Herschel Retreat Backpack, Black, Classic 19.5L

Really sturdy. I like the magnetic clips. My laptop fits in the sleeve 15". I put in my 3 notebooks, my mouse & ergonomic keyboard and pencil pouch but it has room for a bit more although if you fill it up it might not close. I wish it had a zipper at the top to out things in the front pocket is a nice size but I would put anything that might fall out in there. I wish it had a side pocket for a water bottle. I don't know how useful this would be for traveling maybe if it's the personal item but not a carry-on type bag. For a school backpack/commuter bag should do great! Very stylish.

I bought this right before school started to carry all my books and I love it. It is a little big for my size (I'm 5'1) but it fits everything I need to take on a daily basis to school and work. If your a student and have to carry a few books at a time I would definitely recommend it. It's a little bigger than the "Survey" (I had originally got the "Survey" book bag but it was too small) but not as big as the "Little America" book bag. The "Retreat" fits about two 3-inch thick books and one 2-inch book and with room for other stuff. I've used it everyday for the about past 6 months and so far so good, still looks new. I love the grey color and the white and red lining on the inside and the closing at the too if the bag along with the buttons, much better than the "Survey" which has no closing. The only downside I would say is the little pocket on the outside, I try not to put anything in it because since it's kinda small and tight I'm always afraid it'll come out. Other wise thumbs up!

I bough this along with 2 other backpacks and 3 large purses trying to find a solution for the perfect student/laptop/camera/city bag as I go to school in Paris coming up. I expect to ride the bike a lot, but really wanted something that would also serve as a purse... i.e. something convertible. Grabbed this one just in case and really it is fantastic. The padding for my laptop (15" MBP retina) makes me comfortable to take it out of it's sleeve and just use the pouch provided in the backpack. It is super comfortable, roomy, secure and looks great. It was the most expensive of all of the options I picked up (hence the reason I was hoping it wouldn't be my favorite), but it really is. It is a big backpack, but doesn't look super huge or bulky because the design is pretty clean and simple. It would also serve as a great little overnight/weekend bag if you pack light!

I got the PLUM for someone as a Gift, and they loved it! The detailing is great and well made, the dimensions definitely pop! This design seems limited editiin because i haven't seen it anywhere else, and living out in SoCal everyone wears this brand, i love the fact that it has a really nice velour lining for place of a laptop or any type of fragile thing you decide to carry, simple pockets, easily adjustable straps, and good material, water resistant. Easy to clean. Also very trendy in aesthetics. GREAT BUY,A

You definitely get the quality you pay for here- after about eight months of use, it's showing no signs of wear and still looks pretty new. The straps are really well padded and comfortable. I often carry my laptop and several textbooks at a time, and it reduces the stress on my shoulders very well. The only downside is the lack of pockets. There is one small (but very deep) velcro-closure pocket on the inside of the bag and one slightly larger on the outside front with no closure. **3 year update** there is some fading on the straps, and the buckles on the front are cracked where it opens and closes. These are such minor issues considering what this backpack has been through that it’s not a complaint. I put it through the wash once (inside out on a gentle cycle, air dry) and it came out just fine! This bag has done me so well, but I wouldn’t repurchase for three reasons: 1. lack of interior pockets make it hard to organize 2. the bag is really deep so it can fit lots of things, but it’s easy to lose things/hard to organize 3. the only exterior pocket doesn’t have a closure so you can’t use it long term

Bottom Line: This backpack is exactly what it claims to be. 1. I can’t fit a lot of stuff inside. I know there were some reviews about the lack of space but I honestly don’t understand how. I added a picture of some stuff I wanted to fit in on my first try and there was plenty of room after that. I can carry my laptop and daily stuff and a jacket and my coffee mug and my water bottle/jug and still have room. So much room. 2. It is not hard to locate your stuff. Seriously I’m not especially organized and I can reach in there and find whatever I’m looking for quickly. If you need your wallet often put it on top or spend literally 15 seconds looking for it. 3. The front pocket is not useless. I put some cheap sunglasses and my car keys in there. Haven’t lost any of that. For my important small stuff I have a little pouch I got with my laptop sleeve I stick in there. 4. I added a picture of the new/not fully loaded backpack on my back. I’m 5’ 2 and a little chubby but it fits fine. It’s taller rather then fatter so it feels and looks a little different on the back. 5. Not quite rain resistant. I’ve walked through some rain and it has gotten wet but not soaked. Stuff ok on the inside though. I wouldn’t walk through a rain shower with it. 6. Drawstring with flap is nice and a little bit more difficult for pickpockets. Good quality. 7. If your package doesn’t quite look like mine you’ve likely gotten an imitator or knock-off. I’m pretty sure I didn’t have that issue based on the tags and bag and emblem all being present and looking correct. Buy from amazon directly if you can.

Everyone and their sister has this backpack on my campus, and I always thought that it was just an expensive trend with no basis. However I gave in when I realized how awful my $25 backpack with no back support or strap padding was when I was lugging around my things on campus. I wanted something sturdier and with an amazon giftcard to subsidize part of the cost, I went for it. I love this backpack so much, it literally is the most comfortable thing to carry and looks amazing. One caveat: Amazon definitely has the sizing wrong. If you compare the height of the Herschel Retreat backpack on other websites you see a difference from 16" to 18". I've even seen some websites list 21". It is definitely bigger than 16". The flap on top adds an extra 1"-2" so I guess that is where the deviation lies. Do not buy this backpack if you are looking for a small day pack to go shopping with, it is meant to be big enough to lug around your waterbottle, laptop, books, and a change of clothes.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this bag! I was stuck between this one and the "Little America" Herschel bag because of the size but I am so glad I went with this one. It is a BIG bag guys, its not tiny-looking like in the pictures. The Little America bag is more for those of you who want to go hiking maybe and take a whole bunch of stuff with you. If you're just looking for a bag to carry around campus I promise you this is more than enough. The quality is really nice, very stylish, and I like the special laptop sleeve. The only con is the lack of extra pockets on this bag (I just wish the front one had a zipper). Other than that I really can't complain. No matter how many books I have in there it just feels like nothing.

Buen producto, me gusta mucho la calidad que tiene la marca en sus productos. Solo que no leí bien y me deje llevar por las imágenes. Pensé que era roja y es naranja 😅. Fuera de eso me gustó.

Erano anni che volevo comprarlo, e dopo averlo visto ad un collega mi sono decisa. Io l’ho preso essenzialmente per andare al lavoro, perchè mi permette di portare pc, miei oggetti, pranzo, una bottiglia d’acqua ed eventualmente una borsetta se voglio fermarmi in giro dopo il lavoro: lo lascio nel baule della macchina e porto con me solo la borsetta. Esteticamente è bello, solido, capiente, rifinito molto bene, è super comodo ed é uno di quegli oggetti che ti fanno sentire sempre a posto dalla mattina alla sera. Mi capita di usarlo anche quando vado via nei week end, perfetto. È uno zaino comunque da città a mio avviso, non lo userei per trekking o escursioni: per quello uso uno zaino vans un po piû sportivo.

Brought for a Christmas Present and it was extremely well received.

My previous Herschel back broke after 5 years of rough use, and this bag looks like it'll last just as long. I wasn't sure as it's much cheaper than on the Herschel site but it seems genuine. The colour is a little darker than I was expecting but still looks great

Bellissimo come mi aspettavo che fosse. Comodo, robusto e molto capiente, mia figlia lo usa per i libri scolastici e insieme ci stà benissimo anche il pc.