Due to years of shunning backpacks at high school I never thought I’d see the day that I opt for a backpack over a shoulder bag. I mean, it was deemed satisfactory if you wore your backpack with one strap at school but if you two strapped then that was it.
Along with my fear of backpacks from high school I also have a thing about bulky backpacks. When you wear them it’s easy to forget that it’s there and knocking something over in a shop or bumping into people on the train never goes down well.
However as of the last year or so all of that has changed. We’ve seen more and more beautiful backpacks appear and they’re much more chic and dare I say, cool! Oh how times have changed.
I’m now firmly on team backpack and one of the many reasons is because they’re just so useful. I can chuck everything I need for the day into my bag, throw it on my back and then still have my hands free for using my camera and phone.
When Knomo got in contact with me I was super excited. I’d heard all about the fantastic world of Knomo from Gadgetoid. He’s raved about their quality products for years.
I had a browse through the website and was instantly drawn to the Beauchamp backpack because of its slimline design. It’s part of the Mayfair collection. As I mentioned before, I’m not a fan of a bulky backpacks. For day-to-day use this one is a real beauty, it’s slimline, chic and yet still manages to fit everything in for a day of work or travel.
I’ve been using the the Beauchamp for a couple of months now and it’s very much my daily choice of bag. It’s comfortable to wear, especially because of the padded shoulder straps but also because it’s not too big.
I was close to picking out one of the navy bags but ended up going for the black Beauchamp. I thought it would be a timeless colour and style, especially with the lovely red interior. The gold detailing on the bag makes it look smart and I never feel awkward going straight from the working day to evening drinks with a friend. It also looks good with all of my outfits when I’m out on day trips.
So far the bag has been away on weekend breaks to the seaside with me, on day trips, to the gym and for my day-to-day walk into the office. It’s a versatile bag which is something I really like about it. I can easily go to the gym in the morning, then into work and still pop out for a drink in the evening without feeling like I’m carrying a cumbersome bag around.
I took the Beauchamp on my recent trip to Southwold. Not only did it safely transport my laptop and tech equipment on the trip but it came in good use for carrying my cameras and taking picnics to the beach.
Luckily the bag is splash resistant and even when I’ve been caught in heavy rain it hasn’t let any through to the interior. This is really important when you’re living in England and tend to carrying around laptops and cameras on a daily basis. The photo above looks like it was shot in early autumn but actually it was towards the end of July.
Right, I think it’s time we take a closer look, don’t you?
I’m sure you’ll agree a good backpack is all about the pockets and what you can fit inside it. Knomo does not disappoint when it comes to pockets and space.
The front of the bag has 3 pockets in total. One spans the width of the bag and has a zip which is tucked behind the Knomo leather logo detailing. Then there are the 2 smaller front pockets.
The wide zip compartment is very useful for keeping passports or travel documents close to hand. On a day-to-day basis I like to keep my Anker phone charger in there, any letters I need to post or my purse. It all depends which I need quick and easy access to. A backpack without any pockets is only going to lead to a lot of hassle when you need to pay for something quickly.
Within the main zip pocket there are a few smaller compartments. There are 6 large pockets which would hold a passport or slim notebook, 2 pen pockets and two small shallow pockets in the shape of bank cards. I use these to keep stamps or headache and allergy tablets in.
One of the front pockets has RFID blocking which is useful to keep your phone or bank card in. It prevents any identity threat from happening. I use this pocket to store my card to the co-working space along with my keys. The other front pocket does not have the RFID blocking. Both pockets are deep and I use them for items I need easy access to. In the second pocket I normally keep my coin purse, any extra pens and a lipstick (I’m currently loving these lip oils from Clarins).
The main zip on the bag is very strong, actually they all seem strong and sturdy. When you open up the main compartment of the bag you’ll find a padded laptop section which fits my MacBook Pro in perfectly. It will fit any laptop to the size of 14inch. Then there’s a slightly more shallow pocket which I use for keeping my iPad, notebooks, or magazines inside.
The main bulk of the bag offers a rather generous space. It’s ideal for storing any excess wires, cameras or folded clothes for the gym. When I use the bag for the gym I tend to keep my trainers separate as I don’t want to make the bag super bulky, this is a personal choice though. Without a laptop in there you could slot your trainers into the bag and zip it up with ease.
Finally there’s one more hidden pocket inside the bag. This is against the front of the bag. It’s a zipper pocket and once again has a generous amount of space. Mine is currently empty but I’ve used this to hide away socks, make-up and other bits and bobs after the gym.
With a backpack I like to be able to still grab the things I need quickly from it. This is why I appreciate having so many pockets. It means I can keep the bag organised without having to scramble about looking for things.
You can also register your bag with the KNOMO ID so that anyone who finds it can return it to you through the portal. I think this is a nice added touch and something which is important to make use of.
Despite it being a slimline bag it does fit a lot in. I’ve used it in many different situations and haven’t struggled for space at all. The Beauchamp backpack is £149 which leans more towards the mid to high price range for a quality backpack. I much prefer to focus on buying quality over quantity these days. Knomo won’t let you down on quality and I can confirm that the Beauchamp is both a functional and beautiful backpack.
Feel free to fire over any questions about the bag in the comment section or over on Twitter and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
The next Knomo bag I have my eye on is the Elektronista – talk about pockets! Here are some more designs I like.