No.3 Analog Totepack

In every way this is my dream bag. It has everything I could possibly want, dedicated pockets, so many pockets!! I can load it with things and it doesn't feel like I'm lugging around something huge.
The only problem I've had with it is it's very hard to realistically use it as a backpack as the straps slip and make it near impossible to get it back onto your shoulders. I have to take my bag on and off when getting my wallet for the subway multiple times a day so this nearly made it realistically useable for me. I sewed the middle of backpack straps to one of the tote handles and it fixed the issue but without that this bag would definitely be five stars for me.

I've been following Analog for a while and have always really liked the utility and design of their bags. I bought the Totepack as a late Christmas present for my boyfriend (6'4), who has had the same run-down backpack for 6 years, and he was super excited for the ability to switch between tote bag and backpack. He really liked the look of this backpack, as well as a lot of the storage and features included. Unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to keep the straps at a length that's useful for both applications. If you're tall (or have a longer torso generally), the length needed for the backpack style means that when you're trying to convert into the tote bag, you'll have one comically large strap and one normal sized one. It's also pretty much impossible to slip on like a normal backpack (one strap at a time), since the strap extends until you've got a virtually non-existent strap on one side and a gigantic strap on the other. At a certain height / torso length, it's just not very practical. It's just a little disappointing to pay >$150 for a backpack that fails to meet the major feature promised. To put it in perspective, the act of putting it on is a bit of an obvious struggle (you kind of have to fling it around holding both straps), and I'd prefer to do it in private versus at the workplace. That being said, I do think this would work much better if you have a small torso or are closer to 5'. All of the other features are thoughtful and practical; the design of the bag itself (straps excluded) seems very intentional and in line with their other products.

TLDR: I really wanted to like this product (and probably would have, had my boyfriend been about a foot shorter) and was disappointed that I gave my boyfriend a gift that is inconvenient for day-to-day use.