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Review: Lifeproof Squamish 20L Backpack

LifeProof's first backpack does a lot right, but falls short of the mark.
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Lifeproof

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Rating:

6/10

WIRED
As befits the LifeProof brand, your laptop and phone will stay bone-dry. Nifty sidey-hidey pocket. Bright interior for finding your goodies. Quilted foam back and shoulder panels maximize airflow.
TIRED
Too expensive for what you get. Won't fit anyone under 5'5". A little too technical-looking to take to work.

The market for work backpacks that can double as rugged daypacks is pretty crowded. For years, many dedicated bag manufacturers have been engaged in the quest to make the One Backpack That Can Rule Them All, that can haul your laptop and lunch during the week and double as a traveling or hiking backpack on the weekends.

So when LifeProof sent me tester models of its very first backpack line, I was skeptical. LifeProof is best known for waterproof, drop-proof, dirt-proof phone cases, but when it comes to backpacks, what could they offer that companies like GoRuck or Tom Bihn haven’t covered?

I’ve been using the 20-liter Squamish as my daily backpack for several weeks now, to go hiking, walking, biking, and skateboarding. For the very first backpack a company has ever made, it has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, there are just a lot of other, more attractive options available right now.

Weekday Warrior

LifeProof’s new backpacks range in size and price point, from the $100 18-liter Quito to the $180 Squamish XL. The Quito doesn’t have a laptop sleeve, just a cinch-top, which makes it a little less versatile.

While most backpacks that claim to do double-duty for work and active situations, the Squamish is really a hiking backpack that has watertight tech pockets and a watertight laptop pocket sewn in. Rather than presenting a sleek, minimalist appearance, the Squamish's exterior bristles with features: Mesh side pockets, an adjustable sternum and waist straps, external tie straps, a padded grab handle, and a large cinch pocket with a neon-yellow bungee.

At 17.7 inches tall, the 20-liter Squamish is just a little too tall to be comfortable on my 5-foot, 2-inch torso. It’s made of water-repellent Cordura that gives it a rugged, matte finish. In the Stealth Black colorway, the interior is made of neon yellow fabric to help you see all your belongings. The back panel and shoulder straps are made of a soft, quilted foam with raised channels that maximize airflow. This is one of the first backpacks I’ve tested that hasn’t given me an irretrievably sweaty back and shoulders. It also has room for a 3-liter hydration reservoir that neatly fit my Camelbak.

The mesh side pockets neatly stored my water bottle and thermos, and the cinch pocket fit my extra-large bike helmet and was a convenient place to stuff my extra layers. There’s also a nifty little side pocket behind one of the mesh pockets that is a handy place for hiding your wallet or keys, anything that needs to be quickly accessible but not easily found.

This bag wouldn’t be a LifeProof bag without dedicated places to store your tech. The front exterior pocket is fleece-lined and has a water-resistant zipper with zipper guards. It also has a fleece-lined phone pocket in the interior and a side-access zip to a separate, watertight, padded 13-inch laptop compartment on the back. The laptop compartment also has an additional pocket that fit both my Kindle and iPad mini.

Of course, I had to put this bag's watertightness to the test. I put towels in all the compartments and put it in my shower for three minutes. After shampooing and conditioning (just kidding), I checked the towels in each compartment. While the towel in the main compartment had gotten soaked on the bottom, the washcloth and towel in the laptop compartment and fleece were completely dry. Go LifeProof!

Time After Time

The poor daypack really deserves a second look. A lot of thought goes into designing and choosing work backpacks, travel bags, and backpacking gear. But when it comes to tooling around in the woods for a couple hours, most of us just throw a water bottle and a sandwich in whatever bag we have handy. LifeProof is guessing that most of the time, that backpack will be your work one.

It's not a bad idea. If you live in a rainy area, the tech compartments are as watertight as any that I’ve ever seen. I liked the bright neon interior. And while I’m not generally a fan of tiny organizational pockets, I did end up using the fleece-lined tech pockets. My phone doesn’t have a cover on the screen, and I never have a case for my sunglasses, so it was nice to have a safe, scratch-free spot for them.

While the quilted back panel and shoulder straps are unusual-looking, they are effective. I took the backpack on a fifteen-mile bike ride and didn’t have a sweaty back when I got home.

Unfortunately, for me, the Squamish misses the mark. If you’re looking for a small, affordable, laptop backpack, the 20-liter version of the Thule Accent daypack is more appropriate for a work environment, and is $40 cheaper. If you’re looking for weatherproof durability, I'd probably roll with the Tom Bihn Synapse 19, which is equally tough, more versatile when it comes to storage, and comes with a lifetime warranty for only $50 more.

But if you’re a fan of LifeProof’s bomber phone cases and their highly technical look, you and your phone will be right at home with the Squamish. As far as backpacks go, this is an impressive, if flawed, first attempt.