Customer Reviews

AmeriBag Healthy Back Bags Leather X-Small, Cognac

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I have the Ameribag Healthy Back bag in x-small black leather and the medium black micro fiber. X-small is a good purse size for me. I use it mostly to tote my tiny ASUS EEE computer around, but it can be used just as a standard purse. Medium is too big for me to use as a regular everyday purse. I use the medium size Ameribag more like a backpack.

MATERIAL

The leather bag is very nicely constructed. I've owned this for more than a year and it still looks and feels very nice. The quality in construction is all there.

Leather is heavy, though. The x-small bag weighs about a pound, the same weight as the medium micro-fiber bag.

DESIGN

There are plenty of pockets in this bag. The most useful ones are the two outer ones, one with a flap and one with a zipper, and an inner one with a zipper.

The inner pockets are impractical to reach when the bag is full. There is even a pocket positioned inside the rear of the bag. When I open my bag, I have it in a horizontal position with the zipper facing up towards me, holding it like a purse. That's the position most purses are in when we open them. Imagine having to put your hand down to the bottom of the purse to reach the back pocket, especially if the bag is full.

There is a pocket on the rear of the purse on the outside that would be nice for something, but it's too small for most things and I'm afraid to stick a cell phone in it for fear it will fall out. On the medium bag, that pocket fits a water bottle, but the bottle falls out when I swing it around to open my bag.

IS IT EASIER ON THE BACK?

Yes, though the difference is more noticeable with the medium bag, which I weigh down with countless objects and tote around on my travels. I don't carry enough weight in my x-small bag to see a difference, but some people might.

There are no instructions for how to wear this bag when you get it. How to wear it so it doesn't strain your back? I sling it across my back and have the weight ride low so that it hit's the lower end of my back. That takes the weight off my shoulders and also leaves my hands free, which is one of the reasons I chose this bag (besides needing a back saving bag).

Pros:
+easier on the back
+solid construction
+lots of pockets
+leather
+can be worn across the back to free up hands

Cons:
-most pockets impractical to use
-leather heavier than micro-fiber

SUMMARY

If I buy another one of these bags, it would be an x-small micro fiber bag, because micro-fiber is lighter in weight. Wish the pockets were a little more user friendly, but it is a back saver and I like purses that leave my hands free.

A minority opinion, but I wish I hadn't bought this. It has no style and is hard to get into unless you take it off. I've only had it a week, and even though I don't load it full, the shoulder strap is so strained I fear it will break within a few months.

I hate the cheap nylon lining, and as another reviewer said, only the 2 outer pockets are useful. The odd-sized inner ones are just space-wasters, too small for cell phone, pocket mirror, sunglasses, etc. At least it's not covered in logos or decorated with metal hardware.

I don't feel it's any lighter weight or easier on my back than the very nice medium-size bag I have. I wish it was. I bought this because it zips, while nearly all my other bags have a magnetic closure, which interferes with the inner workings of my smartphone.

I wish I'd opted for better quality, even at a higher price. Most of my bags cost twice this much or more, but they last 5-10 years (two are 15 and one is 20!). This purchase was penny-wise and pound foolish (yes, I meant that pun).