I am almost embarrassed to admit this now, but when I took my first ever backpacking trip around South America, I just chucked all of my toiletries into a plastic “bag for life” Tesco carrier bag and carted it to and from the hostel shower/washroom with me every morning. I am equally embarrassed to think about the excessive amount of toiletries I packed too but that’s another story.
Looking back it seems incredible to admit that at the time I had never encountered travel toiletry bags before. Yet every credible traveller knows all about them and never sets off without a decent one.
In this review, we are going to take a look at the Nomatic toiletry bag. We’ll run through its design, features, specs and above all its value for money. By the end of this review, you will know whether the Nomatic toilet bag is worth your $50 or not!
Word Up – Nomatic is now selling the toiletry bag 2.00. This is the 2nd version of the product. The 1.00 is no longer available but that’s fine as this version is superior in every measurable way. The bag is also available in 2 different sizes (medium, and more medium) to accommodate those who like to carry extra toiletries (girls and me basically)
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- Price – $54.99
- Dimensions – 10.5 in x 5 in x 1.7 in (26.7 x 12.7 x 4.3 cm)
- Materials – Tarpaulin, Zoom Zippers, Metal
- Waterproof tarpaulin material
- See through TPU windows make navigation easy
- Small pockets can be expanded to make one mega pocket
- Weak zip tracks
- Toothbrush sleeve is a wee bit tight
- Not cheap…
Nomatic Toiletry Bag – Materials & Aesthetic
The Nomatic toiletry bag differs from a lot of its competitors in that it’s almost kind of like a toiletry briefcase. Nomatics travel packs are designed with a cool, sleek, almost business-like design aesthetic and their toilet bag continues this trend. So when you are carrying this bag it’s almost like you are headed off to a very important meeting except that it’s an important meeting with a shower. Therefore if you are the kind of traveller who likes to take a s**t in style, then this may just be the toiletry bag for you!
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In terms of material, it is made from a nice, sleek, waterproof tarpaulin and we will tell you why this is awesome in the next segment…
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The nature of the beast dictates that toiletry bags will take a beat of a beating. Each day they are dragged into wet and steamy bathrooms and often even placed in direct splashing range of shower heads and more! They then sit faithfully at our side as we spit toothpaste and even wait patiently as we squat on the ceramic throne and perform our morning cleansing rituals…
Therefore as a minimum, a good toiletry bag needs to be highly water-resistant and easily wipeable in case of toothpaste splashes or worst! And yet, many are not. I have personally owned toilet bags that are made with minimal waterproofing and even absorb toothpaste splashes.
The Nomatic bag however is a hard-wearing, elemental resisting beast. Water just splashes right off it. I would say water runs off it like water off a duck’s back but in reality, water runs off a duck’s back like water runs off the Nomatic toiletry bag – the paradigm has shifted.
Likewise, even the most stubborn of toothpaste splodges also wipe straight off even after drying (I need to test it with other white stains at some point too I guess….).
There are plenty of cheaper and lesser toiletry bags out there but they will get wet, dirty and eventually fall to pieces within a few months of heavy use. The Nomatic Toiletry bag on the other hand feels like it is built to last years of travel abuse – this is reflected in the lifetime warranty that Nomatic is offering.
Another thing I love about the versatility of these bags is that is can also quite easily be used as a generic travel organiser if you wish. It might just be the perfect covert spot to throw that Nomatic Wallet, passport, plugs and wires if you’re feeling it!
Nomatic Toilet Bag 2.00 – Storage and Access
Once again the Nomatic toiletry bag towers above its competitors.
The bag is split into 3 sections – 1 big, slim, rectangle pocket and 2 smaller square ones. Two of the pockets also have PVC/see-through plastic covers that allow you to see inside so you know exactly what is packed where without having to search through the whole damn thing!
The longer pocket is suitable for toothbrushes, toothpaste and other bottles and the other pockets are suitable for soap, tablets and whatever.
By the way, the 2 smaller, square pockets can actually be modified and combined into 1 single pocket like the opposing one. It’s a nice feature but personally, I am pretty happy with the default setting.
These toiletries bags are perfectly designed to work alongside the whole Nomadic range, whether you op for their fully-fledged wheeled suitcase, their awesome hybrid backpack carryon case or their super sleek and stylish travel backpack. You’ll be both matchy-matchy and know you’re shiny new toiletries bag will fit!
Nomatic Toiletry Bag 2.00 – Hanging
Any toiletry bag worth its salt allows you to hang it up.
Hanging toiletry bags are great for hanging around shower heads, above toilet doors and even hanging over hostel dorm beds. However, with most toiletry bags, the hanging hook or strap is usually the first feature to wear and break especially if you pack some heavy toiletry bottles inside the bag.
The Nomatic toiletry bag utilises a slightly different approach here and doesn’t use a hook, but uses a detachable strap instead. The strap can be added or removed depending on whether you want to use it or not, and if you do, then you will be delighted to learn that it fastens very tightly and firmly. Result!
Nomatic Toiletry Bag – Price and Value
Ok, so this toilet bag comes in at $54.99 USD. That makes it the most expensive toiletry bag I have ever personally tried. Therefore the question is whether it’s really worth it?
I have travelled a lot in my time and burned through a lot of gear. One lesson I have learned is that good quality gear is rarely (if ever) cheap but instead, is to be looked upon as an investment. I have owned 2, Jeff Bezos type, cheap toiletry bags in my time and within months they were both starting to smell and rot.
What it comes down to is whether you would prefer to spend $20 on a bag and replace it after a few months, or spend $55 and get a toiletry bag for life. I won’t say it’s a “no brainer” as I know that $55 is a lot of money to spend on what is essentially a toilet item but I do feel the long term economics make it a sound investment.
You know what they said, buy cheap, buy twice!
Final Thoughts on The Nomatic Toiletry Bag
As we have seen, the Nomatic toiletry bag is a stylish, well made, waterproof toiletry bag. It has the potential to be adapted and customised a bit to taste and has been built to last for years of travel. It’s certainly become one of my favourite pieces of travel gear. Whilst it is not cheap, we still feel the sheer quality justifies the price tag.
Is it the best toiletry bag in the world? Well, definitely maybe.
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