Herschel Retreat Backpack - Black

First of all let me start by saying I bought the retreat bag in different colors. My son - my daughter , and my two grandsons ! They are popular for high schoolers snd and perfect for college ! They are made well and very roomy. But I think the best thing about this company is they stand behind their product ! If anything goes wrong - the magnetic snap become loose or fall off, anything happens with the buckles. Or Seams - contact their warranty department , send pictures and Wala. They look over the claim and send you a voucher and you can get a brand new one !!!! Can’t beat that !!!! They have a limited life time warranty and it doesn’t take forever ! Literally a day or two! I will continue buying this brand - I have 5 more grand kids moving up in the grades - ... MoreFirst of all let me start by saying I bought the retreat bag in different colors. My son - my daughter , and my two grandsons ! They are popular for high schoolers snd and perfect for college ! They are made well and very roomy. But I think the best thing about this company is they stand behind their product ! If anything goes wrong - the magnetic snap become loose or fall off, anything happens with the buckles. Or Seams - contact their warranty department , send pictures and Wala. They look over the claim and send you a voucher and you can get a brand new one !!!! Can’t beat that !!!! They have a limited life time warranty and it doesn’t take forever ! Literally a day or two! I will continue buying this brand - I have 5 more grand kids moving up in the grades - and this is my go to back to school backpack 🎒

Big on space; low on organization.

This is a huge bag and it is awesome for school. My kiddo in grade 3 can easily fit her lunch bag;swim stuff;a change of clothes AND her agenda in the backpack. There are two huge waterbottle pockets that are made of the same sturdy backpack fabric (not mesh);one on each side of the bag;that fit tall water bottles (a struggle for some other backpacks). My reason for a three star rating is that what the bag offers is size;it lacks in organization. There is only one TINY square front pocket;that is open (no snap;magnet or zipper). The laptop pocket on the inside is good; but the “hidden zipper pocket” is just a zipper that leads into the laptop sleeve;inside the bag. It would be nice if there were a couple zippered pockets on the interior of the bag for things like ... MoreThis is a huge bag and it is awesome for school. My kiddo in grade 3 can easily fit her lunch bag;swim stuff;a change of clothes AND her agenda in the backpack. There are two huge waterbottle pockets that are made of the same sturdy backpack fabric (not mesh);one on each side of the bag;that fit tall water bottles (a struggle for some other backpacks). My reason for a three star rating is that what the bag offers is size;it lacks in organization. There is only one TINY square front pocket;that is open (no snap;magnet or zipper). The laptop pocket on the inside is good; but the “hidden zipper pocket” is just a zipper that leads into the laptop sleeve;inside the bag. It would be nice if there were a couple zippered pockets on the interior of the bag for things like lip chap;keys;headphones etc.

Classic

I got this for my son and he loves it. It matches his travel set from the same brand. The laptop sleeve is soft and plush and protective. The lining is nicely pinstriped, which is a special touch. Lots of room, sturdy backpack. Quality is excellent as expected. Definitely recommend.

Great But Wore Out Quickly

I don't recall how old my bag is...so it's possible they've resolved this issue but within a month of having it, it began wearing out where my the corner of my laptop rubbed against the inside fabric. I was incredibly disappointed at how quickly this happened. I should have brought it in at the time but I didn't. Otherwise, I have loved the bag...and any other wear and tear is to be expected over time (like the peeling of the detailing and the drawstring). I'll still buy another bag but may not be this model if nothing has changed in the inside construction.

Little value for the price

I’m somewhat disappointed. For the price I paid, I expect more features. The backpack has a very poor closing mechanism with two little magnets. There are no outside and no inside pockets to store things like keys or cell phone. From all the backpacks I owed over the years this is definitely the one with the poorest feature set.Furthermore, the straps are too short. Maybe it’s a backpack more designed for kids. So in the end it’s more style than real.

Not a single pocket - most inpracticle

Good bag, very big backpack, as beautiful as presented but honestly, the conception is just lacking. There's no inner pockets except the computer padded compartment. It's basically just a huge computer bag, with no pockets, I'm not asking for much, just a zipped pocket to put keys, so I don't have to throw everything down the bag and fumble for ages to find anything. It's a huge NO for me. Not convenient nor user friendly. I have sold it on vinted a week after getting it. Pure waste.

Simple backpack for a great price.

I wanted a more compact, simple backpack for my commute to work. Got the Retreat backpack in grey and it fits my needs so far. There's room for my lunch jar, water bottle, coffee thermos, journal and a pair of shoes. I also stack a pair of headphones on top. Laptop and ipad go inside the padded sleeve. The shoulder straps are comfortable, but the bottom of the laptop digs into my lower back because the back of the bag isn't padded like the Little America. It's okay for bus/train travel, but It wouldn't be comfortable if you have to walk for long with a full load.

The Perfect Bag

I have osteoporosis but am in my early 30’s. I wanted a stylish laptop bag BUT it came with a long list of must-haves: it must be durable and weatherproof; it must not only accommodate, but protect, my laptop, as well as my files and folders (as I can be a bit old-school about using pen and paper); could not be too bulky (as I am just over 5 ft tall) AND it MUST BE BOTH COMFORTABLE TO CARRY AND SUPPORT MY BACK! A big wish-list, I am aware. The Herschel STANDARD Retreat bag is the only bag that ticked all these boxes. It’s padded straps and structured back fulfil the necessary orthotic details; the sleek, modern-classic take on a camping rucksack tick the style aspects; and the padded inside pocket for my laptop and additional space in the main compartment for ... MoreI have osteoporosis but am in my early 30’s. I wanted a stylish laptop bag BUT it came with a long list of must-haves: it must be durable and weatherproof; it must not only accommodate, but protect, my laptop, as well as my files and folders (as I can be a bit old-school about using pen and paper); could not be too bulky (as I am just over 5 ft tall) AND it MUST BE BOTH COMFORTABLE TO CARRY AND SUPPORT MY BACK! A big wish-list, I am aware. The Herschel STANDARD Retreat bag is the only bag that ticked all these boxes. It’s padded straps and structured back fulfil the necessary orthotic details; the sleek, modern-classic take on a camping rucksack tick the style aspects; and the padded inside pocket for my laptop and additional space in the main compartment for folders (and my lunch!) complete my wish-list! The only downside? There were 33 colour combinations to choose from! My only (slight) disappointment was that, when my bag arrived- on time and perfectly packaged ie fully protected but not excessive wastage- was that it was a darker shade than I expected from the website photo (but that is likely to only be the case in the colour that I chose as it stated ‘grey’ but looked more ‘dark lavender’ in the picture) and I quickly recovered from it! I have been told I am a little OCD once I get a bit between my teeth and I had been on the search for the perfect bag for around 4 months. I first saw and tried on this Herschel rucksack whilst on holiday in Canada (about a month into my search!) and, despite actively looking elsewhere, nothing has come close and now I have it: the perfect bag!

Too bulky and uncomfortable for me

Was bulkier than hoped and the straps were heavier and rougher than I found comfortable. Probably couls have gone down to the small and been happy, but without any nearby to try on or look at, I didn't want to just keep reordering until I found one I liked. Ended up spending more to get a different brand. I intentionally timed my purchase so that I would be travelling to near a brick and mortar store within 30 days so I wouldn't have to pay for the return. Still a hassel and likely to keep me from trying to order often.