Today’s review features the Loungefly x Star Wars R2-R9 mini dome bag. Released in early February in time for Valentine’s Day 2017, this design is exclusive to Box Lunch. Also, this is a special limited edition handbag – only 600 were made! I am slightly addicted to Loungefly’s mini dome bags, and I just couldn’t resist the gorgeous red colour of this design!
This is actually a prequel themed handbag, as R2-R9 is one of Queen Amidala’s astromech droids who tries to help fix her starship while escaping the blockade on Naboo in The Phantom Menace.
The bag is currently still available from Box Lunch, priced at US$69.90 each. Box Lunch can ship internationally, which is great!
Loungefly R2-R9 mini dome bag – US$69.90 each
The R2-R9 handbag uses the classic Loungefly mini dome bag design, which has become a staple in my Star Wars wardrobe! I own 5 Loungefly mini dome bags now, as I like having options to coordinate with my outfits. Of course, the gorgeous red colour and connection to Naboo meant this bag was a must-have for me – and it was a perfect Valentine’s Day gift!
The handbag came in a black drawstring dust bag, but instead of the usual silver Star Wars logo, this dust bag has red printing. The design includes the Star Wars logo, the Loungefly logo, and the text ‘Limited Edition’, while the back of the dust bag is plain. The drawstring cord is also red for this version, not black like the standard dust bags. I always keep the dust bags for my Loungefly handbags, but this one is definitely worth keeping even if you usually don’t. Not all limited edition Loungefly products come with a branded dust bag – like the SDCC exclusive Rey backpack for example.
I was impressed with the level of packaging for this handbag. As well as the usual elements (clear plastic covering on the handles and tissue paper wrapping), this bag also came with a sheet of white cardboard on each side, slotted between the handle attachments. This is to provide a barrier between the handles and the bag during postage, and just to keep the surfaces of the bag little more protected. As my bag had a little longer journey than most (shipping from the US to an international address), I always appreciate careful packaging.
The bag came with slightly different tags than I have previously seen. Instead of the standard Star Wars logo tag, this bag came with a special square tag that notes this is a limited edition item. The back of the tag has the release year, and the edition number of your own bag – mine is number 311 out of 600. There is also a heart shaped gift tag attached, featuring R2-D2 and R2-R9 with the text ‘You R2 Good To Me’ – perfect if you are giving this bag as a gift.
I tend to be a little picky when it comes to red – some red colour tones are a little too orange, I much prefer a darker, classic ‘lipstick’ red. This bag is just gorgeous in person, I am so happy with the colour!
Like the other character dome bags, the front and back of the R2-R9 bag are different. The features are of course from R2-R9’s top dome, with the front featuring the little droid’s ‘eyes’, while the back has the smaller panel details. I like that the character bags have a front and back, it gives the design a little more personality, and they can face the right way when carrying 🙂
The bag is made from patent faux leather, with printed and embossed details. This bag features the same astromech design as the classic Loungefly R2-D2 mini dome bag, just with a different colour scheme. The main section of the bag is silver, with red, grey, black, yellow and blue printed sections – the edges of most printed sections are embossed, which adds an extra level of detail to the design.
The metal details of Loungefly bags are always a highlight for me, they really give you the impression of a product designed with quality in mind. The R2-R9 bag features silver toned metal hardware – zipper pulls, handle rings, rivets and domes. The top zip is red with two sturdy silver-tone Loungefly zipper pulls, and opens fully down each side. The full length top zip allows easy access to the interior, which is really helpful in rigid-shape handbags.
Following the original R2-D2 handbag design, this bag also features silver-tone Rebel Alliance symbol rivet studs at the handle attachments. These are always one of my favourite features on Lounefly’s dome handbags – though I do sort of wish it was the Naboo symbol, because as a prequel droid, R2-R9 has no connection to the Rebel Alliance or Resistance. I know many fans will see this as a ‘red R2-D2’ design, so I can understand why Loungefly went with the same studs as the original R2-D2 bag. Hopefully someday I’ll see the Naboo symbol on a Loungefly bag!
The handles and handle attachments are made from a lovely red faux leather, which has a slight shimmer to it. The edges of the handles are sealed in red, so no raw edges are seen. The top stitching is all done in colour-matched red thread. The back of the bag features the classic metal Loungefly x Star Wars logo plaque, accented with black enamel – always a great feature of Loungefly handbags.
The interior features Loungefly’s printed Star Wars logo lining fabric – but this time in grey. The lining of most Loungefly x Star Wars items is the black version, so it’s fun to see a variation used here – it matches the silver tones of the design. There are two pockets inside – a zip-up pocket on one side, and 2 open pockets on the other side. The internal zip also features the same zipper pull with Loungefly logo as the exterior zipper – I really like the sturdy feel of these zips.
An extra addition to the lining of this bag – a black faux leather patch. The patch features the Loungefly x Star Wars logo, and notes the limited edition details, including the number of your specific bag, and the year of release. While the external packaging and tags notes the edition details, it just feels a little more special to have that information attached to the item itself. While I have a few limited edition Loungefly items, this is the first one I’ve owned to have the edition number noted (for example, the SDCC Rey backpack was limited to 200, but the bag has no mention of edition size or specific number like xxx/200 etc).
The bag features a red faux leather band around the lower section of the bag. The bottom of the bag is also red, made from the same patent faux leather as the handles and lower band. There are four metal stud feet, to avoid scuffing the surface when placed down. The bag features red piping along all the major seams – this is made from the same red as the bottom of the bag. The red patent faux leather isn’t a flat red, it has a slight shimmer to it, which I love – it is so pretty in person!
The bag measures approximately 27cm long, 12cm wide, 22cm tall – with the handles adding a further 10cm or so in height. This is the same size as the other Loungefly mini dome bags like the R2-D2 and BB-8 designs. I get so much use from my mini dome bags – they can easily fit your essentials like wallet, phone and makeup, without being too big.
While of course this bag is very similar in design to the R2-D2 mini dome bag, it is an exciting addition to my collection. I finally have a gorgeous red handbag that can coordinate with Queen Amidala themed outfits – as well as the colour, R2-R9 is one of her droids! The red colour scheme was perfect for a Valentine’s Day release, but this cute bag is perfect for any day of the year!
