Why does a phone company make such a good backpack?
It's so no secret that I like OnePlus' products. They're well-designed and value-priced. More than other companies (at least, at the moment), the product design decisions seem to keep the end-user in mind (e.g. keeping the headphone jack). But I think that the Travel Backpack is the best product that the company has produced. For $69, there's just nothing else that combines form and function as well.
Form
It's beautiful. I've never received compliments before about a backpack, but one look is all it takes to fall in love here. I was at Trader Joe's the other day, packing in my groceries, and the clerk asked me about it. At the airport, at the university - just about anywhere that I've gone, I've had someone ask about it.
I think the main draw is the color palette. OnePlus calls it "muted," and I'd have to agree. It doesn't have as saturated of a blue or orange as in the image, so the color pops without being too aggressive or in-your-face. On the inside, the lining is all grey, continuing the muted, reserved feel. The backpack has an overall boxy shape to it, but the corners are rounded. It reminds me of a "squircle".
What separates this backpack from the rest is just how unique it is. Not many people have heard of OnePlus, and even those who have rarely know about the backpacks. I haven't seen any backpacks so far that look like the Travel Backpack, and the uniqueness factor is a huge plus.
Function
The Travel Backpack is absolutely loaded with pockets, and this is why the backpack shines. Few companies can make a useful-looking backpack. Fewer can make them look good.
Let's work our way from the rear (the part next to your back) to the front (what everyone else will see). The shoulder straps aren't anything special - they're padded and comfortable, just as you'd expect. But the attention to detail shines through on the straps used to adjust height - the company includes a simple piece of black plastic that keeps the two parts together and prevents them from flapping around while you walk. I haven't seen other backpacks that do this (though to be fair, I haven't paid attention), and it's something that every backpack should have. It costs maybe ten cents and improves the experience by a mile. There's also a luggage strap on the back to attach the backpack to your suitcase handle. I've never used it, however.
Next up comes the laptop compartment. I've never used a backpack that has side access to laptop storage, and it's great (which is why so many enterprise/tech backpacks do it). Accessing your laptop takes no more than five seconds, which is especially handy in class or at the airport. Most newer 15" laptops fit fine, but older, bulkier ones (especially gaming laptops) probably won't, and will probably end up going into the main compartment. I feel reasonably safe putting my laptop there - the padding on both sides seems sufficient, and OnePlus uses a foam on the bottom to protect from drops. Still, I wouldn't recommend slamming your backpack down.
On both sides of the backpack are the side pockets, which have their special darker orange color. They're not too big, but they're certainly nice to have. I usually carry my umbrella on one side and a plastic water bottle on the other. There's no nylon or elastic material used for these, so bigger items probably won't fit. OnePlus could improve this in the second iteration, if there ever is one. I'd like to see more flexible pockets (that don't wear out or expand over time).
The hidden storage pocket is probably my favorite feature of the Travel Backpack. If you look at the side view, you'll notice a black zipper toward the "front" of the backpack, directly above the white zipper in the photo. It's discrete and subtle, and spacious inside - certainly enough to fit a wallet, a phone, some gum, and a few other smaller things. When it is stuffed, it just looks like the top zipper pouch inside the main compartment is full. It's a great place to stash stuff at the beach.
That brings us to the two major compartments. The main compartment is on the cozier side of things, with about 20 liters of capacity. Still, it has a plethora of pockets that makes organizing what you put inside a breeze. The tablet pocket on the other side of the laptop compartment fit my iPad Pro and Surface Pro well, and allowed quick access to whatever I stored in there (as long as the backpack wasn't full). It's wide enough to fit a basic paper folder, and it's best to store loose papers there. On the other side on the main compartment, there's a large zipper pouch where I throw my various chargers and cables into, and underneath that there are two larger pockets without zippers (I use them for holding sunglasses and headphones, though they aren't deep enough for the sunglasses), and in the middle there's a slot for a pen. Finally, the front compartment is the blue section of the backpack, and it has two very similar pockets in addition to a smaller storage space.
One extra: OnePlus includes a small clothes bag with the Travel Backpack. It's small, light, and an easy way to add two pockets or store clothes for the gym after work.
Time for the gripes. For such excellent pockets, you'd expect the zippers to be wonderful. While they look good (a double knot of grey nylon), they frequently get caught in the corners on the main compartment, slowing you down when you need to get something out. I've gotten used to it over time - learning how to coax the zipper in the right direction, but this demands improvement more than anything else.
The Travel Backpack also isn't weatherproof. It's reasonably rain resistant, and I've never had problems, but I'm not extremely confident in how this would protect the inside contents during a rainstorm. If you need something to weather the elements, it's probably best to look elsewhere. Honestly, though, if you bring an umbrella with you, you'll be fine. The laptop sleeve is always closest to your body anyways, so the important stuff usually stays dry.
Finally, the size of the Travel Backpack is a strange pro and con for me. On the upside, it's large enough for 96% of tasks that I throw at it, and the dimensions are just right such that fits underneath the seat in front of me when I fly Southwest (again, attention to detail). Still, a slightly larger backpack would have so much more room to store and stash items inside. Perhaps OnePlus might offer a 30L version to address those of us who need slightly more space for binders and notebooks.
The Competition
I'm no backpack connoisseur, so it's not like I spent much time looking around at all the options. Most of the backpacks I looked at were those that I found on campus or those that tech YouTubers mentioned (namely, MrMobile and Dave2D).
The most direct competition will probably come from Herschel's Pop Quiz ($75). It's also able to fit a 15" laptop, looks pretty good in the right color combinations, and Herschel will likely be an easier company to deal with should things go south (specifically, their return policy is longer, shipping is free, and they have lifetime warranties). Still, I prefer the Travel Backpack's flatter top, both for functional and aesthetic reasons (namely, it lets me avoid putting my things in at awkward angles). The PopQuiz also has no side pockets, which made it a no-go for me. Plus, backpacks aren't tech products, so I'm not worried about any QC issues.
Other competition might be found from North Face, or a number of other brands. For me, my daily use case wasn't going to align well with what those other products had been designed to do.
Final Thoughts
Don't get this if you need a lot of space, if you need really good weatherproofing, or if your laptop is bulky.
If you're looking for something with a minimal aesthetic without compromising on functionality, this is probably the best daily backpack out there. Hell, I love it so much that I bought a second one, just in case.