Bobby Special Purpose Backpack

    In the world there are quite a lot of companies producing such a class of things like backpacks. Even more there are backpacks themselves: for laptops, for cameras, for cameras and laptops, for drones, for outdoor activities, for lying with vegetables, etc. - only we have selected more than 50 models on our website (and this is available ). It would seem, to talk about them on Geektimes there is no point, backpacks and backpacks. But today we’ll tell you about one, because he deserves the attention of geeks for sure: this is the new Bobby from the Dutch company XD-Design.


    The company XD-Design may be known to you not so much by backpacks as by various accessories. Even more than that, she does not specialize in backpacks at all, but as history shows, even “beginners” can sometimes be surprised.

    Bobby Backpack is the result of a successful crowdfunding campaign that was launched in April 2016 on Kickstarter and Indiegogo . More than 10,000 people took part in the fundraising, who in total greatly exceeded the plan (raised £ 872,607, that is, almost 67 million rubles) - in this situation it was necessary only to wait until the creators moved from theory to practice. By the way, the process of creation did not begin to drag out and in the fall the backers began to receive the first copies.



    The manufacturer calls its product nothing more than “The best Anti-Theft Backpack”, which can be translated as “the best anti-theft backpack”. However, like any other item in this world, this backpack can be easily stolen, so instead of “anti-theft”, the term “anti-theft backpack” is more suitable for pickpockets. According to the website, more than 400,000 pickpockets occur every day in the world - of course, not all of them are associated with backpacks, but there is a certain percentage with them :) And Bobby was originally designed to reduce the chances of becoming part of this statistic.

    The word Bobby has quite a few interpretations , but in this case it is the name of the police that has been used in London since 1829. Then the Minister of Internal Affairs Robert Peel (actually, Bobby is a diminutive form of Robert) founded the service of the metropolitan police, while before his reform private police (“thieves hunters”) were distributed, one of whose tasks was to make business profits. In this, Peel saw the reason for the corruption of the former institution of the protection of public order. Peel's reforms created a prototype of the modern police, whose activities were based on crime prevention and regular patrols.



    How do you usually steal items from a backpack? Yes, primitive - somewhere in the subway open the zipper, pull out a laptop and run away. And sometimes the lightning itself does diverge. In Bobby, if the zipper does not want to be opened without her consent, it will not open :) The

    Bobby backpack is designed so that the zipper of the main compartment (it’s here) is hidden by a thick fabric bend on the back of the backpack adjacent to the back. That is, while the backpack is on your back, it is simply impossible to unbutton the compartment “from the outside” - the zipper is not even visible.

    Bob doesn’t have any compartments sticking outward - everything is hidden inside, which will upset any pickpocket.

    “Nothing will upset him - he will just open the backpack with the blade and steal the macbook in the same way - you will say and you will be wrong. The fact is that Bobby uses a multi-layer cake made of various materials, among which there is a cutproof layer made of solid polypropylene - it forms a kind of frame, protecting everything that is inside. This is direct +5 to armor. The upper layer is a stylish polyester fabric, followed by a 6 mm layer of anti-shock material (anti-shock), followed by several layers of fabric, providing additional protection. So if someone starts to cut the backpack, then do it imperceptibly will not work.



    In addition to the vandal-resistant design, the backpack has water-repellent properties - nothing will happen to the contents in the rain. But still it is not moisture protection - swimming in the pool with Bobby is not recommended.

    The backpack is completely unmarked - any dirt is removed from it with wet wipes. Also outside there are such useful elements as light reflectors.



    Special thanks to the creators that they did not place a giant logo on such a large surface, as many other brands like to do.

    The main locking mechanism is the original YKK-zipper (good fittings - a pledge of long service) with two "dogs", which allows you to open a branch on the side from which you prefer. From pleasant trifles - in the shifted state, in “dogs” a common hole is formed, into which a small padlock can be inserted. Of course, this will not save from experienced attackers, but as an option "protection from a fool" - completely.

    Right now look at the "dog" of lightning on your clothes - it is likely that the inscription YKK is on it. This is the name of the largest manufacturer of zippers, stickies and other rivets / fasteners / fasteners. The abbreviation stands for “Yoshida Kōgyō Kaisha” and in Japanese it means “Yoshida Factory” - in honor of the company's founder, who opened the production of fasteners for clothes in the 1930s. Now all over the world there are more than 70 factories of the company, they produce more than half of all fasteners on the planet and more than 50 series of zippers alone .

    » An interesting post about YKK


    Inside


    Inside, Bobby is no less interesting. The backpack has three opening angles:

    30ᵒ - ajar, which will be used most often (in transport or when the backpack is hanging on the back of a chair) - just open the zipper and get access to the internal compartment;

    90ᵒ - if you completely unzip the zipper - in such a position it is convenient to pull out everything you need at home or at work, putting the backpack on the table;

    180ᵒ - with such an angle of disclosure, it is most convenient to collect things for a long trip in order to use the inner space as efficiently as possible. To open a backpack at such an angle, you need to unfasten the fabric stoppers, which form an angle of 90ᵒ due to velcro and rivet buttons.





    At the disposal of the owner, in fact, only one compartment, and at the bottom of this compartment there are two separate pockets in which mirrorless mirrors, external disks, thermoses, umbrellas and other cups can easily be accommodated.



    But a full-fledged DSLR, lenses or a sliding tripod will not fit there anymore - such wealth will have to be placed above the pockets. The exact dimensions of all branches will be at the end of the post.

    The main compartment has two adjacent compartments, which are located on the back - they have a strictly defined functional purpose: a large one is designed for a laptop, the second (smaller) - for a tablet and / or electric books.


    A laptop with a diagonal of up to 15.6 "fits into a large compartment, and a smaller version fits into a smaller compartment, as well as its larger version, but the iPad Pro no longer.

    In both of these compartments there are diagonal rubber mounts for additional fixation, which allow you to protect delicate devices from external stimuli. Surely many of you have a backpack with a laptop at least once flew off the seat of the car during heavy braking? In such a situation, these elastic bands will “spring up” the devices and will not allow them to either fly out of the compartment or hit something.



    For a more dense layout, two combined pockets hang at the very top of the folding part of the backpack: one outside and with a zipper (for all sorts of trivia such as memory cards, card readers), the second one without (for keys, gum, tablets, etc.). Outside - 4 elastic bands for horizontal fastening of handles and pencils made of IKEA :)



    The next chip is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. In the right strap is a USB port (output - 2.4A), which somewhere in the thickness of a backpack turns into an elegant wire - it can be plugged into a powerbank, for which there is also a separate compartment (rather large), hidden behind inconspicuous lightning. As a result, you will always have a “socket” at your fingertips, which, what to hide, in our time is needed by each of us.



    The connector is pointing down so that water does not get into it, and it is located at the bottom of the strap - so that the gadget that is charged as you go is comfortable to put in your pocket. Believe me - it is much more convenient than when a power bank of 10,000 mAh is squeezed into your pocket and pulls your pants off, or when you are wounded like a shahid.



    Near the connector (and also on the other side) there are small compartments with zippers - it’s not quite clear what they are for, but as they say, there would be a place. The most convenient way to store things like a zipper lock, wires for a power bank or a set of adapters for them.

    In many backpacks there is a “bug” in the form of protruding ribbons, with the help of which the tension of the shoulder straps is regulated - as a rule, they chaotically dangle, all such dented and tacky.



    In Bobby for them in each strap there are special slit-like pockets where these ribbons can be hidden imperceptibly.



    This decision was born by chance, but in general these pockets are designed to store in them a travel card, a card or a couple of cash ruble.





    The list of buns in all of the above does not end there.

    On the back of the backpack there is a “fast” compartment with a zipper in which something flat can fit, for example, a PTS, passport, plane tickets or something similar. This compartment is not felt back and for intruders, it is also inaccessible.





    You looked at one more chip now, but most likely you did not notice. The bonus for the traveler is the back strap over the “quick compartment”, thanks to which the backpack can be attached to the pull-out handle of the suitcase.


    Surely you have such that you roll a suitcase at the airport, on which is a bag on top, which in every turn tries to either fall off, or “rock the boat”? ) In the case of Bobby, this is excluded - the backpack becomes one with the suitcase and excludes its tilting, as well as the sudden abduction.


    If you try to fit all the stuff, it will certainly fit, but still the feeling that the backpack is cramped inside does not leave. And even more so this is not a solution for photographers with a fleet of optics. On the other hand, it was initially understood that this is not a shuttle trunk, but a compact backpack for everyday use.

    Sensations


    It is not enough just to have a thoughtful backpack - it is necessary that it be comfortable in everyday use. And in this regard, Bobby also has arguments.

    The backpack is very light - only 850 grams. If you wear it on one shoulder, then the side pockets will interfere slightly, which will force you to put a backpack on both shoulders - this is more correct for the back and does not contradict the main idea (so that all compartments are hidden). In this case, these side pockets literally "hug."



    In the back there are foam inserts (or something similar), which are hidden behind the perforated fabric - a convenient, practical and ventilated solution.

    The manufacturer does not report anything about the orthopedic properties of the backpack, however, there is no discomfort from prolonged wear. Moreover, the manufacturer claims a well-thought-out layout of the internal compartments, which, regardless of their size, forms a sly weight distribution, as a result of which the backpack feels easier by 20% and is always pressed to the back.


    For fans to wear a backpack in hand - reliable handle:



    Y - convenient.

    As for the quality of workmanship, fabric and seams - here without complaints. Is that the clips on the straps are not very securely held (sometimes you have to tighten them), but they can always be changed.

    Specifications


    Backpack Dimensions: 45 x 30 x 16.5 cm.
    Holds a laptop up to 15.6 "in size. Laptop
    Compartment: 27 x 33 x 3.5 cm
    Tablet Compartment: 25.5 x 12 x 1 cm
    Pocket for a bottle of water (not only for bottles): 9 x 14 x 5 cm
    Neighboring pocket from the bottle pocket: 13 x 14 x 5 cm
    Top pocket with elastic bands for pens or keys: 20 x 10 x 3 cm
    Hidden pocket on the back: 28 x 13 x 2 cm
    Hidden side pockets: 12.5 x 15 x 2 cm Backpack
    weight: 850 g
    Weight: 850g
    USB output: 2.4A

    As they say, it's better to see once:


    To order


    Bobby is equally suitable for human individuals of any gender and age. A choice of 4 colors: black, gray, red and dark blue, and the color changes not only outside but also inside. A survey of the company showed that gray (37% of respondents chose it) and black (32%) are the most popular, while blue and red have 15% each.



    Those who took part in the crowdfunding campaign, depending on the contribution, received with the backpack various bonuses, such as a lock (for the dogs of the main compartment), a waterproof case, RFID cardholders (to protect the card from wireless skimming), Neva bottle (metal water bottle), Oova-headphones or even a custom logo on the backpack. At the moment, the XD-Design Bobby backpack is not supplied to Russia, but you can buy it in our store . As always, there is a 5% discount for Geektimes readers on the GEEK promo code. And we advise to hurry - a very small party has come to Russia and the next one will arrive no earlier than December.





    The end


    The desire to somehow protect ourselves and our property is inherent in nature in each of us and manifests itself in many places: we put clever locks on thick doors, hang video cameras, tint / book cars, invent complicated passwords, use fingerprints to access the phone, etc. d. In other words, after Bobby you hardly want some other backpack that does not have similar properties. And here it was pleasantly pleased not only with a large number of places thought out to the smallest detail (which make up the daily convenience and safety of using a backpack, and this is precisely its main task), but the quality of the production of the backpack as a whole is nothing to complain about.

    No deficiencies in the backpack was found. Well, except for the headphones, you could still add a connector, but in the era of rejection of minijacks this is hardly a minus. As for the internal space - yes, it is not very large, but most of what you carry with you every day will fit in there: a laptop, tablet, chargers, pavers, documents, wipes, pens, flash drives, headphones, etc. At the same time outside the backpack will not look like a paratrooper's trunk. And yes, it will all be safe.

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