Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Saturday, December 14, 2024 73° Today's Paper


Travel

DIYVA by Barbara K pillow purse


» What is it: A slick microfiber handbag with a front zip pocket plus three larger zip compartments, the middle one of which unzips, reverses out and re-zips to create a plush microsuede pillow for catnaps on the go.

» The good: Everything. Even without the pillow feature, this is perhaps the most user-friendly purse I’ve carried. The small front zip pouch affords instant retrieval of phone, keys, floss, lipstick and other small goods that evade capture when swimming in larger ponds. The generous front zip compartment houses my wallet, tissue, wet wipes, etc. The back zip compartment stores my phone’s power cord, granola bar and iPad, with bonus points for cushioning that device against environmental impacts.

As if that’s not enough to love, the middle compartment is the handbag equivalent of an Oreo center — heavenly. Rather than unzipping, reversing and re-zipping it, I opened it like a book to cradle my head during a 12-hour car trip and napped without the inevitable head flop to startle me awake. Padding is sufficient to keep any princess from feeling so much as a pea protruding from another compartment. Yet it’s not heavy or bulky. I like the modern shape, too. Wipes clean with damp cloth.

» The bad: Just a quibble, but the double straps slip off my shoulder when I wear my similarly slick microfiber coat.

» Cost: $49 regular price ($35.99 on post-Christmas sale). In pink or black.

» Available from: macys.com

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