Like most Lululemon purchases, this one was costly, but has lasted the test of time. I purchased this bag because of some of the typical sought-after features: a subtle, more professional-looking backpack, that could carry a lot, with a good (but necessary) number of pockets and excellent support/ comfort. Beyond this, however, the bag has a lot of really nice-to-have features that are not as expected. The internal fabric of the many pockets vary from a soft, felt-like material to a water-proof material. The soft pockets are located at the top of the bag, where one might put glasses or goggles, while the water proof ones are inside, which can hold shoes or a wet swimsuit. The two pockets in front are perfect sizes for my wallet and calculator, and the two bottle holders can fit up to Nalgene-size, or smaller, depending on which compartment you choose. The back straps and the shoulder straps have reflective material, so you can be seen at night, and all zippers have a waterproof seal. There is a laptop compartment, a rain cover that pulls-out from the bottom of the bag, two front cross-chest straps for added support, excellent support at the top of the bag, and very comfortable, mesh padding where the bag rests against your back.
I used this backpack every day for four years during my undergraduate degree, and it was typically loaded-up during those years. After such wear-and-tear, one of the zippers broke, so I called Lululemon in the slight hope that there was a lifetime warranty on the pack’s hardware. There wasn’t, but they understood my disappointment and gave me a gift card to spend on a (small) item at the store. Even then, I decided that purchasing a new $35 zipper was worth fixing the pack instead of investing in a new one, and have been re-realizing this excellent product since going back to school in the Fall.
This model, in particular, is no longer made, but I highly recommend a lulu pack to anyone who goes to the gym/pool/studio and must fit meals, shoes, clothes, books, and a laptop in their bag. The design is sleek, beautiful, from a company with solid customer service, and most importantly, is very practical.
