REVIEW – Recently, my wife (Cheri) and I went on a 10-day whirlwind tour of the UK. It involved a lot of bus travel, changing hotels, and walking. She dreaded lugging her oversized purse all over England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. That’s when we were offered the Troubadour KI Crossbody Bag to review. While the KI Crossbody was not the perfect solution for Cheri’s traveling needs, it was fairly close!
What is it?
The Troubadour KI Crossbody is a handsome, lightweight carrying bag made from Italian bio leather (not real leather). This “leather” is made from GM-free corn and recycled plastic bottles. While this may not sound great, the material is tough-wearing, thick, pliable, and waterproof.
The zippered bag features one exterior and two interior compartments with a magnetic flap. There is an interior smartphone pocket—my wife preferred the outside pocket for her iPhone.
A wide strap ensures a comfortable fit—especially over long walks. Plus, the crossbody design carries added safety. The bag is bonded with added stitching for strength.
Two colors are offered: Black or a lighter Steel Blue.
What’s included?
- KI Crossbody bag
- Wide strap
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Height: 6.5”
- Width: 9.25”
- Depth: 3.3”
- Capacity: 1.5L
- Weight: 0.9 lbs
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Design and features
As I said, Cheri uses the Troubadour bag and puts it to the test on our UK vacation. It passed. Her initial reaction was that It’s attractive and looks high-end. A woman of means on our tour admired it and thought it cost five times what it does (her words). High praise, indeed. The black color matches everything Cheri owns. It matched well with her black leather jacket and even her overly bright yellow raincoat.
Cheri appreciated the extra-wide strap that she noted was never uncomfortable or in the way of our daily activities. The bag became second nature to have it with her at all times.
Troubadour states that the bio-leather material is waterproof. Well, it rained—a lot—in the UK and the KI Crossbody kept everything dry on the inside. Plus, any wetness quickly evaporated. This also made the bag easy to keep clean and new-looking.
Speaking of looking new, the purse expert Cheri noted that the bag was sturdy enough to last years if not decades. Only time will tell, of course, but she felt confident saying that.
The KI Crossbody is advertised as a bag that can be converted into a clutch (strapless purse) by easily removing the strap. Cheri said it was exactly that, saying that this bag would be perfect for cruises, going from casual during the day to fancy at night. She’s all about maximizing use and the KI Crossbody fits that requirement.
Even though the bag has a specified smartphone pocket inside, Cheri kept her phone in the exterior pocket at the back which was next to her body. That way, her phone camera was always there if she needed to take a quick shot—which was often.
The outside flap of the KI Crossbody is magnetic, and the purse compartment underneath is zippered. My wife stated, “No one is getting to my stuff without sawing through the strap while it’s over my shoulder.” The flap plus the added zipper made her feel more secure. She never felt wary of her belongings being pilfered without her knowing.
Cheri said the bag sometimes felt a bit too small for her needs. Her passport was a tight fit inside the interior pocket. Plus, it was difficult to retrieve items from the zippered compartment without causing other items to fall out.
But she wanted a smaller bag vs. her larger daily one, so she has no legitimate complaint. Over the days, she came to appreciate its light weight and managed to fit what she needed into the bag—including her awkward asthma inhaler which is always with her.
What I like about the Troubadour KI Crossbody bag
- Tough
- The wide strap
- Waterproof
- Pockets
- Five-year guarantee
What needs to be improved?
- Could be a bit larger
- Expensive
Final thoughts
The Troubadour KI Crossbody is not a bag I would ever use. But my wife, Cheri, loves this bag—even if she can’t use it as a daily purse. It’s more elegant looking than any other bags she owns—including a couple of Coach bags she’s had for years. This bag is not cheap, but if it lasts for years as Cheri thinks it will, then it’s a bargain.
Price: $195.00
Where to buy: Troubadour
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Troubadour. Troubadour did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
