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Kenu BingeBank all-in-one powerbank and wireless charger review


REVIEW – It seems that every computer or technology-based store and website is selling power banks in every shape, size, and capacity. The key to getting the best fit and right deal is the versatility of the power bank. The Kenu BingeBank is another entry into this crowded field. Let’s see how it matches up!!

What is it?

The Kenu BingeBank is a power bank that is capable of delivering 18W power to charge up to three devices at once and 10000 mAh capacity for up to 3X charges. It can also support up to approximately 30 hours of video playback.

What’s in the box


1 x Kenu BingeBank
1 x Nanosuction Adapter Shelf
1 x USB-C Charging Cable
1 x User Guide

Design and features

Specifications

Features
• CHARGE UP TO 3 DEVICES AT ONCE: Three ways to charge: (1) Qi-Wireless, (2) Quick Charge 3.0 USB, (3) 18W Power Delivery USB-C input/output. Charge an iPhone 8 or later up to 50% in 30 minutes (Lightning to USB-C cable req., not incl.)
• CHARGE UP TO 3X OR PLAY VIDEO 30 HRS LONGER: The 10000mAh lithium-ion external battery charger extends your smartphone viewing session with power to spare so you’ll never miss another episode.
• PREMIUM DIE-CAST KICKSTAND AND MAGIC NANOSUCTION GRIP: BingeBank is the only portable power bank that combines an exclusive die-cast metal kickstand, Qi-wireless charging, and a nano suction phone grip, letting you BINGE-WATCH, VIDEO CHAT, or LIVE STREAM HANDS-FREE while you charge! Stop searching for cables and outlets when you travel, charge anywhere with your screen in view.
• CHARGE LAPTOPS: Our power pack is capable of charging a USB-C compatible MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air (USB-C to USB-C cable req., not incl.)

On the front side of the Kenu, there is the branding and the raised nanosuction phone mount Qi wireless charging pad.

On the back of the BingeBank, there is a kickstand, and above it, there are operating instructions for charging.

On one edge of the BingeBank, there are the connectivity ports. From left to right as shown below, there is the Type-C input/output 18 W Power Delivery port and the USB power output Quick Charge (QC) 2.0/3.0 port.

On the opposite edge of the power bank, there are the 4 LED charging lights, each representing 25% of the charge level and the on/off power button.

If your phone does not work with the nanosuction pad, Kenu has included a separate folding shelf.

Performance

Like any other power bank, the first thing that you do when you take it out of the box is to charge it. It is an all-black power bank with a silver kickstand, a bit smaller than the iPhone 10x Max and about twice as thick. The first feature I tried was the nanosuction charging pad. It works well even with my case on my phone, but I do wonder how long the suction will work before it no longer adheres. The wireless charging works well, and the instructions on how to just charge the phone as well as charging the phone while charging the power back work as designed. The Quick Charge (QC) function via a cable also works well and I was able to use the USB-C power delivery function to charge my iPad. No USB-C to USB-C cable is included.

As shown below, the included folding shelf allows you to use the Kenu either horizontally or vertically with or without the kickstand. My attempts to use it with my iPhone were not successful. Maybe I was doing something wrong or maybe I am confused about its use, but the folding shelf is not rigid enough or strong enough to support the phone and the Kenu without using the kickstand. Honestly, I do not really see any beneficial use for it. The kickstand that is built into the device allows it to stand in both portrait or landscape whether charging with a cable or wirelessly.

What I like

  • Build quality
  • Battery capacity
  • Kickstand
  • Suction attachment
  • Charging options including QC 3.0

What I’d change

  • Since the device offers USB-C power delivery, a USB-C to USB-C cable should be included

Final thoughts

The Kenu BingeBank is a nice affordable power bank that incorporates features that make it convenient and easy to use. The battery capacity is great and the kickstand allows me to use it at eye level while charging. I like it!!

Price: $59.95
Where to buy: Kenu website and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kenu

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Kenu BingeBank all-in-one powerbank and wireless charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Adonit Note iPad stylus review

REVIEW – This an active stylus for the 2018 and later iPad and iPad Pro. This stylus provides all of the precision and low latency of the Apple pencil without the pressure sensitivity or tilt detection. The Adonit costs less than an Apple Pencil, but is it worth it? Read on to see what I think!

What is it?

The Adonit Note is an active stylus that takes advantage of a technology included with the 2018 and later Apple iPad and iPad Pro.  The pen has an internal rechargeable battery and antenna. It communicates with the iPad but does not need to be paired with it using Bluetooth. Using this technology the pen is able to draw on the iPad glass with high precision and low latency so that it looks and feels like it is applying ink to the screen.

What’s in the box?

The Adonit note comes with the following:

  • Adonit Note
  • User Manual
  • Micro USB cable

Hardware specs

There are only a few technical details about the Adonit Note.

Pen diameter: 9 mm
Pen Length: 154 mm
Pen weight: 13 grams

Design and features

Unboxing

The Adonit Note comes in a telescoping box. The exposed inside of the box has a sleeve which holds the directions (printed in 11 languages) and a micro USB cable.  The pen is packaged in a foam rubber cutout below. 

The cable is about 8.5″ long. One of the features of the pen is that it can be used while it is charging, but in order to take advantage of this feature, at least a 24″ cable should be included.

Build

The pen comes in two colors: black and silver. Each design has the same rose gold accent on the power button and the pocket clip. The Adonit tetrahedron is printed in white above the pocket clip and Adonit Note is printed on the barrel opposite the clip. The pocket clip is not replaceable but is made of sturdy metal, with a  welded bead at the base to make contact with the barrel.

The top of the pen has a micro USB port surrounded by a plastic end cap. It seems that the diameter of the pen is based partly on the dimensions of the power adapter. Having it placed at the top is a good location for access even while the pen is being used. It is a little thicker than a typical disposable ball-point pen or no. 2 pencil.

The pen can still be fastened with a grip enhancement. The one I borrowed from my son covered up the power button but still allowed the button to function.

The barrel of the pen is completely smooth; it is easy to hold in the summer but it may be more challenging to hold in the winter months with drier hands.

The power button is located on the side of the barrel, just below a multicolored LED. The power button location may be a sensible choice based on the internals of the pen, but it seems like a poor choice for general usability. I continually turn the pen on and off based on my rather unconventional left-handed scrawl. I think a better location for the power would be at the top of the barrel opposite the pocket clip.

The tip is a replaceable soft plastic nub that looks similar to a fine felt tip pen. It threads into the barrel.

Performance

Using the pen is as easy as powering it up and touching it to the iPad. Adonit is not advertising how they technically achieve this bit of magic, but I suspect they are tricking the iPad into thinking an Apple Pencil is near and triggering the high precision digitizer scan mode. The Adonit does not have a Bluetooth radio, which is used by the Apple pencil to relay tilt and pressure, so the iPad treats all input as occurring at the rest angle with minimal pressure. The Adonit has an accelerometer, but this is only used to turn off the pen when not in use to conserve power. Because all the magic happens because of the iPad hardware and software, there are a few compatibility constraints:

Adonit Note is designed to work with the 2018 and later iPad and iPad Pro. Compatible devices, as of July 2019, include:
iPad Air (3rd Generation), model A2152, A2123, A2153, A2154.
iPad mini (5th Generation),A2133, A2124, A2126, A2125
iPad (6th Generation),A1893, A1954
iPad Pro (3rd Generation, 11″& 12.9″) A1876, A2014, A1895, A1983

Additionally, the stylus only supports iOS version 12.2 or newer and any previously connected digital pencil, such as Apple Pencil, must be disconnected.  Beyond these constraints, the Note just works. I think it is cool how it can be shared between two iPads without having to pair or connect via Bluetooth.

I have some example text below

 

This is also an example of a drawing.

Both of these were done in Apple note, so no ink flare was done on the text and no blending was done on the drawing, allowing native appreciation of how the iPad renders the pen input. Please don’t judge the stylus or the iPad for lack of capability in either of the above examples.

What I like

  • no-configuration design
  • quick charging

What I’d change

  • Location of the power button

Final thoughts

The Adonit Note succeeds at a basic design philosophy that few gadgets these days can attain: it does one thing, but it does it very well. If all you are looking for is the “ball point pen” for your iPad then the Adonit will fit the bill perfectly. If you are looking for more creativity, then a pressure and tilt sensitive design may be a better option.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Adonit.

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Adonit Note iPad stylus review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2019 at 8:03 am.

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Swann Floodlight Security Camera review

REVIEW – Not all that long ago we had an event where someone let themselves into our unlocked car (my bad), and root through our glovebox. Not unexpected as we live in an area where cars are broken into frequently and packages are stolen all the time. What was infuriating is that I had/have a nest cam clearly visible on the garage and this person sat in the car with the door open for 15 minutes and casually looked through all the papers in our car. Time to up the game. Swann has a new Floodlight Security Camera with motion detection, siren and two-way audio. Review time! To the keyboard.

What is it?

What do you call a floodlight that also has a security camera? It should have a name that aptly describes what it is without further definition… Hmm. How about a Floodlight Security Camera? All kidding aside, Swann has given it a name that ensures it will show up in search results which is likely more than half the battle in getting eyes on your product. As you would expect, this is an all-in-one unit that could result in you having fewer things hanging off the side of your house or garage.

What’s in the box?

  • Security Floodlight Camera
  • Double-sided foam mounting ring
  • Mounting hardware and wire nuts
  • Manual and welcome card
  • Security stickers and window badge

Hardware specs

Video: 1080p (1920 x 1080 px) resolution, Wide 125º viewing angle, True Detect™ PIR thermal/motion sensor (≤ 32ft, 270º)
Night vision: Infrared night vision (32ft in B&W), Floodlit night vision (100ft in color)
General: 2500 lumens brightness, 5000K color temperature
Video storage: Internal & Secure Cloud
Audio: 2-Way Audio (microphone & speaker), Siren (≤ 75dB)
Operating temperature: -4ºF to 140ºF / -20ºC to 60ºC
Dimensions and weight: 9.5″ x 9.5″ x 6.7″, 2.44lbs
Weather resistance: Indoor & outdoor ready (weatherproof IP65 rated)
Power Source: Hard Wired. Connects to existing wiring, 100~240V AC 50/60hz, 30W power
Wi-Fi Frequency: 2.4GHz (wireless range up to 65ft/20m*)
App: SAFE by Swann (available on iOS & Android)

Design and features

The most relevant design feature is that this looks like a traditional floodlight. It’s not immediately obvious that this product has a camera and that’s to its advantage. Thieves and nefarious types scoping your property may be less concerned with a floodlight than with something that is clearly a standalone camera until that floodlight is more than a floodlight.

It has two-way audio so you that you can use your app to speak directly through the fixture as well as hear what’s going on. A built-in siren can be set to automatically sound on motion detection.

The fact that it’s hardwired is also great as it means you’re not at the whim of battery issues unless of course there’s a black out or your power is cut. You likely have a bigger problem in both of those cases.

Setup

I’ll refer to the Security Floodlight Camera as SFC going forward to keep things easy. You’ll need to be comfortable with some electrical wiring and lightweight home-fix-it skills. For this install, we’ll make the assumption that you are replacing an existing light fixture. Let’s get set up.

Go to your electrical panel and find the breaker switch for the light you’re replacing. Make sure to switch it off and check that power is not present.

1. Remove your current light fixture and mounting bracket (likely a combination of screws and electrical wire-nuts). Take note if this light is connected to a switch. If it is you’ll want to bypass, or tape/mark that switch not to be used as you will not want the SFC accidentally switched off.

2. Install the double-sided mounting tape circle to the back of the SFC.

3. Install the mounting bracket for the SFC allowing the home’s electrical wires to extend beside the main arch.

4. Wire the positive, negative and ground wires to your home’s electrical wires using the supplied wire-nuts. (You’re likely to have a more traditional junction box than my above scenario where I used crimp connectors that I had on hand so that I could feed the excess wiring through the hole before mounting.)

5. Turn on your breaker and confirm that you have the SFC correctly connected. The lights should come on initially (but could time out) and the blue LED should start blinking for pairing the wifi. If all is good, turn the power back off and finish the hardware install.

6. Peel the remaining backer off the mounting tape, insert the long mounting bolt through the SFC with the rubber o-ring in place into the mounting bracket and tighten (If you missed the adhesive step earlier, cut the ring in one spot so you don’t have to undo the wiring).

7. Position your lights and camera by using the wingnuts to adjust the toothed pivots. Use the collar to adjust the rotation. Use care to turn any of these in the direction that involves the least rotation to avoid pulling internal wires unnecessarily. Leave them a bit loose as you’ll end up adjusting them to suit your specific situation after the next steps.

Now it’s time to set up the app.

8. Find the app in the appropriate store for your device, download, open and register for an account.


9. Turn on your breaker switch (hopefully for the final time) to power up the SFC and confirm the blue LED is blinking.

10. Open the app and follow the instructions to pair your new camera. You’ll need to know your wifi network name and password and be prepared to do the app to settings, back to app jump that all the kids are doing these days.

11. If all that finished properly you should be good to go. The remaining set-up is all physical positioning and app preferences which ends up being a bit of back and forth between both of those. Let’s move on to performance and address that in the rest of the review.

Performance

Once everything is up and running, the system works like this…

When the Security Floodlight Camera detects motion the light, siren and camera activate based on how you’ve set them up in the app. Simultaneously you will receive a push notification on your device through the app. Click on the message and you’re taken into the app, directly to the Activity page where you will find recorded clips ordered from most recent to oldest. Here’s a screenshot of the video quality which is set to medium quality for this review.

Swann recommends that the fixture is mounted at least 8 ft off the ground. My garage is only 8 feet tall total so using the existing mounting location it sits just under 7′. As you can see my driveway is also pretty short so there are a couple of camera settings I needed to make right away. Here’s what those settings screens look like.

Under the Camera tab, I had to set the motion sensitivity to Low, as anything higher generated an alert for every single car driving by as well as anyone walking their dog. These were also triggering push notifications (as they should) which meant I was getting a couple a minute during the day as we’ve got a lot of construction activity on our street. I went ahead and turned off motion detection until I could fix the settings.

Even at the low sensitivity setting, I was getting too many false motion detects. Each setting is a discrete position on that slider instead of a 0-100% bar where you can just find the real setting you need. To solve that I had to tilt the camera down further to shorten the range. This is a trial and error adjustment as there’s no visual in the app to estimate where the “trigger” line is for motion. My situation may be an edge case so ignore if your setup is more traditional. Now set up, I re-enabled the motion detection.

When you hop into the app normally, your landing page gives you access to Lights and Siren toggle buttons as well as a live view you can click into. I named the camera ‘Driveway’ so this will be whatever location name you choose.

The bottom left icon lets you toggle between Home, Away and Night settings and will show whatever icon is currently active. Each of these can be set up with their own settings for camera, siren and lights to match your needs.

The bottom right icon is a quick jump into activity recordings. The built-in memory card stores 8 days on a rolling basis where day 8 overwrites day 1 to start the cycle again. If something isn’t visible on the Activity page, check the backup at the very bottom of the camera settings in the app by pressing ‘View Camera Backup’. You can upload clips to Swann’s Secure Cloud for two days and if you need more storage you can upgrade to a subscription plan that includes 30 days of storage for $4.99/month within the app.

The app takes a little navigating to get used to as almost every screen has additional settings and buttons so allow yourself some time to get comfortable in there. Clicking into the live view (main image) gives you access to lights and siren as well as additional buttons for Talk, Record and Capture.

With talk you can converse with your thief, or tell your kids it’s time to put down the basketball and come in for dinner. Record starts a video recording whereas Capture takes a photo.

The light settings can be set to stay on for .5, 1, 2, 5, 10 or 15 minutes after motion detection and you can set the brightness level anywhere from 1-100%. You should also know that the lights will not activate in sunlight (which in general shouldn’t be an issue). I’ve currently got the brightness set to 35%, but here’s a shot with the light at 100% for reference. Plenty bright to illuminate a shady character or wildlife in the dark.

The siren has its own Yes/No toggle for responding to motion and can be set to sound for seconds (5, 10, 15, 30) or minutes (1, 2, 5) at Low/Medium/High volume which also sets the level for 2-way audio. Sirens are not very effective here in Oakland unless you’ve got a subscription with a security service to respond, so it’s more for the owner’s benefit in that case. Our driveway is also covered by a large tree that moves a lot in wind resulting in false alarms, so I have the siren set not to activate. I did test the siren though and the low setting isn’t loud enough to cause anyone any fuss, so I’d recommend setting to High if you’re actually trying to use the alarm as a deterrent.

You’ll definitely want to set up the Home, Away and Night settings so that the alerts that come through are ones that matter. With four of us at home on different schedules, it’s unlikely this will get switched when it needs to. Here’s a friendly nudge at Swann to look into supporting IFTTT for helping that automation take a step forward.

There is integration with Alexa or Google Assistant for working with some home devices you might have. Ask Alexa to “Show Driveway” and you get a live view after about 15 seconds of thinking.

What I like

  • Pretty low effort install
  • Bright lights with good coverage
  • Easy to access recordings without recurring monitoring fees
  • Very configurable (lights, siren, motion detection)

What I’d change

  • Better method for determining detection range during setup
  • Automation for determining Home, Away, Night

Final thoughts

The Swann Floodlight Security Camera is installed and my driveway lights up when entered and I get a motion alert on my phone and watch. I haven’t had and uninvited car visitor since installation and continue to hope I won’t, but I do feel safer and more aware of what’s happening in my driveway. The lighting is superb and the automatic recordings make it easy to see and hear what happens in my driveway when I’m not around. Thanks Swann!

Price: $179
Where to buy: Swann and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Swann.

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Swann Floodlight Security Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Kärcher K2000 electric pressure washer review

REVIEW – When I review a gadget, audio gear or household item, I seldom write about a product’s long-term durability. The reason for this is that we at The Gadgeteer strive to write reviews quickly so you can make an informed buying decision sooner. I wish we did, but we don’t have a year to test a product before writing. This review of the Kärcher K2000 electric pressure washer is a bit different. While I don’t have any foreknowledge regarding the K2000’s long-term future, I do have history with Kärcher—and based on that, I have an idea how long the K2000 will last.

What is it?

The Kärcher K2000 is an electric pressure washer that has a pressure rating of 2,000 PSI (per square inch) and 1.3 GPM (gallons of water per minute). It has dual detergent tanks, 25 ft. of hose, 35 ft. electric cord with a GFCI plug, a handy, wind-up hose reel and wrap around cord storage. It’s made for home (not professional) use.

Specs

  • 120-Volt 
  • 13 Amps
  • 35 ft. GFCI cord
  • Wobble Pump
  • Dual 1 quart detergent tanks 
  • Cold temperature 
  • 2000 PSI pressure
  • 1.3 GPM water flow
  • 25 ft. Hose
  • Hose reel 
  • M22 industry standard hose connection
  • 2 wheel cart 
  • Spray gun
  • Three pressure nozzles
  • Weight: 46.4 lbs.
  • Length: 22 in.
  • Width: 18.25 in.
  • Height: 35.5 in.
  • 3 Year warranty

Design and features

Living in a humid climate means dirt, mildew and other stuff showing up on outdoor surfaces, such as backyard decks, siding and concrete driveways and sidewalks. Only a pressure washer can easily and safely remove this. 

For those who’ve never used a pressure washer, think of it as a super-powerful spray nozzle, except that it can actually clean surfaces by blasting away dirt and mildew. I find it kind of therapeutic and fun to pressure wash around my property.

There are two types of pressure washers; gas and electric. I’ve borrowed gas versions from family and friends before and while they are powerful, they drink gas, are loud, stinky and incredibly heavy. Electric models are lighter, quieter and not as powerful as gas, but the gap has narrowed. 2000 PSI on an electric pressure washer is not uncommon and is plenty powerful for home use.

I became familiar with Kärcher when I bought a less powerful pressure washer about ten years ago. That washer was not treated kindly and I lost (and never replaced) the removable water filter long ago, so all kinds of water contaminants were passing through the pump for years. Despite this mistreatment, the Kärcher only became unreliable a few months ago and finally needed replacing. It’s because of the Kärcher’s toughness that I decided to stay with the brand and go with the more powerful K2000.

The K2000 pressure washer is extremely simple to set up out of the box—about 10 minutes. Once assembled, just plug it in, connect the hoses and you’re cleaning. The handle quickly folds down so it takes up less space in the garage. 

Even though the Kärcher K2000 is much lighter than a gas model, it’s still almost 50 lbs. Two oversized wheels make moving the unit around easier. My older Kärcher had small wheels and a too short handle. You had to bend over to move it. It was—literally—a pain in the back to move.

One major change from my previous Karcher washer is a step-controlled on/off switch. This is much more convenient and also easy on the back. There are two large, removable storage bins on the unit for holding detergent bottles for the dual tanks as well as the pressure wand. The dual detergent tanks can be used independently by turning a 1 or 2 dial.    

Using the Kärcher 2000 is easy with one notable exception. It takes some effort to squeeze and hold the trigger on the wand handle. All pressure washers I’ve used are like this and I don’t get it. After using a while, fingers and hand muscles can get tired from continually squeezing the trigger. However, there is a way to make this less stressful on your hands. When using the washer, mentally designate a small area to clean. When that’s done, choose the next small area. This breaks up any large job into smaller jobs which helps make things less overwhelming. Plus, it gives your muscles a rest between sections. It’s also best to use a sweeping motion when spraying. Doing it in these smaller areas gives better results.

One thing I like about the K2000 is that as soon as you stop spraying, the motor shuts off until you start spraying again. You don’t have to listen to a loud motor the whole time, as with a gas model. The downside to this is that when you resume spraying, the motor takes a second to rev up to speed. It’s mildly annoying, but you get used to it.

All hoses and nozzles on the K2000 use M22 quick connections. This is an industry standard that allows you to easily swap parts and provides a secure, water-tight fit. It also allows other branded nozzles and hoses to be used with the Kärcher. However, once I wasn’t careful when connecting a nozzle. When I pressed the trigger, the nozzle flew across the yard and I had trouble finding where it landed. I learned my lesson—double check that the connection is secure before using! 

The K2000 comes with three nozzles. The 15° nozzle concentrates more power on a smaller area. This helps with more stubborn dirt or mildew. The 40° nozzle covers a wider area but with a bit less power. It’s a good nozzle for general cleaning and it’s the one I use 90% of the time. Then there’s the turbo nozzle. This nozzle sprays in a cylindrical, cone-shaped pattern that becomes more powerful as the nozzle is moved closer to the surface being cleaned. I’m not a fan of this nozzle because power severely drops off when the nozzle is raised farther away from the surface. It requires too much thinking to use and I like to switch off the brain while pressure cleaning. 

The nozzles snap into a built-in holder on the K2000, making it easy to quickly grab the one you need while keeping the others safe when not in use. 

There’s a soap nozzle for applying detergent when washing a car or pre-cleaning a driveway or deck before pressure washing. Speaking of using detergent—I don’t. Never have. I also do not use a pressure washer to wash my car because if you’re not careful, the pressurized water can strip paint if it’s already loose on a bumper or it can force water into areas it shouldn’t. A garden hose spray nozzle can’t do that kind of damage. I realize that some people love using a pressure washer for their cars—I’m just wary of it. 

Detergent can help with a dirty deck, but again, I just stick to the 40° nozzle because it works fine as is. Care must be taken with cleaning wooden decks with a pressure washer. The water can damage deck wood if placed too close to the surface for too long. 

Kärcher does not supply a sample-sized detergent bottle with the K2000, so it’s an additional purchase if you want to try it. Trust me though, you don’t need detergent to clean concrete—just time, water and pressure. 

What I like 

  • Powerful
  • Auto shut-off motor
  • Nozzle selection 
  • Standard M22 connections
  • Wheels!
  • Relatively quiet for a pressure washer
  • Foot operated on/off
  • Affordable

What I’d change

  • Trigger could be easier to press

Final Thoughts

I’m a fan of Kärcher pressure washers. Kärcher makes many electric models as well as more powerful gas models if that’s what you need. If you’re a homeowner who only needs a pressure washer occasionally, the K2000 is more than powerful enough to get the job done with minimal fuss. It’s affordable and should last a long time—based on personal experience. Plus, it doesn’t take up much room when stored. 

Price: $279 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Kärcher.

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Kärcher K2000 electric pressure washer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Osprey Tropos Everyday Backpack review

REVIEW – My daughter is heading off to college this fall, and she needs a backpack.  All the buildings that she will use (dorms, classrooms, cafeteria, gym) are on one main campus, which means that she will be doing a lot of walking. She needs a backpack that is strong enough and large enough to hold everything that she needs for a day’s worth of classes, including textbooks.  It needs to have a protected compartment for her laptop, a cubbyhole for her phone, and spots for her water bottle and a small umbrella.  Last but not least, it needs to be comfortable. Is the Tropos everyday backpack by Osprey the right tool for the job?  Read on to find out!

What is it?

The Osprey Tropos is a large, everyday backpack that’s good everywhere from town to the trail.

What’s in the box?

  • The backpack
  • A tag that lists some of the features
  • An Osprey sticker

Hardware specs

  • Dimensions: 21 in high, 13.4 in wide, and 10.5 in deep
  • Weight: 2.69 pounds
  • Volume: 2075 cubic inches
  • Fabric: Nylon

Design and features

Osprey makes a lot of backpacks, so many that it can be a bit intimidating to find the one that’s right for you.  To help with this, Osprey has created a Packfinder tool on their website.  You answer some questions, and it recommends a set of backpacks and rates how well they will suit your needs.  For example, if you were to select the following options:

  • Male
  • Everyday backpack
  • Short trips (1 to 5 hours)
  • Normal weight gear
  • Side pockets for water bottles (required)
  • Laptop sleeve (required)
  • Secondary purpose:  Travel
  • Less than $200

Then the Tropos would show up as one of the choices, and Osprey rates it as an A- for suitability. This is a very cool tool, and I encourage you to check it out.  (And just to be clear, my daughter is not a male, but the backpacks for guys are a bit larger than the equivalent ones for gals, and my daughter wanted that extra space.)

Installation and setup

When we took the backpack out of the box, we had three initial impressions.  One, this is a big bag.  I’m sure there are bigger packs for hiking and camping or for backpacking across Europe, but for an everyday bag, I don’t think you’re going to be lacking for space with the Tropos.  Two, this is a very attractive bag.  My daughter chose Kraken Blue for her color; it’s a nice slate blue kind of color, and I really like it.  They also have grey, black, red, and green, if you’d prefer something different.  Three, this is a well-constructed bag.  It’s made from Nylon, and everything from the outside to the zippers to the straps feels tough and rugged.  I think this backpack is going to last through 4 years of college and well beyond.

Other than removing the tags, there’s not really much set up to do, except for deciding what goes into each part of the back.  My daughter loaded the backpack up with all the things she’ll normally carry around with her and then added a few pins and other decorations to personalize it. Here’s how it turned out.

The front of the bag has a stretch pocket, which she will probably use for small items of clothing, such as gloves, a hat, or a scarf.

The next one is an organization pocket that she loaded with pens and pencils and dropped in a calculator as well—guess who has Statistics her first semester!  This pocket is a lot deeper than this picture shows, so she could certainly put a lot more in there.

This pocket also has a key clip.  Though her dorm lock uses a key card instead of keys, she’ll be able to put car keys here eventually.

Up top is a small, easy to access compartment where she put her phone with ID and debit card.

The next pocket is the main storage compartment of the backpack.  When the compression straps are fully extended, it can really hold a lot of stuff.  My daughter plans to put her textbooks in here as well as her laptop and Beats headphone case.

This brings me to my only complaint about this backpack:  There’s not much padding for her laptop.  To be fair, the sleeve where she put the laptop is actually intended for magazines, and the final pocket is where the laptop is supposed to go.  But there’s not much padding there either, and she was afraid that her laptop could be damaged as there was not much on either side to protect it.  Additionally, there’s no padding at the bottom of either of these areas, although the kickstand (see below) will help some with that.  As a comparison, I brought out my SwissGear backpack and checked its laptop compartment.  I estimate that the padding on both sides is nearly twice as thick, and there’s padding at the bottom where the laptop rests.  I don’t think this is a deal-breaker by any means, as there is some padding, and her laptop will have books and other things around it.  I think her laptop will be fine, but this is an area where Osprey could make an improvement.  On the bright side, the laptop compartment is large and can easily hold a 17-inch laptop along with cables, a mouse, a power brick, and so on.

The final pocket, the one where the laptop is intended to go, is deep but fairly narrow.  This is where my daughter plans to put her notepads and an organizer.  It also has a separate, zippered area, perhaps intended for cables.

Performance

When my daughter first put on her fully-loaded backpack, she was less than happy.  It road high up on her back, and she felt like it was pinching her shoulder muscles.  For a moment we were worried that this would not be a pack that she could use while walking for long periods, but then we began to adjust the straps.  First, we loosened these straps at the base of the shoulder straps; this lowered the backpack so that it sat further down on her back and spread out the shoulder straps to distribute the weight more evenly.

Second, we tightened these straps at the top of the bag, which tilted it into an upright position and made it feel lighter.  Suddenly her backpack was comfortable, and a smile appeared on her face.  At that point, we knew this is a backpack that she could carry all day without discomfort.

The Tropos has upper and lower compression straps, which are designed to horizontally loosen or tighten the bag and keep the contents snug.  The upper straps, however, get in the way of using the zippers.  For a student who is transferring things into and out of her bag all day, this could really become an annoyance.

Fortunately, Osprey had already anticipated this issue.  They added a “tuckaway garage” where the upper straps can be unbuckled and tucked out of the way.  Perfect!

Did I mention previously that this bag is big?  It’s easily big enough to hold our Yorkie, who looks ready for class.

Extra features

The Tropos has a number of extra features that we appreciate.  On each side is a stretch mesh pocket that is perfect for a water bottle and a small umbrella.

Integrated into the Tropos are 3 curved, metal bars:  one is at the back of the top, and the other two are at the front and back of the bottom. They serve two purposes.  The bottom bars function like a kickstand to keep the bag standing upright when placed on the ground.  To make this steady, it’s helpful to have a few heavy items in the bag, such as books, and to the have bottom compression strap opened up, which we’ve done to fit everything.  This kickstand is a nice feature, as the laptop is less likely to get stepped on if the backpack remains upright; plus it should keep things from spilling out if she leaves a compartment open.

The back two bars are part of Osprey’s Airspeed ventilated backpanel system.  The basic idea is to slightly keep the backpack off of the wearer’s back, thus allowing it to breathe.  The bars are curved and conform to the shape of the back, and there’s a taut mesh panel along the back that keeps the separation.  I think that my daughter is going to find this wonderful when she’s trekking from one end of campus to the other on a hot day.

The Tropos includes a handful of other features, including a clip on the shoulder straps for holding glasses, straps across the waist and chest for added stability on hikes, a spot on the back to add a blinker when hiking near traffic, and little circle grips on the zippers to make them easier to use.

One final test

I can’t find anything on Osprey’s site about whether this backpack is waterproof.  It rains a lot where she’s going, so I think this is important to know.  To find out, I put the backpack under the sprinkler in our yard for 10 minutes. Yes, I really did this.

What was the result?  There was a lot of water beaded on top, which looked promising, but when I opened up the bag, only 1 pocket remained completely dry, the one where her phone goes.  None the others were soaking wet, but they weren’t dry either.  As Osprey doesn’t claim that this is a waterproof backpack, this isn’t a surprising result.  My daughter will have to rely on an umbrella to keep to keep her school supplies dry.

What I like

  • Durable construction
  • Lots of room
  • Adjustable straps to maximize comfort
  • Ventilation system
  • Plenty of extra features

What I’d change

  • More padding for the laptop pocket

Final thoughts

My daughter is looking forward to college—she’s counting the days—and as a parent, I now have one less thing to worry about.  Her books and her laptop will be in good hands while carried around in Osprey’s Tropos backback.  I think she’s going to love it, and I think it will serve her well for years to come.  If you’re looking for a large everyday backpack, I commend the Tropos to you.  If you’re not sure what backpack to get, check out Osprey’s Packfinder Tool.

Price: $150
Where to buy:  Osprey’s online store.  Their website also lists local stores that carry their bags, so you can handle them first and get them fitted properly. It’s also available from Amazon.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Osprey.

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Osprey Tropos Everyday Backpack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 1, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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