Words on the Goods

Even well into adulthood we menfolk (and womenfolk) have occasional moments when we think, Now I’m really an adult. Getting married and having children will do that to a person. Simpler tasks like car maintenance and balancing the budget achieve similar effect. Moving from Ziploc bags to a dopp kit feels like another signpost along the way, too.

This summer and fall I’ve had the chance to field test the Duo Dopp Kit by Waterfield Designs in San Francisco.

 

 

The Duo Dopp Kit is made of brown wax canvas, plus a leather grab handle, which also provides a way to hang it up on a bathroom hook.

 

 

The “Duo” is so named for the two zippered compartments inside. The bag has gold-colored lining and mesh pockets with really sturdy zippers for each of the compartments, as well as another to close the whole thing.

 

 

You can use the bag for any number of items: glasses case, deodorant, toothbrush, or you could even commandeer it for tech accessories like cords and chargers.

 

 

Getting in and out is easy, and the 6.5 oz dopp kit takes up very little space in a suitcase or gym bag. (It’s 9.5″ long by 5″ wide by 3.5 ” high.)

Not only does the bag hang up, it also lays flat really well if you wanted to set it out on a sink.

 

 

The construction is careful and the materials high quality. Waterfield makes all their products in the U.S.

 

 

 

I have been a little reluctant to test just how waterproof it is, but that’s probably just my overcautiousness. One could easily have one compartment for dry items (razor, deodorant) and the other for wet (contact solution, hair gel, etc.).

The compact size of the Duo Dopp Kit is great, but also a potential drawback. When I’m going to the gym and just need to pack deodorant, hair gel, a brush, and some hand lotion, everything fits great, but if I’m going on a multi-overnight trip and want to include my full-size shampoo and conditioner bottles, the Duo ends up being too small to be a single solution. Your mileage may vary.

At $79, the Duo Dopp Kit is not cheap, but you probably won’t need to replace it any time soon.

Overall, it’s a classy, fun, and convenient product for real (or would-be) grown-ups.

 

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Thanks to Waterfield Designs for the product sample, provided to me for the purposes of this review but with no expectation as to the review’s content.