REVIEWS
77 Reviews
Vanessa
I got the Kanken Totepack in Ox Red. The colour is beautiful. The pictures don’t do the red any justice! I also purchased the Kanken Bottle Pocket, which fits in the sides perfectly. The website doesn’t state if they fit or not, but they do! So bonus for that. The only downside is the red from the Totepack is slightly darker than the Bottle Pocket. This could very well be due to them being different materials. While this doesn’t bother me, it is something that might bother others, so if it does, then go for a different coloured bottle pocket so it’s intentionally different colours. It is super easy and quick to change it from backpack to tote. You just grab the handles and pull. It is easy but not as quick to change the bag from tote to backpack. The straps are perfect for me for tote bag, but slightly small in backpack style. It fits, just not as easy to put on as a backpack as a regular backpack is with adjustable/longer straps. Very easy to swing on and off the shoulder as a backpack with one strap. The strap does have a stopper so that each side of the backpack strap is the same length, regardless of if you’re wearing it single strap style or two strap style. I don’t plan on wearing it too often in backpack mode, so it won’t be an issue for me, but if you plan on wearing it often in backpack mode, I’d suggest an actual backpack as opposed to the hybrid. I also don’t suggest this if you are a bigger person as you don’t be able to wear it in backpack mode at all. I’m average height and weight, and can tell by the fit that if I were larger, I wouldn’t be able to wear it comfortably or even get both straps on. The zippers are harder to pull, only because there’s no cords. I did attach some cords to the zippers to make it easier for me to grab and hold the zipper. A small thing as other bags (like the Totepack No 2) have little cords attached to the zippers. I do wish that the bottom of the bag had a different material like the Totepack No 2, just for ease of cleaning. It does attract dust and dirt very easily, so putting it down on the ground will make it dirty very easily. Even just putting it down on my carpet made the bottom of the bag all furry from my cats hair. A lint roller is a must if you want to buy this bag! Overall, I absolutely love it. It fits what I had intended to use it for.
Shannon
By far my favorite bag ever. Im having to replace mine after years of use.
BakedwhileBaking
Love this but it’s smaller than you think. I originally was thinking I would use this on aeroplane travel, and I have used it a few times, but really it’s a bit too small to fit everything that I want to take with me on the airplane. I do love that it goes from shoulder strap to backpack though. I still really like this tote, but I would not necessarily get it with the idea of plane travel personally.
Gus
I purchased the Kånken Totepack for my wife, drawn in by the strong reputation for longevity and the brand's commitment to sustainability. On those fronts, the bag seems to deliver. The material feels robust, and the aesthetics are exactly what we expected—simple and classic. However, the main issue is one of basic function: it is very uncomfortable to wear as a backpack. The straps are thin, unpadded, and placed awkwardly, causing the bag to sit poorly on the back, especially when it has anything of substance inside. It feels more like an afterthought than a true backpack option. The whole point of a "totepack" is to have the versatility to switch, but the backpack function is so frustratingly poor that it makes the feature practically unusable for anything more than a five-minute carry. It's truly frustrating to have to return an item that was meant to be a permanent, sustainable purchase—a "buy it for life" item. The design falls flat on the comfort of its most useful carrying method, which completely undermines the long-term investment. 2/5 Stars
Heidi
Love the fabric and colors! The straps fit me great, but I’m a fairly petite person. Only trouble I have with the straps is that there needs to be some way (button or clip) to attach the backpack straps near the top. If the bag is full, the side with the backpack straps will slouch down. There’s got to be a cool way to fix this. Otherwise I love it!
Pink Mongoose
I bought this on a whim prior to a short trip to Dublin. it is now my go to bag, it is absolutely brilliant, switching from backpack to shoulder bag makes it super flexible and a bit of a tardis with the amount of stuff i can jam into it.
Diane
I have had this bag in Forest Green for a week. I love the style, the weight of the bag and how it can carry a lot. I use it as an everyday bag. I love the shade of Forest Green -- I love green anyways but the Forest Green is really nice. The zipper works well the strap length is perfect. I do think the seat pad that comes in the bag is useless. It made for a child size person, not an adult. I took it out as I saw no need for it.
Cla
I love this bag. It is very light to carry my laptop to work. The I just love the different options to carry it but my biggest complaint is that they don’t make it bigger. My laptop is 14 » and it just fits thought.
dgabel
Purchased this to use for work so that I could strap it on like a backpack and have hands free. The durable material should hold up for a long time. I like the exterior pockets—pretty handy for organizing my things.
Lirio
I’ve been on the search for a perfect every day tote. I am a mom that went from a huge spacious diaper bag to a crossbody. I wanted an in between that could carry more than just absolute essentials, but also isn’t a huge mom bag. This bag is amazing in functionality and also a great bang for your buck. A lot of totes I found were either too small or too large. For example Longchamp. I like the aesthetic, but couldn’t find one I liked from a functional perspective. This has a huge pocket in the front where I can throw my lip balms/sticks for quick access. I can put some gum in there, even my wallet. The side pockets I wish held a water bottle, but they do hold my phone or car keys if I don’t want to be zipping and unzipping the bag going through a parking lot with my kids. I can hold wet wipes and feminine wipes, snacks for the kids. There are generous compartments on the inside. Luxury bags never have decent compartments. This bag really is a bargain and personally I love the kanken aesthetic. This is the 7th kanken we’ve purchased. They’re always functional and hold up well. I still have a school bag from 12 years ago and it’s still good as new. I obviously love the brand in general, but I hope they keep this specific tote/backpack around bc it’s such a great mom bag staple, without being ginormous.
lenahueb06
I bought this totepack some time ago and I’m in love! I’ve always used the regular kånken backpack, but then I decided to switch to this one! It’s SUPER practical and I use it everyday for school or going out with my friends. My IPad, books and notebooks fit very well, never had a situation, where something would not fit in inside. I got it in black, as it matches most of my clothes. Go ahead and get one :) greetings from Germany!
nick is my nickname
for the most part these are great pants, I wish they had the G1000 on the butt. I got a small tear on the inside of lower leg from catching a crampon on first use but that's more my fault. They were warm with no under layer on a fall alpine climb, def recommend.
Kay
Love, LOVE, LOVE! I’m so in love with my vibrant yellow bag. One of the many reasons I purchased this bag was because of the versatility. I’ve been looking for something to carry my laptop and to also use as a pocket book; this bag is made to perfection to accommodate my needs.
Jane
I bought this backpack 3 weeks ago for my international business trip. I used it carrying my 15-inches MacBook Pro during the week to the office and for traveling/sightseeing on weekends. This bag is perfect for both settings! It’s so lightweight which I appreciate the most as I’m a smaller sized girl. It’s also water resistant which was perfect for traveling. If I have to say one thing I don’t like, the side pocket for my water bottle was a bit tight, but I have a slightly wider tumbler.
MM
I absolutely love the fact that I can choose to wear this as a backpack or a tote bag. As a mom who carries multiple bags out the house everyday, the option to wear this as a tote bag is a lifesaver. The size of the bag is perfect in my opinion. I use the back sleeve pocket for my iPad Air instead of having the cushion in there. I can fit my 24oz Owala bottle inside WITH zipping the backpack. Along with all of my other belongings. The length of the straps as a backpack are pretty much what I expected them to be (I have a Kanken mini backpack). There is no room for adjustment but they fit me just right when putting it on as a backpack. Of course this will vary person to person. I highly recommend this bag to anyone who constantly switches from a tote bag to a backpack. Now you can have both in one!
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