Best Travel Tote Bags for Women, Including the Rothys Tote Bag

Updated September 2026 · Vacation Checklists

A travel tote earns its place on four things: it slides under an airline seat, it stands up on its own when you set it down, it has a sleeve that swallows your suitcase handle, and it survives being put on a bathroom floor. Most totes fail at least two of those. A Rothys tote bag wins on the last one, because the knit body is machine washable, and it tends to lose on the first one, because soft knit bags spread when you load them.

That is the whole decision in one paragraph. Everything below is how to check a specific bag against those four things before you buy it.

Check your bag against your airline's published personal item and carry-on limits with our free carry on size checker, then measure the tote you are considering the way described below.

Updated September 2026. Bag dimensions, materials, and product names change between seasons, and airlines revise their size limits. Measure the bag you actually own and confirm the current limit on your airline's own baggage page before you fly.

A note on numbers. No dollar figures on this page. Bag prices move with the retailer, the season and the sale calendar, and a printed amount would be wrong for most readers within weeks. What you get instead is the dimensions, the construction details and the airline rules that decide whether a tote actually works.

The Four Numbers That Decide If a Tote Works

Marketing copy for totes almost never gives you what you need. Here are the four measurements that predict whether a bag works on travel day, and how to get each one.

Two of those, loaded depth and height with handles down, are the ones that get bags gate-checked. A tote is a soft bag, so it does not have one size, it has a range. The number that matters is the top of that range.

Why depth beats height and width

Most travelers compare a tote to the published personal item dimensions and stop there. The under-seat space is the real test, and it is usually the depth that fails, not the length.

The space under an airline seat is a shallow box bounded by the seat frame in front and the support bar underneath. On many narrowbody aircraft that box is roughly 9 to 11 inches deep, and it gets shallower where the bar crosses. A tote packed with a laptop, a water bottle standing up, and a rolled sweater easily hits 12 inches through the middle.

The fix is not a smaller bag. It is packing flat, which is covered further down.

Where the Rothys Tote Bag Fits

Rothy's is a San Francisco brand best known for knitting shoes and bags from recycled plastic, and the feature that made the bags popular is genuinely useful for travel: the knit body is machine washable. That is rare. Almost every other travel tote is spot clean only, which matters more than it sounds like it should once you have set a bag down on an airport restroom floor or spilled coffee inside it at 6 a.m.

The tote line has included several shapes over the years, with names and dimensions that change between seasons, so treat any specific number you read anywhere (including here) as something to verify on the brand's own product page before you buy.

Here is the honest picture of what the knit construction does well and badly for travel.

What it does well:

• Washable. Cold cycle, air dry, no dry cleaner, no anxiety about the floor.
• Light for its size. Knit is lighter than leather and most coated canvas.
• Water resistant enough for rain between the cab and the terminal, because the thermoplastic yarn does not soak up water the way canvas does.
• It squashes. A soft bag can be shoved into a tight under-seat space in a way a rigid bag cannot.

What it does badly:

• It has no structure of its own. Loaded heavy, a knit tote goes pear shaped, and the widest point migrates to the bottom third, which is exactly the part that has to clear the seat support bar.
• The open top styles do not secure. A zip closure matters on public transit and in crowds.
• The knit picks up pilling and pulls from velcro, zippers, and rough seat frames.
• It is not a laptop bag on its own. Nothing between your machine and the floor except knit.

The practical fix, and this applies to every soft tote, not just this one: put a rigid or semi rigid insert in the bottom. A cheap felt bag organizer or a padded laptop sleeve laid flat turns a slouchy tote into a bag with a defined footprint. The tote stops spreading, the base stays flat, and it slides under the seat instead of wedging.

If you want a bag that arrives structured out of the box, you are shopping in a different category, which is the next section.

Tote Types Compared

There are really only five kinds of travel tote. Pick the type first, then the specific bag.

The most common mistake is buying a beautiful leather work tote for a flying trip. It weighs 3 pounds empty, it has no trolley sleeve, and the open top spills your passport onto the jet bridge. It is a great bag for a taxi to an office and a poor bag for an airport.

Worked Example: Measuring a Tote Against the Under-Seat Space

Do this at home, with the actual bag, actually packed. It takes five minutes and it settles the question.

1. Pack the tote the way you would for a flight. Laptop or tablet, charger pouch, water bottle, book, snacks, cardigan, wallet, passport, headphones.
2. Set it on the floor and let it settle into the shape it wants.
3. Measure the widest point front to back. That is your loaded depth.
4. Measure the widest point side to side. That is your loaded width.
5. Measure to the top of the body, handles flopped down.
6. Weigh it on a kitchen or luggage scale.

Now a real set of numbers. Say a soft knit tote measures 15 inches wide, 11 inches tall, and 5.5 inches deep empty. Packed as above, it comes out at 16 inches wide, 11 inches tall, and 12 inches deep through the bottom third, weighing 9 pounds.

The width and height are fine. The depth is the problem, because it exceeds most under-seat clearances, and the weight is high enough that a carrier with a strict cabin bag weight allowance would notice.

Two changes fix it without buying anything:

• Lay the laptop flat against the back panel instead of letting it sit at an angle. That alone usually pulls 2 inches off the depth.
• Lay the water bottle down, or move it to the outside pocket. A 3 inch bottle standing upright in the middle of a soft bag creates a 3 inch bulge everywhere.

Re-measured: 16 by 11 by 8.5 inches, 9 pounds. It slides under the seat. Same bag, same contents, different packing.

Run your final numbers through the carry on size checker for the airline you are actually flying, and read our personal item size guide for how the limits get enforced at the gate, which is a separate question from what the website says.

Materials, Honestly

If you fly more than a few times a year, the two materials that make the most sense are washable knit and coated nylon. Both shrug off weather, both are light, and neither one punishes you for setting the bag down.

The Features That Matter on Travel Day

Not all of these are on every bag, and the first three are the ones people wish they had.

A trolley sleeve. A fabric band across the back panel that slides over your suitcase handle. Without it, your tote slides off the top of the suitcase at every crosswalk. This is the single most useful travel feature a tote can have, and the one most fashion totes skip.

A zip or magnetic top closure. Open totes are fine in an office. In a crowded metro, on a bus, or on a jet bridge in wind, they are not.

An exterior slip pocket you can reach one handed. Boarding pass, phone, transit card. If you have to open the main compartment to find your pass, you will hold up the line.

A flat bottom with feet. Feet keep the base off wet floors and, more usefully, they make the bag stand up so it does not tip and empty itself.

Interior organization. Two or three sleeves is plenty. A dozen tiny pockets just means you forget which one has the charger.

A padded laptop sleeve, or room for a separate one. If the tote has no padding, add a separate padded sleeve, which costs a fraction of the bag. Your laptop should never be the thing that takes the impact when the bag drops.

Comfortable strap drop. You want to be able to get the handles over your shoulder while wearing a winter coat. A 9 inch drop does not do that. Look for 10 inches or more.

How to Pack a Travel Tote So It Keeps Its Shape

A tote is a bucket. Left alone, a bucket becomes a pile. This five step method keeps it flat and keeps the depth down.

1. Insert first. Laptop sleeve or a felt organizer flat against the back panel, running the full height. This is the spine.
2. Heavy and flat next, against that spine. Laptop, tablet, book, folder. Everything vertical, nothing angled.
3. Soft filler in the middle. A rolled cardigan or scarf fills the gap and stops the flat items from sliding forward.
4. Small items in pouches, not loose. One pouch for tech, one for snacks and medication, one for documents. Loose items sink to the bottom and create lumps.
5. Nothing standing upright. Water bottles lie down or ride in an exterior pocket. This is the single biggest depth saver.

Then do the drop test: hold the packed tote by the handles at waist height and let it swing. If it changes shape dramatically, add a firmer insert.

For the rest of your bag strategy, our carry-on packing list covers what goes in the roller versus what stays with you, and how to choose luggage covers the suitcase the tote will ride on.

Common Mistakes

Buying for the empty measurement. Every soft bag grows. Measure it packed.

Ignoring empty weight on a weight-limited carrier. Many international and low cost carriers weigh cabin bags. A 3 pound tote is 3 pounds of your allowance gone before you pack.

Using the tote as the only bag on a long trip. A tote carries weight on one shoulder. Two hours of that in a terminal is unpleasant, and four is a genuinely sore neck. For long transit days, look at a convertible or pair the tote with a small backpack.

Skipping the closure. Nothing ruins a trip faster than losing a passport off the top of an open bag. Our travel document checklist covers where documents should live instead.

Assuming washable means indestructible. A washable knit tote still pills, still snags, and still fades. Wash cold, air dry, and keep it away from velcro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Rothys tote bag good for travel?

For everyday and short trips, it is one of the easiest bags to live with, mostly because you can machine wash it and it weighs very little. Its weaknesses for travel are structure and security: it spreads when loaded, and open top versions do not close. Add a flat insert in the bottom and it becomes a reasonable personal item.

Can you machine wash a Rothys tote bag?

The brand's whole pitch on its knit bags is that they are washable, generally on a cold, gentle cycle with air drying and no dryer. Care instructions differ between styles and can change, so check the tag and the current care page on the brand's site before you wash yours, especially if the bag has leather or suede trim.

Does a tote bag count as a personal item or a carry-on?

Almost always a personal item, as long as it fits the published dimensions and slides under the seat in front of you. That means on most US airlines you can bring a tote plus a roller bag. On basic economy fares with some carriers, the personal item is all you get. Run the numbers through the carry on size checker for your specific airline and fare.

What size travel tote should I buy?

For a personal item, look for something in the range of 15 to 17 inches wide, 10 to 13 inches tall, and no more than about 7 inches deep when empty, since it will gain a few inches loaded. For a weekend bag that goes in the overhead bin, you can go bigger, but check the carry-on limit rather than assuming.

Do I need a trolley sleeve on a travel tote?

If you fly with a wheeled suitcase, yes, and you will notice its absence within one airport. Without a sleeve, the tote slides off the suitcase handle every time you tip the bag over a curb or a threshold, and you end up carrying it on your shoulder for the whole terminal.

Are leather totes worth it for travel?

They look excellent and they hold their shape better than anything else, but they are heavy, they water spot, and they cannot be washed. If your travel is short trips with a lot of meetings, leather can be the right call. If your travel involves long flights, weather, or kids, a washable knit or a coated nylon tote will make you happier.

What is the best travel tote for a laptop?

One with a dedicated padded sleeve against the back panel, a zip top, and a trolley sleeve. If your favorite tote has none of those, buy a separate padded sleeve and treat it as the bag's spine. A laptop sitting loose at the bottom of a soft tote is the most common way travel laptops get damaged.

How do I stop my tote bag from sagging?

Give it a flat base. A felt bag organizer, a rigid base shaper, or a padded laptop sleeve laid along the bottom and back will define the footprint and stop the bag from going pear shaped. Then pack heavy and flat items against that spine and keep bottles lying down.

Before You Buy

Take the tote you already own and measure it packed. Depth first, then height with the handles down, then empty weight. Most people find their current bag works once they change how it is packed, and the ones that do not fail on depth, which no insert will fix.

Once you have a bag you trust, build what goes in it with our free packing list generator, confirm the numbers against your airline with the carry on size checker, and use the personal item size guide for what happens if a gate agent challenges you.