Price Tag: $42.00
Official URL: dabbawallabags.com
Rating:

This little penguin knapsack is one in a line of unique neoprene knapsacks for kids. These bags make a great diaper bag, lunch bag, book bag, overnight bag or general purpose gear sack for kids.

WHY NEOPRENE?

Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is buoyant and that insulates and protects. It is resistant to many chemicals, oils, and it is fairly resistant to flame.

What does this mean for a knapsack? It means that the the knapsack can be flexible, thinner, stain resistant, smell resistant, easier to clean, and less prone to growing bacteria. It also means that if you pop an ice pack or hot food into this bag, you’re less likely to feel the cold or heat seep through, and your food will stay cooler or warmer for a longer period of time, but with less bulk and weight than traditional insulated bags.

QUALITY & CONSTRUCTION

The seams on this bag are all very tight and well made. The “load bearing” seams are very well reinforced.  The front panel of the “Cold Feet” penguin napsack is made of a light blue neoprene. The black, white, and orange penguin details are additional panels of neoprene sewn on top of the blue background panel rather than being inset, and the penguin’s blue eyes are embroidered on.  The back panel of the backpack is made of the same light blue neoprene. A second layer of light blue neoprene  covers most of the back of the bag, forming a pocket with a contrasting orange edge. This pocket is open with no closure, and great for tucking in water bottles or arts and crafts projects. The sides and top of the bag are made of two strips  of orange neoprene that meet with a strong black seam at the top of the bag. The inside of the bag is black, with a large mesh pocket across the back of the bag, and two smaller side pockets made of the same mesh. The zipper is black, metal and sturdy.  I have not had any issues with it separating or sticking. When the bag  is zipped shut, there are two seams that come together on the inside edge of the zipper, providing additional insulation.  The handle and the two shoulder straps are made of a single long strip of orange neoprene That is sewn to the top of the bag to make the carrying handle, and that then threads through two reinforced slots on the lower back side of the napsack. The strap length is adjusted by sliding a buckle to cinch the straps tighter, or pull them looser. Because the strap wraps into the inside of the bag on two sides, this bag is not suitable for smaller items that might fall out the sides. The single-strap construction makes it easy to turn the bag into a shoulder bag simply by cinching one strap tight while making the other as long as possible.

SIZING

This bag’s shorter straps and small size make it ideal for a younger child, or for use as a lunch bag for an older child. The straps are the perfect length for hanging on a stroller and using as a diaper bag, and  they can cinch down very small to fit a preschooler or even toddler. Its small size keeps your child from over-loading it and stressing their growing back muscles and bones.

EASE OF CLEANING

Dabbawalla bags are machine washable and you just lay them flat to dry. They dry quickly, mine is typically dry in an hour or two after washing. The white areas of this bag are slightly prone to becoming a bit gray around the edges, I found that using a laundry pre-treater stick on these areas prior to washing helps keep the gray away. The rest of the bag is amazingly stain-resistant and holds up well even when subjected to grape juice spills. Another nice feature of the neoprene material is that unlike traditional children’s lunch boxes, this  napsack doesn’t seem to retain the odors of food. Nice.

SAFETY

This knapsack is made of Neoprene. Some individuals might have Neoprene allergies which can cause contact dermatitis. This mostly occurs in people that are wearing items made of Neoprene such as diving suits or gloves. Since this knapsack is unlikely to remain in direct contact with your child’s skin, it is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.

BOTTOM LINE

This little bag is CUTE! It makes a great and quirky diaper bag, a fun little kid backpack, or an insulated lunch napsack that is great for picnics or class trips.