Travel Tips
Travel Tuesday: Moderne Gentleman vs. Halfday – Comparing the Garment Duffles
Last week, I shared a look at the Moderne Gentleman Travel Duffle. As you may have noticed, that bag bears some resemblance to the Halfday Garment Duffle, which I previously reviewed. Given that natural comparison, I figured that a deeper dive into the matter was warranted.
Fair warning: while these two bags may be similar in concept, there are also several key distinguishing features. So, how do they match up? Let’s take a look at the Moderne Genleman Travel Duffle versus the Halfday Garment Duffle.
As a reminder, Moderne Gentleman did provide me with the Travel Duffle for review. However, the opinions are entirely my own.
The Moderne Gentleman Travel Duffle vs. the Halfday Garment Duffle
Pricing comparison
The first point we need to talk about is price. Starting with the Halfday bag, it retails for $98. Meanwhile, the MG Travel Duffle lists for $160, but currently sells for $120. So, let’s call it a $22 difference — actually, more like $27 since Halfday offers free shipping and Moderne Gentleman charges $4.98 for standard shipping.
Of note, you can save 10% on Moderne Gentleman by using the promo code Fioney at checkout. Similarly, you can save 20% on Halfday using our referal link.
With that frame of reference, let’s continue with our comparison.
Color options
When I first reviewed the Halfday bag, there were only three color options. That would have put it pretty close to the MG bag, which is currently only available in black and grey.
But, Halfday has since expanded its lineup of colorways significantly. By my count, there are now nine design options for that bag. So, that’s a pretty easy win for Halfday at the moment. That said, I do love the look of Moderne Gentleman’s grey bag — which happens to be one color Halfday doesn’t have.
Size
Another difference between the “Original” model of the Halfday bag and the MG bag is the size. In short, the latter is smaller — which is actually a plus for me. But, I wanted to compare both listings to see just how much smaller it was.
According to the MG site, its bag can hold a suit up to 45 Long. As for Halfday, it says its garment section can accommodate a suit up to 50 Regular. In terms of dimensions, the Halfday is listed as 22″ x 12″ x 12″. Compare to the Moderne Gentleman’s 22″ x 12″ x 9″ measurement… and you’ll see that only one number is different. For what it’s worth, the TSA’s max carry-on dimensions are officially 22″ x 14″ x 9″.
Since I found the Halfday bag to be a bit too big for my liking (at least for air travel), I prefer the size of the MG overall. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Halfday now also offers a Compact version of its bag, which is the same price as the Original. But, since I haven’t tried that one for myself, I’ll pick MG here.
Zippers and access
What surprised me the most when assembling my MG Travel Duffle bag was how different the construction was from Halfday. With the latter, the zippers run along the perimeter of the bag, meaning that it effectively builds itself as you zip it up. In contrast, the Moderne Gentleman bag basically has three separate sections: the two sides and then the main section.
Not surprisingly, there are pros and cons to each approach.
With the Halfday, what I like is how you can open the main flap and almost have a “display” of your items. That’s great for access upon reaching your destination, but this design also hinders access along the way. What I mean is that you’ll need to position the two zippers in the middle of the bag if you want to reach into the main section at any time. And, if you open the zipper too much, you risk the whole thing falling apart.
For the MG bag, on-the-go access to the main section is similar to a more conventional duffle. That is to say that it’s easy to unzip the top, reach in for what you’re looking for, and zip it back up. Alas, this does mean that you don’t get the cool open-face look of the Halfday, but it’s probably better for access while you make your way to your destination.
Speaking of access, though, the other aspect of the MG bag that I’m not sure I like is how the zippers on the side don’t fully close. As a result, there is a small hole on either side of the bag. However, if you use the hooks on the zipper, the gap is quite small, making it difficult to reach your hand in (or, hopefully for anything to fall out). Still, I don’t love that this gap exists and I feel like others might take issue with it as well.
Honestly, I’m not going to award a winner in this section as it really comes down to preference.
Build and materials
Admittedly, this is a bit of a difficult category since I haven’t used either bag enough to know how it holds up over time. Instead, I’m going to just share some observations. Starting on the outside, as I mentioned, MG’s bag clips are made of metal while Halfday’s (both on the strap and on the bag) are made of plastic. This isn’t a huge deal, but I think the metal just looks and feels way better. The faux leather on Moderne Gentleman’s handles is also a step up from the Halfday IMHO.
On the subject of feel, though, one thing I noted about the Halfday’s interior was how nice the silky interior of the bag was. Comparatively, the MG liner isn’t quite as sleek but still feels nice. It also seems as though it would be moisture-wicking — although I wasn’t going to test that theory for myself.
Shoe compartment
Another big difference between the two bags involves shoes. With the Halfday bag, you can place your shoes in pockets (one on each side) that then fold into the bag’s interior. As for the MG bag, the shoe compartment is on the outside — although the shoes do take up space internally.
In this case, I think I prefer the MG version in most situations. While I like how Halfdays shoe pockets work as part of the bag’s overall design, I like how the separate compartment on MG’s bag does a better job at actually separating your shoes — including whatever grossness they carry on the soles — from your other clothes. For that reason, I’m going to give Moderne Gentleman the win in this category.
The Verdict: Final Thoughts on Moderne Gentleman vs. Halfday
When comparing the two bags, I find that there’s a lot that I like about both of them. This starts with the fact that both are remarkably clever — even in their own, independent ways. With that said, I do think that the Moderne Gentleman bag packs in a few more features than the Halfday (including extra pockets and storage space) and ends up being more useable as a result.
The only other factor giving me pause is the price. Coming in 20% higher than the Halfday bag (even on sale) does complicate things for me. Then again, it’s also not so much of a difference that it might make or break your budget. Also, some premium features — such as the use of metal versus plastic — also help the argument.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to preference and intended use. On that note, if I need to fly to a wedding or similar event, the Moderne Gentleman Travel Duffle would be my pick. If I were driving instead, then the choice would come down to whether I need the extra bit of space that the Halfday offers… but I might lean MG in this scenario as well. Either way, I think both bags are useful travel tools and worth consideration.
Per FTC guidelines, this website may be compensated by companies mentioned through advertising, affiliate programs or otherwise. (Note: advertising relationships do not have any influence on editorial content. Advertising compensation allows Money@30 to provide quality content for free. All editorial opinions are those of Kyle Burbank.)
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