I was happy to get my hands on this Thule Crossover 40 Liter Duffel Pack, and it came just in time for me to put it to a short 2-day travel test. Initial observations was this was a quality bag worthy of the premium price category, but these thoughts quickly went downhill.

First, I noticed that this bag is NOT the one pictured on the Amazon product page. The colors are the same, but the layout is completely different! For one, this bag has small main grab handles on top, and large padded shoulder straps. It has two side compartments that are full length with mesh inner pouches, and the hard-shell compartment is on the end of the bag, not the side, as shown in the Amazon product page picture. I believe the product picture shown on the Amazon page is actually the 70 liter duffel. So the bag loses points for not being the same bag as shown.

Overall, the build quality of the bag is average at best. Thule is obviously very proud of it's name, and has it plastered on the bottom of the bag in huge white print.

The cargo areas are spacious, and the zippers work well without binding or working loose on their own. I very much like the crush-resistant compartment for goggles or a GPS unit, and this is a nice feature that should be near the top of the bag, not near the bottom where it is actually located. Set the bag down in a shallow puddle accidentally, and you'll understand why.

There are lots of handles to choose from for carry options, and the side straps cinch down to compact the bag when it isn't fully loaded.

The 25 year warranty is nice in theory, but I have no experience with Thule, so I cannot say how well Thule will stand behind the warranty, and any warranty, whether 90 days or lifetime, is truly only as good as the company that stands behind it.

What I do not like is that the blue plastic pull tabs on the zippers will be prone to breakage. I also do not like that the zippers are not self-sealing. Having got caught in a heavy rain when taking the pack from my vehicle to indoors, was that the zipper compartments allow rain to seep right in, getting anything inside the bag wet.

The raised ribs on the bottom of the pack seem like a good idea, but won't really help keep the bag from getting holes worn in the bottom of the fabric, as they're too widely spaced, and unless you're carrying a piece of plywood on the bottom to keep it flat, the fabric will touch concrete or other rough surfaces and eventually wear through. Nice idea, less than ideal execution of such.

Overall it's a good middle-of-the-road bag, but overpriced for it's limited features and mediocre execution of said features. I feel there are better bags for this price area, and paying for the Thule name doesn't have to be one of the selling points.