I have bought two of these for my son in the last couple of years. They LOOK heavy duty but on the first one the shoulder straps were poorly made and the padding, stitching and material on the straps all tore or failed. This was not used for anything particularly harsh-it just couldn't handle any kind of weight due to the design. I stiched it back together but it still look kind of junky and I can't see how it could be repaired without new straps. I thought maybe I got a bad one, and my son liked it, so I bought a second one. This one has lasted about 6 months and tore in the rear near the zipper. Again it does not seem to be able to hold much of a load. I contacted Oakley to see what they would do and was told they have a 90 day warranty (I have the email so its in writing). That is not really enough, in my opinion, considering the price. Both Northface and Jansport will provide a lifetime warranty and I have gotten replacements for each over the years. I gave this two stars because overall they look great and if you dont intend to carry anything over 10lbs or so you will like it. If you are buying it as a bookbag, ex. for a student, I would keep looking. I think a $100+ backpack should do a better job, like last several years at least.
My son only used this backpack for about a month and a half, and the nylon ripped on the side. It is very poorly made. The Oakley Icon Backpack is stylish and looks good, but for $140, it should last longer than a couple of months! Unfortunately, I couldn't return it to Amazon because it was past 30 days, and when I called Oakley, they would not exhcange it because it was past their warranty period.
Oakley Mens Icon Backpack
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UPDATE on 10/15/2012 :
1.) Honestly, this has been a poor investment. The cloth covering the padding on the right shoulder strap developed a rip in the seam about 3 months in. It has not gotten much worse since then but I have been pretty careful with it. The padding did however remain in tact.
2.) Worst thing. I was on a hike when the sternum strap just broke off the guides on the strap. I was on a day hike so the bag was barely loaded. This was a real disappointment.
CONCLUSION: I can not recommend this bag anymore. It has been a thorough waste of money. It is definitely spacious but it is not durable. It needs to be babied, apparently. My .02 : Go to REI and buy a real bag.
END OF UPDATE. MY INITIAL REVIEW FOLLOWS:
So, I got this bag after much deliberation but I chose to get the turquoise blue mish mash with several other colors. I'm surprised at how non-gaudy it looks, so I'd definitely consider that one, and when I got it, it was 60 bucks cheaper than any of the other models.
Anyway, i think that this bag is extremely spacious. The straps and the part making contact with the back are padded to perfection, and as long as you have the sternum strap and waist straps on, you will barely feel a load and since I bike to campus almost everyday, about 6 miles, I think that really speaks volumes about the comfort offered by the bag. The organizer also is pretty good.
But obviously everything isn't perfect and this has it's weaknesses tooThe side sip for laptops works perfectly for me but then my laptop is 11.6 inches. I think anything over 13 will struggle with the side zip. Also, though I'm a big fan of the looks of this bag, it's a hassle to access the main compartment of the bag because you have to keep taking the top flap off. But I don't think any of these are major hassles and I think a North Face surge at the same cost isn't as much value for money as this bag and is definitely not going to be as durable, and I should know because I tried that out too before keeping this one.
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I bought this backpack as a multipurpose travel and light-outdoor pack. I wanted to replace my attache case that I carried my laptop in on business trips. This bag proved to be the right choice. It is very versatile and well built. It has a compartment and side zipper for accessing your laptop. This is great when going through airport security. I have also used this pocket to store magazines or even my travel documents (boarding pass, reservations, hotel info) in during travel. The side pockets are great for your point-and-shoot camera and/or phone/ipod charger. The top pocket on the top flap is great for sun-glasses, phones, and other electronic accessories. Once you open the pack the front storage area has pockets for an ipod/phone, pens, and other electronics, and a mesh compartment for easy access accessories (I have used this pocket for sunglasses, sunscreen, bug-spray etc. There is plenty room on the inside for a small cooler, towels, clothes, or large camera bag.
Again, I have used this bag for business travel and light outdoor activities (short hiking trips, days at the beach or pool, and local excursions). I think it is great for this use and will stand up to years of use. If you are looking for more extreme outdoor activities, then I would probably look for a more activity-specific bag.
Overall, the pack is comfortable to wear and it has a lumbar strap for additional support. The external 3-point strap on the top flap may appear cumbersome; however, I happen to like it. It allows you to keep the bag small and compact with varying internal loads. The clasps come on and off very easily. The bag seems well built with quality materials. I would definitely recommend this bag.
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I bought the original Icon more than 10 years ago. I still have it. It's travelled many thousands of miles of mountain biking, motorcycling and hiking. It's been to 12 countries. I replaced it with the new Icon, because it was getting kind of grubby and stinky after all those years.
The new V3 Icon has some nice features, and retains the original Icon's cool 3-clasp closure and look.
Unfortunately after less than a year of use, the bottom began to fall apart at the seams. Either the fabric is cheaper, or the stitching is crappier. But for a 1 year old bag to fall apart with not a lot of usage, whereas the 10+ year old version is still rock solid, indicates a big quality problem here.
Here is the response I got from Oakley customer support after waiting for 1 week after my complaint:
Hello Dave,
Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate your support over the years! I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing an issue with your Icon backpack. All of our backpacks are warranted for 90 days against manufacturing defects with a valid proof of purchase. Unfortunately the Icon pack is outside of this time frame, and we do not have a repair facility for these items. If you would like other repair options I recommend contacting a seamstress or tailor in your area, as they may be able to further assist you.
We do also offer some backpacks available at a discount through Oakley Vault, including the Icon. If you would like to view these models please visit .
If you have any questions or would like immediate assistance please contact our Customer Care department at (800) 403-7449.
Best Regards,
Brittany Garcia
Oakley Customer Care |
(800) 403-7449
I have a number of camera bags, including a Domke F-2 bag, on which this one is based. You can - and I have -put a ton of stuff in this bag. The bottom space is laid out exactly like the classic Domke F-2 bag. The additional space above the bottom section is open space that can be used for a camera with lens mounted, a jacket, sandwich, or other items. It's comfortable and stable to carry when loaded and heavy, and like the other two Domke bags I have, is built to stand up to the toughest use and abuse in extreme conditions. I love the canvas construction. It reminds me of the legendary Duluth packs I use for canoe trips and is built with similar quality materials and workmanship. It doesn't have a rain cover and is technically not waterproof, but I used the pack on a week-long photo tour recently where it rained every day but one and my gear never got wet at all.
