Is this backpack nice/stylish?

[worrywart98]

I live in town, have two kids (5 and 3) and in the next few months am hoping to ditch the buggy. I often do bits of supermarket shopping whilst out and about so in the interest to having two hands to help kids across the road, was planning on getting a backpack/rucksack to enable me to still carry stuff. But I dont want to look like a French exchange student!! What do you think of this: www.asos.com/eastpak/eastpak-london-backpack-in-grey-with-contrast-tan-straps/prd/8377625?clr=opgrademist&cid=12496&pgesize=25&pge=0&totalstyles=25&gridsize=3&gridrow=6&gridcolumn=1

any other ideas or options?

It's fine

If you're going anywhere with crowds the there's nothing better than the Riut bag. The zips are all against your back so no one can get in your bag whilst your wearing it.

I have one and I love it! I'm not sure how anyone can wear a regular rucksack on the tube or in the city.

www.riut.co.uk

It would be really easy to sew on mesh and elastic water bottle pockets if you found the perfect bag. Or pay someone else to do it, it's a fifteen minute job tops. I feel your pain though it is so frustrating looking for something practical and vaguely stylish.

I like this one too: www.asos.com/eastpak/eastpak-bust-backpack-in-merge-pink/prd/8433459?clr=blue&SearchQuery=&cid=19286&pgesize=36&pge=1&totalstyles=94&gridsize=3&gridrow=6&gridcolumn=1

I've got the fjallen raven kanken you linked to in grey. It does have a pocket for a bottle! I like mine. But... for Xmas I got a bag that can be worn as a shoulder bag or backpack! It's a qwiston one, which is an American brand but I found a uk stockist online somewhere. Works well for me.

Backback looks nice :) might be a bit annoying with all the stuff floating around together in large deep pocket? First time I joined backback club I brought one similar and it drove me mad fishing around to find stuff!
Have brought a kanken since which is plain and simple that doesnt clash with everything and DH can use for kiddies too. Two pockets in either side you cans slip bottles into. Waterproof, very comfy, holds loads more than I thought and easy to find stuff as zips right down!
Hope you find one that works for you!

Asos charge a high female tax. Look at their backpacks for men - better made, less dead weight and considerably cheaper. Never buy anything aimed at women if there is a choice.

The website says the eastpak one is 100% polyester so should be waterproof? Also in the third picture it looks like the buckles are fake and it uses either magnets or poppers. I really like it.

I would look for something practical rather than something stylish. Bad rucksacks are a bigger pain than bad handbags.
You need something reasonably waterproof with thick padded straps if you're going to carrying lots of stuff round (you will!). Some of the linked rucksacks will make your shoulders cry.
You need internal pockets that can hold your phone, purse and keys as a minimum. My current rucksack is awful because these pockets are just in the wrong place and it drives me mad.
You need proper zips. Draw strings or ties or anything like that inevitably work loose while you're wearing them and you end up walking round with a wide open bag on your back without realising.
Look at compartments. The main section of mine is split into two which is stupid and so impractical for me. You might like that sort of design.
Unless you always carry the same things in it all the time I would go for a soft bag rather than a structured one. Structured ones look lovely but you need to be certain your stuf will fit in it all the time. Structured ones can feel like carrying a big hard back book on your back with no "give" (at least until you've worn it fir months) and aren't very flexible with the stuff you can get in it.
You also need to consider the size and what is practical for you. Mine is "hand luggage" size and I find that pretty good because it's not so big it's unweildy but it's big enough for a day trip out.
You also need to think about the actual weight of the bag. Some rucksacks weigh a tonne before you put anything in them.
If you want external bottpe pockets, try them first, don't assume the water will stay in. If my rucksack is more than about 50% full, the mesh bottle pocket gets too tight and water bottles pop out.
If I'm honest, practical rucksacks are rarely anything but ugly.
In my experience nice/pretty ones are fairly useless.
I use a nice cross body satchel when I want to be smarter.
Sorry that was so long!

Should explain - my current rucksack was bought in a bit of a rush and was a "it'll do" thing which is why it's not ideal. :)

I have a TOMs rucksack. Not waterproof but it's the comfiest bag I've ever carried and I love the little side zip up pocket for keys.
I'd just get a waterproof bag cover from somewhere like decathlon rather than sacrifice the amazing comfort

It is worth looking at more traditional luggage brands like samsonite, this one is cheap, simple and has a bottle holder.

Has anyone mentioned Herschel?

herschelsupplyco.co.uk/shop/womens/backpacks

I see the OP hasn't been back so only posting for my own 'coveting purposes'. I have a fjallraven one and I love it but I keep drooling over these leather and canvas ones that keep popping on my facebook feed. I have no idea of quality / service from BuyKud, some of their things look interesting, most look just the wrong side of odd....
www.buykud.com/collections/bags/products/classic-canvas-crazy-horse-leather-army-green-backpack

@Lucked

Thanks for that link - I love Samsonite quality and have been looking for a laptop bag. That's the one I'm going to get and it's a brilliant price!

The buykud site has some pretty stuff but from the reviews it's just fake Chinese copies made with varying degrees of success so if you order it, it might not be as good as it looks, try and find the original? Backpack is beautiful though.

Good to know FloatingCamel... I wonder where the original is from..

Might not always be true but there were a lot of complaints in the comments of one of the bags they posted that the design was stolen