Sprayground Backpack Review

The Sprayground Backpack is one of the most trendy backpacks on the market right now. Though it wasn’t designed for long trips, we couldn’t help but get one in hand to test it for commuting, travel, and everyday use. Can it handle our rigorous testing, or is all the hype a bust? Let’s find out!

External Components

You might wonder what a Sprayground is and why we’re reviewing it. Well, if you haven’t seen our viral TikTok, we’ll give you a brief breakdown. Sprayground is a fashion company that creates unique backpacks and other gear. Their designs are sold in limited quantities, so you can only get a colorway until it sells out. Once they’re gone, you’re out of luck. They’re popular school backpacks and with people who like expressing themselves through their gear. But we’re a travel company. Why are we reviewing this bag?

Well, just because this isn’t a one bag travel backpack doesn’t mean you can’t take it on your next trip. Maybe you’ve got rolling luggage that covers all your needs and want something more expressive to carry daily. You might use it as your personal item bag on the plane.

However, while this pack isn’t for everyone, it wasn’t designed to be. We chatted with Sprayground’s founder, David BenDavid, also known as DBD, to ask a few questions. He said the company’s “success isn’t based on a secret formula. We simply focus on what we do best: creating the most eye-catching and attention-grabbing bags in the market.” He added that the company “like(s) to make sure that every piece remains unique, offering our fans something new while staying true to what they love.“ In addition to being creative, Sprayground also partners with iconic brands and institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, which helps get eyes on their unique bags.

So, all that is great. How is the bag? We’re glad that you asked!

The pack is crafted from faux leather, which is water-resistant and comfortable to hold. The materials enable the colors to pop, which is a highlight of this pack. The reds are vibrant, the blues are deep, and the whites are clean. So far, we’ve had no issues with the colors fading. This material will chew up if put into a bad situation, like falling off a bicycle onto the pavement, so be sure you’re using the right daypack for the right activities.

The main compartment utilizes YKK zippers, which are durable and easy to use. The rest of the zippers are unbranded and feel less secure than those from YKK, but we haven’t had any issues with them. The pulls are metal (or convincing plastic) but feel slightly cheaper than other aspects of this pack’s construction. They haven’t chipped, but their lightweight nature lacks the density you’d expect from them. Still, they’ve held up well.

The pack’s plastic hardware is unbranded but is easy to use and hasn’t broken. So far, so good.

The top handle lacks padding or aeration but is comfortable enough to use while riding public transit or walking through the airport. Plus, it’s colorful, which is fun.

There’s a metal logo on the front face of the pack in the bottom right corner. Additionally, there’s one on the right shoulder strap and a sliding one on the top handle. These contrast the pack’s leather look, making it feel premium and unique.

We’ve got two side pockets that secure with a hook-and-loop fastener; however, they aren’t very useful. They’re too small for most travel water bottles here at Pack Hacker HQ, though they work for snacks, like a protein bar. For example, a 32 ounce Nalgene won’t fit, and most 16 ounce insulated bottles won’t either. However, your phone will fit inside, but that’s an awkward storage location, as it isn’t the easiest to access because of the rigid materials.

Fit Notes

The back panel of this bag is well-padded and has solid aeration to keep you comfortable. The sides of the back panel don’t go all the way to the edge of the pack, so there are a few areas where the faux leather sits on your back, which can be hot as that material doesn’t breathe well. Still, it’s pretty comfortable.

The shoulder straps are padded and aerated, too, and are just as comfortable as the back panel is. There isn’t much going on here regarding extra features; however, it does what it’s supposed to do. You’ll be comfortable walking through LaGuardia or a market in Lankaran.

The entire back panel is a luggage pass-through, which is odd as it’s long. If you have rolling luggage with an extra large handle, it may not fit through, though we’ve been able to make every handle we’ve tried work (and we have a lot of carry on luggage to test it with). There’s a zipper on the bottom of the back panel to open the pass-through, and you can use it as a hidden pocket by closing the bottom. It has a small hook-and-loop fastener at the top for security, though we wouldn’t put anything too important in there! It works for a book or notebook, though.

Inside The Pack

Under the top handle, there’s a small pocket for sunglasses. It is lined with a soft material so the lenses won’t scratch and is easy to access on the go should the sun come out or go behind clouds for an extended period. The external fabric offers enough padding to ensure your glasses are still safe, whether they’re in there for the duration of a storm or all night long.

We’ve got a front pocket that has side access, too. It’s small, so you can’t fit more than a phone and a travel wallet. You can access this pocket while the bag is on by shifting the pack forward with one shoulder strap. This is a good place for a snack, too, if you’re prone to getting hungry while exploring a new place or on the way home from work.

There’s a hidden pocket on the back panel accessible from the bottom corner. Flat items like passports or travel documents do well here. It would be challenging for anyone to get inside this pocket without you knowing, so we recommend using this spot for things you want to keep secure.

The main compartment is where the real party is. There isn’t much organization, but we have more than enough space to stow our gear here. The zipper forms what we’ve started to call a half-clamshell opening. The zippers go about halfway down the sides of the pack, making for a mini-horse shoe-style opening. We wish they went down further so we could open the bag wider for easier access; however, it’s easy enough to snag your gear.

The flap has a zippered mesh pocket inside. This pocket allows you to see what you’ve got stowed inside. It’s a solid place for tech, cables, and a battery bank. If you don’t carry a lot of this kind of gear, you might be able to forgo a tech pouch entirely and just use this pocket.

The laptop compartment is on the back wall. It’s pretty well padded, and one of the sides has a soft material to keep your computer safe. It’s unclear why only one side is soft, but it’s nice to see the inclusion in general, as it prevents scratches on your device—on one side, at least. This compartment is raised, too, so your laptop isn’t resting on the ground when you set the bag down.

There’s a zippered compartment on top of the laptop slider; however, it doesn’t go all the way down, which feels like a miss. Instead, this is a solid place to stow documents and other essential things, so long as they’re flat.

The rest of the main compartment is open space, which you can load up with gear or organize with pouches and packing cubes.

@packhackerhq This backpack looks familiar 👀 @sprayground #sprayground #spraygroundbackpack ♬ original sound – Pack Hacker

While it isn’t the most practical pack we’ve tested, we can’t diminish the uniqueness offered by a bag like this. It’s colorful, comfortable, and fun. If you’ve already got most of your gear sorted with rolling luggage, why not have fun with your backpack?