When it comes time to look for a backpack, messenger bag or a simple sleeve for you iPad (or other tablet), the choices that are out on the market can be mind boggling. The options seem endless, but there is hope around the corner. While walking the show floor at SIA, we noticed a booth of bags with a look that was different from any others that we had seen before – simple, elegant and functional. Just about every pocket, closure and strap had a purpose. Once we learned that the bags were Italian designed and manufactured, it made even more sense. The company, O-range, has a product line worth looking at when the time comes to purchase that next bag or sleeve.
The first feature that caught our eyes was the solar panel. They are not the first to integrate a panel into the design of a bag, but it is done in such a way that it can either be easily removed from a backpack when not needed or it is so unobtrusive that it is simply never in the way when using the bag – as is the case with the messenger bag. With all of the integrated or externally attached solar panels, the O-range charging system works the same. A rechargeable battery pack is wired inside the bag so that it is always charging when out in the sun. When you need to charge your phone, MP3 player or other device that charges though a USB port, simply plug it into the battery. The time in which it takes to recharge that internal battery is solely reliant on the size of the solar panel. The larger the panel (higher watts), the quicker that the battery will recharge.
The other feature that made this line of bags stand out was the material and construction. The O-range bags use a waterproof, synthetic material in its construction – a material that felt similar to neoprene, but without the thickness and stretch. O-range then takes this material, laser cuts the blanks as intricate as the design calls for and welds all of the pieces together. There are no sewn seams to leak or tear, and when the bag or sleeve is not in use, it lays very flat. It should be noted that even though all of the bags and sleeves from O-range use a waterproof material, they should not be considered ‘dry bags’. If you are wearing one in the rain, more than likely your gear inside will stay dry, but if the bag finds itself thrown in a pond, the closures (zippers, flaps, etc.) are not watertight.
There are two packs that we felt had features that needed to be highlighted.
- THIN TS06 EL-Backpack: Not only is this backpack a hydration pack with an internal bladder capable of holding approximately 100mL of liquid, but it also has a built-in electroluminescent safety system. This safety system is not quite a full-blown light, but it you are out on a bike ride and end up on the road after dark, the electroluminescent light can be turned on to hopefully keep you safer than just reflectors.
- THIN FRT01 Special Freeride Ski Pack: This backpack is similar to the S08 backpack, but the should straps have been replaced by a system similar to a vest that has multiple attachment points for a more secure fit when skiing through rough terrain.
Don’t let the name ‘O-range’ fool you, their bags and sleeves are available in a number of other colors including red, yellow, grey and black. The bags are ‘modular’ so the option of adding the solar panel can be done later if so desired. Being well-made and Italian manufactured does come at a price, the smallest sleeve, which is designed for an iPhone, has a retail price of $45. The messenger bags range from $185 to $310 and the Limited Edition FRT01 Special Freeride Ski Pack costs $630 to $750, depending on the zipper option selected. The U.S. retail network is still being finalized, but if you are itching to get you hands on one of their bags or sleeves, checkout the U.S. O-range website. While the line of bags and sleeves from O-range might be thin in their design, they are definitely fat with features.