depends on who you are as the customer.

Weekender Bag Style Matters

JKD: That's an interesting idea. Can you expand on that? Would you say one of them is more suited to daily use and one is more of a weekender bag?

The bags are very close in overall size. Their shapes vary a bit but they are within an inch of each other in any given direction. So if their sizes are almost the same, what's the difference?

The difference is in who they will appeal to. The appeal variance comes from how they look. 

The Duffle is much more traditional in its appearance. It's more familiar. Its aesthetic is more function-based. You can see the function expressed by the details. It's like a beautiful bridge design. I would go as far as to use the word "utilitarian" but in a good way. Its aesthetic is more purposeful. 

The leather overnight bag is much more stylish. There is a sense  of glamour to it. It's a bag you arrive with.  There are a lot of beautiful resorts here in Southern California. This weekender bag is the perfect accessory to arrive with at one of these resorts. 

That's not to say it prioritizes form over function. It actually might be more functional than the Duffle. It's a shape-shifter. You can compress the form using the adjustable mushroom pins and the bag will look one way.

You can release the clips and the ends of the bag will stick out horizontally to give the shape a completely different appearance. When you use it as a shoulder bag the appearance changes again. 

There is a chameleon-like quality to it that will appeal to both men and women. It's the high style and convertibility that separates the leather overnight bag from the duffel.

For many people, the duffel is what they want. For another group, the duffle might not be stylish enough. This weekender is the answer for them. Another way of looking at it is, if the duffle is the go anywhere, do anything sport utility type of bag, the Overnighter is the sports car of the two. 

Superb Functionality

JKD - What about the interiors and other functional parts? How do they compare?

MS - The interiors are the same. Both have 8 interior pockets. 2 horizontal zippered pockets and 6 vertical pockets that are trimmed nicely in leather.

Moreover, between the interior liner fabric and the exterior hide is 5 millimeters of foam. The industry standard is to use 2mm, which is nothing. There is a weight to the walls of these bags, a quality you can feel. The foam is dense too. It's not just some aerated plastic that will collapse in 6 months. It's foam rubber. 

Travel bags tend to experience a lot more wear and tear than a laptop case so we opted for a much heavier weight fabric to stand up to that. Then we complemented that with 150% more foam padding than the industry normally uses. 

The layering of the heavier liner fabric, the 150% thicker foam rubber padding, and our exterior hides create a level of overall quality and a user experience that is far beyond the price point. This is all part of our recurring theme of adding value to the product. 

Functionally, they work the same way. Both have zippers across the top. Both have fold-away handles and both have shoulder straps. With the leather overnight bag, you do get the adjustability aspect, which for some might be important. 

Exquisite Details

JKD - What are some of the details that make this travel model stand out?

MS - We're using top-of-the-line YKK metal zippers. I don't think we've ever used metal zippers before. They take a bit of time to break in but they are tough as nails. 

The chrome on our hardware is gleaming. You have the D-ring of the shoulder strap and rivet, the zipper pulls, and the mushroom pins that allow you to adjust the size of the bag.   

One other thing I'd like to point out is that the bottom panel is structured and we've included 5 feet on the bottom to protect it. They're going to quadruple the life of the product.

Again, this is an example of adding more value. I keep coming back to this point, but in the end, all of the aspects of the design add up to creating a product that is greater than the sum of it's parts. 

Black Overnight Bag or Vintage Overnight Bag

JKD - Of all the MacCase products, this design is strikingly different between the 2 colors you are offering. Can you talk about the differences between the black version and the vintage model?

MS - You're right. They are strikingly different. Almost to the point of not looking like the same model. I believe both will work in any environment. Given that, it comes down to what's more comfortable for the customer. 

As a customer you have to ask, what kind of places do I like to travel to? If you favor urban environments, staying in hotels in the center of cities or towns, taking in historic sites, then the black overnight bag is the way to go. The combination of the high emboss black satin finish hides against the glossier, smooth leather is very sophisticated. It's timeless and urbane. 

Professional Overnight Bag

When you add the white stitching, it just takes the bag to another level. Again, more value-added. The black version looks like a $1500 bag. It truly makes a statement. 

On the other side of the spectrum is the vintage model. If you're longing to be back at your ranch, lake or beach house, mountain retreat or any other bucolic gateway, there is no better way to arrive than to unload our vintage overnight bag from the rear of your SUV. 

The warm, rich color. The smell. The way the hides feels. It all enhances the experience of traveling to a weekend getaway spot whose purpose is to get you away, outside and relaxing. There is a casualness about this vintage model that is infectious. You feel more relaxed just looking at it. 

The vintage hides will patina in over time. The bag is going to change. It's going to take on the character of how you use it. Eventually, your MacCase will only look like yours and no other. This patina process endears the product to its owner. With the size and scale of these bags, that process is going to be even more intense. 

JKD - AS always, thank you for your time. 

MS - You're very welcome. 

FAQ - 

What is a Weekender Bag?

A "weekender" bag is a men's or women's travel bag designed to allow someone to pack and transport clothing, personal items, and toiletries for 2-3 days or, a long weekend, away from home. Weekender bags can be made from either man-made materials or natural materials such as leather.

What is the best Overnight Bag?

The best overnight bag is the one that meets or exceeds your individual needs. Things to consider when shopping for one is the overall size (sizes to vary), quality of the materials, quality of the hardware, functionality overall appearance and overall value.

What size is a Weekender Bag?

While sizes vary, the generic size listed by the airlines is 22" x 10" x 18. Most bags are soft-sided and can accommodate a large variety of spaces. Many can adjust their overall size down as needed. This adaptability is one reason why these types of bags are so popular.

What is an Overnight Bag?

An "overnight bag is a men's or women's travel bag designed to allow someone to pack and transport clothing, personal items, and toiletries for 1-2 days away from home. Overnight bags are typically made from either man-made materials or natural materials such as leather.