The backpack has long become an integral part of the appearance of a resident of the metropolis. I myself am very used to the burden behind my shoulders, that on weekends, when I leave the house light, sometimes I get scared: have I forgotten my backpack somewhere?
I have tried dozens of different backpacks and I can say with confidence that XD Design products differ from all types of products to a large extent in thoughtfulness of forms and protection. Until now, I enjoyed using their Bobby Pro (review here), but a novelty appeared that won my heart with an abundance of pockets, compartments and convenient chips.
Now I will tell you about XD Design Bobby Explore. This versatile backpack is great for everyday use in the city, and when using its volume, you can increase it and take it somewhere for five days, since there is enough space in the Bobby Explore for all your things.
Let’s start with external parameters:
Sleek yet thoughtful design
The Bobby Explore has a volume of 27 liters but is not detectable. It is possible to increase the volume up to 30 liters when loading with the secret power.
The backpack is made of a dense material that feels like nylon. The manufacturer confirms that the raw materials for it are recycled plastic bottles, which are found on one Bobby Explore creation, containing 91 pieces.
The material is non-staining, does not collect scratches and has water-repellent properties, rain is not terrible for a backpack.
On the back cover, you can find reflective elements in the brand name and stripes. In the dark, they shine brightly, they will definitely notice you on the road. There are two more loops at the bottom, which we will return to a little later. Apparently, you can attach additional cargo to them with the help of carabiners at your own discretion.
There are also reflective stripes on the straps so that the owner of the backpack is visible from all sides in the dark with headlights.
The back of the backpack has an anatomical shape, is equipped with grooves and is covered with a breathable mesh. Thanks to this, they also reach the straps, even with full coverage of the Bobby Explore back and shoulders do not get tired.
And this is not an exaggeration, the backpack really sits on the back like a glove, very comfortable.
Also for those who like to travel with a suitcase, the backpack has a strong strap on the back to hook the Bobby Explore to the telescoping handle of your luggage on wheels.
The thoughtful design of a back helps not to sweat a back.
For the very advanced hikers there is a special tie on the straps, which is captured so that the straps do not slip off the shoulders.
But in the city I never usually do this, so this accessory can be safely removed and put off until traveling.
If hit, you can fix the straps with a special tie on the chest.
Outwardly, you can’t immediately tell where the outer pockets of the Bobby Explore are bent. It seems that the backpack is very simple and has three zippers in total, three main compartments close, but this is not at all the case.
On the sides there are two capacious outer pockets for bottles or thermoses with water. Due to the elasticity of the tape, the pockets stretch to the desired size, but do not bulge if there is nothing in them, fitting snugly to the sides of the backpack.
A bottle or an umbrella – everything will fit.
At the top there is a small zippered pocket for a smartphone or glasses. Its inner surface is velvety, soft and pleasant to the touch.
My iPhone 13 Pro Max easily fits there and without my knowledge it is problematic to open this pocket, because the zipper is quite tight.
Large smartphones are conveniently stored in a special pocket. And look at messages and waiting on smart watches.
At the back you can find a secret pocket for documents and valuables. It is impossible to open his backpack behind his back, you must definitely remove the Bobby Explore to find the hidden zipper.
So you can safely entrust this pocket passport, money and other important things.
This pocket has a cable to charge your gadgets on the go. You only need to connect a power bank to it, which you, of course, have. You can also put the gadget itself here while it is loading.
There is another zipper at the bottom of the Bobby Explore, which hides a pocket with a hidden pouch for spare shoes. The bag is roomy, my sneakers of size 43 fit into it without any problems.
The shoes are secured with two straps that can be attached to the ones mentioned above.
The only thing that upsets me about this backpack is that there is no pocket for a travel ticket on the straps, which I got very used to while using the XD Design Bobby Pro.
The hand itself automatically stretches in front of the turnstile to its usual compartment, but no. I had to relearn and again carry the “Troika” in my pocket.
Main departments. Everything will fit into them.
There is plenty of space inside the backpack. You can take away half of the wardrobe.
The XD Design Bobby Explore has three main compartments, each dedicated to a specific item. All durable, covering these compartments, hidden under polyurethane pads. This not only keeps the contents from moisture penetration, but also makes them more inconspicuous.
The first is designed for laptops, tablets and accessories. It has a large velvet-lined pocket that can hold a laptop up to 17 inches and a smaller second pocket for your favorite iPad or Android tools.
Decent housing for my MacBook Air M2.
The main compartment in the middle is useful for things. You can hide clothes in it, and in a zippered pocket – the smallest household accessories.
This compartment is quite roomy, even the obligatory carcass of the camera will fit without problems.
Even a professional camera will fit into the main compartment, not to mention several sets of clothes.
The third compartment has several pockets in which it is convenient to store headphones, a notebook and other small (and not so) things. Plus this compartment can be increased by 3 liters. It is enough to unzip a separate zipper so that the volumetric backpack increases from 27 to 30 liters..
There is also a detachable key ring, which I instantly got used to: you don’t have to think about where the keys are, they are always with you in your backpack. Easy to unfasten, open the door, fasten back.
To sum it up, there are 11 pockets in total in the XD Design Bobby Explore backpack. For a population of 27 liters, it is more than enough to accommodate all the necessary gadgets, accessories and even a place to live. And for travel, you can easily move around, enlarge the backpack to fit several sets of clothes.
With fairly moderate dimensions 33 x 54 x 20 cm this backpack is convenient both for urban use and for travel, given that it will fit perfectly even into the Pobeda airline’s calibrator.
Personal impressions and results
versatile backpack for all occasions.
the manufacturers of this desk backpack are rarely useful accessories with the corresponding responsibility. As a rule, all backpacks have an individual one, it’s good if there is a separate pocket for a laptop, and if it is also with a soft finish, this is generally a rarity.
On this background XD Design Bobby Explore has become a reference for me, replacing Bobby Pro on this pedestal. Thank you, true friend, but Bobby Explore suits me much better.
Interestingly, I’m not even into Chinese fakes of this backpack. It is understandable, because if you make a fake of such high-quality things, you need to spend a lot of money and effort. Nobody wants to bother with this, so if you need the most secure, comfortable, roomy and thoughtful backpack, feel free to choose the original Bobby Explore.
It does not form a shape, does not rub or tear. Zipper from the iconic Japanese brand YKK does not stick, is not consumed or fails even after several years of daily use.
I recommend wholeheartedly.
📸 All photos in the article:
Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
