I love a good travel bag. Whether it be a sturdy suitcase, spacious backpack or trendy belt bag, if it looks like it’ll hold everything I need, I’m game to try it.
A few months ago, while scrolling on TikTok, I came across something I knew I had to add to my collection: a convertible garment bag. One video showed user rebecca_arianne transforming a duffel into a flat garment holder and revealing three dresses hidden within, which earned the clip more than 68,000 likes.
The timing of this discovery couldn’t have been better for me as I’d spent half of the year preparing to be a first-time bridesmaid and knew I'd need to travel to the wedding. As the big day loomed closer, it dawned on me that I didn’t have a proper bag to hold my dress (and I really didn’t want to carry more than one during my trip). Luckily, I found a similar option to the one I saw on TikTok while searching on Amazon — even better, it was less than $50.
Modoker Convertible Garment Bag
It's easy to assemble
The simplicity of this bag is what immediately made me a fan. It first arrived completely unzipped and folded into a neat, compact square. Since you have to zip it up for it to take the shape of a duffel, there are zipper tracks along every edge. I assumed it would be complicated to put together — especially since it didn't come with directions — but after laying it out flat, it was easy to figure out on my own. All of the zips were already attached (unlike when you have to zip up a jacket), so all I had to do was pull each one up to "create" the bag. To my surprise, it only took me less than two minutes to get it ready for packing.
One thing I should note: The sides tend to unzip a little bit when you’re closing the main compartment, but the slippage is slight and easily fixed with a little tug upwards.
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It offers a ton of storage space
I’m a chronic over-packer, so I appreciate spacious travel bags with ample pockets and storage. This bag doesn’t disappoint on that front, either. Aside from the garment liner and main compartment, there are two outer pockets and several smaller interior pouches that are perfect for holding everything from pens to jewelry to portable chargers. It also has a shoe compartment to keep footwear safely stowed away and separated from clothing.
Since there was so much extra storage, I didn’t have much left to put in the main compartment: a pair of pajamas, an outfit for the next day, toiletries, some basic makeup and my electric toothbrush were all that was left. There was so much leftover space in there, I even threw in a book just in case I had some down time at the hotel.
It's not too bulky or heavy
The bag itself is fairly sleek (as sleek as a duffel can be), but I was worried about how it would look once I packed my bridesmaid dress, which is made of thicker material. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn’t appear massive at all once converted. I made sure to fan out my dress at the bottom and fold up the end a bit so it didn’t bulk up inside the garment bag, which might have helped.
With all of my essentials packed inside, I figured the dress (which was essentially wrapped around my belongings) would become sufficiently wrinkled by the time I unpacked it. But I'm happy to report that my gown was in just as good of shape as it was before it was placed inside the duffel.
What I love most was how it made it so much easier to transport all of my things from one place to the next. I also didn’t have to keep track of a separate garment case, weekender or book bag. I'll definitely keep this in mind for future weekend trips, wedding or flights as a spacious carry-on (according to the brand, it meets airport regulations). No matter the occasion, I know having this bag will be one less thing to worry about each time.
