One Week with my UNO II Backpack Made by NIID

The UNO II — A Minimalist, Everyday Backpack

I stumbled upon this Kickstarter listing several months ago, and thought it looked like the perfect solution for an everyday bag that was also built for travel. Here is what makes this bag unique: instead of having defined pockets and inserts, it comes with panels that can be removed and switched out. I backed the campaign option that came with one bag and a standard panel. There were three additional panel insert options: camera, sport, and artistic. I added a camera panel to my pledge.

As pictured, the zipper across the middle of the backpack fully unzips, giving you full access to the interior of the bag. The panels are held at the top of the inside of the bag to allow for easy switching. There is a small leather piece on the outside of the bag that goes across the zipper. This allows you to unzip the top section of the bag for access without unwinding the full length of the bag.

The Campaign

This was a straightforward campaign: commit to a discounted price of the bag to help fund the project. This project easily met its goal and unlocked two stretch goals for its backers ( a free toiletry bag for backers and and an additional hybrid panel option). My Pledge — $89 for one backpack ($159 MSRP) that would ship free at the end of campaign. There were two sizes (20L and 30L) and a few color options to choose from (30L only came in charcoal. The 20L had a light grey or pink option). The campaign ended on March 24th. The team had an expected delivery date of June 2017.

At the tail end of the campaign, they stated the smaller size was ready to ship with the larger size closing in on a final inspection. I don’t think it was a smart idea to announce being ahead of schedule. It set high expectations that the items were going to arrive earlier than anticipated. After the campaign ended, the team admitted to having difficulty with the pledge survey and shipping arrangements for certain regions (this was a fairly globally-backed campaign). Despite the setbacks, I was able to get my hands on the backpack fairly early after shipping (about a week after it left Hong Kong).

The Finished Product

The product arrived in a brown box with the image of the backpack all over it. The backpack and all the extra pieces came wrapped in plastic. The standard panel that comes with the backpack and the additional camera panel came in a cloth bag, which was a pleasant surprise. One thing was missing from my pledge: the free toiletry bag. According to the comments on the Kickstarter campaign, others also did not receive theirs. That was an initial disappointment, but was also an add-on not originally guaranteed to happen, so I can let it slide (working with the creators to see if they can make it up somehow).

I immediately checked through all of the Uno’s features highlighted in the campaign:

Each of these features are true to how the campaign promoted them (I can’t seem to get the hang of the Quick Release Buckles, but that’s probably user error). The body of the bag is a form of polyester that will attract animal hair and dust, so it may need lint-rolling every so often. The handle is a nice leather that is easy to grip. The hidden mesh pouch is also great, as you can hide it to reduce bulk when it’s not needed. It is small, though, as it is just large enough to hold my Zojirushi coffee mug (which is very slim):

The hidden rain cover works like a charm as well, and can be disconnected from the bag when it needs to dry.

Even with the panel inserted there is still a ton of room for additional items:

If you’re in school, your laptop can go in the panel, with plenty of extra room for book and binders. If you’re traveling and are packing extra clothes, they should fit easily in the panel as well. I’m using mine for work currently, and can fit my lunchbox into the open section of the bag. The panels are switched out easy enough by the loop in the top of the panel. In this photo, I have the zipper undone from the side of the bag all the way to the leather strap on the outside. The strap is placed perfectly to give you full access to the interior without having to unwind the entire bag.

Final Thoughts

The campaign itself had a few flaws: the strict color options were not presented early on. I thought I would be able to get the light grey in a 30L. The shipping delays after promises of early shipping was frustrating. The hybrid panel is still being tested/examined so there several who will not receive their bag until that option is finished (though there was advanced warning on this front).

Despite these hiccups, the creators of the campaign have been highly engaging, providing as many updates as necessary along the way. They designed a killer product that is truly a unique approach; I haven’t found anything that matches this concept. At the end of the day, the bag itself has delivered on all fronts, with all its highlighted features working as intended.

Simply put, I’m glad I decided to back this campaign. I felt the value of the product was worth the backing price. I’m satisfied with its look, functionality, and practicality. This can be a day-to-day bag you take to work or school. It can be a traveller’s best compainion. It could be your gym bag. In the last week, I have gotten several compliments from friends, coworkers, and random people in the elevator about the bag. I look forward to traveling with it to see how it does on the move.

Additional Photos:

This review is 100% my own opinion and experience with this Kickstarter campaign. I was not asked by NIID or Kickstarter to review this product, nor have I been promised anything in return for writing it. This is not a promotion of the product. Just simple, honest feedback of my experience.