MAXXply
Hall of Fame
Three rackets is the most I ever carry; what I needed more of was the kind of roomy, useable space not easily found in the second narrow compartment of those ubiquitous 6pk backpacks - the kind of space to carry college textbooks, a weeks worth of dirty laundry and last-minute groceries. In short, space for everything else in-between home and the tennis courts. I wanted to do away with backpack straps and return to the quick, clean carrying experience of a standard bag with handles - but I also wanted a dedicated racket compartment. I bought the HEAD Classic Line All Court 3 Pack bag @$79.95. It's a standard racket bag cut down the middle, with a gear bag sandwiched in-between. Here are my impressions and some bag pics not already shown in TW's pics:
This bag is H-U-G-E! I chose it because I thought the smaller but similar HEAD Sport Bag @$59.95 would be too small for my needs...I'm not so sure now (anyone who buys that one please post a review) The All Court 3PK is gargantuan for a 3pk bag as the cavernous main compartment makes up the bulk of this bag. The bag will definitely suit a tennis-playing traveller or player with above-average carrying needs when they travel to and from the courts. Here you can see the bag dwarfing my 6pk:
The bag will tightly fit up to six rackets in total - 4 in the dedicated racket section (average beam width 20mm) and 2 in the secondary racket compartment. This latter section also provides 3 handy compartments if you keep the snap-on dividers in place - pic on the left shows the dividers removed:
The brown, black and white cosmetic is a subtle, no-nonsense colourway welcome not only on this bag but to an entire tennis equipment category that's arguably lost its way in style and design - see Wilson's vomitous BLX range and their psychadelic King Tut-on-acid shockers. By safely - and predictably - naming the range "Classic Line", HEAD's sales and marketing dudes are clearly aiming to capture consumers alienated by the rest of the category's fanboi designs. The All Court bag's dark (almost khaki green), muted tones highlight its functional purpose really well. It just means business, without shouting it in lairy gold stipes.
The materials and construction of this bag make no new advances; it's the same thin nylon and polyester you've seen on other HEAD bags many times before - which is a disappointment for a new premium priced bag. The interior linings are the same sprayjacket-thin nylon materials that are vulnerable to tearing with regular use. I fully expect the CCT thermo lining in the racket compartment to unstitch and come away from the bag within a year or two - experienced bag users will understand. The base of the bag is well supported by 4 robust "feet" to protect it from the wear and tear of frequent bag drops:
The U-shaped zip opening of the main compartment, which appears to be a design trend found on all current gearbags, feels counter-intuitive to zip and unzip in a roundabout way (instead of just straight across) to open up the compartment. The opening is positioned on the top of the bag and doesn't extend further down the end of the bag (non shoe pocket side), thereby limiting the opening and restricting the ability to fully open up the bag for wide, easy access. Coupled with the black interior lining, it can prove tricky to delve in and find smaller items in low light. The carry straps are adjustable but could've been slightly thicker and spaced slightly further apart to more fully support a capacity load. The attached padded support is comfortable enough but I've seen thicker ones on other bags.
There is ample valuables storage with two small zip pockets inside the compartments. The dedicated shoe pocket is fine but I always use these sections as a dedicated food/drink chiller space. Manufacturers may find more consumer appeal if they re-badged the shoe pockets as drink compartments, complete with some thermo lining.
Overall the HEAD Classic Line All Court 3 Pack is a satisfactory effort but it's let down by the flimsiness of the materials relative to its premium pricepoint. The cheaper and current but due-for-an-update Babolat Team bag range is definitely constructed with more robust, thicker material - the HEAD Classic Line should've been made with those same materials. The bag would also be more suited to everyday use if the bag was downsized about 2-3 cubic inches, say, to 29/30 inches long instead of the listed 32in. length. Any questions just ask.
3 stars out of 5
This bag is H-U-G-E! I chose it because I thought the smaller but similar HEAD Sport Bag @$59.95 would be too small for my needs...I'm not so sure now (anyone who buys that one please post a review) The All Court 3PK is gargantuan for a 3pk bag as the cavernous main compartment makes up the bulk of this bag. The bag will definitely suit a tennis-playing traveller or player with above-average carrying needs when they travel to and from the courts. Here you can see the bag dwarfing my 6pk:
The bag will tightly fit up to six rackets in total - 4 in the dedicated racket section (average beam width 20mm) and 2 in the secondary racket compartment. This latter section also provides 3 handy compartments if you keep the snap-on dividers in place - pic on the left shows the dividers removed:
The brown, black and white cosmetic is a subtle, no-nonsense colourway welcome not only on this bag but to an entire tennis equipment category that's arguably lost its way in style and design - see Wilson's vomitous BLX range and their psychadelic King Tut-on-acid shockers. By safely - and predictably - naming the range "Classic Line", HEAD's sales and marketing dudes are clearly aiming to capture consumers alienated by the rest of the category's fanboi designs. The All Court bag's dark (almost khaki green), muted tones highlight its functional purpose really well. It just means business, without shouting it in lairy gold stipes.
The materials and construction of this bag make no new advances; it's the same thin nylon and polyester you've seen on other HEAD bags many times before - which is a disappointment for a new premium priced bag. The interior linings are the same sprayjacket-thin nylon materials that are vulnerable to tearing with regular use. I fully expect the CCT thermo lining in the racket compartment to unstitch and come away from the bag within a year or two - experienced bag users will understand. The base of the bag is well supported by 4 robust "feet" to protect it from the wear and tear of frequent bag drops:
The U-shaped zip opening of the main compartment, which appears to be a design trend found on all current gearbags, feels counter-intuitive to zip and unzip in a roundabout way (instead of just straight across) to open up the compartment. The opening is positioned on the top of the bag and doesn't extend further down the end of the bag (non shoe pocket side), thereby limiting the opening and restricting the ability to fully open up the bag for wide, easy access. Coupled with the black interior lining, it can prove tricky to delve in and find smaller items in low light. The carry straps are adjustable but could've been slightly thicker and spaced slightly further apart to more fully support a capacity load. The attached padded support is comfortable enough but I've seen thicker ones on other bags.
There is ample valuables storage with two small zip pockets inside the compartments. The dedicated shoe pocket is fine but I always use these sections as a dedicated food/drink chiller space. Manufacturers may find more consumer appeal if they re-badged the shoe pockets as drink compartments, complete with some thermo lining.
Overall the HEAD Classic Line All Court 3 Pack is a satisfactory effort but it's let down by the flimsiness of the materials relative to its premium pricepoint. The cheaper and current but due-for-an-update Babolat Team bag range is definitely constructed with more robust, thicker material - the HEAD Classic Line should've been made with those same materials. The bag would also be more suited to everyday use if the bag was downsized about 2-3 cubic inches, say, to 29/30 inches long instead of the listed 32in. length. Any questions just ask.
3 stars out of 5
