Expensive bags worth it?

[z1ggy 81]

Do you find the more pricey bags such as Conway and Banks which provide a lot of features such as a foot mat, mesh ports for air flow, dividers in the bag for partitioning gear, etc to be worth it? My current bag is pretty much falling apart now after 15 years of use and I'm looking to upgrade. I see a lot of decent looking bags out there for $50-$60 and wonder if the expensive bags are worth it. Other than skates & gloves, I tend to keep anything until it literally falls apart, so I'm much more concerned about durability, practicality and features such as small pockets to put tape in and so on, rather than price. I'm 100% willing to pay double or triple the price for something that lasts me many years and is quality, as opposed to cheaply made garbage I'll be replacing in 3-4 years.

 

Let's hear your experiences below.

 

 

[stick9 891]

Screw that. Get yourself a pro player bag and be done with it. 

[nutters 218]

6 minutes ago, z1ggy said:

Do you find the more pricey bags such as Conway and Banks which provide a lot of features such as a foot mat, mesh ports for air flow, dividers in the bag for partitioning gear, etc to be worth it? My current bag is pretty much falling apart now after 15 years of use and I'm looking to upgrade. I see a lot of decent looking bags out there for $50-$60 and wonder if the expensive bags are worth it. Other than skates & gloves, I tend to keep anything until it literally falls apart, so I'm much more concerned about durability, practicality and features such as small pockets to put tape in and so on, rather than price. I'm 100% willing to pay double or triple the price for something that lasts me many years and is quality, as opposed to cheaply made garbage I'll be replacing in 3-4 years.

 

Let's hear your experiences below.

 

 

I am currently using the Warrior Pro bag which has no frills. No compartments, useless pouches and no extra goodies. But guess what? Best, most durable bag I have ever had. I've tried bags with the extras and when it tears or the zipper jams you feel like you wasted money.

Now I know something will happen this week to my bag (tiihii) because of this post, but it's lasted for much longer than any other I've used, so it'll be my next one too.

Edited April 22, 2019 by nutters

[Giltis 116]

Just now, nutters said:

I am currently using the Warrior Pro bag which has no frills. No compartments, useless pouches and no extra goodies. But guess what? Best, most durable bag I have ever has.

That's funny, I think I have the exact Warrior bag, and it's falling apart after two years (4 seasons). The piping ripped after one, and the inner pockets ripped after two. Before that, my old Cooper bag lasted me 15 years, and my Easton bag lasted me 10 as well.

[Mister_NoDangles 7]

No, bags go on sale often enough that it doesn't really make sense to drop this much coin on a bag. I bought a Verbero duffel for 24 bucks. It's pretty well built minus a few things that aren't significant issues for something that I bought for that cheap. 

If I had to buy one at full price, I'd just buy a pro player bag with some skate pockets only because I don't want them banging around when I toss my bag.

PR, CB, even Mammoth all make a decent bag, but do you really need that? Just toss everything in and go.

When I first started out it seemed appealing, but then I started realizing I don't want to spend time putting everything back in its place and I just want to go do the next thing.

None of them are really any better than the 99 bucks bags you can get or even a JRZ player bag that's a bit over 50 bucks.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Definitely. I love features on a bag. The best bag I've ever used was from Mammoth. Totally worth it.

I can't stand the bags that are just one big open space. 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

14 minutes ago, Giltis said:

That's funny, I think I have the exact Warrior bag, and it's falling apart after two years (4 seasons). The piping ripped after one, and the inner pockets ripped after two. Before that, my old Cooper bag lasted me 15 years, and my Easton bag lasted me 10 as well.

Yeah, Warrior Pro bag here too, and similar issues.

The piping on the outside is just cosmetic, but the inside mesh pockets being torn is irritating.  One of my skate pockets is mostly useless and all of the side mesh pockets have the bottoms ripped out at this point and stuff migrates out into the main compartment.

Having said that, when I finally get sick of it I dunno what I'll get.  $crazy for a Pacific Rink or something is a hard pill to swallow.

Mark

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

I would say no, unless you plan to air/bus travel with it a lot.  Then the higher quality, more durable bags are definitely worth it.

That said.  If they make a hockey bag with a built in wet bar, I could be interested in that.

[stick9 891]

Warrior pro bag here. One of the small mesh pockets is ripped at the bottom. Other than that it's in great shape and I air travel with my gear twice a year. Been using it since the fall of 2015.

[z1ggy 81]

1 hour ago, marka said:

Howdy,

Yeah, Warrior Pro bag here too, and similar issues.

The piping on the outside is just cosmetic, but the inside mesh pockets being torn is irritating.  One of my skate pockets is mostly useless and all of the side mesh pockets have the bottoms ripped out at this point and stuff migrates out into the main compartment.

Having said that, when I finally get sick of it I dunno what I'll get.  $crazy for a Pacific Rink or something is a hard pill to swallow.

Mark

This is what I worry about with any mesh, in general. I get it breathes, but it's just so easy to cut. Skate blades, scissors... really anything will cut it up eventually. And yeah the C&B for $150 was looking pretty crazy but $200+ for PR or Mammoth seems outright madness, unless the thing will last me the rest of my hockey career and then also my kid's (until high school gives them a bag or something).

 

Personally I don't care about compartments for gear like shins/gloves and so on, although the foot rest on the C&B bag is a good idea. How many times I've taken my shoes off after the last group left and instantly dunked my feet onto left over snow or wetness from the last guy's skates is too many to count. I also don't like the idea of just a giant one hole. I want at least a side spot for skates, and 1 other zipped area for tape, wax, laces, etc.

 

 

 

 

[althoma1 574]

I also have the Warrior Pro bag for ice hockey and it's held up very well after several seasons of use. I've seen a few that have looked beat up, but those players also seem to over stuff their bag with extra jerseys and equipment. I haven't had any issues with mine, but only carry one set of gear, a jersey or two, socks, a skate mat, a set of under layers, a skate mat and shower accessories (towel, sandals, soap and shampoo).

I also have a Reebok Pro style bag I picked up over 6 years ago for $35 on sale that I use for roller hockey and while it shows some wear (one grommet came out on one corner, but the corner is still intact), it's still in use as the zipper works perfectly, the inner skate pockets are intact and there are no major rips or holes.

A good pro style bag can be had for under $100 CAD at regular price and much less than that when on sale or clearance and have held up well in my experience. So while some of the pricey bags look nice, I wouldn't get one at the regular prices.

[althoma1 574]

12 minutes ago, z1ggy said:

Personally I don't care about compartments for gear like shins/gloves and so on, although the foot rest on the C&B bag is a good idea. How many times I've taken my shoes off after the last group left and instantly dunked my feet onto left over snow or wetness from the last guy's skates is too many to count. I also don't like the idea of just a giant one hole. I want at least a side spot for skates, and 1 other zipped area for tape, wax, laces, etc.

 

A cheap skate mat will save your feet from melted snow. Any of these $10 mats should do the job and there are more options out there:

https://hockeysupremacy.com/en/hockeysupremacy-com-skate-mat.html

https://www.prohockeylife.com//products/pro-hockey-life-skate-mat?variant=39945562244&gclid=CjwKCAjwzPXlBRAjEiwAj_XTEalLE3h_LC_Q11ct762to1qAR_61QPJsPnlXTku-V36bERQCZBnv1BoCtC4QAvD_BwE#fo_c=1554&fo_k=615adddce4903b1312ff9c06c65e0845&fo_s=gplaca

https://www.hockeymonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/156759

The Warrior Pro bags (and some other Pro style bags) do have two inner end skate pockets as well as three divided mesh pockets on the sides where you can put laces, sandals, tape ect.

Edited April 22, 2019 by althoma1

[IPv6Freely 2092]

7 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

A cheap skate mat will save your feet from melted snow. Any of these $10 mats should do the job and there are more options out there:

https://hockeysupremacy.com/en/hockeysupremacy-com-skate-mat.html

https://www.prohockeylife.com//products/pro-hockey-life-skate-mat?variant=39945562244&gclid=CjwKCAjwzPXlBRAjEiwAj_XTEalLE3h_LC_Q11ct762to1qAR_61QPJsPnlXTku-V36bERQCZBnv1BoCtC4QAvD_BwE#fo_c=1554&fo_k=615adddce4903b1312ff9c06c65e0845&fo_s=gplaca

https://www.hockeymonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/156759

The Warrior Pro bags (and some other Pro style bags) do have two inner end skate pockets as well as three divided mesh pockets on the sides where you can put laces, sandals, tape ect.

I use a $3 mat from IKEA 😄

[althoma1 574]

1 minute ago, IPv6Freely said:

I use a $3 mat from IKEA 😄

Yes, they definitely don't have to be hockey specific mats. Some small dollar store mats would do the job fine. I actually haven't had to buy a mat in a while since I've gotten a few free at different events (Modsquad events, Officials summer clinics, leagues I ref for ect.). The point is, it's definitely not worth shelling out big $ for a bag with a built in mat. If someone likes the style, assumed durability and other features then they should go for it, but the built in mat shouldn't be a deciding factor.

[z1ggy 81]

17 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

A cheap skate mat will save your feet from melted snow. Any of these $10 mats should do the job and there are more options out there:

https://hockeysupremacy.com/en/hockeysupremacy-com-skate-mat.html

https://www.prohockeylife.com//products/pro-hockey-life-skate-mat?variant=39945562244&gclid=CjwKCAjwzPXlBRAjEiwAj_XTEalLE3h_LC_Q11ct762to1qAR_61QPJsPnlXTku-V36bERQCZBnv1BoCtC4QAvD_BwE#fo_c=1554&fo_k=615adddce4903b1312ff9c06c65e0845&fo_s=gplaca

https://www.hockeymonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/156759

The Warrior Pro bags (and some other Pro style bags) do have two inner end skate pockets as well as three divided mesh pockets on the sides where you can put laces, sandals, tape ect.

Good point on the mat, I'm going to probably buy one ASAP for the mean time.

 

So all in all, what is the difference from something like this Warrior Dolomite bag for $55

and a Warrior Pro Bag?

 

The details for the specs seem identical, and other than obvious external differences, I can't really tell much else apart. The Pro bag is like 100'' more volume but why is the cost essentially double?

 

[nutters 218]

With everyone saying the mesh is ripping with their Warrior bags is the reason I said the pockets were useless. For me it's the one down side, as it would be great to have skate pockets made for skates bigger than a size 5. My skates (8.5) with soakers won't go in😆

[althoma1 574]

14 minutes ago, z1ggy said:

Good point on the mat, I'm going to probably buy one ASAP for the mean time.

 

So all in all, what is the difference from something like this Warrior Dolomite bag for $55

and a Warrior Pro Bag?

 

The details for the specs seem identical, and other than obvious external differences, I can't really tell much else apart. The Pro bag is like 100'' more volume but why is the cost essentially double?

 

It's the same thing, but with different branding and colours. The Dolomite themed bag was likely released when Warrior released their special edition Dolomite and Mac Daddy retro sticks and is now being cleared out. Getting the Dolomite bag for $54 is definitely a better deal than paying almost double for the standard branding/colour scheme. 

 

[nutters 218]

19 minutes ago, z1ggy said:

Good point on the mat, I'm going to probably buy one ASAP for the mean time.

 

So all in all, what is the difference from something like this Warrior Dolomite bag for $55

and a Warrior Pro Bag?

 

The details for the specs seem identical, and other than obvious external differences, I can't really tell much else apart. The Pro bag is like 100'' more volume but why is the cost essentially double?

 

This is close out for their retro designs they were doing with the QRL stuff. Besides with the vented top on that one, if your bag is slightly over-packed it will tear apart.

[althoma1 574]

This Easton Pro style bag is on clearance at Hockey Monkey. It has a U shape opening (which is preferable to a straight zipper. It makes it easier to find things in your bag), is made of Tarpaulin like the Warrior, but doesn't have the mesh vents (which may help with durability). If I were in the US and was shopping for a new bag, it'd definitely be on my short list at $40: https://www.hockeymonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/191022

It used to be $90 like the Warrior Pro, but is likely being cleared out for such a low price because Easton hockey was bought and basically shelved by Bauer a couple years ago so they're just clearing out old stock. They only have it in shiny silver, but if that doesn't bother you; it looks like a solid buy; especially at that price. Edit: just read the QA and it looks like it may not have internal skate pockets. That'd be a deal breaker for me as I do like to have skate pockets. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by althoma1

[z1ggy 81]

5 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

This Easton Pro style bag is on clearance at Hockey Monkey. It has a U shape opening (which is preferable to a straight zipper. It makes it easier to find things in your bag), is made of Tarpaulin like the Warrior, but doesn't have the mesh vents (which may help with durability). If I were in the US and was shopping for a new bag, it'd definitely be on my short list at $40: https://www.hockeymonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/191022

It used to be $90 like the Warrior Pro, but is likely being cleared out for such a low price because Easton hockey was bought and basically shelved by Bauer a couple years ago so they're just clearing out old stock..

Thanks very much for this find. Hoping maybe another retailer has black or blue... HM only has silver, not preferred...haha. Reminds me of aluminum foil or something.

 

 

[althoma1 574]

2 minutes ago, z1ggy said:

Thanks very much for this find. Hoping maybe another retailer has black or blue... HM only has silver, not preferred...haha. Reminds me of aluminum foil or something.

 

 

I actually like the silver, but after digging a little deeper, it seems that bag may not have internal skate pockets Skate pockets are nice to have IMHO.

If I were you, I'd probably just go for the $54 Dolomite bag. They mesh on my Warrior Pro bag has held up just fine for both the vents and the internal pockets. In the internal pockets I put in and take out sandals, tape, and laces, but don't over stuff them. In the skate pockets I put in and pull out my 8EE Mako skates with soakers on without issue. I think the Warrior Pro bags are durable as long as you don't over stuff them or drag them across asphalt or something.. 

[z1ggy 81]

3 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

I actually like the silver, but after digging a little deeper, it seems that bag may not have internal skate pockets Skate pockets are nice to have IMHO.

If I were you, I'd probably just go for the $54 Dolomite bag. They mesh on my Warrior Pro bag has held up just fine for both the vents and the internal pockets. In the internal pockets I put in and take out sandals, tape, and laces, but don't over stuff them. In the skate pockets I put in and pull out my 8EE Mako skates with soakers on without issue. I think the Warrior Pro bags are durable as long as you don't over stuff them or drag them across asphalt or something.. 

The description on the Easton Pro says "internal pockets" but yeah likely not large skate pockets, which I agree are nice. Probably just small ones for tape, toiletry, etc.

 

 

[JoeyJ0506 192]

My Mammoth Bag (I have the First Generation IPA bag) has been worth every penny I spent on it. Not to mention, Made In America. Pretty much no-frills, but built like a tank.

I have a couple toiletry bags from @JunkyardAthletic one for tape, etc. the other for my shower stuff.

In my opinion a good skate blade cover should alleviate the need for separate skate pockets. Pretty sure that works for the majority of NHL teams.

In my past experience, the more stuff on a bag, the more likely it is to fail.

Just my humble opinion.

[bondoao1 8]

I use the Ice Warehouse branded " IW Hockey PRO II team carry bag ". I have had mine for 4 years now with minimal wear, and I play once a week.
It has durable pockets on each side for skates, and a few mesh pockets for stuff like tape, and socks and jerseys etc.
It also has the U shaped zipper and opens nice and wide so there are no issues getting gear in or out. 

For $45, it has been more than worth it.

Edited April 22, 2019 by bondoao1

[Leif 161]

I had the basic Bauer bag with two handles, lasted two years. Corners split, fabric split. I have a higher end Bauer bag with wheels, after six months the corners show noticeable wear. Not a fan. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Leif