We really don’t need to spend that long writing this review. Really, this could be one stentence, perhaps just two words, one picture – whatever the case, we don’t need to have a review that is going to be this long. Perhaps we do. Perhaps we should attempt to replicate the quality, beauty and simplicity that BBP created in their Industries Backpack. So we’ll try. We’ll try to explain why out of the eight bags, all of which are of the highest quality and from the most respected of bag makers, we chose this one: over and over again. So sit back and let us try to explain why a backpack from a company you have likely never heard of, is quite simply our favorite bag.
Introducing BBP & the Box It Came In
Sean Lee started BBP in 2005 after suffering for nine years from three herniated discs. Our understanding is “bum back pack” is the longer rendition of the name and it sounds logical. There is a box, there is a bag. Was it love at first sight? Not love, but we did take notice of the bag’s most defining features. The quality of the materials and the ingenius craftsmanship and design. Inside the box is the bag as well as inserts for smaller bags. You can watch us unbox it below and you can read our initial thoughts even further below…
Edit: Turns out that’s not there. Enjoy the picture temporarily.
Our First Thoughts & the Box
Okay, so it wasn’t that far down. The video is above. Included in the package is the bag. Inside the bag you have some removable padding for the notebook pocket, more on that later. Our first thought after marvelling at the design was, “how the ____ is our (17-inch) MacBook Pro going to fit in here?” We’ll get to that later, but this bag was designed by some very smart people; some very smart people that we imagine are very good at Tetris. You have to do a double-take (on the entire bag) to realize what exactly you are getting. From the zippers to the protection offered for your notebook – every little detail has been meticulously thought of and dare we say, perfection might have a new visitor at her door.
Design
Golden? Perhaps platnium? This has to be the greatest we have seen. The bag looks incredibly small, but what it fits is amazing. Everything is designed one step ahead of our minimal thought process, which meant every turn was something new. The bag is not the traditional one pocket design that we have stated as our personal preference, rather it has two main pockets (laptop and the other pocket), as well as five exterior pockets. Two are located on the sides of the bottle holders on the left and right of the backpack; two are located in the front of the bag and one is located on the bottom of the bag. The bottle-side pockets are just big enough to squeeze a MagSafe adaptor and the front pockets are each a tad bit bigger. The one we found most useful was the back pocket which hides just below the lower cushioning pillow. While traveling this is where our boarding pass found home and it was nice to be able to easily access it simply by slide the pack off of one shoulder while in line.
The outside of the bag is absolutely stunning. Big black metal rectangulor buttons adorn this modern-take on classic design. It doesn’t scream executive, but its pleather handle and all black design make it ready for the professional market. More importantly, this is the last bag you’d expect to be hiding a notebook.
Protecting Your Notebook
Go find some people complaining about the Incase’s Neoprene Sleeve, because all those issues have been solved. BBP includes inserts so if you don’t own the monster 17″ MacBook Pro, your bag will still get the top notch protection this bag gives you. Inside is some of the softest material we have ever seen in a backpack, meaning no scratches. Padding is about as good as it gets with ample protection on the bottom. The little things? For example, the zippers for the bag slide all the way down, even though it doesn’t help open the bag that much. However, inside the pocket there is protection inside that prevents your zippers from ever touching your notebook. While we didn’t walk through a hurricane with the bag, it did survive a pretty heavy rain storm with no signs of water inside.
Storage
We’ve been over this a million times already, but this bag is sort of like that you friend you have with a ridiculous metabolism. You sit there and just watch them shove food down their throat and yet they are the skinniest one at the table who also couldn’t tell the difference between a gym and a home theater. (Perhaps that analogy was too long?) Anyways, what you can fit in the bag is incredible. Even more, it seems to always keep its incredible shape. Inside the notebook compartment there is a padded pocket, which seems good for iPhone storage. Inside the main pocket are two zippered pockets capable of holding plenty of pens and cables.
Comfort
While the overall design might be subtle and minimalist, the padding on the back is anything but. Remember, this is a company founded by a guy with three herniated discs. The thickest of padding is on the upper and lower back, while the shoulder straps also receive ample padding. Quite simply this is the most comfortable bag we have tested. Its small nature means that the weight is concentrated and it seems like that allows the ergonomics to work to its fullest potential. Not only did this bag feel comfortable, but it felt natural. And even more amazing, it felt natural no matter how much was in it. Just to make sure BBP didn’t design a big just for us, we tested it on a couple of others of varying body sizes and the results seemed to be unanimous: this is called what again?
The Part Where We Repeat Ourselves
No, it doesn’t get better. At least not in our opinion. For someone that carries a 17″ notebook and plenty of other accessories this bag is magical. We’d spend a couple days with another bag and then we would find our way back to the same bag. This magical venture back to BBP doesn’t speak to the problems with the other bags, rather just the brilliance of BBP. We’d highly recommend heading to BBP’s site where you can order the Industries Backpack for $89.95. We highly recommend you look for our video review to come, we might just giveaway one of these. (Hint, hint)
32Reviews32Days (29/32)
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