This post is sponsored. BAGSMART gifted me the Blast Pro 38L and the Blast Pro 43L Roller Backpack for my trip. All opinions are my own, based on three weeks of real travel. This post also contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I originally bought a BAGSMART Blast backpack from Costco, loved it, and when BAGSMART offered to send me bags for our Philippines and Malaysia trip, I knew exactly what I wanted to test. I picked the Blast Pro 38L and the Blast Pro 43L Roller on purpose, because we were going to be hopping on a lot of boats and moving constantly, and I wanted to see how they would actually hold up.
The biggest question I get on TikTok and everywhere else is the same: how does a beige backpack survive real travel without looking filthy? So I took these two light-colored bags through airports, boat rides, public transport, city walks, and a lot of rough valet handling for three weeks, then came home and tested how they clean. Here is everything that happened.
BAGSMART Blast Pro 38L & 43L Roller
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Blast Pro 43L Roller Backpack
This is the showpiece of the two. It does three things: backpack, roller, and grab-and-go carry. It looks like a regular carry-on, but on the back there are hidden straps you pull out to convert it into a full backpack, plus a waist strap for extra support when it is loaded up.
The detail I love most: the wheels have a cover, so when you wear it as a backpack the dirty wheels are not pressing against your clothes. That is genuinely thoughtful.
It is packed with compartments, including some clever hidden ones:
- Hidden RFID-blocking pocket with card slots, big enough for a wallet, so nothing can be scanned.
- Velvet-lined glasses pocket so your sunglasses do not get scratched.
- Top easy-access compartment with a zippered mesh divider so small items do not fall out.
- Side pocket that fits a large water bottle or an umbrella.
- Clear toiletry compartment inside so you can see everything at a glance.
- Internal compression buckles to cinch everything down.
One smart structural feature: you can use the internal buckles to keep the bag in a rigid backpack shape while traveling, then unhook everything and flatten it for storage under a bed when you are home. It packs away small, which I did not expect from a bag this capable.
Converting between modes is fast. To go from backpack to roller you just unhook the straps, tuck them away, and roll. I packed a full week-plus of clothes in it and it carried comfortably, and the waist strap actually helps ergonomically when it is heavy.
Blast Pro 38L Travel Backpack
This one is technically 28L and expands to 38L using a zipper around the body. Fair warning: once you expand it to the full 38L, it may not fit under the airplane seat, so plan to put it in the overhead bin if you size it up. I personally traveled with it un-expanded because I do not like it too heavy, and at 28L it slid right under the seat.
The compartments are just as thoughtful as the roller:
- Multiple front pockets plus a water bottle holder.
- Quick-access top pocket for when it is stowed under the seat.
- Secondary mesh compartment for glasses, AirPods, and small items.
- Hidden compartment deep enough for a passport.
- RFID-blocking pocket with a card slot.
- Bottom vented compartment for shoes or dirty clothes (it has an air vent).
- 180-degree clamshell opening that lays flat like a suitcase for easy packing.
- Removable divider you can hook in either orientation, with compression buckles.
- Padded laptop and tablet sleeve.
The feature that genuinely impressed me is a real hidden compartment where you can stash a passport or money, and when you zip it, you can tuck the zipper pull out of sight so nobody even knows it is there. That is a smart bit of anti-theft design.
It also has grab handles on the side so you can carry it like a duffel, and it slides onto a roller carry-on handle for airport days.
Blast Pro 38L vs. Original Blast 38L
Since I have both the new Blast Pro and the original Blast that I bought at Costco, here is the honest side-by-side:
- Zippers: The original Blast has thinner zippers; the Blast Pro has chunkier ones. Both open smoothly.
- RFID: The Blast Pro has an RFID-blocking pocket. The original Blast does not, even though the slot looks the same.
- Airflow: The vented bottom compartment is designed a bit differently. The original has a simple direct hole; the Blast Pro has a more refined perforated design, which may breathe slightly better.
- Divider: The Blast Pro includes a removable divider (and two compression buckles). The original has no divider, so just one buckle.
- Hidden compartment: The Blast Pro has the disguised hidden compartment. The original has a mesh pocket there instead.
- Laptop sleeve: Identical on both.
So the Blast Pro is the more advanced, more secure bag (RFID, hidden compartment, divider). Personally I lean slightly toward the original Blast for its zipper feel and more subtle, understated color, and because I do not use the divider anyway. But if you want maximum organization and anti-theft features, the Blast Pro is the technically better bag. It comes down to preference.
Blast Packing Cubes
I packed using the BAGSMART Blast compression cubes and they are excellent. They compress a surprising amount, and the zippers are seriously strong. I overstuffed one with a week of clothes, forced the zipper, and it held without a problem. The compression zipper is buttery smooth and lets you cinch down to different levels.
One cube fit a full week-plus of clothes. The mesh-paneled cube I used as a shoe bag because the airflow keeps things from getting stale, and it can double as a light day bag or a laundry bag.
Blast AirPods Holder (It's More Than AirPods)
This little holder matches the beige bags perfectly, and it has become one of my favorite travel items. It is sold as an AirPods case, but I cram way more into it: sun stick, AirPods, lipstick, and a credit card or hotel key.
It has a hook, so I clip it onto my clothes, a belt loop, or my jeans and head out without carrying a purse. On the airplane it is perfect, because I do not have to dig my whole bag out of the overhead bin to grab one small thing. It just hangs there for easy access. Cute and genuinely useful.
The Beige Survival Test: Condition After 3 Weeks
This is what everyone wants to know. These are light-colored bags, and I was rough with them: street, subway, airport, boat rides, and plenty of handling by valets and boat crews who were not gentle.
Blast Pro 43L Roller: A little wear and tear, which makes sense given how hard I used it. But the standout is the wheels: almost zero wear, and barely any dirt. They are rollerblade-style wheels, so they roll incredibly smoothly and do not pick up grime. My husband's family tried it in Malaysia and were genuinely impressed by how smooth it rolled. The areas I kept kicking by accident were still clean.
Blast Pro 38L: We stowed this under the plane seat constantly, so I expected dirt marks. There was a little underneath and one mark that turned out to be a pen mark from a valet, not actual dirt. The black back panel hides everything. Overall much cleaner than I expected.
Original Blast 38L: Vincent was rough with this one and it barely had a mark. A little dirt underneath, nothing serious, and the sides, back, and top were all clean.
Cleaning Test
Blast Pro (spot clean only): You cannot machine wash the Blast Pro, so I wiped it down with a Clorox wipe. I genuinely did not expect it to work, but the material wipes clean shockingly easily. Travel grime came right off, and most stains disappeared. The only thing that lingered was ink from a valet's pen, which is unavoidable on any bag, but even that got much lighter. The wheels were the easiest part: surprisingly clean already.
Original Blast (machine washable): BAGSMART recommends hand washing, but I put it in a mesh laundry bag and ran a gentle, cool, delicate cycle with a low spin, then hang dried it. It came out in great condition with no damage, inside and out. Easy to wash, dry, and maintain.
The takeaway for anyone nervous about a light-colored bag: these did not get dirty easily, and what did show wiped or washed off. I would still confidently recommend the beige.
Final Verdict
This was my first time traveling with a non-hard-case bag, and after three weeks of boats, airports, and rough handling across the Philippines and Malaysia, I am very impressed. Both bags held up, stayed clean, and were easy to take care of.
If you want one bag that does everything (backpack, roller, and grab-and-go) with the smoothest wheels I have used, go for the Blast Pro 43L Roller. If you want a feature-packed carry-on backpack with a clamshell opening, RFID, and a clever hidden compartment, the Blast Pro 38L is excellent. And if you are deciding between the Blast Pro and the original Blast, the Pro is the more advanced and secure option, while the original wins on subtlety and price.
Do not forget the GohTina10 code for 10% off, and if you use my affiliate links it genuinely helps the channel grow. Safe travels.
BAGSMART Blast Pro 38L & 43L Roller
Use code GohTina10 for 10% off at bagsmart.com.
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