I am a flight attendant and was looking for a bag to replace my Minkeeblue tote as they are no longer made in a leather material, which is a requirement for my luggage.
So this Gemini Tote... I love the pop of blue and the faux leather feels really nice. It is a very attractive looking bag. It does fit my 15.6 inch laptop in the padded sleeve however the magnetic strap is not nearly long enough to accommodate which is so frustrating and an insane oversight for a bag that advertises accommodating up to 17 inch laptops.
There is not a lot of space in the bag after you put your laptop either. I put all of my electronics in my tote and this is going to be an extremely tight squeeze to fit everything. I am unable to fit as much as I could in my previous tote bag which is strange because my Minkeeblue bag has smaller dimensions. The space is really disappointing and probably the most disappointing aspect of this bag. I am so surprised at how little interior space there is available on the inside of the bag, likely to ensure those large side pockets could hold such big cups. I am able to fit my large water bottles, of course and it is a nice feature! But still, a large tote should carry a lot of things. I will have to fight to fit everything inside and I imagine other professions will have the same issue if they have to carry a lot of things to and from their homes.
The zipper pocket on the front of the bag has some serious issues. Firstly, the zipper is not smooth. You do have to fight with it to get it to open. It is also almost impossible to use this pocket if there is anything in the pockets on the interior of the bag. So... Yes the pocket is huge on the front but if its hard to get into because of the pocket AND hard to utilize if there are things on the interior then its a pretty useless pocket.
Next, There is a very strange puckering on the back of the bag, I think from the large cupholders or maybe due to the backpack rings (which I won't use). I have tried to pull them out but to no avail. It is just a bit ugly.
Lastly, I was shocked that the ring on the inside of the bag didn't have a key leash but rather some useless tassel that is just in the way. Sure it is cute but personally I would've rather had a keyleash. Luckily my old bag came with one so I'll just attach it. Just seems like a very strange oversight. I can understand the tassel on the outside of the bag because its cute and other people can see it but what is the point of one on the inside? Nobody can see it and it just gets in the way of the limited space. The feature is advertised is for a "key hook" I suppose but I don't think it is crazy of me to be bewildered why there was leash included with this hook. Such an odd choice.
I know this negative reads very negative but there are things I like about this bag. It is beautiful and feels well construction, despite all the flaws I didn't like about it. I also love that it has OEKO-TEX certified fabric on the inside, that is something I really value. I also love that I can fit two big water bottles (or whatever else) in the side pockets. I am not returning this bag as it'll work for now but I know I will be searching for something in the future that can fit all my needs. It sounds crazy but I wish White Elm would come out with an even large version of this tote, one that prioritized interior space. As I said, my previous bag holds so much more inside of it. If I could just buy it again, I would. This bag is okay and it will be fine for now.