Eddie’s Energy Bars Blog

As promised, fellow readers, the following is my review on the Symbiot Sportback. Symbiot is a company that I am looking to partner with in the future, because, in my eyes, they have a great product, and they are revolutionizing the way backpacks are made.

As it currently feels like March over here in Vermont (cold and rainy days), I was unable to actually give this bag the full test I was planning on. I had planned on taking it for a bike ride into downtown Richmond. Regardless, I took the bag for a walk and a run on my treadmill in the basement, and then climbed the stairs to simulate a hike.

At first glance, the sportback is not your ordinary backpack. It fit nicely and snuggly on my upper-body, snapping in front with two clips. I kept on finding little pockets for everything. There is one larger compartment in the back where I put my LL Bean fleece. There was enough remaining room to fit an extra t-shirt in there, perfect for a hike during the day. I loved that I still had room for some homemade energy bars. There is also a pocket for a water basin to go into, as well as two smaller velcro pockets on the front, of which I put my ipod in one, and my cellphone, and they fit in easily. They were both a little hard to take out, however, I guess that’s the point–you don’t want your stuff to fall out!

When I first put the pack on, it honestly felt like it shouldn’t be there, but I quickly became acustomed to it. The padding throughout the back and up on to the shoulders is a nice touch, and made it feel very comfortable on me.

I started out walking with the pack on, and it felt weird, but that was because I wasn’t used to it. After five minutes of walking, I couldn’t even feel it. Now, the real test began. I went for a run with the Sportback, and it certainly excelled.

When I increased the speed on the treadmill, and got to a steady running pace, I gave it a couple of tests. First off, I thought I would feel movement, but there was none. I was very impressed because I usually have those drawstring bags, that I hate to run and bike with because they sway back and forth, so I stopped using them. With the sportback, I will now be able to carry my cellphone when I go for a ride, and have easy access to it. I took a fake phonecall, and was able to take it out, with more ease than I expected, and to put it back in without a challenge. I then discovered something that really makes me happy: the material on one of the front pockets is thin enough so that I was able to change the song and turn up the volume without removing my ipod. This is great for when I am on the road and want to switch songs. Mind you, this was all done while I was running. I didn’t stop to figure this out.  I’m sold on th benefits of this pack, and when I get outside to bike, I will probably end up writing about how much I like the pack again.

Overall, I am very impressed with this bag. I like the upper-torso style that allows for complete mobility, and the simplicity of the design. The two front pockets allow for easy access to items you need quickly, and the fact that the pack doesn’t move at all is an even bigger plus. On my bikes, hikes, and runs I will be sure to take this bag along with me.

Find out more about Symbiot or order a bag.

Michael
Eddie’s Energy Bars