Design
Quality of Materials
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service It’s a miracle I’m alive.
My balance is so off, I can hardly stand on a board even when it’s not moving. Surfing or snowboarding? Forget about it.
I’ve had disastrous results in the past.
But that hasn’t stopped my wanderlust.
And with big travel plans in the upcoming year, I decided to upgrade my luggage situation. After doing a bit of research, I came across the glossy Instagram profile of Db Bags.
I figured I’d give this Scandinavian brand a try and picked up a few of their most popular offerings: The Hugger (in 30L and 20L), and The Getaway Weekend bag.
So do they make travel easier, or harder? Keep reading to get the full breakdown.
Skip Ahead
What Is Db?
Db was founded in 2012 by the Swedish Alpine Freestyle Skiing legend, Jon Olsson. The dude has specific flips attributed to him (what even is a D-Spin 720?).
This was way before Olsson was a massive YouTube star. He teamed up with entrepreneur and aerospace design fanatic, Truls Brataas, and together they created bags that could carry skis, surfboards, and snowboards, while being comfortable and looking cool.
Originally, they picked up a catchy name from their online community of extreme sports enthusiasts: douchebags.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Scandinavians, it’s this: they’re not afraid to make massive decisions extremely quickly. It’s their best trait besides looking really good in turtleneck sweaters.
Anyway, once they decided to expand into English speaking countries, they had some issues with the name douchebags. And now, the brand is simply Db. A bit more tasteful, don’t you agree?
Db bags are designed for travelers. The Hugger backpacks have massive pockets that can store at least a week of clothes. Their unique attachment system also allows you to put your bags together like the Power Rangers did with the Megazord.
Things to Consider Before Buying Bags from Db
Db bags work well as standalone pieces, but their true utility comes when you start to use them in combination together.
For instance, check out how you can combine The Little Bastard Roller Bag with their new Bunker Board Surf Bag:
If you’re planning a big surf trip, I don’t see how luggage can be more convenient than that. You have all the clothes you need tucked in the main roller bag, and your surfboard bag just clips on top and rolls along with you.
Db offers two kinds of surfboard bags, two bags for snowsports, and even a bag that fits your road-bike.
All Db bags can hook into each other to transform what’s normally a stressful process for any extreme sport enthusiast—travelling with your tool of choice—into an easy-peasy stroll through the airport.
Db Bags Review
The Hugger 30L
The Hugger 30L is Db’s most popular backpack, so I figured I had to give it a shot. Originally designed for skiers to throw on their backs and head for the slopes, The Hugger has an open, minimalist design.
I picked mine up in the classic Blackout. I love the technical look of the bag—like it’s a piece of military equipment. The aesthetic speaks to Brataas’ functional design sensibilities, and was inspired by the Boeing Dreamliner.
Db suggests The Hugger 30L as an everyday bag: the kind of thing you use on your commute and take with you to the gym.
It features a discrete laptop pocket in the back, and a fully open main compartment.
I really like the design of the main compartment for travel—I found I can pack everything I need for two weeks of travel in this backpack. And because you can just lay the bag flat and have all your clothes at hand without having to dig through, it’s a way better option than a suitcase for travel (at least for me: I like being able to carry everything on my back).
The strength of The Hugger 30L is also a weakness in certain situations, though. My essential every-day-carry is this:
- Lap Top
- Camera
- Lunch
- Water bottle
- Random pockets for memory cards, hard drives, cables, etc.
And if I’m going away for a weekend, it’s nice to have space to store extra clothes.
The Hugger 30L is excellent for the clothes, lap top, and random pockets. But things get a bit hairy when I need to bring along my glass tupperware lunch, a heavy-duty water bottle, and my nice camera. When I walk around on my commute, everything tends to bang together. I don’t mind scuffs on my water bottle and tupperware, but I’m not taking chances with my camera.
Db offers their CIA Camera Insert, which I may get because it has space for my camera, two additional lenses, and the extra storage for odds and ends. But that’s something I’m going to save for when I have more than my single lens.
At the moment, though, I don’t have a secure place for my camera, which is a bit of a bummer.
Still, I love the water-protection I get from the EVA and PU leather combo. The shape of the bag is ergonomically superb—even when it’s all packed up and heavy, The Hugger is extremely comfortable.
I’m using The Hugger 30L as my weekend bag because it’s so easy to pack clothes in and out of, and leaves plenty of room for books, toiletries, and whatever other gadgets you want for a quick trip.
This everyday bag doubles as an awesome travel companion. I can store a full week's worth of clothes in this bag no problem.
The Hugger 20L
I also picked up a smaller 20L version of The Hugger in Sage Green. It’s the same design, but in a smaller package.
The 20L can still fit a 15” MacBook, so it’s plenty enough storage for my day to day. When it arrived, my wife’s daily backpack was starting to look ragged, so I gave her The Hugger 20L to use for her commute to the pottery studio. She absolutely loves it.
While the 20L version still lacks a special compartment for a camera, the plethora of mesh pockets makes for a super organized and effective bag for everything my wife needs in her business.
On one side of the bag, she keeps all her underglazes. On the mouth of the bag, she has all her pens, cutting tools, and tapes. And she’s left with plenty of room for lunch, water, and can carry her finished pieces home safely and securely.
Plus, the top pocket gives her a place to store her phone (away from flying clay), and she can toss her laptop in, no problem, so she can update her online store whenever she’s releasing a new design.
For her, The Hugger 20L is an important organizational tool, which is awesome to see.
Plus, when we’re traveling, I can just hook her bag onto mine and carry both, no problem.
The 20L has the same build as the popular 30L, but it's just a bit smaller. In my opinion, this makes a better everyday bag and the 30L is your go-to for travel.
The Getaway Weekend Bag
The Getaway Weekend Bag is a 38L beast of a weekender. And I love weekender bags.
The storage capacity is massive, and true to Db’s wanderlust philosophy, I’d say this is the kind of weekender bag you’d bring if you’re open to your weekend away turning into a few months of travel.
I haven’t put in a ton of mileage with this bag, but I can already tell it can take a beating. I’m not going to be worried about what it’ll look like coming down the baggage claim chute.
The nylon straps are heavy-duty and feature rugged stitching through the height of the bag. It feels great in your hand, though if you prefer to strap your weekenders over your shoulder, there’s a detachable strap.
For this design, however, I prefer going without the strap. Normally I’d opt to sling it over my shoulder, but I love how the bag clips onto itself and has that “folded over” look.
It has the Db hookup hardware, though I felt a bit ridiculous strapping a weekender on top of my backpack. It’s probably best saved for one of Db’s larger pieces of luggage, like the Big Bastard 90L roller bag.
Still, I love how much Db has stuck to their modular designs, and these bags do really look good together.
The Getaway is primarily PU Leather with a waterproof treatment and also has hypalon fabric added at the corners to prevent the usual wear and tear most weekenders start to get over years of picking up and setting down.
The inner compartment is simple: a huge 38L space, two open mesh pockets on one side, and a larger zippered pocket on the other. It’s refreshing to see a bag that doesn’t have a tiny pocket for everything—instead, they keep it simple, which is way more helpful.
Forget weekends: between The Hugger 30L and the Getaway Weekend Bag, I’d have plenty enough room to travel the world for a year or more. I wasn’t aware of how much space 30L was, and the 38L duffel offers the kind of space that makes me think I can bring four books with me on vacation.
The storage capacity is massive, and true to Db’s wanderlust philosophy, I’d say this is the kind of weekender bag you’d bring if you’re open to your weekend away turning into a few months of travel.
What do Other Reviewers Say About Db Bags?
From van-living (the aspirational kind—not the Chris Farley kind), to weekend trips, to massive ski vacations, the reviews for Db speak of adventure.
Many reviewers decided to get a Db bag right before a big trip—for instance, one reviewer picked up The Hugger a week before their photography trip to Iceland and said the bag was a massive help.
The reviews are even-split between folks using their bags every day for their commutes, and for others using them on trips and vacations. The style is the main comment that continued to come up over and over again, though the bags’ durability and utility were a close second.
My Thoughts Overall On Db
What I Like
I love the design of the bags—they’re part futurist and minimalist, with a little military aesthetic tossed in. They have that “adventure-ready” look to them.
The Hugger’s open compartment design makes it super easy to pack a ton of clothes into, making this an excellent vacation backpack.
The Getaway Weekend Bag has a massive amount of room, but it still fits under the carry-on limit when flying.
All the fabric and materials are water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about being caught in a rainstorm.
The bags all hook together so you can wheel them through the airport attached to one another.
What I Don’t Like
The open compartment design of The Hugger doesn’t have a neat space for my camera—I’d need a separate insert to securely store it.
The Getaway Weekend bag is nearly perfect, though it doesn’t have a padded laptop pocket, so if you bring your computer with you on your weekend away, you’ll still want a backpack.
Who is Db for?
If you’re an adventurer, Db offers the right bags for you. Their simple designs leave tons of room for you to pack the gear and clothes you need to keep up our creative work while also having fun.
The Verdict
Db bags shocked me with just how much I could fit into each of them.
The Hugger 30L has enough space in its main compartment that I really think I could travel for two weeks with just this bag.
The Getaway Weekend Bag (38L) is deceptively huge. It doesn’t look bulky, but it carries so much. Between The Hugger and this weekender duffel, I literally believe I could travel for a year or more and fit everything I need between these two bags.
My only gripe is that The Hugger doesn’t have a great place to store my camera. At the same time, the open compartment design is exactly why it fits so many clothes, and is why it’s perfect for a four-day weekend when you only want to bring a backpack.
That said, my wife has been using The Hugger 20L, and it’s perfect for her daily use getting to and from the pottery studio. So while lugging a big camera is part of my daily storage needs, your situation may be different, and that simple, open main compartment could be the exact thing you’re looking for.
Db bags are designed for travelers. The Hugger backpacks have massive pockets that can store at least a week of clothes. Their unique attachment system also allows you to put your bags together like the Power Rangers did with the Megazord.
FAQs
What size bag do I need for a 10-day trip?
It depends on how many changes of clothes you like to bring with you. For me, a 38L duffel is the perfect size for a 10-day trip. It’s easy to sling over your shoulder and doesn’t get too heavy, but still holds enough to give you wardrobe options for two weeks.
Is hard or soft luggage better?
If you like to travel light, or want to avoid checking bags, I recommend soft luggage. Hard luggage can be useful if you’re carrying a lot of accessories, like hair-irons, steamers, and other pieces like that. Similarly, if you have a ton of camera gear and you need to check it, hard luggage is a good choice. But other than that, I opt for soft because I’m more mobile with it.
What’s the best color for luggage?
You can never go wrong with black luggage. Black shows the least amount of dirt and scratches, so even after years of use, your luggage and bags will still look like new.
