Want to know more about the two most popular Fossil Hangbags in the planner community? I have compared and tested out these bags to show you their similarities and differences.
Look at these beautiful Fossil Handbags! If you follow me on Instagram or YouTube, you know that I have been wanting a Fossil Sydney Satchel for over a year. I searched high and low, and just could not find a new one, so I decided to settle on the Fossil Rachel Satchel in the meantime. Little did I know, I would fall completely in love with it.
After posting the unboxing and review on my YouTube channel, several people reached out to me, offering their Sydney’s. I just couldn’t pass up Christine’s offer! She had a wine-colored Sydney just sitting in her closet with the tags still on it and offered to send it to me at no cost to test it out. But of course, the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew I would not be returning it. I gladly paid her asking price!
So, why on earth have I decided that such a beautiful purse just isn’t for me? This post is all about these two Fossil Handbags.
Best Fossil Handbags
Here is my side-by-side comparison of these two highly sought-after Fossil Handbags.
Shape and Pockets
You can immediately tell that the Sydney Satchel is softer and floppier. I love the look and feel of floppy leather, but not so much in a purse. When I add my wallet and planner to the bag, it completely loses its shape, making it hard to get things in and out. Even though the straps are the same length, this drooping of the bag, makes the purse seem longer. So the Rachel wins this round for me. The leather isn’t super stiff, but the purse holds its shape when in use.
I like the outside pockets on the Rachel more than the Sydney. There is one on the front, and another on the back, giving me more places to put my phone. The pocket is slightly wider on the Rachel purse too, so sticking my iPhone Plus into the Sydney is a tight fit, but easy to do in the Rachel.
The Fossil logo on the Sydney is much more noticeable because it is at the top of the bag with some sort of foiling to make it stand out. The Rachel has an embossed logo near the bottom that’s a little hard to see.
Here is a look at the back of these purses.
This is Why Everyone Wants a Fossil Satchel
Now a side view! This is why I wanted a Fossil Satchel to begin with. The zipper goes almost all the way down the side so that you can open it up really wide! Again, they are about the same size, but you can see how much the Sydney is flopping over (I LOVE soft leather!)
Here are the purses open. The Sydney leather is softer, so it seems like it opens up wider. I feel like the Rachel is beginning to soften though, and with a little more force, can be opened just as wide as the Sydney.
The key on the Sydney wins hands down over the Rachel! It’s just so much cuter and looks like they put more effort into making it.
I also like the zipper pulls on the Sydney better than on the Rachel. The larger, loop just adds more character and makes it easy to open from any direction.
Inside Comparison:
Now let’s look at the inside pocket configurations. Both have a long zipper compartment, but the Sydney has card slots and a key holder as well. I can see how the card slots would come in handy, but they were a little useless for me. Maybe if I had some gift cards or club cards I could put them there?
The pockets on the other side are different too. The Sydney has one large pocket, allowing my stuff to fall out of it, but the Rachel has two pockets, and one slightly smaller than the other. This makes it perfect for holding my chapstick and business card holder.
The interior colors are also different. The Sydney is the same color as the outside, but I am not sure if they are all like this. The Rachel has a lighter, patterned fabric inside. This makes it easier to find my stuff when my purse gets a little messy.
Finally, here is one more view of each, a little closer.
The Fossil Rachel Satchel
