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Wole Femi Asaolu
- Last Updated | June 30, 2023
- 10 Comments
Our Verdict
Welcome to our Herschel Little America backpack review.
If you want a stylish backpack to accommodate your items, the Little American backpack might just do it for you. It doesn’t offer much in the way of organization in term of pockets and compartments.
However, with a large 25L capacity, a durable polyester material, and a well-padded laptop sleeve, this is a well-designed pack.
Our Verdict
Welcome to our Herschel Little America backpack review.
If you want a stylish backpack to accommodate your items, the Little American backpack might just do it for you. It doesn’t offer much in the way of organization in term of pockets and compartments.
However, with a large 25L capacity, a durable polyester material, and a well-padded laptop sleeve, this is a well-designed pack.
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Our Verdict
Welcome to our Herschel Little America backpack review.
If you want a stylish backpack to accommodate your items, the Little American backpack might just do it for you. It doesn’t offer much in the way of organization in term of pockets and compartments.
However, with a large 25L capacity, a durable polyester material, and a well-padded laptop sleeve, this is a well-designed pack.
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Pros
- Versatile
You can use this bag for daily carry, outdoor uses and minimal travel.
- Comfortable
The harness system is very well padded such that you would have a pleasant wear experience.
- Spacious
At 25L, this is a big size bag with enough space for your school, travel, or outdoor gears.
- Fleece-lined laptop sleeve
Laptop sleeve with suspension bottom protects your machine from bumps and falls.
- Beautiful colorways
Herschel offers 42 amazing colors to match your style and personality.
- Lifetime warranty
Herschel offers a limited lifetime warranty for the bag.
Cons
- Organization not great
The bag has only one exterior pocket, neither does it have internal organizers. So it isn’t helpful for those small quick access items.
- No water bottle holder
There’s no provision for your water bottle, umbrella or any big item you’d like to have easy access to.
- No hip nor chest strap
When your bag is loaded and heavy, there’s no way to distribute the weight across the body.
Pros
- Versatile
You can use this bag for daily carry, outdoor uses and minimal travel.
- Comfortable
The harness system is very well padded such that you would have a pleasant wear experience.
- Spacious
At 25L, this is a big size bag with enough space for your school, travel, or outdoor gears.
- Fleece-lined laptop sleeve
Padded laptop sleeve with suspension bottom protects your goods from bumps and falls.
- Beautiful colorways
Herschel offers 42 amazing colors to match your style and personality.
- Lifetime warranty
Herschel offers a limited lifetime warranty for the bag.
Cons
- Organization not great
The bag has only one exterior pocket and no internal organizer and so isn’t helpful for those small quick access items.
- No water bottle holder
There’s no provision for your water bottle, umbrella or any big item you’d like to have easy access to.
- No hip nor chest strap
When your bag is loaded and heavy, there’s no way to distribute the weight across the body.
Table of Contents
Herschel Little America Backpack Review
Herschel’s Little America backpack is popular. It’s not uncommon to see this stylish pack on people’s back.
However, popularity doesn’t necessarily equate to great functionality nor durability.
Which brings us to the big question – is it any good?
In this hands-on Herschel Little America backpack review, we’ll take a closer look at all of its features and design details to determine if it’s a versatile pack that’ll meet your needs.
Let’s go.
Herschel Supply Co. in a Snapshot
Herschel Supply Co. was founded by two brothers, Jamie and Lyndon Cormack in 2009.
Based in Vancouver, Canada, the brand is dedicated to designing quality bags and travel accessories and have different collections for adults and kids alike.
Herschel Supply Company product collection includes backpacks, duffels, messengers, totes, apparel, and other travel accessories.
In fact, the brand have even been involved in collaborations with top brands like Coca-Cola, Disney, NBA amongst others.
Design & Quality
The Little America pack is an iconic and stylish bag from Herschel.
It has that mountaineering style with flaps and buckles that manages to be minimal and rich at the same time.
It’s no wonder it’s popular.
There are about 42 different color options to ensure there’s a style and design for everyone.
It ranges from varieties of single or duo tone colors, to floral prints and even military styles. In fact, the materials and colors for the straps differ as well. Some materials are rubber while others are synthetic leathers, even as some straps maintain one color or a mix of different colors.
Really, you’re spoil for choice!
Also, the pack comes in four different sizes but this review will focus on the standard 25L bag.
Notably, this bag doesn’t joke around when it comes to protecting your gear. It features a 15” floating padded laptop protection sleeve from drop impacts, a large space for your gears and an external front pocket for your quick access items.
What’s more?
Herschel Supply Co. provides ergonomic carry technology and a limited lifetime warranty to ensure you get the bang for your buck.
Materials & Construction
Is the Herschel backpack good quality?
Crafted with a 100% polyester construction, this bag is not only lightweight, but also durable against abrasions, impacts, and the element.
Polyester may not be the best material to use on packs because it’s obviously not cordura nor ballistic nylons that’s used in more high-end bags, still it works and as many have found out, is very hard-wearing.
But what about weatherproof protection?
Well, the Herschel Little America backpack is made of a lightweight and water-resistant polyester.
So while the backpack isn’t waterproof, you can be sure that if you get caught in a slight drizzle, it’ll hold it end.
Still, I’d suggest carrying a rain cover if you’ll be going to a wetter climate, especially if you’re carrying a laptop.
Another place this backpack shins is its various design styles.
Depending on the style design you choose, you either get a faux leather or rubber detailing that features a magnetic strap closure and an adjustable drawstring for access which add to the bag’s aesthetics.
You’ll definitely get tons of compliments!
When you pull the string tight, and close the flip cover, it secures everything nice and neat.
The only place a zip is used is at the exterior bottom pocket. It’s the YKK brand and so runs conflict free, as expected.
The Hershel Little America backpack isn’t perfect.
There are some construction details that are lacking and I’ll tell you about them all.
First off, there’s no water bottle pocket on any side of the bag.
Also, there’s no chest nor waist strap to enable you distribute the weight more evenly.
But it’s still a very comfortable bag, as the back panel and shoulder straps are very well padded with mesh covering for ventilation.
Let’s check out its other features.
By one side of the bag, you have a little port where you can put the cord of your headphone through to help you listen to music on the go. There’s also a little elastic around the adjustable straps to fold and tuck the excess so you don’t have long and dangling straps around you.
All of the hardware, from the metallic magnet to the rubber/leather buckle clasp and zippers have a synchronized color design to blend in well.
In terms of capacity, this bag has an impressive 25L storage space that’s large enough for school, travel and whatnot.
However, if you want something smaller, there are sized down versions of this bag ranging from 19.5L to 14L, so you can select your choice.
And what is better than this well-made bag?
The Herschel Little America Backpack Pro.
This updated version is an improvement on the features that were lacking in the iconic signature backpack.
Fit & Comfort
The classic exterior design of the bag may look like it’s hard to access but it’s not.
See, all the straps buckle are just magnetic clasps, so you won’t have to buckle and unbuckle every time just to access the interior of the bag.
However, to access the bottom pocket, you have to do two things first – open the magnetic buckle clasps and then the zippers, which isn’t very convenient but practical for extra security.
The main and small pocket interior is lined with the Herschel signature red and white stripes lining which is smooth and bright for easy location of items.
A major disappointment in the design is the lack of pockets to aid organization.
The only external pocket is just a small empty space with a key clip.
But it’s a good wear as you have a very well-padded back panel with mesh for breathability. It’s squishy and well cushioned to keep it from being too hard on your bag even if you have heavy items in there.
Additionally, the contoured backpack straps ensure your pack stays put and won’t slip around during wear.
You also have a top handle for hanging up the bag or lifting it about, which is always handy, trust me.
However, do keep in mind that this is a pretty big bag and if you have a small frame, you may want to go for the mid-volume sized bag for a better fit.
Storage & Organization
The Little American bag is not so little after all.
At 25L, there’s enough room for any occasion you want to use it for, be it school, work, camping, travel and/or outdoor.
My main dissatisfaction with the storage is the inadequate external pockets to aid organization.
On the sides, there’s no water bottle pocket but a rubber grommet to put your head/earphones through.
Front pocket with key holder:
This front pocket comes with a hidden zipper and a key holder so you can secure your phone, wallet and of course, your attached keys.
It’s not huge and has no form of organization here whatsoever, just a bright lined little space.
Main compartment:
Inside the main compartment is a big empty space.
It’s lined with a red strap stripe fabric/bright colored fabric so it’s very easy to see stuff down the bottom.To access, you have to open the magnetic strap closures and adjust the drawstring so you can throw in your books, clothes or packing cubes in there.
Laptop sleeve:
Inside the main compartment, you get a well-padded laptop sleeve that can easily fit a 15″ laptop. Its soft fleece lined to not scratch your laptop and suspended off the bottom for protection.
Internal pockets:
On the inside of the bag are two little device pockets so you can put an mp3 player, camera, or iPod in, if you want to.
Price
First off, the Little American bag is a bit of an investment.
But most importantly, the color design and material construction of bag you choose determines the actual price of the products.
On the Herschel website, there are the Birds of Herschel, Classic, Disney, color mix designs collections.
Each collection comes with its own unique price tag, meaning they all don’t come at the same price.
So be sure to check the price after you’ve selected your preferred choice.
Note: If you’re not getting your bag from Herschel directly, double check to be sure it’s from an authorized retailer.
Warranty
How does Herschel lifetime limited warranty really work?
The Little American backpack comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
It covers manufacturing or workmanship defects.
However, the warranty does not cover damage caused by accident, normal wear and tear, abuse of the pack on your part or the natural breakdown of colors and materials over extended time and use.
Note: If you’re not getting your bag from Herschel directly, double check to be sure it’s from an authorized retailer.
The bags come with a limited lifetime warranty, so if there’s any manufacturing defect, they’ll replace it for you, but only if you buy from an authorized dealer.
And always keep that receipt, so that if something does break, you can get a replacement.
You can learn more about it here.
Users Thoughts/Reviews
So, what are the downsides?
Some people reviewed that the snaps are difficult or come off after a while.
But you just have to be careful with how hard you pull on the straps (just like anything else.)
I will also say that I did see that some people found that the 15-inch laptop compartment is really kind of designed for a 15-inch MacBook.
So, if you have a laptop that’s significantly thicker than that, it might actually have a hard time fitting in there. So, you might want to be aware of that before you buy it.
And of course, the main problem – not enough organizational features. No water bottle pockets and no large internal compartments.
Plus, the front pocket is small and the big space inside the bag isn’t ideal for small items.
But overall, lots of people think that the bag looks great with nice design details and quality.
That’s why I’m giving this a 4.2 out of 5 stars rating in this Little American backpack review.
Herschel Little America Backpack Mid
If you don’t want something big or you have a small frame, the Herschel Little America backpack Mid Volume bag comes to the rescue.
Smaller at 17L and lighter at 1.79 lbs, it’s perfect for a normal and everyday use.
It shares same features with its bigger brother, the standard Little American 25L sized bag.
You can check it out here.
Alternative to consider – Herschel Little America Backpack pro
If you like the Herschel Little America backpack but only wish it is more organization and environmentally friendly, well you’re in luck!
This updated version is an improvement on the features that were lacking in the iconic signature backpack.
Unlike its predecessor, this one features a 100% recycled fabric, and more internal pockets for organization, including two bottle pockets.
In fact, the standard sized model (28L), has a dedicated sunglasses compartment.
Also, the sizes are different.
While the original Little America Backpack has a 14L, 17L, 19.5L and 25L capacity bags, the Pro is bigger with a 17L, 21.5L, 22L, and 28L capacity.
Another difference is that, each bag in the Pro collection is spacious enough to hold 15” laptops and two water bottle pockets.
Bigger and lighter, with more pockets, it’s perfect for a everyday use, school and travel.
You can check it out here.
FAQs
Is Herschel Little America too big?
The Herschel Little America is not too big, nor too small, depending on what you need.
In terms of capacity, the Standard pack has an impressive 25-liter storage space as you have seen in this Herschel Little America backpack review, making it the biggest in the collection.
It is thus large enough for school, light traveling and even everyday carry.
The pack can comfortably fit a 15″ laptop, tablet, camera, books and even a change of clothes, if you want to.
But the 25L Herschel Little America backpack may be too big if you have a small frame or when you don’t want something big.
Not to worry.
The Herschel Little America backpack has sized down versions – 14L, 17l, and 19.5L– so you can select your choice.
Is Herschel Little America Backpack waterproof?
Sadly, it is not.
from this Herschel Little America backpack review, we’ve established that it is made of a lightweight polyester, which is quite water resistant. If you get caught in a slight drizzle, it’ll hold it end.
Still, I’d suggest carrying a rain cover if you’ll be going to a wetter climate, especially if you’re carrying a laptop.
If you are interested in waterproof laptop backpacks,
If you’re interested in waterproof laptop backpacks with great protection for your devices, be sure to check out my guide to the best waterproof laptop backpacks.
What is Herschel Little America?
The Herschel Little America backpack is a popular and stylish offering designed for school, light travels, and everyday carry.
It stands out for its mountaineering style with flaps and buckles on the exterior.
Perhaps, its appeal to different tastes is its selling point.
in this Herschel Little America backpack review, we have seen that the collection comes in different sizes (19.5L to 25L), colors ( 24 shades) as well as styles (floral prints, duo tone colors, military inspired designs, rubber, synthetic leathers, etc.) to accommodate tastes.
There’s even an updated version, known as the Herschel Little America Backpack Pro.
Unlike its predecessor, this one features a recycled fabric, and more internal pockets for organization.
Is Herschel Backpack expensive?
To be fair, the Herschel Little America is relatively expensive. For instance, the classic 25L model is over $100.
But most importantly, the color, design and material construction of bag you choose determines the actual price of the products.
So, they don’t come at the same price.
However, this Herschel Little America backpack review has shown that the backpacks are well made and are worth the investment.
How many liters is the Herschel Little America Backpack?
Like I said earlier, the Herschel Little America Backpack comes in different sizes.
This feature is great because you get to select the liter capacity that’ll fit your needs.
The standard version’s storage in this Herschel Little America backpack review is 25L storage capacity.
However, there are sized-down versions of this bag ranging from 19.5L to 14L, so you can go for the bag with the best capacity that works for you.
Final Thoughts
The Little America backpack is packed with ample storage and details that make it a perfect candidate for lots of purposes, be it for work, travel or as a camera gear bag.
The back is made of a thick material, the black straps are nicely done, and the laptop sleeve is soft so your laptop is safe from scratches.
And the color options and styles are aaaamazing!
That said, I have given a 4.2 out of 5 rating in my Hershel Little America backpack review because of the lack of organizational features as if Herschel chose style over function.
Nonetheless, I recommend the Little American bag for its spacious capacity and it’s innovative floating laptop sleeve to keep your machine safe from accidental drops – a feature that’s not that common in all backpacks.
But if you prefer something smaller, you can check out the Little America backpack Mid volume as a viable alternative.
Also be sure to check out my detailed guide on the Nordace Siena backpack review.
Why You Should Trust Travelccessories
If you’re looking for trustworthy guidance on travel accessories, you can count on Travelccessories. Femi, an expert in travel gear, and our team have put together a comprehensive review that draws on our hands-on testing, extensive research on reputable brands, careful examination of product manuals and customer feedback, and evaluation of numerous luggage models.
We specifically looked for bags with robust construction, exceptional features, and high ratings from real users. And most importantly, our team consists of experts who do not accept payment for reviews and are committed to providing honest and thorough information to help you make informed decisions when choosing the right luggage.
Also, this article is not sponsored in any way by any company. These products have been independently selected by myself and my team. And the only thing I receive is a small commission from our affiliate program if you buy any of them through the links and buttons on this page. It doesn’t cost you a penny. But it really helps me out as this money goes to paying for maintaining the website, editing software, my time, team and everything else that goes into preparing this post.
10 thoughts on “Herschel Little America Backpack Review | The Best Stylish Laptop-friendly Backpack?”
Hi Wole, I happen to own two of these already. I have one for business activities and one for my sporting activities. I was just using one at a first and it was great, but after a while was getting normal wear and tear and it did not look the best at the office. My laptop and accessories are protected at all times and I do not leave home without it.
The holiday season is approaching, and I am considering ordering one for my wife.
The backpack review was spot on, and I encourage anyone to purchase one.
I’m not surprised you have 2 of it Rob – the backpack is one of Herschel’s bestsellers and quite a popular one. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Cheers
Femi
I have noticed this backpack on many people. It seems to be a popular one. For me, weight distribution is very important, so the fact that that is not entirely possible is a bit of a con for me. On the other hand, it is made of strong material and it looks very nice, and it seems to be a popular bag with many. I think that for my personal needs, I would prefer to get a Nordace Siena backpack.
Hi Christine,
Welcome back and thanks for your contribution:)
I agree with you that the Nordace Siena backpack is a better option because of the numerous compartments which are not just great for organization but also superb for weight distribution.
Cheers
Femi
Hi Wole,
I love the ergonomic carry technology in the design. The back and shoulders really need the right augmentation of the weight distribution and also for comfort – or as comfortable as carrying anything can be. You’ve done all the research, all I need to do is get this Herschel Little America backpack already. It’s so deep – can carry a lot in there. That they even include their innovative floating laptop sleeve to protect my equipment is unusual for a backpack. These ring of quality. Thank you so much!
Una
What a thorough and helpful review on Herschel Little America backpack.
I was looking for a resistant bag for my laptop and this one seems to be a good fit for me.
It is true there is no internal organizer and limited in terms of pockets like a pocket that can cary a water bottle, but it versality and design make it stand out.
I will definitely check it out.
Thank you, Femi!
I love the Herschel Little America backpack as there are so many colour options to choose from. Plus, I like the fleece lined laptop sleeve. As my laptop is 15 inches it will easily fit. Also, the buckle detailing is attractive, and hole for earphones is a nice touch. Plus, the front pocket is handy for keys and mobile phone. If I was to buy a Little America backpack I would definitely go for the smaller size. Thanks for such an informative review.
Hi Femi, Great review I have looked at Herschel backpacks before. I think they are more fashion accessories than anything else. For me personally, I like the size and especially the laptop compartment and they are very smart but I would want something more waterproof personally I think.
I mean it depends where you are travelling to – my last trip to Scotland I was stuck outside for an hour in the rain I don’t think I would have trusted this Herschel Little America backpack but then these designer bags as long as they are authentic usually have some very good features but this is a big problem, unfortunately, there are a lot of counterfeits for brands like Herschel – people simply make too much money from them.
Hey Femi. Thanks for your insightful review of this Herschel Little America Backpack. I love the fact that it offers spacious department. Additionally the design looks just something I would be proud be wearing in the everyday city/urban life. On the other side, it is not hiking backpack seeing it is not waterproof, lacking additional straps or not offering a bottle holder. For the quality sake I might still consider as present maybe. I think for the urban life it can be still great choice. Cheers
Unbelievable…. Herschel Little America backpack is available in 42 colors??? Haha, there’s practically no chance that they won’t have the color we want!
The protected laptop sleeve is great, but the fact that it is lacking in other compartments is not so good. Segmentation is not always necessary but is sometimes a good option to have.
The size s good, but I think I’ll keep looking for something more suitable for my needs.
Thanks for doing the research and sharing the benefits of this pack with us.