Matador Packable Laundry Bag Review

Laundry. It’s probably the furthest thing from your mind when planning your long-awaited trip, whether it’s a vacation or the obligatory out-of-town work conference. It’s a you-in-the-future problem, and we totally get that dreaded feeling. That said, giving future you a leg up isn’t that hard, especially if it’s as easy as making sure you put all your dirty laundry in one place, ready to be hauled to the nearest laundromat.

The Matador Packable Laundry Bag is a sizable option for those looking for one. At 30 liters, it has more than enough room, even if you go through all the clothing you’ve packed in your travel backpack. You probably won’t even have to bother folding everything to make it fit. But this isn’t just a sack you put dirty clothing into. There’s plenty to discuss about its features, pros, and cons, so let’s dive into it!

External Components

We’re not entirely sure about the main material. It’s a 50-denier fabric that Matador’s website says is nylon, while the tag inside says polyester. Could it be that the liner is polyester while the shell is nylon? Nope, it’s the same material inside and out, so we’re not quite sure which it is. Either way, it also has a slick finish courtesy of its PFAS-free C0 DWR or “durable water resistant” coating. This not only makes sure that rain, splashes, and other debris won’t stick to the bag but also that any incidental stains and odors coming from your dirty laundry don’t stick too easily.

Since it’s a packable laundry bag, Matador kept the exterior elements to a minimum. Despite the large, almost backpack-like proportions, you won’t find any fancy buckles or pockets dotting the outside. That said, there are a bunch of carry handles, loops, and attachment straps to help you carry the laundry bag around.

There are two grab handles: one at the top and one at the side. We’ve talked a lot about “very minimal” grab handles on daypacks, duffles, and slings, but these are some of the most minimal yet. They’re little more than nylon strips you can put your hand through. To be fair, this is probably all you’re going to need. It’s for those times you need to pull the bag out of a tight space, bring it from your hotel room to the laundry shop, or toss it to a friend. On the other hand, we wouldn’t want to carry this bag fully loaded with these thin handles for too long.

The bottom loop can also be used as a grab handle, though it feels a bit weird carrying it with the opening facing down. For the most part, it’s another point you can pull on whenever you’re taking the bag out of a tight space. It’s also a very useful grab point when you’re dumping all your dirty laundry into the washing machine.

All of that said, if you really want to use this as a packable duffle bag, the side loops may provide an answer. They flank the side handle, making them ideal attachment points for a crossbody strap. You’ll have to source that on your own, but it is a welcome option to have since this laundry bag’s size makes it very tempting to use as a packable hauler, too.

Around the back are attachment straps. They’re as thin as the other loops, with the key distinction that they have tiny buckles, allowing you to loop them onto fixtures. For example, maybe your hotel room has a handlebar or a towel rack. If so, you can use these attachment straps to hang the laundry bag, providing you with a convenient, ever-ready hamper.

Inside The Laundry Bag

There are two ways into the main compartment: through the zippered opening at the front or the zippered top hatch. We’ve tested plenty of laundry bags before, but the dual openings are pretty unique, and that’s because Matador designed it to be used in two ways.

When you have the laundry bag on its side, you will want to use the front opening, which we prefer. Despite the zipper covering only about half of the bag’s length, it still presents you with more of the interior than the top hatch. This means you can insert clothing into the far-flung corners and sides of the bag, letting you distribute the weight more evenly, albeit manually. It also allows you to put the laundry bag inside your luggage or bag to act as a built-in hamper, but we’d say just simply take it out and use it separately.

Meanwhile, the top hatch lets you use the laundry bag as a hamper when you hang it on a horizontal bar, as we mentioned earlier. That won’t always be available, but we appreciate Matador providing that option when it is. Plus, it’s just satisfying to empty the laundry bag from one side, especially if you’re using a top-loading washing machine.

Capacity-wise, we can fit four pairs of pants, six shirts, two hoodies, a long-sleeved shirt, various undergarments, and four pairs of socks. Mind you, there’s still some leftover room; it wasn’t like we used all the laundry bag’s available space. In other words, there’s more than enough room to pack a week’s worth of clothing, and that’s without the need for folding or compressing your laundry, which, honestly, no one has the time to do.

Inside the laundry bag is a small zippered pocket to pack it away. Okay, that’s its primary purpose, and it’s easy to do; you simply stuff all of the fabric from the outside until everything is inside. Some air may get trapped, but you can easily squeeze all of it out since no airtight seal forms, at least based on our experience. However, that small zippered pocket is also a handy stash spot for sachets or pods of detergent, so there’s no need to stuff them in your pants pockets.

With the entire laundry bag packed into a ball no bigger than an apple, you won’t have any issues finding a place for it in your travel bag. However, you can also use it in other ways. For example, you can use it as a shoe pouch or as another packing cube. Yes, you’re going to leave a lot of slack fabric if you don’t pack it to its fullest capacity, but rolling and folding that away isn’t really hard.