I’m not a person who gets particularly excited about bags or handbags, but I recently discovered the Healthy Back Bag, and I have to say — early spoiler alert here — I’ve been won over.
I am a creature of habit – I shuffle all the junk I haul around daily into a mostly suitable bag, and I carry that for months or even years. It’s rarely stylish and hardly ever matches an outfit, but it serves a purpose.
So when I happened upon a rather colourful selection of Health Back Bags, I couldn’t help but pick one up and start investigating. Not only was the range of colours, patterns, and sizes impressive, but the unique shape — a kind of teardrop — was also intriguing.
The Healthy Back Bag was conceived in 1993 by Irwin and Margery Gaffin, who collaborated with doctors and chiropractors to design a single-strap alternative to a backpack. The aim was to create a bag that worked in harmony with the body’s natural shape for comfortable, ergonomic carrying. The result was a bag that sat neatly against the back and hugged the body well. There are no edges or corners to dig in, even if you load the bag to its full capacity.
The straps on most of the bags are non-slip, so once you’ve got it to a comfortable position for your body shape, whether over a shoulder or cross-body, it doesn’t slip or slide around while walking and moving.
The Healthy Back Bag has many practical elements that make it highly usable. The small, medium, and large sizes are packed with different-sized pockets to help you organise the contents of your bag. From pen slots and key hooks to large zipped inner pockets and magnetic-closing outer pockets, they are an organisation obsessive’s dream.
The smaller Mini-baglett and Baglett have fewer pockets, which is understandable given their sizes, but I would have liked to have seen a full-length zippable pocket in the baglet.
We tried out a Baglett and a small, medium and large Healthy Back Bag and found them incredibly handy in different situations. Whether you want a small bag to carry just your phone and purse or wallet, and some keys, or you’re heading off for a weekend away, you will find a size that will work for you.
The largest HBB – the Big Bag – offers 20 litres of space, which is easily enough for an overnight bag or, if you aren’t an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ type of packer, a weekend.
The medium-sized HBB, which we tested in black leather, has a 9-litre capacity. It was an ideal size for a day out, or as an everyday bag if you like more space. With good-sized internal pockets able to house a small laptop or tablet, it could be a good choice for commuting to and from the office. It is not only a great-looking bag, but its stylish nature gives it that serious, business vibe, making it perfect for the job.
One of Healthy Back Bag’s most popular choices is the small, 6-litre option, and we can see why. It’s still packed with handy pockets and has the magnetic closing outside flap. It’s big enough to fit in everything you need and comfortable enough to carry all day without you really noticing it’s there, making it an excellent choice for general use.
The Baglett was the smallest HBB we tried out and my favourite. Perfectly sized to carry my phone, purse, sunglasses and lip balm, it hit the spot for me. The strap has lots of adjustability and hooks into D-rings using a clasp, so you can wear it not only as a cross-body bag or over the shoulder but also around your waist, giving it even more versatility.
No matter what size, colour or fabric you choose, one of the features that I liked most is common to all. The zip opening to the central part of the bag is always closest to your body, adding extra security while you’re out and about. The zip can be opened from either end, so if you want to access the bag, you don’t need to take it off; just slide it around under your arm, and the zip is easily within reach.
There is so much to like about Healthy Back Bags. They are practical, weather-resistant and, with prices starting from £24
, affordable. The wide range of colours and fabrics means there are options for everyone, and for those with an environmental conscience, new designs are increasingly being made using recycled fabrics.
The strap length is the one thing that lets it down. If you’re a larger person, the straps aren’t long enough to comfortably carry the bag across the body, with the exception of the Baglett and Mini-baglett. The company has responded to this criticism, which is a relatively common issue, and the strap length will be increased by 5cm for the autumn/winter collection.
