Paravel Grand Tour Duffle or Main Line Duffle?

I have been a fan of Paravel’s travel products for years now. My love for the brand started when I pulled the trigger and splurged on one of their bestselling products, the Aviator Carry-On (aka the first carbon-neutral suitcase!).

Since then, I’ve expanded my Paravel collection to a total of five different bags/suitcases. Obsessed? Just a little bit.

Paravel has got my back in every scenario I can think of — multi-week trips, business trips, weekend getaways, tropical vacations, slumber parties, etc.

I’ve recently found myself taking more of the shorter, 3 to 4-day trips this year, many of which don’t fully require a whole carry-on suitcase. For these trips, I’ve been reaching for my duffels instead of my wheeled suitcases.

I have tried the two types of duffel bags by Paravel to see which fits my lifestyle better. After some trial and error, I made my decision. SPOILER: Between the Main Line Duffle and the Grand Tour Duffle, I’ve found that I personally like the Grand Tour Duffle better.

If you’re debating between these two bags, I want you to keep reading so you can understand the differences between the two. Paravel’s duffel bags aren’t the cheapest around, so I want you to be confident with the bag you choose before buying it.

This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. Thanks a lot!

Key Takeaways

Both duffel bags are simple, elegant, and spacious bags perfect for weekend getaways.
The Main Line Duffle is rounded, while the Grand Tour Duffle is boxier.
The larger, roomier option is the Grand Tour Duffle.
If you like having more pockets (especially pockets on the outside of the bag), go with the Grand Tour Duffle.

Table of Contents

Main Line Duffle

Size: 20″ x 11″ x 10″ (51cm x 27.9cm x 25.4cm)
Weight: 3lbs
Price: $285 USD
Colors: 2 total (Domino Black and Scout Tan)
Material: Made of durable, spill-proof EcoCraft Canvas®
Fits in overhead compartments
Removable woven shoulder strap, two interior zip pockets, and a two-way lockable zipper
You can get extra personalization on the bag by getting the bag embroidered with your initials or adding a Cabana Strap for a pop of color

What I fit into this duffel: 4 pants, 5 tops, 1 sweater, 1 dress, a bag of undergarments, 1 pair of shoes, makeup bag, toiletries bag, external battery, digital camera, travel umbrella

Paravel Main Line Duffle Packed — Main Line Duffle is almost filled to the top with packed items.

Grand Tour Duffle

Size: 20″ x 11″ x 10″ (51cm x 27.9cm x 25.4cm)
Weight: 4lbs
Price: $335 USD
Colors: 2 total (Domino Black and Scout Tan)
Material: Made of durable, spill-proof EcoCraft Canvas®
Fits in overhead compartments
Removable woven shoulder strap, two exterior slip pockets, two interior zip pockets, and a two-way lockable zipper
You can get extra personalization on the bag by getting the bag embroidered with your initials or adding a Cabana Strap for a pop of color

What I fit into this duffel: 4 pants, 5 tops, 1 sweater, 1 dress, a bag of undergarments, 1 pair of shoes, makeup bag, toiletries bag, external battery, digital camera, travel umbrella — same as above, but with more empty space!

I was able to fit the exact same items into the Grand Tour Duffle as I did with the Main Line Duffle. BUT, I did end up with more empty space in the Grand Tour Duffle, which tells me it’s the more spacious duffel.

Paravel Grand Tour Duffle Packed — With all the same stuff inside, the Grand Tour Duffle still has lots of open room!

Main Line Duffle vs Grand Tour Duffle: What’s The Difference?

At first glance on paper, these two duffel bags are super similar.

They’re both technically the same dimensions, made of the same high-quality recycled materials (durable, spill-proof EcoCraft Canvas®), come with shoulder straps, meet TSA carry-on requirements, and are sized perfectly for weekend trips.

Now onto the differences. The two bags start to differ when we take a look at things like shape, weight, price, and what fits inside.

Shape

Paravel Grand Tour Duffle and Main Line Duffle Comparison — Grand Tour (left) and Main Line (right).

The Main Line Duffle has the shape of a traditional duffel bag, meaning it’s slightly rounded at the top. From the side, it looks like a gumdrop!

The Grand Tour Duffle has a boxier look to it. From the side, it looks like a square.

You’ll also notice that the Grand Tour Duffle has more vegan leather elements: there’s the side handle, the panel at the bottom portion of the bag, as well as the entire bottom side of the bag.

For the rest of the comparison, I’m going to refer to each bag by its shape so you can more easily keep track of which bag I’m referring to.

Grand Tour Duffle = boxy
Main Line Duffle = rounded

Weight

The rounded Main Line Duffle is 1 pound lighter than the boxier Grand Tour Duffle. This is because the Grand Tour Duffle has a lot more vegan leather elements on it (on the sides and on the bottom too).

While a heavier bag weight doesn’t really bother me personally (since it’ll all be heavy regardless once my gear is loaded into the bags), I know that some of you find this feature important in the decision-making process.

Price

The Main Line Duffle (rounded) is $285 USD while the Grand Tour Duffle (boxy) is $335 USD. This makes the Grand Tour Duffle $50 more expensive than the Main Line.

Main Line Duffle vs Grand Tour Duffle: Which I Prefer

Despite it being the pricier option, I personally liked the Grand Tour Duffle a bit more than the Main Line Duffle.

First off, I really loved the fact that the zippers extended down on the side of the bag, meaning I could unzip the bag more to access my belongings. I think this allows more light into the bag so you can see what’s happening in there a bit better.

(vs: The Main Line Duffle only zips horizontally.)

Paravel Grand Tour Duffle Interior — Grand Tour Duffle zips slightly down the side of the bag.

The boxier shape of the Grand Tour Duffle also made it so that my packing cubes fit better.

(vs: The Main Line Duffle is rounded, so I ended up with a lot of space in the curves with nothing to fill it with.)

Plus, I’m a big fan of pockets. I can never have enough pockets! With the Grand Tour Duffle, it was nice to have pockets on the inside and the outside. The outside pockets are great for situations where you need somewhere to temporarily tuck your phone, travel documents, water bottle, and snacks.

(vs: The Main Line Duffle only has 2 interior pockets and none on the outside.)

I also found that the Grand Tour Duffle (the boxy one) could fit more stuff inside than the Main Line Duffle could.

After filling both duffel bags with the same belongings, the Grand Tour Duffle still had extra room for other stuff. I was quite impressed by that because, at first glance, the two bags looked about the same size.

Main Line Duffle vs Grand Tour Duffle: Which Is Right For You?

These weekend duffels are quite similar (they’re both duffles after all), but they do have their differences. The one that’s right for you will really come down to just a small handful of things: size, shape, and price.

If you like a traditional, rounded look for a duffel bag … go with the Main Line Duffle.

If you’re a heavy packer and like a boxier look … go with the Grand Tour Duffle.

If you like using packing cubes for your stuff … both bags are great, but I like how they fit inside the Grand Tour Duffle better.

If you’re NOT the type to use packing cubes to compartmentalize your belongings, the Main Line Duffle may be a better fit for you (since loose items can be tucked into the open spaces where needed).

I hope this helps clarify the differences between the two duffel bags! Regardless of which one you pick, they’re both great quality and are so worth the investment.

I can’t wait for my next weekend trip so I can use my Grand Tour Duffle again!

What’s So Good About Paravel Over Other Brands?

Other than the fact that their products are simple, elegant, and plain gorgeous, I also love that the products are sustainable. This sentence says it all: “Paravel is the sustainable travel brand dedicated to exploring the world while minimizing our impact on it.” Love that.