REVIEW – I’m always on the lookout for the perfect work tote because I never find one that ticks all my boxes. It should be light but durable. It should hold a lot of things but it shouldn’t look like a sack of potatoes. It should have some pockets but not too many pockets. The Shinjuku Tote from Waterfield meets a lot of my demands. It’s roomy, it can fit under an airplane seat and as a special bonus, it uses magnets in innovative ways for a certain cool factor.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $249
Where to buy: Waterfield
What is it?
It’s your basic tote bag designed with thoughtfulness. And magnets.
What’s included?
- The bag in compostable packaging.
Tech specs
| Material | 15 oz. Waxed canvas or 1680 denier Ballistic Nylon base Full-grain leather accents |
| Colors | Brown Waxed Canvas and Chocolate Leather/Ballistic Nylon and Black Leather/Ballistic Nylon and Chocolate Leather/Navy Waxed Canvas and Chocolate Leather |
| Dimensions and Weight | 15” (l) x 5” (w) x 13” (h). Ballistic Nylon: 1.5 lbs. Waxed Canvas: 2 lbs 381 x 127 x 330 mm. Ballistic Nylon: 681 gm. Waxed Canvas: 907 gm |
| Volume | 16 Liters |
| Strap Length | 11.5”. 292 mm. |
Design and features
The Shinjuku Tote from Waterfield is part of a collection of bags inspired by the trendy Tokyo area known for fashion and flash, and although it’s not flashy, it is plenty fashionable. It comes in several colors and fabrics, but I received one in black ballistic nylon with leather accents. It has a gold lining which I applaud because it makes it so much easier to find things when the interior isn’t a black hole. The lining can be flipped out to be cleaned, and the nylon exterior resists stains and spills. There is leather on the bottom for durability. The quality is excellent. This is a big bag that will last for years.
The Shinjuku Tote ticks many of my boxes for “perfect work tote.” It has plenty of pockets and compartments, but not so many that I will forget where I put things. There is a ring of open pockets around the interior including four smaller ones that are raised to hold smaller items and two larger ones on the ends that can hold a water bottle or coffee tumbler. I like the fact that these pockets are open because I can see my things right away.
Across the top Waterfield replaced the usual zipper with a line of small magnets that securely keep the Shinjuku shut. This allows the flaps across the top of the bag to flip up for greater visibility into the bag, and they can be tucked away if you’re carrying taller items. I am sort of torn by this functionality. I love being able to look into the bag and see everything all at once, but I didn’t find that the magnets stuck together neatly. They were always sort of out of whack when I went to close the top. Also, the fact that the flaps aren’t closed on the ends does leave the possibility that items will fall out if the bag is tipped.
On the exterior of the Shinjuku, there are secure pockets on each side, plus two open pockets on the ends of the bag that are perfect for a water bottle, coffee tumbler, or umbrella. On one side, which Waterfield designed to be the exterior side when you’re carrying it, is a zippered pocket with smaller slip pockets for little items. I used it for pens and business cards and they included a key tether that I clipped my hand sanitizer to. I almost never use key tethers because I find them too short to be practical, and this one is like that.
The coolest pocket is on the other side of the bag, the side where the luggage pass-through is. This pocket closes with a strip of magnets, and if you were looking at the bag while it was shut, I don’t think you’d know it was there. There is a little tab that you can flip out to help open it, but it’s not that hard to use without that tab. It’s so stealthy, and since this is the side that is designed to be close to your body when carrying it, it’s a great security feature. If you kept your wallet in there, no one would find it. The pocket even closes automatically! It’s my favorite feature on the Shinjuku.
The Shinjuku is designed to be carried on the shoulder, and while I would have welcomed the ability to have a longer strap to carry it like a cross-body, the straps are 11.5″ and are comfortable to wear. The straps have a rubbery underside that keeps them from slipping off your shoulder. Someone really thought through a lot of little details when they designed this bag.
Now for my demands…I’m pretty picky when it comes to my work bag. I’m a college professor, so I need a bag roomy enough to hold my laptop, my lunch plus a bunch of random “in case” items. I like a water bottle pocket and it’s a bonus if there are two because I’m also frequently rocking a coffee tumbler. I sometimes carry an umbrella for the sun or the rain. The Shinjuku tote ticked all of those boxes, but I still see some room for improvement.
The Shinjuku is not the lightest bag on the block at two pounds, and there’s only one way to carry it. I started to get a back/neck thing while toting my stuff around. While this bag is roomy, use caution before jamming it full so you don’t develop a need for PT.
Probably my biggest gripe is that there needs to be more structure on the bottom so it doesn’t fall over or look sloppy. The Shinjuku fell off my desk a number of times just from stuff settling, and while nothing was damaged, I like a tidier look to my work bag.
For me, I don’t think I’ll be using the Waterfield bag as a work bag simply because I can’t carry all my work stuff on one shoulder. I do better with a cross-body or a backpack. However, I do think this bag might be my go-to airplane “personal item” because it fits nicely on my wheeled carry on, so I don’t have to carry it. It holds a ton of stuff, fits under an airplane seat, and will keep me very organized. In a pinch I can carry the Shinjuku tote as an oversized handbag in my destination city and it’s plain enough to go with anything.
Final thoughts
Waterfield’s Shinjuku tote is a good work bag and an even better travel tote. While I’d like to see a bit more structure, I can’t wait to take it on a trip.
What I like about the Shinjuku Tote
- Enough pockets to stay organized.
- Love the stealthy pocket that closes with magnets.
What needs to be improved?
- Could use a bit more structure so it doesn’t tip.
- Magnets on the main closure can be sloppy looking.
Price: $249
Where to buy: Waterfield
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Waterfield. Waterfield did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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$19.98 (as of December 5, 2025 12:10 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
