Saddleback has developed an impressive reputation for themselves over the last 20 years in the business of fine leather goods.

I’ve heard many people speak of their products with the sort of reverence reserved for true “buy it once, buy it for life” heirlooms.

Saddleback themselves have a lot of confidence in their offerings, boasting a 100-year warranty and over-engineering to the level of unbreakability.

Incredibly bold claims, especially for such high-wear items such as briefcases, luggage and duffle bags–the latter of which we’ll be reviewing here.

Over the last few months I’ve put Saddleback’s three-strap leather duffle and simple leather toiletry bag to the test. They’ve been packed to the gills for everything from simple gym bag duty to extended weekend getaways (in which they were thrown around indiscriminately).

I had some very real reservations as to whether Saddleback’s products could match their sales pitch. I’ve owned a number of leather bags over the years that claim to be extremely hard-wearing only to have them fall apart in short order with frequent real-world use.

Has Saddleback lived up to the hype? Are their products truly unbreakable? Is this stuff really worth the premium price? Let’s find out.

The Specs

Duffle Bag Measurements: 19.25” x 11” x 9.75” (5.5 lbs)

Toiletry Bag Measurements: 9.75” x 6.25” x 6” (2 lbs)

Material: Full grain leather outer, pigskin-lined interior

Hardware: 316L stainless steel

Price: Duffle – $549, Toiletry bag – $209

Warranty: 100 years

The Construction

Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to Saddleback’s approach to construction. Huge swaths of leather and minimal seams mean points of failure are massively reduced compared to so many other bags on the market. You won’t find any extraneous pockets, zippers, snaps, wheels or buttons.