Fits Roller Derby Gear but Uncomfortable/Heavy
TLDR: If they could make the back a more comfortable carry, increase the front skate compartment height, add a carrying handle, have better pockets, and add depth, I think they would really make this a 5 star product instead of a 3 star product.
I've had this backpack for almost a year now so I think I'm qualified to review it. I've used this as my backpack for twice a week roller derby practices and to transport around my gear at RollerCon. I've also brought this on vacation to transport my general travel luggage.
Pros
* The backing of the skates compartment is stiff so the skates don't eat into the gear compartment space as much. I really like this feature and I think that is what makes this backpack better than the Popinjo Big'Jo Skate Backpack that also has a skates compartment in the front. I also like how this backpack has elastic rather than buckles and it's much easier to put the skates in rather than having to buckle and unbuckle. TheSkateKit also has more depth than the Popinjo backpack.
* I am able to carry all my roller derby gear. I do have to squeeze in my helmet. Gear and laptop are an extremely tight squeeze. I wish the expanded depth was one inch bigger so this would not be an issue. The backpack does look bulky and I've had people comment that it looks really heavy and bulky but I think that is the nature of having the skates in a front compartment instead of clipped to the side.
* If you just stuff the main gear compartment and not the skates compartment, this will fit under an airplane seat. You could put all your protective gear in the main compartment of this backpack and your skates in a carry-on so you can travel with your skates without having to check a bag and when you reach your destination, you can put your skates in your backpack. The luggage passthrough in the back is also a nice touch. (Note: when I traveled with this backpack, I was using it as a normal backpack and not with my gear stuffed in it, but I think based on that experience, if you put your gear in it, you would still be able to stuff it under an airplane seat. I haven’t tested this but I do not believe skates and gear would fit under the airplane seat.)
* Stands up when stuffed. It is so important and helpful to have a backpack that stands up.
Cons
* Skates compartment has a short front panel. If you look at pictures of this backpack on Instagram, you can see that a lot of the skate sticks out of the top. It's usually the wheel and part of the boot sticking out which makes the skate feel not secure. I wish they would've just made the front panel the same height as the rest of the backpack. I think this is why some people have said that their skates feel too big for the backpack. I have low rise flat skates so the skates are secure in their compartment but I don't like how part of the skate will stick out and I really have to stuff it inside the compartment.
* I wish it had better/more compartments to carry stuff. It has tight inner pockets. It is quite hard to stuff items inside. I wish there were better external pockets as well. I did not like the external side pocket and wish they made it something wider instead. The main compartment also eats up space in the side pockets so it is hard to squeeze in a water bottle on the side. The elastic that secures the laptop compartment is short so it is not able to be velcroed shut for a 16 inch backpack.
* No carrying handle. It has a handle in the back but it is flimsy and should be used for hooking your backpack not for carrying. There should be a handle on top. I usually just end up uncomfortably clutching the top of the backpack.
* Elastic for the skates compartment is fraying. It has got a rippled look but the elastic is thick (in height), so I am not worried about it ripping soon. I am just concerned about this because I noticed this issue a couple months into owning this backpack.
* My main gripe is that it’s an uncomfortable carry. The weight distribution is not good. The back of the backpack is flimsy and not super padded so I can feel my gear digging into my back. Because of the flimsiness of the back, the backpack gaps in the middle back and the weight digs into my lower back. I transferred all my items over to a different skate backpack (Bont) with better back padding and it was way more comfortable to carry the same items! TheSkateKit needs to adapt a similar backing asap! The other skate backpack also looks way less bulky but has a main gear compartment of a similar size for they just clip the skates on the side. (The other skate backpack doesn't have a water bottle compartment though.)
I think a taller front panel and better back padding should be their main fixes for the next version of this backpack.
They could also add buckles on the side and market this backpack as a bag that can carry all your gear and two pairs of skates.
