Drive By :: Herschel Heritage Backpack

In terms of carry explosions, Herschel fits the bill with a bang. This relatively young brand, founded in 2009, has enjoyed an almost unparalleled explosion. Herschel packs are everywhere, other than on Carryology. So when we spotted a review of the Herschel Heritage backpack on Rushfaster, we thought we’d offer up a slightly condensed version as a guest road test. The review was done by Jason Phang and is copied below as Jason has written it. Jason’s entire article can be viewed in full here but for the main points keep on reading…

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I purchased my Herschel Heritage Backpack because I needed a new workbag that could fit comfortably my documents, sweater, water bottle, umbrella and most importantly, lunch! This bag is generally considered a casual kind of backpack and more commonly associated with teenagers and university students. I found it to suit my personal style as it complemented the business look but kept a relaxed and down to earth vibe.

The Heritage backpack is very light (0.65 kg) and easy to swing around your shoulder. However the lightweight material makes the bag a bit flimsy and fails to hold its shape when empty or half full. The bag tends to sag when heavier items are placed in the main compartment, and doesn’t look as flattering.

I tend to keep my spare change and keys in the front pocket and the flap that conceals the zip can make it more difficult to open with one hand. A possible benefit of this feature is it may potentially alert me if someone is trying to pickpocket things out of my bag, especially when I’m on crowded public transport. Unzipping can sometimes be difficult, particularly when the bag is sagged and partly full. It takes some re-manoeuvring of the bag shape to make it unzip easier unless you use a bit of force. But don’t quote me on this feature!

The straps are adjustable and have a comfortable ventilated-mesh cushioned lining, and the faux leather on the base and top handle makes the bag easy to look after. I haven’t noticed any scuff marks or loose fraying of the backpack material so far.

The bag has an elasticated document compartment to keep important notes and documents upright and conformed to the back padding of the bag. A drawback of having the thin exterior material and back compartment lining is it won’t be sufficient enough to protect your documents. Only the backside of the bag is padded so I recommend putting your notebook in a padded sleeve. The compartment can hold a 15″ notebook.

Another handy feature but one I don’t really use is the internal iPod pocket with rubber grommet for your headphone access. There’s also an internal key clip in the front compartment but I prefer to get to my keys without having to take off my bag.

Overall I’m very pleased with my purchase of the Herschel Heritage Backpack. I’m definitely getting plenty of wear for my purpose and can see myself using this bag on holiday or if I decided to return to good ol’ study!

Remember, Jason’s entire article can be viewed in full over at Rushfaster.

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