Matt & Nat Review: the Bali Backpack

Lately I’ve been opting to carry around a backpack in order to give my sad shoulders a break from large tote bags. I picked up this Matt & Nat backpack from Winners (for over half the price it normally retails!) and I’ve been using it for around 3 months now. Here’s what I think:

FIY: This post is not sponsored and none of the links are affiliate links. I spent my own money on this bag and all opinions are my own.

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Bali Backpack

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$160 CA

Style

Initially I wanted a backpack that was a little more “fancy lady” than “school child” if you know what I mean, so I gravitated towards the sleek design of the Bali backpack by Matt & Nat. I love the medium grey tone and the rose gold detailing (hardware and branding).

It has an exterior pocket on the front and a hidden “wallet” pocket facing your back as you wear it. Inside, there is one (small) phone pocket and a medium-sized zippered pocket as well. I really enjoy the hidden pocket for easy access to my transit card. The other pockets are a little bit of a tight squeeze so I only use them for smaller things (like keys) rather than for organization.

Size

This backpack just manages to fit my 13” mac laptop (without a case on) as well as my lunch, a notebook and my purse essentials (keys, wallet, hand cream, etc.). I would say the sizing is pretty nice. It fits a lot but doesn’t look humongous when I wear it.

Downsides

While I love the colour and hardware on this bag, I find the material looks really fake. Matt & Nat is known for really nice looking vegan leather but this one screams plastic. Its got like a squeaky look to it and I’m sure it will show wear very easily. After a couple of wears, I already had a hole pierce through on the top right side (annoying, but also no way for me to fix it).

Overall Thoughts

The aesthetic and sizing of this backpack is beautiful and convenient however, based on the material quality and the lack of durability, I think this backpack is worth $45. So the fact that the regular priced current seasonal colours will run you $160 is absolutely crazy to me. For me, I would definitely not recommend it based on the price tag.