There are quite a number of AmazonBasics backpacks but today we will be doing a review on their “premium” style pack.
For every activity, there’s a new backpack that you have to get in order to fit the occasion.
Between travel, work, hiking, and leisure, you’re already at 4 different backpacks, which is way too many.
Backpacks are pretty expensive usually, especially if you want a decent one.
I’ve found myself in all 4 of these situations, and although I usually try to get more than one function out of each individual backpack, it can be pretty tough at times.
You can’t really walk into class with a traveler’s 65 liter backpack on without getting some seriously strange looks from your classmates.
You also couldn’t go traveling with a backpack that only has one slot for items.
That is until now, when the AmazonBasics Premium Backpack came out.
I always love trying out AmazonBasics products because they’re usually pretty decent quality with a lot of good reviews (which this one has both).
They also usually come at a fair price, which this one totally does at around $30.00.
It’s not bad considering the fact that it’s multi-purpose and perfect for plenty of occasions.
Being a traveler, a previous college student, a hiker, and much more,
I’ve probably spent thousands of dollars on backpacks.
It’s crazy to me to try to believe that one backpack could cover the needs of everything that I do, but I decided to head towards this one with an open mind.
Although it doesn’t make the perfect backpack for every situation, it definitely can work for almost anything.
I used a 40 liter backpack for backpacking long-term, so obviously this one wouldn’t do the job since it’s only 26.6 liters.
However, for traveling from hotel to hotel, it might not be a bad idea.
My long-term backpacking stint had me carrying a tent and a sleeping bag, so I needed the extra room.
If I weren’t carrying both of those, I could easily see myself rocking one of these backpacks.
The Tops Specs and Features from the Amazon BasicsPremium Backpack
There’s all kinds of cool features hidden in this backpack, which is why it’s considered to be so multi-functional.
I wanted to find out if this could actually work for as many different tasks as it claimed that it could.
Storage Capacity
First things first, I had to see how much this thing could hold.
As I stated earlier, this backpack has a holding capacity of 26.6 liters, which is actually significantly more than many ‘multi-functional’ competitors.
It also has a specific padded pocket area for a laptop, but it only fits up to 15 inches.
My previous laptop was 17 inches, which means it wouldn’t have quite fit.
At $30.00, there are a few areas that have corners cut, and this is definitely one of them.
I’ve since switched to a 13 inch laptop (that I like much more might I add), and most laptops do fall under the 15 inch limitation.
There’s also plenty of storage for pens, pencils, calculators, and all the little pockets you need for school supplies or backpacking snacks.
Since storage is obviously the biggest and most important part of investing in a new backpack, you might want to consider what you might use it for before pulling the trigger.
For me, it’s perfect for day hikes, school (if I didn’t drop out), and using as a carry on for traveling.
Durability and Comfort
These two specs are one of the high points to this backpack, which is nice since having a durable and comfortable backpack is usually pretty rare at this price point.
It comes with padded straps, a padded back, and a previously mentioned padded laptop pocket.
If you’ve ever bought one of those $10.00 Walmart backpacks, then you understand the pain of having absolutely no padding on your backpack.
This is the 21st century, you shouldn’t have to worry about the comfort of wearing a backpack anymore since we’ve been working on fixing out the errors for decades.
As far as durability goes, the zippers, the carrying handle (which is rubber-coated), and the rugged canvas on the outside of the backpack make it far superior to almost any competitor in its price range.
I was surprised to see how many reviewers were impressed about the comfort and durability about this thing.
Again, I should’ve known better than to second guess an AmazonBasics product.
What’s the Verdict on this Affordable, Multi-Functional Backpack
Without wasting too much of your time, I’ll just tell you that I really like this backpack.
There are all kinds of awesome specs that make it a great buy or even a steal at its low price.
With the comfort and durability that it provides, there’s no need to go home with any cramps or aches.
You don’t even have to worry about your laptop being damaged in transit or anything like that.
It’s important to focus on YOU and your belongings when buying a new backpack because that’s literally the whole reason you’re getting it!
I don’t understand all these other packs that come with unpadded straps and no back support.
Who in their right mind who want to subject themselves to that pain when you can get a perfectly comfortable alternative at a low price?
I won’t lie, there’s a few downsides to this backpack.
I’m mainly referring to the smaller laptop pocket and the lack of a net up front.
I’m all about the net that many packs have up front because they’re usually pretty flexible and work super well for snacks, pens, or extra notes and small items that you don’t want to bulk up the inside of your backpack with.
All in all, the pros far outweigh the cons, but I just wanted to be 100% upfront with you about both sides of the equation.
I can definitely see myself using this for daily activities as well as hiking and maybe even traveling.
Though it might not suffice for luxury travel, it would definitely be possible to use it for hostel backpacking.
You might have to leave all the unnecessary items at home, but what’s backpacking without sacrifice?
This affordable backpack truly offers everything it can and more for around $30.00, which again, is a great buy in my opinion.