10 backpacks that won’t make you look like you’re on route to school

Handbags can be a nuisance. They never seem to sit firmly on the shoulder and they’re never the right size. They’re either too small so you can’t fit all the essentials or too big so you end up being weighed down to one side resulting in an unbalanced gait. They even affect your ability to multitask. You try carrying a morning coffee, and swiping your leap card while struggling to ensure your handbag doesn’t slide down your shoulder. It’s a recipe for disaster.

A backpack, on the other hand, sits securely on the shoulders. Weight disturbed evenly, enabling you to carry on with your life, carefree without fear of needing osteopathy by the age of thirty.

But there’s a certain snobbery when it comes to adults wearing backpacks. Once I wore one to a bar and a tipsy Stranger inquired if I had come from school. Why should these stress-free, highly functional, often stylish bags to be reserved for school kids? No longer. There are some seriously chic backpacks on the market that won’t make you resemble Dora the Explorer. It’s time to embrace our double strapped destiny with these ten sophisticated, edgy, adult appropriate backpacks.

Fabric backpack with pom poms, €39.95 at Zara 

Fernweh mini leather-trimmed suede back Pack, Manu Atelier, was €455 now €273

Leather triangle flap backpack, was €44 now €26 at Topshop

Bamboo handmade backpack,€89.95 at Mango 

Leather-paneled canvas backpack, Marni, was 1390 now 834 at net-a-porter.com

Small vegan backpack,€200 at drmartens.com

Backpack with metal detail, €19.95 at Zara 

Mi pac exclusive fold top canvas backpack in blush and lilac, €41.46 at Asos.com

Classic knaken backpack, €89.95 at Fjallraven.com 

Double zip daisy backpack mini, Marc Jacobs, €220 at Brown Thomas