It’s no secret that a few of us here at Gear Diary are bag fanatics. Judie’s collection puts mine to shame any day, as does Clinton’s. But for the past few years, I have been a purse fanatic. It’s been my other spendy item other than technology. I haven’t gone crazy; usually I only buy one nice bag a year, almost always from Coach, and maybe a few accessories. They have lasted so much longer than my previous cheapie purchases and I’ve been very happy with the investment. However, I have one problem–I love big bags. I love carrying a stylish bag that can fit my ebook reader, my iPad, my everyday necessities and any other random thing I have with me on a given day. This usually means that my bag is very unorganized, because big bags usually don’t have a lot of structure to them. My two favorite bags are large and slouchy, and no matter how carefully I organize my things they are usually tossed around the inside of the bag by the end of the day.
When Jerilyn from Purse Bling offered me the chance to review the original Purse to Go purse organizer, I was thrilled. I had seen other ladies online with the organizers and they seemed like the perfect solution to my problem. She sent me the Jumbo 8-pocket organizer in a beautiful pale lavender (my favorite color is purple!) to use in my large Coach Sabrina handbag. It is very simple, made from a silky but sturdy fabric, and the only branding is a small, discreet tag at the top inside corner.
From the Purse Bling website:
These soft-sided purse organizers make switching purses a snap. Your small items fit in the pockets around the side, large items fit in the middle. When it’s time to switch handbags simply take the Purse to Go out of one pocketbook, and put it in another. These are reversible so you can have the pockets on the outside if you prefer. A great way to organize your items, no more digging around to find a pen or your cell phone. These lightweight organizers protect the liner of your precious bags, too, and clean easily with a damp cloth.
As you can see, without anything in it, my bag is very slouchy and doesn’t really have much shape.
When I put things in it, everything is all jumbled together and I have to dig around to find what I’m looking for.
The Purse to Go has great pockets of various sizes that fit my iPhone, brush, earbuds, pens…really anything that gets lost in the bottom of my bag. The best part about the Purse to Go is that it has a solid bottom, which means that if something falls out of a pocket, or if I toss my keys into the top of the bag, small items aren’t going to get lost in the deep recesses of my purse.
The Jumbo Purse to Go fits a LOT of stuff–in this photo, I have my largest wallet, a pouch of various small items, makeup bag, brush, lip balm, iPhone, Apple bluetooth keyboard, and a pen case. This fits easily into my bag, and then I’m able to put my iPad and my Nook on either side of it. I can also hook my keys to the small key loop at the top of the organizer next to the Purse to Go tag.
Not only does the Purse to Go organize my things, but it provides some much needed structure to my bag. It now stands up on its own without slouching over, and that makes things stay in place better and they’re more easy to find. It also makes the bag more comfortable to carry because things aren’t constantly shifting around inside. If I want to use the Jumbo Purse to Go in a smaller bag, it has handy velcro tabs that will reduce the circumference. Of course, in that case, I can always buy a smaller size…and I probably will. I want a Purse to Go for all of my bags.
See? It stands up by itself now!
Both of my mothers-in-law (Yes, I have two, and they’re both amazing. I’m lucky!) carry lots of different purses and I think the Purse to Go may be making its way into their Christmas stockings this year. One is always carrying a larger bag to hold her work things, and it’s like an endless cavern in there. I think she would benefit greatly from having something like the Purse to Go that would help organize things better. The Purse to Go would make a great gift for anyone who has a bag to organize, really…not just women! It comes in all kinds of different colors and patterns and I think it could be great to organize a tech bag–lots of pockets for cords, flash drives, a cordless mouse, etc.
Now, Jerilyn sent me the Original Purse to Go…but there are now new versions of the Purse to Go as well! In addition to the model I have, there is now a Purse to Go Zip Up that adds a little additional security and privacy since it zips across the top. I would use the Zip Up in a bag that was open, like my favorite Coach tote bag. According to the website, it’s also great for toiletries or laptop bag organization. There is also the new Purse to Go Pockets Plus. Not only does it have the same pockets on the inside like the other Purse to Go organizers, but it has pockets on the outside as well for additional organization.
This is my first time to use and review a purse organizer, but I am really happy with it. It has allowed me to use my favorite bag without sacrificing organization or comfort. If you’re looking for a gift for a bag lover in your life this holiday season, the Purse to Go would be an excellent choice.
The Purse to Go organizers (Original, Pockets Plus, and Zip Up) are available on www.pursebling.com. The Jumbo Original Purse to Go I reviewed retails for $18.95, while the other models and sizes vary in price from $14.95 to $25.95. Sets are also available.
What I Liked: Great construction, easy organization, added structure and ease of use to existing bags
What Needs Improvement: In addition to the color and fabric choices, I’d love to see other customization options like pocket size, embroidery of initials, etc.
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