A review of the Teacher Tote
At the end of July, I posted on Instagram about purchasing the Teacher Tote as my new bag for the school year. I have now been using this bag since teachers reported back on August 5th, and after over two months, here is how I feel about it.
What I love
- I only have to carry one bag to work. I don’t know how to express how much joy it brings me to only have to grab one bag in the morning, but it is exponential. I love, love that I can fit everything I need in there. There is a lunch box compartment built in to the bag, so it really fits everything!
- Everything is organized. I already used little makeup bags to organize small items in my purse, so I just throw my wallet, sunnies, and makeup bags in there when I transition from the weekend and I am good to go. I love the padded, zippered compartment in the middle for my Chromebook and planner, and having the two sides makes for easy organization. Basically my lunch is on one side and all my personal stuff is on the other. I really love the outer pockets where I always have my water bottle and sometimes and umbrella or extra pair of shoes if I have something after work.
- It has held up well. Sure, there are some minor scuffs on the outside, but I load up this bag and the straps show no signs of breaking or wearing.
- I never lose my keys. Thanks to the handy key strap inside the bag, I have not lost my car keys or classroom keys inside the bag since I got it. I used to always spend several minutes trying to find my keys in the morning and afternoon.
What I don’t
- Sometimes my bag gets heavy. If the tote is fully loaded with my lunch, Chromebook, and a full water bottle, it can be slightly daunting to get on my shoulder. This is also a little problematic if I have anything to do after work. My choices are to leave the bag in the car, something I do not like doing, or lug it around with me.
- The company is very new and does not have a fully developed customer service policy/ framework. My tote went on sale the day I received it, which was a few days after I ordered. I politely asked for a price adjustment as every brand I have ever shopped with has a two-week policy for this sort of thing. Well, the owners of Teacher Tote flat out refused. Mind you, I had messaged them on Instagram about a week before ordering and asked several questions. They didn’t mention that the item was going on sale in a few days. When I asked them about this, they said it “wasn’t in their best interest” to tell a customer of an upcoming sale. I’ve worked retail since I was a teenager and every company I have ever worked for either gave a price adjustment or would honor the sale price early if we knew it was going on sale in a few days. This whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way and will likely deter me from ordering another bag from them in the future. I almost returned the bag because of the incident, but decided to keep it in the interest of doing an honest review, and because I was actually excited to use it.
Obviously there is a lot more I like about the bag than don’t. I think it is a great bag for any professional who needs to carry a lunch along with their other things for work. It has certainly made my life easier and I really think the bag is excellent quality and good value.
As a bag, I give it a 9/10, but again, the company is still very new and needs to work on a customer service policy that appreciates its customers; especially given that the company is run by teachers and the customers are mostly teachers (we all don’t make enough money) too.
