Review Polène Numéro Un Mini Vs Nano

Can’t fly to Paris to check out Polène? No problem! I have got you covered with all you need to know about the Number One Mini and Nano complete with photos and videos.

First, let me start by saying I absolutely love Polène as a brand and aesthetic. The designs are unique, beautiful and functional. The colors are all so rich, and the combination of texture and color on each design is so well thought out. On top of all that, it’s affordable! Polène bags range from $170 (micro bags) to $470. If you keep your order under $500, you don’t have to pay import tax. Shipping to the US is $20 via DHL and it gets to you in 5 days. Impressive! I purchased the Number One Mini in Grey ($360) first, followed by the Number One Nano in Blue textured leather (Blue is discontinued as of 2022 but most models are $320). Prices vary by style and leather. (Prices in this post are as of July 2022)

Spoiler alert I have a favorite! I have worn the Number One Mini in Grey the most! Get ready for significantly more photos of the Mini. The main reason for this being the color. I find grey way easier to pair with multiple outfits. I had a much harder time pairing the blue with outfits. I’m not one to change my outfit to fit the bag. So I would often end up just changing the bag. Even though the shade of blue leans more towards navy, it’s not as dark as traditional navy so it acts more like a pop of color than a neutral.

Features

The Nano features a comfortable and adjustable leather strap and top handle, while the Mini features a chain strap only; no top handle. Both bags have a pocket on the back exterior. The Nano back pocket is too small to fit more than a credit card. I can fit my iPhone 11 Pro with case in the pocket on the back of the Mini. There is an interior slip pocket inside both bags. I do not find the top handle on the Nano to get in the way when opening and closing. The snap closures on both bags are very strong so it won’t open on accident and also closes easily and quickly. There is a second set of snaps that help the bag hold it’s shape. I only use these when storing the bag. I hardly every snap these closed when I’m carrying either bag.

The most common question I get about the Mini is “how comfortable is the chain strap?” The answer is that it’s really personal preference. Although the website says it’s adjustable, it’s more like you can tie the chain in a knot to adjust. It’s not a mechanism or clip of any type. Because the chain is so thin, it will naturally dig in over time depending on the clothing between you and the strap. Since I primarily wore this bag when I was working, I was wearing a blazer with shoulder pads so it didn’t bother me. I have worn it with thin shirts and it was still okay. However, I did notice more discomfort if I wore it on my shoulder versus crossbody. If I was wearing a sleeveless shirt, I personally would not choose to wear this bag. If you have any hesitation about the chain strap and have had strap discomfort with other bags with chain straps in the past, I would not recommend you get the Mini version with the chain. Instead, go with either the Nano or the Mini backpack version, which has a convertible leather strap(this model is on my wish list).

Nano Specifications

Textured Calf Leather in Blue (looks smoother than the full grain but still has texture)
Dimensions: 22 X 17 X 9 cm; with Adjustable shoulder strap: 120 cm
Weight: 0.9 Pounds

Mini Specifications

Full Grained Calf Leather in Grey (looks more like pebbles)
Dimensions: 20.5 X 18 X 9 cm; Adjustable shoulder strap: 116 cm (the term adjustable is used loosely here you could tie the chain but it doesn’t have an adjusting mechanism)
Weight: 1.5 Pounds

What Fits Inside?

Mini

All my essentials and a pair of sunglasses in a soft case. My essential small leather goods are all Louis Vuitton and include a mini pochette accessories, two key pouches, zippy coin purse (I use as a mini wallet), hand sanitizer, mini hand lotion, my Jabra Elite Headphones and my iPhone 11 Pro. This bag is not wide enough to accommodate a full size wallet such as the Louis Vuitton Sarah Wallet. I show all of this in detail in my Polène Mini Unboxing Video

Nano

My same essentials, but I have to lose the sunglasses. My essential small leather goods are all Louis Vuitton and include a mini pochette accessories, two key pouches, zippy coin purse (I use as a mini wallet), hand sanitizer, mini hand lotion, my Jabra Elite Headphones and my iPhone 11 Pro. I do sometimes drop the headphones and the second key pouch for a little extra space. If you carried a card holder instead of a mini wallet, this would also give you more space. I showed all of this in my Polène Nano Unboxing Video

Wear and Tear

So far I have not really worn either bag enough to see significant wear. They both seem to be pretty resistant to water and scratches. The gold hardware on the Mini will probably show scratches first. I did have an issue with the grey Mini picking up dye from a pair of Zara jeans that I have since retired. I used Dyo spot remover (highly recommend!) to remove it. I have a highlight saved on Instagram demonstrating how to use this product to remove dye transfer. Be very careful. This takes off everything. Please excuse the blurry photo! You can see how slight it was, but it was there. When you catch it early like this, you are far more likely to get it off completely.

The other place you will most likely see wear over time is where the leather creases as you open the flap. This currently shows more on my Nano than my Mini just because of the leather being more stiff on the Nano. I do not recommend carrying the Nano by the top handle when it is not snapped. This may cause premature wear.

I hope this helped if you were on the fence about which bag was right for you! Check out the Polène Website to see all their beautiful bags! I do not have an affiliate link for Polène. They do not know I wrote this blog post or made any videos. I am not being compensated in any way for this post. I paid for both of my bags with my own money I made from my day job. Some of the links I included are affiliate links. If you choose to shop those links, thank you so much! This helps to support my content.

Update 2022 - I am still leaning towards the mini over the nano and I am on a waiting list for another mini in a very special color that (fingers crossed) will come back in stock. I am trying more items from Polène including a new bag I can’t wait to share and a belt. Keep an eye out on my Youtube Channel for new videos coming in Fall 2022.

I have three videos on Youtube where I unboxed and discussed both bags and show what I fit inside in addition to my most recent comparison video. Check out these videos below!