Solo Everyday Max Backpack REVIEW
No matter how many times I think I’ve found the ‘ideal’ backpack for my hectic lifestyle, I find another one that seems to top the last. I’ve had the wonderful pleasure of getting to know Solo NY and their products over the past year or so and I really can’t find any fault with their bags. They have a way of designing bags that simply fit extraordinary circumstances. I typically look for a backpack that will encompass all of my needs and sometimes that isn’t very feasible. Therefore, I narrow down my search to those that include a place for my laptop and other technical gear. I like to stay organized. And with that in mind, I usually find bags that have lots of pockets in the main compartment. The Everyday Max Backpack is normally a bag I would pass by, but since I was given the chance to review it, I had to give it a second glance. I’m so glad I did.
Details
The Everyday Max Backpack is part of Solo NY’s Velocity Collection and has the branding tagline of “Work. Play. Repeat.” That gives you the impression that the designers intended for you to use this bag for all occasions and that they constructed it to be tougher than most business bags might be. “Streamline your routine with a collection that’s always up for adventure.” This bag was created for an on-the-go lifestyle — like mine — and it easily transitions from work to play.
The backpack has a fully padded 17.3” laptop compartment, internal iPad/Tablet pocket (does not fit extra large 12-inch tablets), and a separate shoe compartment. In addition to the laptop pouch, there is a large main compartment that can be accessed from a top zipper or from a side zipper like a duffle bag and one small mobile phone pouch on the outside of the main compartment. The bag has padded carry handles on the top and sides and a padded back and shoulder straps for easy transport. The bag only weighs 2.4 pounds empty and is measures 21 x 13 x 8, which complies with current FAA carry-on regulations.
User Experience
As I mentioned above, I typically like to keep my tech gear organized in individual pockets. That really isn’t possible with the Everyday Max Backpack since its main compartment is a big, cavernous opening that is reminiscent of a duffle bag. I actually like to think of this bag as a part backpack and part duffle. Once I had it packed up, I had the following items tucked away:
All of these things combined make for a fairly hefty pack. I didn’t take the time to weigh each piece individually, but I can say that the Everyday Max Backpack keeps weight evenly distributed. I did have some concerns about this since the large compartment tends to allow things to fall towards the bottom. I have carried this for the past couple of weeks as my main work bag. It’s been great knowing that I have the extra large pouch so that I can just toss things in there as I need to. I have never run into a problem where I didn’t have enough room in the backpack.
While there are some internal pockets, they line the main compartment and aren’t very easy to access. I would have loved to see a few more options for organization, but then again, that’s not really what this bag is intended for. One feature I was very excited about is the duffle opening. I didn’t think I would use it at first, but I have been using it quite a bit to search for items I’ve tossed into the bag. I have also taken this backpack on a weekend trip and found it to be spacious enough to handle tech items and clothing.
Conclusions
The Everyday Max Backpack is very comfortable to carry around even when it’s loaded down with computers, tablets, and accessories. I’ve enjoyed my time with it immensely and look forward to using it for a long time to come. It’s unlike any other backpack I’ve used to date and it’s got some great on-the-go features. I can recommend this to any type of user.
For more information, visit solo-ny.com.
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Related
Originally published at macsources.com on May 30, 2018.
