Element Mohave Backpack Review

Element was established in 1992 and its products are designed by skateboarders, for skateboarders. Perhaps this is why their products are held in such high esteem among skaters from around the globe.

As well as boards themselves, Element produces a range of accessories and clothing purpose-built for those that love to spend their time on a board, whether that’s flipping tricks or simply getting from A to B. Plus, element recognizes that skating will inevitably involve a few bumps and scrapes, and that’s why all of their products are designed to withstand some knocking about.

Their bags are no different and, here, we’re going to review one of their best bags – the Element Mohave Backpack. This is a durable pack with tonnes of room and heaps of features that we know you’re going to love.

The Element Mohave Backpack is a solid favorite among skaters around the world, and it’s easy to see why. Featuring a laptop compartment and a dedicated board holder, this is the perfect bag for anyone that skates to college or work – oh, and it’s super light too so it won’t slow you down.

Its reflective pullers and printing mean that you’ll stand out and be less likely to end up in a collision, and it’s absolutely smothered in pockets for easy organization. On top of that, the interior is super spacious and the interior is durable enough to withstand any tumbles – what more could you ask for?

Read on for our in-depth review and to find out why this is one of the best bags around for those who love to skate.

Materials And Durability

All backpacks need to be able to withstand a few bumps and scrapes, but that holds even more true to ones that will be on the back of someone on a board. So, how well will the Element Mohave Backpack stand up to some bumps and scrapes?

Materials

The bag is constructed entirely from polyester, a material known for its resistance to tears and abrasions. However, not all polyester is created equal – it comes in a range of deniers (D). This bag is constructed from 600D polyester – but what does that actually mean?  Well, in this case, the term ‘denier’ refers to how thick an individual polyester fiber is, and the thicker the fiber, the tougher the bag.

You’ll commonly see 600D polyester used in high-end outdoor gear that’s built to last, which is just what you want to see in a skate bag.

Another great benefit of polyester is its lightweight – this bag weighs in at just 1.5 lbs despite its 30L capacity and durable nature.

Water resistance

Technically, the Mohave isn’t waterproof – it certainly won’t keep your gear dry if it goes overboard. It will, however, keep your gear dry in fairly miserable conditions, thanks to the natural water-repellent properties of polyester. You might get some leaks eventually if you’re out in a monsoon but, for day-to-day life, the main body of the bag is essentially waterproof, although you might get a few splashes around the zippers.

Carrying Comfort

The Element Mohave Backpack wasn’t designed for hiking in the Himalayas, so we wouldn’t expect it to have the technical features that make high-end trekking bags so comfortable. Having said that, all backpacks should have a certain level of comfort and, with a 30L capacity, this bag could do some serious damage with a poor design. So, what do we think of the Mohave in terms of comfort?

Back panel

We were pleasantly surprised to see that the back panel of this bag has a decent amount of padding (to protect you while wearing it and your laptop if you take a tumble). But tonnes of padding can leave you with a sweaty back… but fear not, this back panel also features a breathable mesh so that air can flow between your back and the pack, phew.

Straps and handles

We were also impressed that the Mohave features a sternum strap, a feature often lacking in casual backpacks. The strap is adjustable too, just like the shoulder straps (which are also padded), so you really can get the perfect fit. We also love that this bag also has a carrying handle on the top.

It might not seem like much at first sight but, trust us, if this thing gets full and you use it while traveling, you’ll appreciate being able to get a proper hold of it as you heave it around. We do wish that it had a hip belt too, but we guess you can’t have everything at such a reasonable price.

Overall, Element has made a good effort making this causal day pack as comfortable as possible without cranking up the price.

Organization And Accessibility

Whether you’ll be using this bag to commute to work, to get to the skatepark at the weekends, or even to get to the library, you’re going to want to know where your important bits and bobs are stored. But does the Element Mohave Backpack have adequate features to keep your gear in order?

Compartments

The main compartment is nice and spacious thanks to its 30L capacity. Plus, its generous laptop compartment will house laptops up to 15 inches in size. We’d like to see at least one internal pocket in this section but, alas, you can’t have everything.

Pockets

For an affordable daypack, we were impressed with the range of pockets on the exterior of the Mohave. There’s a fleece-lined pocket on the top where you can stash your goggles or sunnies without fear of them scratching, plus a large zippered pocket on the front.

There are also dual side zippered pockets and, although you can’t stash tall water bottles in them as you can with mesh side pockets, they’ll keep your gear nice and secure while you’re skating around.

Board holder

And last but by no means least, our favorite organizational feature is the vertical board holder. Buckle up your board as soon as you arrive at your destination and say goodbye to lugging it around by hand all day, wooh!

Overall, the Mohave more than makes up for its lack of interior pockets with its range of exterior pockets that are extremely well suited to life on a board.

Extras

Aside from its durable fabric, nifty board holder, and tonnes of pockets, what else does the Mohave Backpack bring to the table?

A couple of things, actually. Not only are the shoulder straps padded and adjustable as we mentioned earlier, but they also have D rings on them so you can attach extra gear.

We really like that the zipper pullers are not only made of fabric for ease of use but that they’re reflective too, as is the HD screen printing on the front. This is great for anyone that’s like to be skating on a curb or road on their way home, as it means you’ll stand out more to passing traffic and void collisions.

On top of that, the polyester at the base of the bag is reinforced so it won’t wear thin any time soon.

Value For Money

So, all things considered, is the Element Mohave Backpack worth its price tag? Absolutely!

This backpack offers way more high-end features than your average high street bag, yet it costs about the same. It’s durable and weather-resistant, offers breathable comfort, and has heaps of pockets too – features you’re lucky to find in a standard bag at this price.

On top of all that, it has heaps of perks for skaters, such as a board holder, a goggles pocket, and reflective pullers – plus it hardly weighs anything.

If you’re on the prowl for a boarding bag, you’ll be hard-pushed to find anything better at this price.

Rating

Scoring nines across the board, the Element Mohave Backpack has performed very well against our rating system.

Our main complaints are the lack of internal pockets and a hip belt but, overall, we were really impressed with this bag.

Verdict

But would we recommend the Element Mohave Backpack to any unsuspecting shoppers? Of course! Especially ones who use a board to get themselves around.

This bag offers a great range of features for its price tag – it’s weather-resistant, comfortable, and has great external organization – plus it’s full of quirky extras that make it the perfect bag for boarders.

Skate gear often comes with hefty price tags and, to tell you the truth, sometimes we aren’t sure why they’re so high. Fortunately, this isn’t the case here, we really do think that the Mohave is worth every penny.

Element Mohave Mens Backpack

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