Backpacks aren't just for hiking or commuting to work! A lot of times, especially, if you have toddlers, you need to have your arms free. A backpack gives you freedom of movement, making them ideal and convenient to carry daily essentials.
When buying a backpack, you probably have noticed most are made of polyester, which is the most popular material used in the making of backpacks. That said, nylon is actually stronger than polyester. So much so, that 420-denier (420D) nylon is stronger than 600-denier polyester; hence why nylon is used for camping gear and many travel bags.
If you are on the market for a nylon backpack, the Thule Paramount should be on your radar. It is made of 420D nylon, it has plenty of volume capacity (27 litres) and, it has easy access to the main compartment from the outside.
The Thule Paramount backpack has S-shaped shoulder traps, measuring 47cm long and 7cm wide. The shoulder straps integrate 15mm-thick springy closed-cell foam padding with breathable fabric mesh on the backside for ventilation.
The front of the Paramount backpack shoulder straps feature thin webbing strips across the shoulder straps for clipping, hanging or holding things like a pair of glasses or pick tool. The left shoulder strap integrate a secret pocket, measuring 10cm high. This secret pocket is narrow and non-elastic so, it's large enough for storing folded bank notes, credit cards, travel cards, etc.
The excess webbing of the shoulder straps are neatly managed via wide elastic bands. The shoulder strap webbing ladderlock buckles have Thule branding on them and, they measure 3cm wide by 3cm long.
Wearing the Thule Paramount backpack on the back is very comfortable, thanks to the raised ridges (5mm approx.) on the foam, which provides orthopedic-like properties. The back foam padding measures 29cm tall and has a V-shape back design so, the foam padding is wider at the top (24cm) and narrower at the bottom (18cm).
Back ventilation is excellent with the Thule Paramount backpack, thanks to the breathable raised ridges of the foam and the separation of the foam padding in two sections that creates a wide air channel in between for air to pass.
The backpanel also features a secret compartment, consisting of a small narrow zip pocket, measuring 16cm long, which can fit a smartphone comfortably.
There is also a 39cm long zip compartment on that side that provides quick access to the laptop sleeve (up to 15.6 inches) and tablet sleeve (up to 10.5 inches) located in the main compartment of the bag. The tablet pocket is cleverly integrated on the laptop sleeve and lined with soft microfiber fabric.
All zips have smooth operation and have hidden teeth with metal YKK zips and nylon cord pull tabs with a rubber retainer around them that look like heat shrink rubber sleeves similar to butt splice connectors for splicing two wires together.
The top grab handle integrates foam and breathable mesh fabric on the back of it so, it's very comfortable to hold. The top grab handle measures 16cm long, 3cm wide and 0.5cm thick.
The side pocket, next to the side grab handle, measures 23cm tall and 15cm wide and can expand 10cm outwards, thanks to the elastic strip on the side. You can easily fit a tall, 8cm diameter water bottle without issues. This side pocket is internally lined with PVC-like material. There is also a tiny hole at the bottom of this side pocket for ventilation purposes.
The side grab handle is made of thick webbing without any padding, measuring 15cm long and 2.5cm wide. The base of the Thule Paramount backpack is made of PVC-like material, making the base more durable and impenetrable to water.
On the left side of the Thule Paramount backpack, you won't find a standard side pocket. Instead, you get a tall, fully functional zip compartment (39cm tall) that integrates two elastic open pockets, an open mesh pocket and a long zip pocket mesh. There is also a tiny hole at the bottom of this side compartment.
The front of the Thule Paramount backpack contains two magnetic flaps with a black strip of PVC-like material for styling. The bottom flap conceals a narrow zip pocket measuring 15cm tall and 21cm wide.
The top flap hides a small zip pouch and dual-zip opening that leads to the main compartment of the Thule backpack, which holds most of the storage capacity of the bag. In this compartment, you can fit a pair of shoes and, even a pair of trousers and a t-shirt.
The top flap also incorporates a hidden zip pocket large enough for a phone. Even though, it doesn't look it, the Thule Paramount has the same volume capacity as the Enroute Escort 2 expandable backpack.
The main compartment also integrates three sleeve compartments, including the back sleeve compartment that can be accessed from the external side zip of the bag. This compartment is perfect for a laptop but, you can also use the front sleeve and middle sleeve compartment, which is as tall as the back sleeve compartment, reaching the base of the backpack.
The front sleeve compartment is slightly shorter, reaching only three-quarters down but, it's further up away from any potential impacts from the base of the backpack, unlike the other two sleeve compartments.
That said, the bottom of the Thule Paramount backpack is padded with foam, which should help protect the laptop should you accidentally drop the bag. The sleeve compartments are heavily padded back to front but, there isn't any foam padding on the back compartment, facing the external side zip. In terms of security, the middle compartment feels safer to store the laptop.
The opening of the main compartment is wide, opening outwards, making reach into the bottom of the bag much easier. The main compartment is lined with soft, light fabric material which brightens up the bottom of the bag.
The Thule Paramount backpack is a piece of fine craftsmanship, elegantly stitched up with a flawless, sewing pattern. Thule provides 2 year warranty but, given its quality, the Paramount backpack will certainly outlast the warranty. Everything about this bag is functional and useful, including the Thule brand wording on the bottom side of the top flap, which is made of reflective material.
Given the 27-litre volume of the Thule Paramount and its weight (1.2kg), the Thule Paramount 27L backpack makes an excellent daypack, commuter bag or even a baby changing bag, thanks to the hard wearing outer-shell which is made of 420D nylon material with a water-resistant coating on it. Check out the Thule Chasm backpack.