Egoelife Canvas Review
Cons: No weather-protection, no laptop sleeve, not very durable
Manufacturer: Egoelife
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Egoelife Canvas | |||||
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| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $23.99 at Amazon | $179.00 at Amazon | $79.00 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $140.00 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $71.55 at Backcountry |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Cheap, comfortable, easy to use and organize | Waterproof laptop sleeve, weather resistant, easy to use, great features, ambidextrous, brightly colored interior | Durable, comfortable, simple but thoughtful storage, customizable | Waterproof, comfortable, lightweight, highly durable, ambidextrous shoulder strap | Incredibly durable and weather resistant, ambidextrous strap, spacious |
| Cons | No weather-protection, no laptop sleeve, not very durable | Exterior water bottle pocket is small, shoulder padding can get bunched up, tips over easily when set down | Minimal features for electronics | Tips over easily when set down, doesn't have very many pockets, expensive | Stiff when new, boxy shape, buckle on shoulder strap is bulky, very loud to open |
| Bottom Line | This bag isn't fancy or technical, but it's highly affordable and totally sufficient as a simple messenger for casual use | This well-featured bag is feature-rich, fully ambidextrous, and highly weatherproof | This tried and true design continues to be one of the best simple messenger bags on the market | With thoughtful features and burly weatherproofing, it's comfortable, lightweight, and ready to be your go-to bag | Checks all the right boxes of what makes a great messenger bag, including looking super stylish |
| Rating Categories | Egoelife Canvas | Timbuk2 Especial Stash | Timbuk2 Classic | Arc'teryx Granville 10 | Topo Designs Messenger |
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Packing & Organization (25%) | |||||
| Electronics (15%) | |||||
| Ease Of Use (15%) | |||||
| Wear & Tear (10%) | |||||
| Volume To Weight Ratio (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Egoelife Canvas | Timbuk2 Especial... | Timbuk2 Classic | Arc'teryx... | Topo Designs... |
| Measured Weight | 1.43 lbs | 2.18 lbs | 2 lbs | 1.15 lbs | 2.66 lbs |
| Measured Volume | 10 L | 20 L | 21 L | 10 L | 13 L |
| OGL Volume/Weight Ratio | 6.99 | 9.17 | 10.50 | 8.70 | 4.89 |
| Dimensions | 13.5 x 10.8 x 3.1 in | 17.5 x 12.2 x 4.72 in | 14.6 x 12.2 x 7.1 in | 16 x 10.5 x 5 in | 17 x 12 x 6 in |
| Shoulder preference | Either | Either | Either but optimized for left | Either | Either |
| Number of Compartments | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Number of Large Pockets | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Number of Small Pockets (i.e. sleeves for pens, thin items) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Zipper Pockets | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Key Clip? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reflective Material? | No | Yes | Yes, on bottom straps | No | Yes |
| External Side Pocket | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Sleeve For Laptop? | No | Yes - 15" | Yes - 15" | Yes - 12" | Yes - 15" |
| Stabilizing Cross Strap | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Available Sizes | One Size | One Size | XS, S, M, L | 10L and 16L | One Size |
| Size Tested | One Size | One Size | Medium | 10L | One Size |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Egoelife is a simple book bag. About as unpretentious as it gets, it's ideal for a student or professional without a lot of electronics.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
At first glance, we didn't expect much from this small and flimsy canvas bag, but it's surprisingly comfortable! Despite having zero shoulder strap padding, it distributes weight very effectively, even when packed heavy. It's also the perfect size to sit squarely in the small of the back without poking anywhere. It does not have a crossbody strap, but for simple bike rides, it stays in place, probably due to the non-slippy nature of the canvas.
Packing & Organization
This is another category where we ended up pleasantly surprised. For how light and flimsy the Egoelife is, organization feels intuitive and well laid out. There's a zippered pocket on the outside front and back, and the two large pockets under the flap are ample. The interior has another small zip pocket and two thin drop pockets. The drop pockets don't feel useful for much because the lining is thin and baggy, but there are quite a few good options. There aren't any pen/pencil sleeves, so a separate pouch for small items might be a wise addition.
Electronics
You can absolutely put electronics in the Egoelife; we fit a 13" Macbook, but this isn't an optimal bag for such things. There's no laptop sleeve or padding, and the material is not weather-resistant in the slightest. If you need to bring your gadgets along every once in a while, you will be fine (the pockets work well for cords and such), but if you plan to have a computer with you every single day, this isn't the most optimal option.
Ease of Use
No doubt about it, this bag is easy to use. There's nothing complicated or technical, just the basics here.
Wear & Tear
The Egoelife is just a simple canvas bag with a fabric liner. The canvas is decently thick, but it doesn't have any coating or treatment to keep water out or stains from soaking in. With casual use, this bag will no doubt last for many years, but if you're hard on your gear or in inclement weather often, this isn't the bag for you.
Volume to Weight Ratio
This bag weighs 1.43 pounds, and we measured the volume to be about 10 liters. This is a decent volume to weight ratio, but not stellar. That being said, the interior packs well, so even with less capacity than other bags in our review, we didn't feel overly constrained.
Value
This is the current cheapest bag in our review by a long shot. No, it doesn't have fancy features, weatherproofing, or a ton of space, but for simple and casual day to day use, it's great, and the cost is hard to beat.
Conclusion
The Egoelife isn't fancy, but it doesn't claim to be. If your needs are simple and non-technical, there's no reason why this ridiculously cheap bookbag can't cover all your bases. The pockets are useful, it's comfortable, and it's as easy to use as can be. Just don't expect it to keep your electronics very safe or be able to weather a storm.
— Penney Garrett