Looking for an eco-friendly backpack? Thinking of buying the Tentree Mobius? As a relatively new backpack on the market, it can be difficult to know whether the features of this backpack will work well for you or not. But in this Tentree Mobius Backpack review, I break down all the pros and cons of this eco-friendly backpack. By the end, you’ll know if it’s the right choice for you!
Contents
Tentree Mobius Backpack
Click here to purchase the Tentree Mobius Backpack now!
Important Features of the Tentree Mobius Backpack
The Tentree Mobius Backpack comes equipped with a lot of cool features! Let’s take a look at what it has to offer.
Size
One of the most unique aspects of the Mobius backpack is that it can change size! At its smallest it is 16 liters and 12″ x 5″ x 18″ (30 x 12 x 46 cm) while at its largest it expands to 35 liters and 12″ x 8″ x 23″ (30 x 20 x 59 cm).
This means that it’s small enough to use as an everyday backpack, but it can also expand to become your main bag for overnight or other travel situations. It’s also small enough that it can be a personal item on a plane, but can become large enough that you could use it as your actual carry on if you wanted as well. (For reference, the 35 liters of the Mobius is very similar to the 40 liter backpack I regularly use as my carry on bag).
Comfort
The padded straps and padded back make this backpack comfortable to carry, even when it is filled with heavy items. However, one area the comfort could be improved is with the carrying handle at the top of the backpack. Because it is simply fabric, it digs into your hand a little when you try to pick it up by the handle. If this had the same or similar padding as the straps and back, then it would be greatly improved.
Compartments + Laptop Sleeve
There are two compartments on this backpack, as well as a place for carrying a water bottle on the side and a hidden pocket running the length of the opposite side. Let’s take a look at what’s in the big compartments of the Mobius!
Main Compartment
The main compartment can open two ways: with the rolltop opening and with the clamshell/back opening access. Inside, you’ll find a padded sleeve for up to a 15″ laptop with a secure tab to keep your laptop from moving around or falling out.
Front Compartment
The front compartment has a few more organization options, with two zipper pockets on one side and two open pockets on the other. This means you can keep your smaller items separated and organized, rather than just throwing everything into the bag.
Materials and Quality
This backpack is made from 100% REPREVE® fabric, which is a type of fiber made from recycled materials including used plastic bottles. 31 plastic bottles are used in making every Mobius backpack!
Additionally, the padding on the backpack is BLOOM Algae foam—a type of plant-based foam made by harvesting excess algae from uncontrollable algae blooms. This minimizes the risk of algae blooms and helps clean up the environment, while turning the excess algae into something useful at the same time.
Finally, all the buckles, zippers, and trims on the Mobius are made from recycled post-industrial factory waste. Tentree claims they “take sustainability down to every click, pull, and zip,” and that is definitely true on this Mobius backpack!
Even better, the quality doesn’t suffer because of its eco-friendly quality. You’ll find this backpack to be a tough, high-quality option that will last for years and years.
Eco-Friendly
As mentioned with the materials section above, the Mobius backpack uses sustainably sourced materials. Tentree totes this backpack as the most eco-progressive backpack in the world, and I think I have to agree! But the algae foam and the fabric made from recycled water bottles aren’t the only ways this backpack is eco-friendly: Tentree is also committed to planting ten trees for every item purchased. This means not only are you using a sustainable backpack option when you buy the Mobius, but you are also helping to plant trees around the world. And even more fun, when you purchase an item you get a tree code so you can register your trees and track their growth on the Tentree website! How cool is that?
Colors and Aesthetic
While you could conceivably use this backpack in a variety of settings, I find it most conducive to outdoorsy/hiking situations. It comes in three color options: a solid black, a crashing waves pattern, and a northern juniper pattern. The solid black is my preference, as it goes with the most items in my wardrobe, but it is fun that they have a few options to pick from.
Tentree Mobius Backpack Review: My Personal Experience
When I first heard about an expanding backpack, I thought it was too good to be true. And then I heard it was eco-friendly and I knew it had to be too good to be true…but I also knew I needed to get my hands on it to try it out for myself. At the time, I was in the market for a great backpack I could use as my personal item on plane trips, so I was excited about the possibilities of expansion and shrinking to use in multiple ways on my trips.
After trying it out, I have to say that I do really love it! I love the versatility it offers with packing options and I love Tentree’s commitment to helping the environment.
One feature I didn’t love so much when I first saw it was that it’s a rolltop bag, which I’ve never liked because you have to unroll it and unload everything from the top. This gets especially unwieldy the larger the bag gets. Of course, the rolltop is necessary to help allow the bag to expand, so it’s good to have this feature. But even better is that Tentree has solved this issue of a top-loading bag by adding a clamshell opening at the back…which means you can bypass the rolltop altogether and access your items in a suitcase-like format. 10 points for Tentree!
I also love that it has a laptop sleeve, because my computer goes with me everywhere so this is very important. The organization features are also quite nice and I especially like the hidden pockets!
So overall, I was in love. Except for one small issue that meant I ended up shipping this backpack back. If you’ve read my review of the Osprey Farpoint 40, you’ll already know that I had to purchase the S/M size of the Farpoint because I have a small torso and the M/L was too long for my body. Well, the same unfortunate thing happened to me with this bag, only it doesn’t come in a size for those of us with smaller torsos. 😞
Because of my shorter torso, the backpack gaps uncomfortably between my back and the bag. This meant it didn’t sit or carry well when empty, full, or even somewhere in the middle…simply because of my size. So is this bag too good to be true? For me, at the moment, yes. For others with normal or long torsos, no, it’s a dream come true! And if Tentree ever decides to make this backpack in a size that fits me, you better believe I’ll buy it in a heartbeat. In the meantime, I guess I’ll just have to wait.
Check the price of the Tentree Mobius Backpack and read more reviews!
Wrap Up: The Best and Worst Features of the Tentree Mobius Backpack
Best Features
- Expandable size: 16L to 35L
- Made from recycled materials
- Comfortable straps
- Clamshell opening
- Laptop sleeve
Worst Features
- Rolltop opening
- No options for people with short torsos
- Uncomfortable handle on top of backpack
- Zippers are not lockable
Final Verdict on the Mobius Backpack
I love the mission of Tentree and love the idea and the innovation of the Mobius, but this bag just didn’t work for me because of my torso length. If you have a normal or long torso, though, this is an amazing backpack option and one I would suggest seriously considering (especially if you love being in the outdoors!)
Click here to purchase the Mobius backpack now!
Thanks for the review Abi, I’m considering this bag.
I’m trying to better understand the size of this bag, can I ask how tall you are? It does look pretty large on you, but I’m hoping that I wouldn’t have the same problems.
Hi Matt! I am 5’4″. As I mentioned in my review, if they had a version for people like me who are on the smaller side (and have smaller torsos too) then this is definitely a bag I would love to use. I hope it works out for you!