MY NEW PICKLEBALL BAG!
I play pickleball an average of 5 times a week at my LifeTime club's indoor courts. My trusty tote finally gave in, so I was in the market for a new bag to house all of my pickleball gear. Wanted a sturdy bag, good zippers, roomy...but not overly large or bulky, lots of pockets, and I had a budget of around 20 bucks. On an average day I take along two or three paddles, a bunch of balls, safety glasses, a large Stanley hydroflask, protein bars, hand towels, wrist bands, elbow / knee braces, paddle cleaner, and various other PB related sundries. Although I typically wear my pickleball shoes to the club and go home in the same clothes I came with, it would be nice if the bag had dry/wet separate areas to store a change of shoes or clothes. After searching through Amazon's myriad of dedicated pickleball bags and back packs, I finally stumbled upon this Veagia duffle bag. It was well reviewed, and looked like it had all the features and storage capabilities I was looking for. As a bonus, I happened to catch a Lightning Deal, keeping the price below $20, even after tax! Although marketed more as a weekend travel bag or gym bag, I am here to tell all my fellow pickleball enthusiasts that it also makes an excellent pickleball bag. For comparison purposes, I even purchased the Large version. But I ended up returning that one because it was waaayyy too large for my pickleball stuff. Perhaps if you are a touring pro, carrying about 6 paddles to a tournament, the Large might be better suited to your needs. However, I am a recreational, Intermediate level player, and the Medium is the perfect size. Although I do not use the detachable carrying strap, it would come in handy for outdoor play. That's because the strap has clips at each end that could be used to attach the bag to a chain link fence. In addition, the two outer waterproof pockets are large and sturdy enough to hold my Stanley water flask, plus my large metal coffee mug. All the materials are made of high-quality nylon and sewn together well. The zippers look quite sturdy, although I am not a big fan of the shoelace ties on the pull tabs. Perhaps I'll replace those down the road. I can see this bag lasting me for a year or two, despite my heavy usage. In fact, I plan on buying a second one to use as a backup, (or even as an airplane carryon), if I spot another Amazon sale. One downside is that when I first opened the bag up completely, a strong, pungent chemical smell was emitted. This seems typical nowadays of Chinese-made products. Their petroleum-based materials and compounds, especially after being stored in airtight packaging in heated conditions, tend to undergo an off-gassing phase once released. While not quite as nauseating as the stench from my last air fryer, the odor was nonetheless quite unpleasant. I resolved this issue by unzipping all the pockets and airing them outdoors for a day. Problem solved! Therefore, I'm not deducting any stars from this otherwise stellar 5-star product. Read more
