No Reception Club Hideaway Carry-On Duffel Bag Review: Is it Good?

It’s not every day I’ve seen a duffel bag that makes me like duffel bags again. For years, they’ve been my least favorite form of luggage, after carry-on suitcases and durable travel backpacks.

Something is different about the No Reception Club’s Hideaway Duffel Bag, though. It’s made with your little ones in mind, and it’s certainly ready for the unexpected turns that travel with a baby, toddler or kids can take.

The Score View detailed breakdown

No Reception Club Hideaway Carry-On Duffel

4.38 / 5

The Hideaway Carry-On Duffel transforms duffel bags from a bottomless pit into an organized family travel solution with its innovative Cubby system, multiple carry options and thoughtful features like insulated compartments.

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I’ll start this review with packing the Hideaway Carry-On Duffel, and at the end, I’ll let you know if this duffel bag could make you like duffels so much that you’ll want this one for family travel. Let’s dig in.

Intro to the Hideaway Carry-On Duffel

Typically I dread packing duffel bags. They’re like a non-interesting version of backpacks…with all my packing cubes stuffed in, or a “bottomless pit” (this is one of No Reception Club’s catch phrases). They’ve never been my chosen form of luggage.

But I think that changed, once I opened the Hideaway Carry-on Duffel Bag for travel. It’s a sturdy duffel bag, and as you explore it, there are more highlights at every turn. It’s made for expertly organizing your baby, toddler or child’s things while you’re in transit, and that helps a lot, given all the chaos of family travel.

There are five ways to carry it, including as a backpack with the two included backpack straps and as a single-strap travel bag. Some well thought-out functions include internal mesh pockets (one of which that is also accessible from an outer pocket!), an insulated “cool” compartment, a matching laundry bag, a zip-around main compartment where you’ll find the four-square “Cubby” and MORE! Let’s get into it.

Update for 2025: The Hideaway Duffel has become my go-to for when my toddler needs her own bag packed for going away. In fact, when I think about packing, I visualize packing her things into the Hideaway Duffel, which does away with the need for packing cubes, and instead lays everything out in the “cubbies,” as you’ll see in the photos in this review. We took the Hideaway Duffel for her on a weekend away to the beach, and it performed great as a way to have all her stuff with her in her room, including the No Reception Club Dopp Kit.

Best features

In order of the features I used, I’ll detail what’s important for you to know as you’re considering getting the Hideaway Carry-On duffel bag for your child.

The Cubby

The duffel comes outfitted with the “Cubby,” a pro-level organizer that automatically makes things easy to find. It also eliminates the needs for packing cubes, even though I use those a lot to pack light when traveling with a toddler.

Right away, I liked the satisfaction of packing clothing neatly rolled into the cubby compartments, and using the large space leftover for something I really needed to fit in this duffel: a 2.5 TOG winter sleep sack (in size 24-36 months, so it was big!).

Wait, I’m not done yet: the entire cubby section and main organizer compartment zips around to conceal it, so that everything stays neat during transport. It’s one of those things you’ve gotta see to believe.

Converts into a backpack

For backpack-style carrying, which may make sense for airport travel, or just heading from the car to the hotel when you have kids to juggle, there are two backpack straps. They’re detachable, too! And they stow nicely so you don’t have to look at them when they’re not in use.

Mesh pockets (one connects to an exterior pocket)

You’ll see that I packed stuffed animals in here. That made Elmo and Cookie Monster look a bit squished, so I kind of regretted it, but it made them really easy to find when I unpacked my daughter’s stuff on the trip.

Plus, the smaller mesh zipper pocket connects to an outer zipper pocket, for double access.

2 External buckle straps

These straps on the outside of the bag are what make this duffel look like a true “travel bag.” They add the perfect amount of ruggedness, but really: they’re incredibly useful. Want to tack on your baby carrier? Jam it in these. Need to strap a pool towel to the duffel? Buckle it in.

Insulated compartment

Wow, cool (literally). This insulated compartment is just like the insulated mini cooler that came with our Getaway Bag from No Reception Club.

It has the same style and same use case: store some snacks during transit so that they don’t get cold, or store your baby or toddler’s bottle in there (note: it would have to be a narrow or small bottle, if you’ve already packed the duffel to the brim).

Magnetic side pockets (for storing the top handles)

I love a good magnetic-closure pocket on a travel bag. I think they’re the latest and greatest way to have neat closure, and they’re quite satisfying as well. I liked finding this as I was packing the Hideaway Duffel for my toddler.

Laundry sack included

Does this duffel bag just keep on giving? It comes with a matching laundry bag! I’m game for this!

Specs

Here’s a bit about the specific technical measurements of the Hideaway Duffel Bag.

Volume

This duffel bag fits 42 liters, which is a pretty close comparison to a piece of luggage like my Quince hard shell carry-on, which holds somewhere around 48 liters.

To me, with smaller-than-mine child-size clothing, but with things like accessories, required stuffed animals, some toys, a book, travel essentials like cups and snacks, it comes out to about the same feeling of what fits inside.

Dimensions

The duffel bag measures 22”x13”x9”. It’s about the size of our Peak Design Travel Backpack nearly to a tee. While that bag is a backpack by nature, this one’s a duffel (that converts into a backpack). In that way, we’re pretty accustomed to a travel bag with these dimensions.

As a duffel bag that is pretty structured and squared-off, I know that for me (as a petite mom, 5’2” tall) this comes out pretty big on me for any type of carrying. For Dan, it looks more standard. (And you’ll see on the No Reception Club website that the parent modeling the bag is a dad who is 6’0”.)

Weight

At 3.3 pounds when empty, because that’s what matters, the bag weighs a considerable amount before you add anything in. I compare this to backpacks I’ve reviewed recently, which hold a volume about 60% of this and weigh a pound less.

I will say though, that the ~3-pound weight of the bag means that it’s made from sturdy materials. And for the price of this bag, the materials mean business (in my experience). I think as long as Dan is the one carrying this bag for our family, we’ll be good.

Where it could use improvement

In all honesty, I found very little wrong with the Hideaway Duffel Bag for family travel.

It has compartments that work, pockets for everything and snazzy features like a side magnetic snap pocket for storing the top handles (but I thought I could put something easy-access in there like napkins!).

The only place for improvement is potentially the “cubby,” whereby it comes in four sections, but what could be helpful is if there was an option to only use two at a time. This could be useful for if you want to be using some packing cubes for your child, or for the family, and if you wanted more free space.

OK, update: this is my bad, as I didn’t know that the cubby could be further un-compartmentalized. The cubby is noted as being able to create “up to 5 sections” of organization, so in fact, there are ways to break it down.

The great news is that the “Cubby” is machine-washable. That’s helpful for someone like me who likes to wash as much as possible, after a trip.

When to use it

While the Hideaway Duffel is designed for big trips, air travel and road trips, it’s also perfectly fine to use for short weekend getaways. In fact, we packed it for our daughter for the first time for a long weekend stay at her grandparents. They loved the bag, and said, “There was no need to unpack it to find things, because the cubbies made it like a dresser.”

So, not only is this duffel bag for kids approved by parents, but it’s also grandparent-approved.

If you do travel by flight with the Hideaway Duffel, it’s good to know that it meets all international carry-on size requirements. You can travel stress-free with it, anywhere in the world.

Is it worth that price tag?

I showed this duffel bag to my mom, saying it was my daughter’s new “fancy kid luggage.” My mom was very impressed, saying wow, this duffel is like traveling with a wardrobe. It’s so organized, strong, durable, smart and nice to look at.

Comparison with similar products

Here's how this product compares to similar options. Use this table to find the best of the bunch!

I think that because the Hideaway Carry-On Duffel is a step-it-up-a-notch duffel and it’s built by parents for parents, that it’s a special piece of luggage. If you compare it to other duffels we’ve reviewed like in our Patagonia Black Hole Duffel review, Quince duffel bag review or even our Peak Design travel duffel review, the No Reception Club duffel is vastly different.

It comes with the features you’ll want when you’re on a layover with your child’s carry-on, like that insulated bottle and snack pocket, the wet/dirty compartment and the stow-away backpack straps and hanging straps (sold separately).

Plus, having the matching Getaway Travel Diaper Bag and Dopp Kit is too good to be true.

What is No Reception Club?

No Reception Club is a family travel gear company founded by Gemma Gaisano Ng and Daniel Ng. They wanted to create the perfect luggage collection for families traveling with kids.

We were fortunate to first try out their exciting creation of the world’s best travel diaper bag (is it?), detailed at my No Reception Club travel diaper bag review. It worked out amazing when we traveled to Mexico with our 20-month-old toddler!

We then got our hands on the matching Sidekick diaper bag belt bag, I was thrilled. I recommend the Sidekick as one of my toddler travel diaper bag must-haves!. (We’ve also tried the No Reception Club Dopp Kit, which has been handy (and needed) for our toddler’s toiletries, and matches all our other NRC gear.)

Overall, the company only makes a few products, and that is because they make them well. All of No Reception Club’s products have been developed by industry experts (I watched their development video about this), tested with real kid stuff and used by parents all over the world now.

It’s exciting to be able to travel confidently, as a new parent, with the No Reception Club luggage and gear that matches the challenge of taking trips with little ones.

Detailed score breakdown

No Reception Club Hideaway Carry-On Duffel

4.38 / 5

The Hideaway Carry-On Duffel transforms duffel bags from a bottomless pit into an organized family travel solution with its innovative Cubby system, multiple carry options and thoughtful features like insulated compartments.

Carry comfort & fit

84%

The detachable backpack straps provide good support, though at 3.3 pounds empty, it's substantial for petite parents. Dan carries it comfortably while I find it quite big at 5'2". The straps are well-padded and adjust easily, making it comfortable for taller parents. For me, it's manageable but feels large when fully loaded.

Organization & rapid-access layout

96%

The four-square Cubby organizer eliminates the need for packing cubes and makes everything easy to find. The zip-around main compartment keeps things neat during transport. I can see exactly what's packed in each cubby without unpacking everything. The mesh pockets provide visibility, and the organization system works like a dresser - grandparents loved it for that reason.

Materials & build quality

92%

Made from sturdy materials that feel substantial. The ~3-pound weight indicates quality construction, and the materials "mean business" for the price point. Everything feels strong and high-quality, designed to handle family travel wear. The zippers are smooth and well-constructed, and the overall build suggests it will last through multiple kids.

Weather resistance

80%

While not specifically tested for heavy rain, the sturdy construction and quality materials suggest good protection for typical travel conditions. The materials feel like they'd handle light weather well, and I'd feel confident taking it out in typical travel conditions. The zip-around main compartment helps keep contents dry.

Laptop & tech protection

80%

No specific laptop compartment mentioned, but the structured design and quality materials provide general protection for electronics and valuables. The Cubby system helps organize and protect items, and the structured design prevents items from shifting around during transport. The mesh pockets provide some protection for smaller tech items.

Carry options & adjustments

94%

Five ways to carry including detachable backpack straps, single-strap option and external buckle straps for attaching additional items like baby carriers. The backpack straps stow nicely when not in use. The multiple carry options make transitions through chaotic travel days easier. The external buckle straps are incredibly useful for attaching pool towels or baby carriers.

Packability inside luggage

70%

At 22"x13"x9" and 42 liters, it's substantial and structured, making it less packable inside other luggage compared to soft duffels. The structured design means it won't compress flat, but that's the trade-off for the excellent organization system. It's designed more for use as a primary bag than for nesting inside other luggage.

Security & closure confidence

86%

Zip-around main compartment provides good closure confidence, and the magnetic side pockets offer secure storage for handles and small items. The zippers feel secure and well-constructed. The zip-around design keeps everything neat during transport, and the closure integrity holds up well even when fully loaded.

Capacity & load management

90%

The 42-liter capacity handles family essentials well. The Cubby system helps distribute weight evenly, and the structured design maintains its shape when fully loaded. It fits about the same amount as my Quince hard shell carry-on, but with better organization. The system prevents items from shifting around during transport.

Spill & mess management

86%

The matching laundry bag is brilliant for separating dirty clothes from clean gear. The materials feel like they'd clean easily, and the Cubby system helps organize items to prevent spills from spreading. The structured design makes it easy to access and clean individual compartments if needed.

External attachment flexibility

94%

The two external buckle straps are incredibly useful for attaching baby carriers, pool towels or other overflow items. The magnetic side pockets work great for storing the top handles when not in use. These external attachment options add real versatility for family travel where you need to carry extra items.

Versatility for family travel needs

90%

Works for big trips, air travel, road trips and even short weekend getaways. Grandparents loved it for its dresser-like organization. It meets all international carry-on size requirements, so you can travel stress-free anywhere in the world. The bag transitions seamlessly between different trip types without feeling like a compromise.

Overall value for price

88%

Premium features and thoughtful design justify the price. The matching laundry bag and family-focused features make it a special piece of luggage worth the investment. It's built by parents for parents, and the quality materials and thoughtful organization system make it worth the cost compared to competing options.

How we score gear