Overall, I like the backpack. The TPU coating should last longer than the sprays other backpacks may use for water resistance and the overall design feels nice, if not a bit stiff. It fits exactly the niche I wanted, which was a waterproof work backpack to carry a laptop, meals, and other miscellaneous accessories. It’s well built, and so far I haven’t had any complaints about the build quality. The side pockets can stretch to fit my 32 oz insulated water bottle, which is exactly precisely one of the reasons I wanted this bag.
Unlike some other lunch backpack designs this one is still functional without items in the “cooler compartment”, though that is mainly due to the fact that the “cooler compartment” is just a pocket large enough to store the inserts (lunchboxes). The inserts themselves are neither here nor there. They fit the containers included with them and the ice pack adequately but I wasn’t particularly dazzled by the insulation they provide. However, it is nice you can maintain use of the backpack without using the inserts.
In terms of complaints, the bottom of the backpack sleeve does not have the padding afforded to it where it touches your back. I haven’t personally experienced a negative side affect of this, but I would be cautious about placing this down on hard ground with too much force with electronics in there. Additionally, unlike how the promotional videos and images portray it, the lunchbox “inserts” do not easily slide into the main compartment. I could see it leading to containers opening if they weren’t secure but personally haven’t had problems yet, though it is a bit inconvenient. The plastic containers provided with the inserts aren’t anything to write home about beyond the fact that they are perfectly sized to fit inside their parent container but they don’t feel like Tritan or any other plastic that you might find in higher quality (plastic) food containers.
For storage, I think the backpack could use a bit more. The central compartment is useful but quickly filled with the inserts. The side pockets work well to hold water bottles but since they don’t have any mechanism for closure you’re left worrying if what you put in them could fall out when the bag changes orientation. The straps around the side of the bag don’t seem particularly useful. They don’t “clip on” the anchor point in the bag, so you can’t use them to attach additional items without worrying about them becoming detached and that storage dropping. The only use I can really think for them is to attach strap a yoga mat to the side as the promotional materials seem to suggest. The internal 3rd water bottle slot feels like an afterthought, if you have a large bottle on that side of the backpack you won’t be able to fit a water bottle in the main compartment easily with the inserts, and the internal water bottle would have to be on the slender side. Internally, the pockets help with organization but most share “common space” in the same compartment, so they don’t lend to more volume storage.
What I’d like to see in a newer iteration is zippered water bottle pockets to make them multi functional, some small exterior pockets, and webbing or another method that you could attach a carabiner to increase storage on the exterior.
I’m rating this 4/5 stars, as at this price point I think lack of cushioning on the bottom of the laptop compartment is a fairly large oversight. Additionally, the inserts should fit into the main compartment a bit more easily.
In conclusion I think the backpack is worth the entry fee, and have been very happy with the functionality of mine so far. The waterproofing, laptop, and insulated food storage have proven effective in every “test” I have thrown at it and it has worked well on a few overnight trips as well. I’d advise you simply temper your expectations of what storage will be offered by it beyond the main compartment. The bag fills a niche that I was having a hard time filling elsewhere.