Review: Travelling in style with the Botanical Green Banks Travel Backpack*

We recently booked our flight on Emirates to head to Malaysia on a family holiday and just before we left we were contacted by STM’s PR agency to ask if we could review their Banks Travel Backpack which is perfect to take on flight and even carry tablets as well as laptops up to 15″. So this could not have arrived at a better timing. As parents who have 2 young kids, we tend to ensure we check in most of our luggage for long haul flights and only carry essentials such as a trunki for my son (with all the play/toys and books to keep him occupied during transit), a small hand trolley for extra clothings, food items, first aid kit and essential (which I take), another small hand luggage for the coats as we are heading from a cold climate to a hot climate (which my daughter takes) and my husband will end up carrying the gadgets such as the tablet, laptop and other essential documents in a backpack.  This system has worked for us over the years and here’s what we think of the Botanical Green Banks Travel Backpack.

The bag looks stylish and comes in an assortment of colours (green, blue, brown and grey) which seems perfect for both casual outing such as hiking or to college or even to work if you have a meeting and need to bring your laptop with you. STM is actually an Australian company but has recently started to expand and sell its products to Asia, US and Europe.  The fabric on the laptop bag is very firm and the bag generally holds its shape well so perfect for holding important files and documents. It has lots and lots of compartments and the layout of the bag is well designed. We easily fitted our laptop, chargers, lots of documents, wallets, sunglasses, some odd purchases we made at the airport and some snacks. It is not very large but we found it to be the perfect size if you just want your essentials.

Now there is also a little zipped pouch that comes with the bag, perfect for placing your sunglasses or ipods.  The best thing about this accessory pouch, it is connected to the bag with a long string/clip, which is great when you are travelling with kids and are constantly distracted and don’t end up losing the small pouch at a busy airport.

What we thought of the backpack?

Its a sturdy bag with lots of padding to keep your gadgets and laptops safe even if you drop the bag, the company has also consiously designed the laptop area so it is kept away from the edge of the bag ie isolating it from the bump zone.  The bag has lots of compartments, some even zipped which makes it great to separate the documents, batteries, keys, chargers, pens in its assignment space and everything organised especially when you are heading towards the immigration and custom checks and don’t want to be fumbling about. The bag comes with a cable routing system so you can keep your cords in a separate compartment while your phone is charging.  This is something you don’t realise you need, until you have it. The bag also includes a fleece-lined holder for sunglasses/ipods.

We have to admit that the bag is of great quality and even the zippers seems like they are durable. The adjustable harness meant that both my husband and I could use the bag comfortably with just a few adjustments made to the strap which seems very sturdy. There is also a breathable airmesh fabric on the back panel to allow comfort carry.  We can’t think of much negatives, the main thing we felt was the laptop compartment was a little too tight (then again our laptop was 15″ and slightly on the bulky side as well) and the two side pockets of the bag would not fit in a medium sized waterbottle just a small one.

How much does it cost and where can I get one?

Our Banks backpack is Botanical Green in colour, but if you fancy a different colour, they also offer it in China Blue, Desert Brown and Tornado Grey.  This costs £84.95 and you can purchase it from Amazon here.

Watch this video to get a closer look at how the bag looks inside and its capabilities.

Specs of the Banks Backpack

• main material(s): 100% polyester
• outer dimensions: H 17.9 x W 12.4 x D 6.5 in / H 45.5 x W 31.5 x D 16.5 cm
• capacity: 18 L
• weight: 1.96 lbs / 0.98 kg

About STM (Smarter Than Most)

It was 20 years ago that Ethan Nyholm had a flash of inspiration and resourcefully slipped his new laptop into a padded postal envelope for protection while carrying it around in his hiking pack. Though clever, he knew this wasn’t exactly a lasting solution. So, teaming up with co-worker Adina Jacobs, they created a unique new product—a bag specifically designed to protect digital gear while offering a fashion-forward look.  In the decades since, STM Goods has become an industry leader in the creation of laptop bags, packs, fitted cases, and other accessories. All designed to safeguard your tech devices, smarter than most.

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*We were gifted the Banks Travel Backpack in return for a review. All opinions are our own.