YUU bag review

One of the things I love about having nieces that are a few years older that Rhys is that I get to hear about the latest trends that he’s not quite old enough to be aware of yet.  The most recent thing that my oldest niece has introduced me to is YUU.

In case you’ve not heard of them, they’re a UK company that makes amazing backpacks for children.  

The YUUbag was created by Gill and Kellie after they got frustrated seeing their children struggling with backpacks that sat really low and weren’t at all good for their spines.  They put a huge amount of time and work into their design, and the end result is fantastic.  Even the dragons on dragon’s den thought so, and they were backed by Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden after pitching YUU to them back in 2012.

The range now includes their classic activity backpacks, wheeled backpacks, lunch bags and accessories.

My niece had her eye on the YUUbag with the ‘muusic’ design, and thrilled doesn’t even begin to describe her reaction when I told her that YUU wanted to send us one for her to review.

The bag was sent directly to me, so I got to have a good look at it before I had to hand it over, and honestly, I was a little bit jealous of her getting to keep it!  I would have absolutely loved one of these bags when I was younger.

The design is really bold and bright, and funky too.  If you’re a shrinking violet they might not be for you though, I think you would definitely attract some attention with this bag on your back!

The first thing that struck me when I took the bag out of the box was how big it is.

It’s 34cm high, 35.5cm wide and 22cm deep, so it is bigger than the standard backpack your child might use for school.  But see, this bag is so much more than a standard backpack in every way!

Once you unzip the bag you realise what is quite so special about it.  

There are 20 different pockets and compartments in the bag.  That’s right, 20!  

Basically, whatever you want to take with you, there will be a slot or pocket in the YUUbag to keep it safe.  There’s even a designated water bottle holder on the outside, which is a great because there’s no risk of your drink leaking all over the inside of the bag!  Although, my niece did have to find a slightly smaller drinks bottle to fit in it, as the one she already had was a bit too big.  If you want to avoid that potential problem then you can just buy the YUUthirst bottle which is specifically designed to fit the bag.

There is also a matching pencil case in the bag, that you can clip into place so it never gets lost under the rest of your things.  We all thought this was a really nice touch, although my niece did find that it was just a little bit on the small side and she has to wiggle her pencils to get them in and out.

The YUUbag is so well thought out though, and perfect for going on long car journeys, as well as for using as a school bag.

It comes with a special activity pack that includes a magnetic snakes and ladders game, an A4 sketch pad, 8 coloured pencils, a desk card and a keyring.

The ‘desk card’, in case you’re wondering, is a sturdy piece of card that fits into the drop down part of the bag to create a nice, stable desk-like surface.

So, if you’re in the car, you can secure the bag to the seat in front of you with the bag’s chest straps and then use the drop down part of the bag to play snakes and ladders on, or do some writing or drawing.

Speaking of the chest straps, they’re a really great addition to the bag as they help with keeping the weight of the bag evenly distributed.  They also have a little whistle built in to them, which is great fun for children, and actually a good way to make sure the bag is being worn at the right height.

This really is where the bag stands out for me.

So much thought has gone into the bag’s protective, ergonomic design.  The bag has an EVA foam shell and a foam back panel which, together, allow for even weight distribution and make sure the bag sits securely and evenly.  The straps are also wide and padded to make them as comfortable as possible.

From a parent’s perspective, my sister and I were both really impressed with this.

We also really loved the information sheet that came with the bag, full of helpful tips on how to get the most out of it and where to stash your various bits and bobs.

My niece has been using the bag for a couple of weeks now and absolutely loves it.

From her point of view, it’s a really cool bag, with its funky design and all the accessories.  She especially likes the keyring that came with it and the snakes and ladders game to play with her sisters in the car.

As far as us grown ups are concerned, we were really impressed with the quality of the bag.  It feels so well made, and really sturdy.  We are also so impressed with the ergonomic design and all the thought that has gone in to the various pockets and compartments.

If only they had been around when I was younger, I would have loved to have one of these on our long car journeys to the south of France for our summer holidays!

You can check out the full range of YUU products on their website yuuworld.com.

You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where you can keep up to date with their news and be the first to know about any special offers and competitions.

Disclosure – We were sent the YUUbag for the purpose of this review, but all words and opinions are my own.