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Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack Review

by | Oct 5, 2021 | EDC Backpacks, Travel, Travel Backpacks

Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker

Table Of Contents

Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack Review

  • Storage and Organization 80% 80%
  • Comfort 60% 60%
  • Durability 60% 60%

Price: $52.24

Dimensions: 18x11x5”

Weight: 1.7lbs

What We Like: Super inexpensive

What We Don’t: Shoulder straps are not very comfortable and twist easily

Timbuk2 has produced a very inexpensive but sleek and modern looking backpack for a variety of EDC needs. Business people and students alike will find functionality in this pack, and for $70, the price is hard to beat. The drawback is that the shoulder straps are a bit thin, and the backpanel is not that breathable. The storage is excellent, and the material is durable. So, if you can get past a thin shoulder strap, the Parkside Laptop Backpack is worth a shot!
We participate in affiliate programs to help us fund Gear Hacker. Some of the links in this website are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product using our link, we will earn a small commission. Don’t worry! This comes at no additional cost to you, and we will never base our reviews on whether or not we earn a commission off of a product. With that said, if you find our review helpful and decide to purchase an item we review, we would be very appreciative if you use our links to do so. It will help us bring you more awesome content in the future!

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Great Organization

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Cons

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Laptop And Tablet Pocket

Cons

Straps Take Time To Break-In

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Limited External Organization

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Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker

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Pros

Super Inexpensive

Cons

Shoulder Straps Are Not Very Comfortable And Twist Easily

Dimensions: 18x11x5”

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Pros

Simple Pockets And Top Handle

Cons

Thin Shoulder Straps

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Weight: 1lbs

Timbuk2 is a company born from the same city where it seems all American backpack companies are born: San Francisco. This company was created not just to build backpacks but to create a lifestyle—although along the way they have created some pretty great bags. The Parkside Laptop Backpack is one of their standard backpacks, though their original focus was messenger bags. The Parkside is a great bag with clean enough looks for a corporate boardroom, and it’s functional (and cost effective) enough for a college campus.
Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker

Storage and Organization

The Timbuk2 Parkside is fairly straightforward, and we say this in a good way. The main compartment is large and could hold everything from a change of clothes to a pair of shoes and all of your binders. It also holds the laptop in an open pocket on the back of the main compartment, and that pocket has a false bottom so the laptop will be safe if the bag is set down a little too hard.

Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker
Along the top of the bag closer to the front, there is a clamshell opening pocket that is thin but would hold a tablet as well as some thinner items such as notepads, pens, and pencils. There are also two smaller pockets on the front of the pack. These pockets are great for any smaller valuables. The bottom pocket is top opening and would be great for your wallet and keys, and the upper pocket is side opening and perfect for a cellphone, passport, or sunglasses. There is a pocket for everything in this bag, but it isn’t overly complicated, which has been known to happen in some packs that try and do it all.
Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker

Comfort

With most of the EDC backpacks that we have looked at, comfort does not seem to be the most important element considered in the design process. The straps on this pack are slightly padded, however they are connected to the pack with a thin layer of webbing that often twists while you are putting the pack on—and that can get annoying after a while.
Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker
There are no hip belts or sternum straps, and for an EDC bag, that is all fine by us. The backpanel on the Parkside has some padding to create a limited amount of ventilation. It helps to protect your laptop as well, and at the end of day, that is what really matters.

Material and Durability

The Parkside Laptop Backpack does not make the material it uses for its pack very easy to find, but it feels like a nylon or polyester. The pack itself feels solid and should last the hustle of a daily commute or sprinting to catch a campus bus. There is no weather proofing, so beware while wearing this pack on a rainy day—your cargo will get wet.
Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack - Gear Hacker

The Bottom Line

Timbuk2 has created a very functional and awesomely affordable EDC. The normal price is $70, but while writing this article, the pack was on sale for $45! For those prices, you could buy several Parkside packs for the same price as some of the more expensive packs on our list. The make is solid, and it has great pockets for everything you may need to carry on your day to day journeys. Everyday Carry Backpack needs are different for everyone. If the aforementioned pockets and organization make sense for your daily requirements, a backpack with this price is certainly worth a try.

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Amazon
Timbuk2

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We participate in affiliate programs to help us fund Gear Hacker. Some of the links in this website are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product using our link, we will earn a small commission. Don’t worry! This comes at no additional cost to you, and we will never base our reviews on whether or not we earn a commission off of a product. With that said, if you find our review helpful and decide to purchase an item we review, we would be very appreciative if you use our links to do so. It will help us bring you more awesome content in the future!

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