For those who are between buying this and the mono m80, I’ve used the mono bag for 5 years and this one for 3 months now. Here are some of my thoughts.
So firstly the rubber lining around the three compartments of the mono bag is now completely flakey and pieces of it are falling off. The reunion blues case is made of (what I think is) a very thick weave nylon or a thick canvas like material so it looks like it won’t flake at all anywhere.
Another thing is the dividers and protection at the bottom of both bags. Basically the mono bag has dividers that are attached to the middle of the interior and are open on the bottom and top of the bag. The mono bag also has a small semi-hard plastic V at the bottom of the interior that catches all the cymbals so they don’t hit the floor when you set the bag down. The problem with this design for me is that the cymbals touch eachother because of the plastic V and the open dividers at the bottom and it doesn’t protect them very well on the rest of the sides of the bag, only the bottom. The reunion blues case is just a thick foam ring encased in very high quality and hard/durable fabric-like materials, its dividers cover the entire diameter of the bag and are removable (they attach with velcro strips).
If I remove the dividers in the rb case I can have space for a small hardware bag, stick bag, sheets etc. If I keep the dividers then my cymbals are completely separated and protected (good if you want to check them for a flight). Moreover the rb case doesn’t have a V to catch the cymbals, it’s just thick padding 360°. The mono case dividers aren’t removable so you have to squeeze things in causing the bag to puff up, whereas the rb bag keeps its shape a lot better.
One thing I miss from the mono bag is the little clutch pouch in the hihat pocket and the splash pocket, the rb bag is basically a shell, so any things (other than cymbals)you want to put in it either you just throw in or you put in smaller bags. I like a bit of space for a drum key, clutch, felts but it would be nice to see a case with interior zip pockets that you can put all those small hardware bits into.
The rb bag is bigger and heavier than the mono, but it holds its shape in a way that keeps my back straight when I wear it. The mono case is much floppier, the back straps pull the material holding them and it causes the bag to fall far from your back no matter how hard you tighten the straps. Also the straps on the rb are much better, the mono straps never hold their tension and always loosen after a few minutes.
The zippers on the rb are better and waterproof. The mono bag says it’s water resistant but I got the ash version and I can visually see the water being absorbed by the bag, and the zipper is always soaking wet. I’ve noticed that most rain glides off the rb bag, -except for the straps- and the zippers seal so well that they barely get wet. I live in the netherlands so this is a nice bonus for me, for you it might be unnecessary.
The straps of both bags are riveted, but the hooks for attaching them on the mono are plastic vs the rb which are metal. I like the way they tuck away better on the rb bag personally and overall they are way more comfortable than the mono straps.
In conclusion, the rb bag has more space and more protection than the mono, it’s more versatile and comfortable too, but is also heavier and bigger. I hope somebody finds this info useful someday, peace out
