Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Bag 3: Fanci Free Edens Carry All Tote

Overview:
Fanci Free is a baby bag and accessories company out of Chicago. This bag is their Edens in "Circles in Motion" print. It's made of water-resistant padded nylon, and has a variety of pockets all over. It comes with a changing pad and zippered wet/dry bag. It can be worn as a shoulder bag or across the chest, and comes with stroller attachments. The size is 11.5" high x 14" wide x 5.5" gusset.
First Impressions:
I apologize if any of you own this bag, but it is so ugly I can hardly look at it. Both Karl and I agree. It looks way cuter in the pictures, but, I assure you, is a clown's nightmare. The fabric is a brown background with red, yellow, blue, and green circles all over. Not a good print. (The only reason I chose this pattern is because it was the lesser of a few evil choices.) The bag is very boxy. It has no movement to it, and wouldn't conform to the body or in tight stroller spaces. There are tons of pockets; 2 on the front, 2 on the side, 3 large ones on top/middle with those spaces sectioned off.

Second Glance:
The bright yellow inside is a happy choice, and almost makes me forget how ugly the pattern is. As we try to get into the pockets, we realize that ALL the fabric is padded, the inside, the outside, and the pockets. There is no real need for this, and it makes for a very heavy bag with much less space than if it had been just double-layered. The cell phone pocket on top is also a bit silly, because it is padded, and even if my iPhone fit in there, I probably wouldn't be able to get it out. Both Karl and I like that it's not a big flap closure on top, and that the big pockets are easy to get to...but you can still barely get your hand in them.

Conclusions:
It's already on its way back to eBags! This just wasn't the bag for me- I had high hopes because Fanci-Free is a good company who has thought through a lot of problems, but simply over designed this bag.

7 comments:

Chip&Marcia said...

yeah...not my favorite either! Glad to hear you are sending it back!

Nick said...

"A clown's nightmare." Not really the design theme you want with your kids' stuff. Imagine the stuffed animals we would have to get him. Yikes.

Glad you're sending this one back. I'm still rooting for the giraffe print.

Mike said...

Unrelated to the bags: are all the pictures of Beth reversed? That's the back wall of the candle shop, right? And I remember it to be completely the opposite, with the back door of the shop on the right as you walk in the front door. A self-portrait in a mirror? But I can't find the camera in the picture...

By the way, I vote that Nick uses the free diaper bag from the hospital, if he has to have his own.

Beth said...

Mike, Ah! Very observant! I took the ones of me with PhotoBooth on my MacBookPro. It automatically does a mirror image...not sure why...I just didn't bother changing it.

HAS to have his own diaper bag?!?!? You say that as if I'm forcing him to! :) Well, I'll have you know, he ASKED for his own! HA!

Nick said...

I'm currently researching (with Karl's help, of course) titanium alloy diaper bags. If it's not bullet-proof, I won't store diapers in it!

Mike said...

All I know is that I'm going to tell all of old Cedar Springs neighbors that my brother gets, wants, or is forced to have his own diaper bag.

And Nick, other features to consider: GPS navigation with On-Star, an iPod dock, and a "bottle" cooler, ifyouknowhatImean.

Kimberlee said...

laugh! these nick/beth/mike exchanges are great. kurt would probably add only one necessity to your list, mike: a flip-up screen with built in XBOX 360 controllers. i can see the reality show now..."pimp my bag."