Seen here, but they’re sold out. It looks like they’re making more, though. The bags are a little greener than the pictures show.

Everlane is a newer company with a pretty cool business model – create high quality goods, and, because they don’t have physical stores or a middle-man selling their products, sell them for inexpensive prices. Once I finally got through the queue and got a chance to look at their products, I bought a backpack to supplement my book bag.

The quality of the bag seemed pretty good. The heavy duty zipper didn’t look like it would break anytime soon, and the snaps gave a satisfying snap! when they were fastened. I dug the gingham pattern on the inside – a nice touch that gave the bag personality and dimension.

Aside from leather, waxed canvas is one of the best materials a bag can be made of – it’s water resistant, incredibly tough, and ages well. I was a disappointed in the waxed canvas of Everlane’s bag. The material is nowhere near as nice as on my Duluth Pack bag, but it seemed nice enough. Still better than the poly-blends you find in most bags. The quality of the leather on the snaps and handle was good, though.

The shoulder straps were okay – just the standard, padded, adjustable straps. I found that they didn’t really fit the look of the bag. Leather straps in the same color as handle and snaps would have been more appropriate, I think, and would really set the bag apart.

The main compartment is opened by undoing the snaps and flipping back the material, revealing an accordian style opening with a drawstring. The bag is very deep and wide. I threw in my laptop and a few books and still had tons of room. There’s also a pocket going along the back of the bag on the inside.

I returned it after sitting on it (figuratively) for a few days. I decided that I didn’t really need or like it enough to justify keeping it. The snap closure of the bag made it a little impractical, and I wasn’t too happy when I opened the package and my stepsister said, “Nice hipster bag.”

Is this bag worth more than $50? Were this bag sold in a store or through another vendor, I don’t see it selling for more than $75. But Everlane’s right: slap Jansport, Northface, Herschel or some other big brand on the front of the bag, and the price would probably go up by a few dozen.

Despite my gripes, I think the zip version would be a solid bag for the price. The price-to-quality ratio seems higher than some of the mainstream brands out there, but it’s hard to tell without having used it. But who knows what the bag will look like in the new production run – could be completely different.

Oh, and be really sure you want to keep the bag if you order one. I ended up paying around $17 to return it. Sad face.

Here’s a link to sign up for Everlane. *Disclaimer: after a certain number of referrals I get bonuses like a free shirt and store credit if you sign up through my link. If that’s not your thing, I believe you can still sign up via their homepage.