Summary: Lo & Sons luggage is well-crafted and carefully designed to exceed your expectations for a more organized travel experience. I tested out three items — a backpack, a weekender bag, and a portable tote — for back-to-back trips across the country to New York and a short ride down the freeway to San Diego. When it comes to convenience and sustainability, these items hit all of the marks.
What I Love:
- The company was founded in 2010 by retired mom Helen Lo and her two sons Jan and Derek. She could never find a bag that checked all of her boxes, so she invented her dream travel solution with the support of her devoted sons.
- Sustainability is at the forefront of Lo & Sons’ initiatives, and they prioritize eco-friendly materials such as vegan leather, recycled fabrics, as well as cotton and leather from reliable and trustworthy manufacturers and tanneries. From manufacturing to packaging, their practices are centered around helping out Mother Nature.
- Lo & Sons say they’re committed to thoughtful designs, and that rings true with handy elements such as a zippered section to sanitarily store shoes and bonus organizer inserts. I was looking for easier-to-clean luggage, too, and I found that with Lo & Sons’ wide range of products.
- Specific materials like the brand’s Recycled Poly are machine-washable, which is a major plus for me as a mom with germaphobic tendencies.
Things to Keep in Mind:
- A potential drawback is that these bags are not the most accessible. Coming in at top-of-the-market price points, these aren’t cheap by any means. The bestselling Rowledge 2, for instance, costs $550.
- I should note that the company exclusively makes carry-on luggage, purses, and wallets. So if you’re looking for larger-scale items, this isn’t the brand for you.
I live in Southern California, but half of our family and friends are based in New York. We try to visit every three to four months, and spend a lot of time on five- to six-hour flights to and from JFK. Now that our toddler son is more mobile than ever, it’s important to keep all of his essentials on hand. That means a wide variety of snacks, games, toys, books, and diapering products all need to fit in one small personal item and carry-on. When I learned about Lo & Sons tried-and-true travel bags, I knew I needed to nab them before our next trip.
For our trips this summer, I tried three of the company’s bestselling items: The Rowledge 2 Backpack in Deep Navy Exterior/Gold Hardware/Azure Interior, the Catalina Deluxe Weekender in Deep Navy Recycled Poly, and the Del Mar Packable Tote in Navy Hawaii Emoji.
About Lo & Sons
Started by a discerning and fellow frequent flyer mom and her two sons, the family-owned business is all about thoughtfully designed and sustainable pieces. Her late husband, Fred, insisted on using carry-on luggage only, even on international trips to Europe and Asia, a challenge that ultimately sparked one of the first director-to-consumer e-commerce bag brands.
“Started by a discerning and fellow frequent flyer mom and her two sons, the family-owned business is all about thoughtfully designed and sustainable pieces.”
“When Helen Lo had back issues and needed the perfect bag that kept up with her frequent travels, she set out to find it,” according to the company’s About page. “Unfortunately, the options were either too heavy, too frumpy, too tech-y, overly designed, or pocketless black holes. She felt like she was always dragging, lugging, and schlepping her bags around. And she quickly discovered that she wasn’t alone in feeling that way.”
Helen’s son, Jan, encouraged his mom to create her own bag, and conducted research, looked into the product design, and found a manufacturer. Meanwhile, her son Derek worked on the website, branding, and marketing strategy.
Lo & Sons is upfront about challenges and tradeoffs when seeking out eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, and is constantly learning about better practices. For example, their Nappa Leather comes from gold-rated tanneries audited and certified by the Leather Working Group. In 2023, they set out to produce 70% of products with eco-friendly materials and exceeded their goal by 9%. They also partnered with Looptworks to create products with upcycled materials.
Taking a trip with Lo & Sons luggage
I appreciated that all of the items arrived in the same large cardboard box, which is not only convenient for me, but another nod to the brand’s sustainability efforts. I also noticed the backpack was protected with a dust bag that I later found out was made with 100% recycled materials (ditto for all hang tags!).
I don’t have a lot of time on my hands these days, so I was relieved to see that virtually no setup was required — the only thing I needed to do was attach the shoe compartment insert for the Catalina Deluxe weekender bag.
Rowledge 2 Backpack, $550
Let’s kick things off with the Rowledge 2. While I was loading everything into the backpack, which I compared to my go-to diaper bag (Dagne Dover’s Indi), I noticed that it didn’t offer quite as much space. However, there is a removable insert that limits your organization but offers extra room for snacks and toys.
I was eager to use it for cleaning conveniences as well, because it’s sometimes a challenge to spot clean the neoprene on my Dagne Dover diaper bag backpack. And while I’m well aware that it’s not designed specifically for parents, I’d recommend the Rowledge 2 for travel or for an alternative that’s significantly more on-trend than the average diaper bag.
With plenty of compartments, I managed to store various items like a portable diapering kit, snacks, toys, and even a 13-inch laptop (because I needed to get some work done on this trip, too!). I’d say it’s a better work bag for commuters, particularly because of the supple leather accents, but I’ll definitely add it to my diaper bag rotation.
The backpack is comfortable and chic, and well-crafted. I felt like I looked put together instead of like a harried mom trying to entertain my toddler during our flight delay! The backpack also fit easily into overhead storage, cars, and even in the seat of a stroller, making it functional and convenient at every turn.
But my one major regret? I only realized there was a shoe storage feature after I unpacked. Womp, womp.
The backpack fit perfectly in our Uppababy Minu travel stroller during an outing with friends in New York City’s Central Park (R).
Catalina Deluxe Weekender, $225
Toting around a toddler is one thing, but bringing all of his stuff is another beast. I wanted to keep the Rowledge under my seat to handle his immediate requests, but filled the Catalina with anything we couldn’t live without if we had a delay or the airline lost our checked luggage. For the record, both things happened.
My favorite feature from the Catalina Deluxe is the siloed shoe compartment, which separates your grimy shoes from clean clothing, diapers, and so on. Cleanliness is a top priority for me, and keeping them away from everything else was beyond helpful. The space is quite roomy, too, as I could fit my size 9 sneakers and two pairs of my son’s size 5 shoes.
One day after our New York trip, we packed up our bags once again and headed to San Diego to watch the Mets play the Padres. It only took me a few minutes to swap out any dirty or used items for items we could use on our second trip that week.
I anticipate this bag will be my new favorite item, for travel and day-to-day. I’m constantly lugging our stuff from our house to my parents’, and this is roomy enough to hold everything the entire family needs during a visit to Grandma’s.
Del Mar Packable Tote, $85
Our primary reason for traveling to New York was to attend my niece’s 4th birthday. It was a pool party, so the lightweight, water-resistant tote was a must. The collapsible design would have been easy to fold up and store in my carry-on, but I ultimately decided to pack it with the swimsuits, swim diapers, sunscreen, and an extra change of clothes so I didn’t have to transfer anything on our third and final day of the trip.
As for its sustainability, the 50% Recycled Poly lining is made from recycled plastic bottles. It wasn’t necessarily recommended, but I tossed it in the washing machine and didn’t notice any changes to the quality. We live in a beach town and my son takes weekly swim lessons at a local pool, so I think it’ll become a new staple, especially during the summer months.
I haven’t experienced any damage or concerns, but if you have worries about that, all Lo & Sons products come with a one-year warranty. The brand says this “covers failure in product use due to manufacturing defects in material and workmanship.” You’ll need to file a claim here, share photos of the product, and then you should receive a message from a Lo & Sons team member within three to five business days. If your claim is accepted, they’ll replace the item or give you store credit if a comparable replacement isn’t available.
Is it worth it?
The Rowledge 2 Backpack is $550, the Catalina Deluxe Weekender is $225, and the Del Mar Packable Tote is $85. These are steep prices compared to others on the market, but I’d say the Catalina Deluxe is the most reasonably priced bag in this lineup. That said, if your budget allows, these are premium designs with luxurious, eco-friendly materials that also support a small, family-owned business.
“These are premium designs with luxurious, eco-friendly materials that also support a small, family-owned business.”
I think all of them are excellent for parents, and I’d absolutely recommend the Rowledge 2 for anyone who regularly works in the office. There are few backpacks on the market that are as comfortable and convenient as they are chic, and the leather accents make it feel more elevated. And if you find yourself traveling near or far frequently, the Catalina Deluxe works as a standalone bag for weekend excursions or as a component to your luggage set for longer trips. As for the packable tote, you can’t go wrong with a sustainable tote in your home, which you can bring to the beach, pool, or farmer’s market. All in all, I’d 100% recommend these bags to make your life a little less chaotic — even with a toddler in tow.
Blake Bakkila is a freelance writer and editor with eight years of experience covering topics including baby and parenting, food, health, pop culture, and interior design. In addition to The Good Trade, her work has appeared in the digital publications of Architectural Digest, Sunset, Good Housekeeping, and more. She highlighted the best, most game-changing baby and parenting products as the former senior commerce editor at What to Expect and BabyCenter, and she’s also held editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, Health, Real Simple, and People. Blake holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. When she’s not typing, you can usually find her watching anything on Bravo, entertaining her son Rhode, and conducting field research on the best ice cream in Southern California.
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