REASONS TO BUY
Separate flat bottom compartment
Good organization pockets
Water-resistant
REASONS TO AVOID
Not comfortable to carry when fully loaded
Small opening
HYC00 Travel Review
A large purse-style duffel bag has great organization features and works well for short day trips, provided you don't have to carry it far
Credit: Hale Milano
RELATED: Best Duffel Bags of 2024
Our Verdict
The HYC00 Travel stands out from the rest of our duffle bag lineup with a unique design and features. Thanks to its satchel or purse-style design, the HYC00 enables you to actually access contents while on the go, a nice feature for a busy traveler. Its compartment is accessed by a straight zipper, and a second smaller compartment is accessed by a separate zipper on the bottom of the bag. The bag can be carried by either fixed handles or a lightly padded messenger-style shoulder strap, though you'll definitely notice the weight of this bag if it is packed with heavy objects. Lastly, though the fabric is moderately water-resistant and feels slightly padded, water seeps through zippers and seams at an alarming rate. While it won't win any competitions for being the most rugged or adventure-ready duffel, we found it to be more than up to the task of short trips and daily use, all while at a bargain price. To see how it stacks up next to the competition, check out our full duffel bag review.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
HYC00 Travel | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Duffel Bag On a Tight Budget |  Best Overall Duffel Bag | Great Value for a Rugged Adventure Duffel Bag |  Best Sports and Gym Duffel Bag | |
| Price | $28 List $28.99 at Amazon | $169.00 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $140 List $139.95 at Amazon | $40 List $34.00 at Amazon | $23 List $21.84 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This budget-conscious bag still provides great organization features ideal for day trips | Packed full of adventure-ready features, this versatile bag is ready to tackle your next adventure, whether it's across town or across the world | This excellent duffel offers great features regardless of which size model you prefer and is budget friendly | This compact duffel bag is best suited for the gym or carrying gear to a sports practice but isn't the most durable | This budget-friendly bag can haul a ton of stuff, but doesn't offer many additional features |
| Rating Categories | HYC00 Travel | Patagonia Black Hol... | Gregory Alpaca | Adidas Defender Small | Amazon Basics Large... |
| Storage and Ease of Packing (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Transport (30%) | |||||
| Protection (15%) | |||||
| Construction Quality (15%) | |||||
| Weight-to-Volume Ratio (10%) | |||||
| Specs | HYC00 Travel | Patagonia Black Hol... | Gregory Alpaca | Adidas Defender Small | Amazon Basics Large... |
| Sizes Available | 30 L | 40, 55, 70, 100 L | 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 L | Small, Medium, Large | 104 L |
| Material (Main Body) | Nylon | 900D polyester ripstop (100% postconsumer recycled) with TPU-film laminate | 900D polyester ripstop (40% recycled) with TPU weather-resistant coating | 100% polyester | 100% nylon |
| Number of Pockets (Excludes Main Compartment) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Backpack Straps | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| D or I-Shaped Opening | I | D | D | D | I |
| Laundry Compartment | No | No | Yes (partial) | No | No |
| Measured Weight | 1.9 lb (30L model) | 2.6 lb (55L model) | 2.7 lb (40L model) | 1.0 lb (43L model) | 1.8 lb (104L model) |
| Calculated Weight-to-Volume Ratio | 1.01 oz/L | 0.76 oz/L | 1.08 oz/L | 0.37 oz/L | 0.28 oz/L |
| Size Tested | 30L | 100L and 55L | 90L and 40L | 43L | 104L |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
We found the design and organization of the HYC00 Travel duffle to be different from every other bag that we tested, in a way that helps it shine in specific scenarios. The HYC00 excels in the storage and organization of small objects or folded clothes. Whereas most bags turn into a jumbled mess once they're hauled around, you can be reasonably sure that your items will stay organized inside the HYC00.
Performance Comparison
This fold-open design is unique to the HYC00, and helps keep clothes folded nicely during transit.
Credit: Hale Milano
Storage and Ease of Packing
The HYC00 is oriented differently from most duffels in our lineup and has an I-shaped zipper on its main compartment to access the bag's interior. Although we generally preferred D-shaped zippers for their ease of access, the vertical orientation of the purse-like HYC00 was still relatively convenient.
Looking past the main compartment, where the HYC00 really stood out was its numerous organizational pockets in the interior and the large lay-flat pocket on the bottom of the duffel. This bottom pocket has a three-sided zipper that allows you to fold the top of the bag back, and pack shoes or folded clothes here. We particularly liked it for a nicer shirt or pair of pants that we didn't want to get wrinkled during travel.
The HYC00 has a variety of different organization pockets for both large and small items.
Credit: Hale Milano
Ease of Transport
The HYC00 is definitely designed with travel in mind, although we were less than impressed with the included straps. It's too large to fit under your airplane seat, but it does have a slot to go around a rolling suitcase handle for airport transit.
The purse-style handles on the HYC00 are larger than most and in a pinch you can fit them over your shoulder for a secure carry. That said, they were not the most comfortable either in our hands or on our shoulders and had no closure mechanism to keep them secured together.
The HYC00 was easy to carry in hand or over the shoulder, if less than comfortable over long distances.
Credit: Hale Milano
Aside from the handles, the only other way to carry the HYC00 is using the adjustable messenger-style shoulder sling. This strap does have a short, sliding padded section that helps it not to dig into your shoulder but still doesn't make heavy loads comfortable. While this duffel lacks backpack straps, it wouldn't make sense to try to carry it on your back anyway given its purse-like shape.
Clearly a bag designed for travel, the HYC00 has a suitcase slot for airline travel.
Credit: Hale Milano
Protection
The fabric of the HYC00 is thick nylon, which feels double-lined around the entire bag and is quite substantial. This is a change compared to other casual duffel bags in our lineup that trend towards thin, weight-saving materials. Given how thick the fabric is, it was nice to see that the bag had some rigidity and offered slight protection from bumps and bangs to the bag.
Despite the thicker nylon, the HYC00 achieved only limited success in protecting its contents from the elements. During a light drizzle, water slowly beaded and soaked into the fabric. On the high-pressure hose test, water flowed right into the bag via the chunky zipper.
Water beaded up on the HYC00, but eventually soaked into the nylon and flowed right through the zipper with ease.
Construction Quality
Although it didn't suffer from any issues during our testing, the HYC00 doesn't feel like it was subjected to the same level of quality assurance or durability testing as other bags in our lineup. The materials, fabric, and zipper are all adequate for daily use and unlikely to break, but it isn't designed for arduous adventures either.
The zippers, buckles, and clasps on the HYC00 are made of a thick and durable-feeling plastic, with some metal components. All were easy to use and felt good in hand; we had no issues with anything breaking during our testing periods.
The HYC00 has reasonably durable components that will help it stand up to the rigors of repetitive travel.
Credit: Hale Milano
Weight-to-Volume Ratio
The HYC00 has one of the best weight-to-volume ratios of any of the bags that we tested. Given how thick this fabric is — double-lined compared to most single-lined options — this isn't surprising.
At 30 liters, the HYC00 has one of the smallest volumes of the bags that we tested. So, despite its higher-than-average weight-to-volume ratio, on a bag this small, it's hardly noticeable. And considering its best uses — like car trips or airline travel — a few extra ounces of weight isn't making much of a difference anyway.
The adjustable shoulder sling was nice and we loved that the padding was movable as well for a custom fit.
Credit: Hale Milano
Should You Buy the HYC00 Travel?
The HYC00 Travel is a budget bag that excels in terms of its storage and organization features. While we wouldn't recommend this bag for remote, rugged adventures, we would suggest it to anyone who needs a day trip or weekend bag so that they can carry a change of clothes and some other small items. It's got just enough weather protection to get you from your car to your destination but more than enough pockets and pouches to organize all the small items that you're likely to pack for your next overnight trip.
The design of the HYC00 made it one of the best bags for easily accessing items while on the go.
Credit: Hale Milano
What Other Duffel Bags Should You Consider?
If you need a great adventure-ready duffel bag on a budget, consider the Gregory Alpaca. This duffel scores just as well as many of the top contenders in our duffel bag lineup and costs a few bucks less. If you're searching for a similarly priced bag that's more geared for the gym or game, the Adidas Defender Small is a great lightweight duffel that we loved for practice. The Herschel Novel is another solid contender for a weekender bag of similar size and materials, but lacks some of the organizational features we like about the HYC00.
Compared to other duffels the HYC00 has a unique design; ideal for certain applications.
Credit: Hale Milano
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Hale Milano
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