Bougie on a Budget: My Mahjong Travel Bag Setup
As I shared in our East Meets West post, I successfully brought my full mahjong set with me on a recent work trip — to play with a co-worker turned student and to teach a new colleague.
The Mahjong Line Travel Bag in White Canvas
I was inspired by the The Mahjong Line travel bag that fits your mat, rack, and tiles, but I worried it wouldn’t hold much else. At $265, it also felt a bit steep. While I love supporting brands helping to make mahjong mainstream, I needed a bougie on a budget option that still fit everything I needed for my work trip.
The most important thing I needed to fit? The racks. Sadly, I don’t live in the land of the Avengers, so I can’t shrink them down like Ant-Man. My tortoiseshell Oh My Mahjong racks are about 18.5 inches long, which meant my bag had to be at least that length.
Luckily, you know what’s just about that long? Weekender bags.
The $25 Weekender Bag
So off to Amazon I went. I quickly realized a bag with a zippered shoe compartment would be perfect. Long enough for the racks, but tucked away so I wouldn’t need to access them mid-flight. Since this was a work trip, I still needed room for my laptop, charger, and plane essentials. And because I’m a carry-on only kind of traveler, it also had to slip securely over my suitcase handle.
I found this purple weekender bag that checked every box for just $25 (and arrived fast enough for a test run). When it showed up — perfection.
Now, I can already hear some of you saying, “But what about the mat? That’s way longer than 18.5 inches!” And you’re absolutely right! Many of you also prefer not to fold your mats. This is where a budget-friendly option comes in handy.
I brought along the very first mat I ever bought (a Sydney recommendation!) and folded it into the weekender (I didn’t want to crease one of my beloved Oh My Mahjong mats!). But when I got to the hotel and rolled everything out, the OMM Lola tiles, tortoiseshell racks, and that older mat, I wasn’t loving the aesthetic.
Functional? Yes.
Pretty? Not quite.
And since I always try to create a table that feels thoughtfully put together, that wouldn’t do.
A little “competitive shopping” later, I found a new mat (for $30) that could be delivered to my hotel the next day. Affordable, complementary to my tiles, and still well under the price of The Mahjong Line bag. (Don’t worry, my friend adopted my original mat and gave it a new home!)
In total, my travel setup, the weekender bag and new mat, cost under $60, making it a stylish and practical win.
A few things I’d do differently next time:
Because the tiles and racks are heavy, adding a mat with a non-slip backing increases the weight. Since I mostly rolled my bag on top of my Away carry-on, that wasn’t an issue, but if you usually check your luggage and want to bring your full set, consider a lightweight tablecloth-style mat — it’s easier to fold and far lighter.
You can absolutely play without a mat, but let’s be honest… we love a good aesthetic.
For packing, I would tuck the mat, racks and tiles all snugly in the bottom, which leaves plenty of space in things that need an easy reach in the main compartment.
This trip was the first time I’ve ever traveled with a weekender bag, and I’m officially converted. Whether I’m taking mahjong along or not, it’s coming with me on every trip from now on.
