Search for a leather travel bag in Ireland and you will see three names used almost interchangeably: duffle, holdall and weekender. They overlap heavily, and in practice most shops use them for the same bag. But the words do mean different things, and knowing which is which saves you buying the wrong size.
The short answer: a duffle describes the shape, a holdall is the British and Irish word for the same bag, and a weekender describes the capacity — roughly two to three nights' worth. A leather weekender is almost always a duffle-shaped holdall.
Duffle, holdall and weekender compared
| Duffle | Holdall | Weekender | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defined by | Shape | Region (same bag) | Capacity |
| Typical shape | Cylindrical or barrel | Cylindrical or rectangular | Usually barrel |
| Closure | Zip-top or drawstring | Zip-top | Zip-top |
| Typical capacity | 30–60 litres | 30–60 litres | 35–45 litres |
| Carry | Twin handles + shoulder strap | Twin handles + shoulder strap | Twin handles + shoulder strap |
| Used most in | US, online listings | Ireland, UK | Everywhere, as a size |
Where the names come from
Duffle (or duffel)
Named after Duffel, a town in Flanders, Belgium, which gave its name to the thick woollen cloth the original bags were made from. The cloth travelled into English in the seventeenth century; the bag followed. Military kitbags of the twentieth century fixed the shape in most people's minds: a soft cylinder, closed at the top, carried by hand or over the shoulder. Both spellings are correct — "duffel" is closer to the Flemish original, "duffle" is more common in English retail.
Holdall
The plain-English name, and the one you will hear most in Ireland and the UK. A bag that "holds all". It carries no shape implication at all: a rectangular leather holdall and a barrel-shaped leather duffle are both holdalls. If an Irish customer asks us for a leather holdall, they almost always mean a leather duffle.
Weekender
A marketing term that stuck because it is genuinely useful. A weekender is sized for two or three nights — large enough for a change of clothes, a wash bag and a pair of shoes, small enough to carry onto a train or into a hotel without feeling like luggage. It describes capacity, not construction.
What size do you actually need?
Capacity matters far more than the name on the label. As a rough guide:
- 25–35 litres — one or two nights. A gym bag or an overnight bag. Shirt, trousers, wash bag, laptop.
- 35–45 litres — the true weekender. Two to three nights including shoes and a jacket. This is the size most people want and the size most leather weekenders are built to.
- 45–60 litres — four nights or more, or two people's kit for a weekend. Comfortable to carry only with a well-made shoulder strap.
- 60 litres and up — a kitbag. Fine in a car boot, punishing to carry any distance.
Will it work as a cabin bag?
This is the question we get asked most, and the honest answer is: check before you fly, because the rules change and they differ by fare. At the time of writing:
- Aer Lingus includes a cabin bag of 55 × 40 × 24 cm up to 10 kg on most fares, plus a small personal item of 40 × 30 × 20 cm. On European Saver fares the cabin bag goes in the hold unless you pay to bring it onboard.
- Ryanair includes one small bag of 40 × 25 × 20 cm that must fit under the seat. Priority adds a larger cabin bag of 55 × 40 × 20 cm up to 10 kg.
Two things worth knowing. First, a soft leather duffle has an advantage over a hard case here — it compresses, so a bag slightly over on one dimension often still goes in the sizer. Second, leather is heavier than nylon, so on a 10 kg allowance the empty bag itself eats into your budget in a way a 600 g nylon holdall does not.
Always confirm current dimensions with Aer Lingus or Ryanair before you travel — these allowances changed in 2025 and 2026 and will change again.
Leather, canvas or nylon?
- Nylon is lightest and cheapest, and it is the right answer if you fly weekly on a strict weight allowance. It also looks worn out quickly and rarely survives a decade.
- Canvas sits in the middle. Light, hard-wearing, and it takes a leather trim well. It stains, and it does not hold its shape when empty.
- Full-grain leather is the heaviest and the most expensive up front. It also holds its shape rather than sagging, takes a patina instead of looking tired, and is the only one of the three that a repairer can realistically fix. It is the bag you keep for decades rather than replace every few years.
What to look for in a leather holdall
- Full-grain, not "genuine leather". The grades are not interchangeable — see full-grain vs top-grain vs genuine leather.
- A padded, adjustable shoulder strap. On a loaded 40-litre bag this matters more than any other feature. A thin unpadded strap on a leather duffle is painful within ten minutes.
- A base that holds its shape. Reinforced or structured, so the bag stands rather than slumping.
- A zip you can live with. Zips are the first thing to fail on travel bags. Look for a heavy metal zip and solid stitching at the ends, where the strain lands.
- An external pocket. Phone, keys, boarding pass. You will use it every trip.
- No logo. A travel bag goes everywhere with you for years. Branding dates it.
Looking after it
A leather holdall lives harder than a briefcase — boots, car parks, overhead lockers. Wipe it down after a trip, let it dry naturally if it gets wet, and condition it a couple of times a year. Store it loosely stuffed so the shape holds. Full detail in our guide to caring for full-grain leather, and if you get caught out, leather bags in Irish rain.
Common questions
Is a duffle bag the same as a holdall?
In everyday use, yes. "Duffle" describes a cylindrical shape, "holdall" is the Irish and British name for the category. Most bags sold as either are the same object.
Is a weekender big enough for a week?
Not comfortably. A 35–45 litre weekender covers two to three nights. For a week you want 55 litres or more, or a case.
Can I carry a leather duffle on a plane?
Usually yes, if the dimensions are within your airline's cabin allowance and you factor in the bag's own weight. Soft leather compresses, which helps in a sizer.
Which is better for the gym, a duffle or a holdall?
The same bag either way. For gym use specifically, prioritise an external pocket and a strap you can wear across the body, and accept that leather and a wet towel are a poor combination — keep a separate wet bag.
How long should a leather holdall last?
With reasonable care, a full-grain leather travel bag lasts ten to twenty years — see how long a leather bag lasts. Zips and strap hardware are the usual failure points, and both are repairable.
Our leather duffles and holdalls
- The Voyager leather duffle bag (€185) — a classic barrel duffle in full-grain leather, for the traditional shape.
- The camel leather weekender duffle (€195) — roomier, for a two to three night carry.
Both are hand-cut and hand-stitched, with no logo on the outside. See the full range of leather duffle bags, holdalls and travel bags, or read how to pack a leather weekender for a two-day trip.
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