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Details
- Price $110 at outlier.nyc
- Fabric Weight 540 gsm
Overview
Not intentionally, I've reviewed many bags over the years. It just kinda started that way with the Tortuga Outbreaker backpack. I've become a little more rigid in my criteria for keeping bags since I have limited space in my apartment.
I started with my sling bags, which were easier to know which to keep, compared to backpacks. I knew that only sling bags that could hold my Stanley Travel Mug were the ones that I would use the most, like the Aer Day Sling 3 Max.
So, when I got the Outlier Ultrasuede Phone Drop, I wasn't quite sure. But given that it's Outlier, and the Phone Drop look so damn cool, I knew I had to try it to say for sure.
If you've read my reviews, you'll know my affinity for Outlier. They are, hands down, my favorite clothing brand. While some of their pieces can be too experimental for me, it's this craving for venturing into the unknown that birth many iconic pieces.
The Ultrasuede Phone Drop is an experiment, number #426 to be exact, which is Outlier's way of testing the market demand and product quality and only the ones that pass the mark would graduate to a main offering.
Will the Ultrasuede Phone Drop be enough to join the ranks of the main offering? Let's find out.
Style
The Outlier Phone Drop is not a complicated product. It's a bag for your phone. Sized for your phone. Small and compact, for your phone.
Now, I'm a phone-in-pockets kind of guy, so having a bag just for my phone seems too specific, but I am always up to trying new carry styles to really know what works. It helps that the Phone Drop looks so stylish, something that you will see on trendy festival-goers at Fuji Rock.
Normally I would go for the black variant, but it wasn't available at the time of the review so the red was what I ended up with. This wasn't a dealbreaker since both of the bags were black and the red was only on the sling and the tag on the front.
Outlier used to be all about having absolutely no branding, but recently seem to be really into this patterned tag. I'm still on the fence about if I like it, but I'm not as averse to it as I would normally be to most branding. It accentuates the style of the bag.
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The color is also on the paracord, which is what truly draws attention. I don't hate it but find myself yearning for the black. I generally detest attention which could be unwanted where you are traveling. There is a patch of ultrasuede to keep it comfortable across your shoulder. While it looks sizable compared to the paracord and the bag, I found it quite subtle.
Material
One of the key features of this product is the use of Ultrasuede, so much so that it is in the product name.
Developed in the 1970s by Toray in Japan, ultrasuede is made from polyester microfibers so fine that a single gram of the material can stretch over 900 kilometers. These fibers are combined with polyurethane foam in a process that gives ultrasuede the luxurious feel of traditional suede but with far more durability and easier maintenance. It is high-performance suede.
The main pouch uses the TS grade of ultrasuede, which has a plush, soft texture while still being tough enough for everyday use. At 540gsm and 1.47mm thick, it strikes a perfect balance between comfort and strength.
The sling uses HP grade of ultrasuede, which has a lighter fabric weight of 380gsm and is thinner at 1mm. Since the handle won't see much abrasion resting on your shoulders, I thought this decision was shows intentionality, as expected of Outlier.
The result is a material that resists stains, holds up well over time, and provides a sleek, premium look with none of the hassle of caring for real suede or leather.
Boy, do I wish there were suede shoes using ultrasuede.
Usage
The Ultrasuede Phone Drop fits my iPhone 14 Pro Max perfectly, even with a Nomad case and RORRY 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger.
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I found a 100 year old company that would create these heirloom quality canisters for me. They are handmade and will keep your tea leaves, coffee beans or anything that you need dry for years to come.
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There is a small slot on the front where the brand tag is, and this fits my Sony WF-1000XM4 at most and is probably good for something like my RUGGED & DAPPER Organic Lip Balm. But really, I felt this slot was too small to be useful.
The slot is not a 3D slot, so anything you put into the main phone slot will “eat” into the space of this slot. I wasn't able to fit anything in here when I had the RORRY 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger attached to my phone in the main slot.
I wished the slot was a bit bigger so that it would fit some of my slim wallets, but I have nothing to say since this is a bag designed specifically for a phone.
Despite being an upgraded technical version of suede, it still attracts dust like regular suede. Be sure you have a lint roller ready.
Conclusion
The Ultrasuede Phone Drop is designed for one purpose, to hold your phone and make you look good doing it. Do you need it? Probably not. But you'll want it if you are a pretentious festival-goer like me. Just don't expect to hold anything more than your phone.
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Tagged bag outlier review sling bag ultrasuede