Hi guys, thought I would switch it up a little today by reviewing something other than Everlane or Mansur Gavriel. The last time I reviewed a Cuyana bag it was their Classic Leather Tote. That was the first time I tried out a bag from Cuyana and I found their leather and bag quality in general to be pretty awesome. So I was eager to see what their new saddle bags were like, especially since I've been wearing out my Mansur Gavriel crossbody (review here) with daily use.
First, a note on the two sizes of the Cuyana saddle bag. The regular Cuyana saddle bag measures 9.5" H x 10.75" W x 3.5" D; while the mini saddle bag measures 6.5" H x 7" W x 2.5" D. So the regular saddle bag is 3 inches higher and almost 4 inches wider but only an inch deeper. I went with the mini version because the regular just looked too wide for a compact crossbody that I would use daily. But the regular size is just $100 more so I would say it's a really good value (which seems to be evidenced by the fact that the larger sizes are always sold out).
Now onto the review of the bag. First the pros:
- The leather, as expected from Cuyana, is really awesome. Soft and buttery, it's what you would expect good Italian leather to feel like.
- The price on this bag ($195) feels totally reasonable too. If you look at Everlane's Italian made crossbody, they go for $365 while Mansur Gavriel's saddle bag crossbody goes for $495-$595.
- I love the gold bar detail at the magnetic clasp. It makes a boring old saddle bag a little more interesting.
But in the end I didn't keep it because:
- It was just way too tiny. I don't need to carry a lot on a daily basis but the bag could only hold my phone, keys, and wallet (and my wallet is pretty compact as it is). I couldn't really fit sunglasses with a case in there (and lately I need to carry around sunglasses since there's sunshine all the time in San Jose-- so different from foggy SF). I think it might feel smaller than it actually is because the opening of the bag is quite small.
- Also the bag is not lined on the inside and I like my bags with cotton lining, but that's just a personal preference.
(And there's those Adidas slides I talked about, the ones that my husband think are hideous, but give me 90's nostalgia, lol. They're not quite blog-worthy shoes, but hey that's just what I was wearing at the time). Anyways in these pictures, the mini saddle bag doesn't look that small, but I guess I'm so used to the size of my Mansur Gavriel crossbody so it felt tiny.
For reference the (regular) Mansur Gavriel crossbody is 7"H x 9.25"W x 2.25"D {and Cuyana's mini saddle bag is 6.5" H x 7" W x 2.5" D}. So Cuyana's version is deeper but the shorter width and small opening at the top make the bag feel smaller. Also I ended up sticking with the Mansur Gavriel version because it's lined and its larger magnet makes opening and closing the bag really quick and easy.
Anyway if you're looking for a super high quality leather saddle bag that's reasonably priced and you don't need to carry a lot of things (or conversely if you do need to carry a lot of things, you might want to try the regular size), then I think Cuyana's bags might work for you. Currently these bags are sold out on Cuyana (all sizes and colors but I've seen them do periodic restocks-without fanfare so make sure you sign up for restock notices if you're interested). As usual this post is not sponsored and if you're interested in other products from this brand, check out all my Cuyana reviews here.
{March 2018 Update: So it's been 2 years since this review and things have changed. I loved my MG crossbody bag and wore it consistently for 6 months, after which the leather where the handles attached to the bag got all crumbly and disintegrated. I cannot stand by MG's calf leather quality and I am not the only one. Read this eye-opening post here.}