review

Samsonite Litepoint Review Squared Shaped Backpack

Monday, July 26, 2021

A successful backpack looks nice, fits well and has enough organization to carry one's belongings. There is no question that the style and aesthetics of a backpack is the key selling point along with performance! The Samsonite Litepoint ticks all the boxes and has a classic square shape, which may not be everyone's cup of tea but, it maximizes internal space. This is why travel bags (e.g. suitcases) are shaped differently to backpacks, usually with a rectangular design.
The Samsonite Litepoint backpack has a total of six external access compartments, one of which is directly on the front of the backpack. The front facing compartment opens up vertically via 23cm long single zip slider, which is waterproof with reverse coil teeth and reflective material. The front facing compartment is fully padded all-around with closed cell foam and, it's suspended 2 inches above the bottom of the backpack. 

The front facing compartment measures 25cm wide and 25cm high and has a narrow interior with two small padded open pockets (12cm high and 12cm long), which are built-in to the middle of the compartment. Inside the front facing compartment, you will also find an open grommet for passing through the included USB cable, which is built-in to the centre compartment of the backpack. The USB cable measures 60cm long.



On top of the Samsonite Litepoint backpack, there is a U-shaped stash pocket that opens up via an oversized single metal slider. The stash pocket is padded and has regular coil teeth; hence it isn't waterproof. The stash pocket is designed for quick access and measures 13cm high and 30cm long so, it's long and shallow. It also integrates non-detachable fabric hinges, which allows the pocket to open securely at an angle.


The Litepoint backpack has two centre compartments on either side of the top grab handle. The front facing centre compartment uses dual sliders and has the largest volume capacity. It's designed to open at 45 degrees angle and 180 degrees vertically, like a clamshell suitcase via the detachable fabric hinges, which integrate velcro fastening and a snap button system. The 45 degree opening of the centre compartment is very spacious (around 14cm wide), letting you see inside every nook and cranny of the compartment. The fabric hinges also allows the backpack to remain upright when opened at 45 degrees, which means you can pack and take stuff out with both hands without having to physically hold the backpack.


The front facing centre compartment is spacious and roomy with a 4 inch depth and organization pockets, including two sleeve pockets, a small elastic mesh pocket and a large mesh pocket that measures 16cm high and 21cm long. The largest sleeve pocket measures 26cm high and 29cm wide. The smallest sleeve pocket measures 22cm high and 20cm wide. Both sleeve pockets run to the bottom of the backpack, which isn't ideal although the base of the backpack is padded.


Speaking of base, there are two large rubber strips on the base of the backpack that are designed similarly to the ones on the Cityvibe 2.0 backpack to provide added protection against bottom impacts and to help keep the backpack standing upright. The rubber strips are 5mm thick so, they provide a bit of elevation (not a lot) to keep the base of the backpack away from a wet surface. The base of the Litepoint backpack is made of the same material as the rest of the outershell, which is 100% recycled PET polyester. There is no protective rubber coat, which the Cityvibe 2.0 backpack does have.


The Litepoint backpack top handle measures 17cm long and 3cm wide and, it's heavily padded with really thick closed cell foam. The grab handle is solid but comfortable in the hand when carrying heavy loads. The grab handle is reinforced with a thick rubber strip that runs down the sides of the backpack. The rubber strip is sewn into the grab handle and integrates a daisy chain loop at one end for clipping or hooking things onto it like a pair of sunglasses..


Further down the sides of the Litepoint backpack, you will find a passthrough USB port for external charging, as well as a hideaway side zip pocket. The external USB port is covered with a rubber flap, while the hideaway side pocket conceals a elastic mesh pocket large enough to fit a 500ml water bottle. The elastic mesh pocket retracts neatly into the zip pocket, which can also be used to store small items like memory cards and flash drives.


The second centre compartment is rear facing and, it's concealed by the expandable zip, which has a black metal slider that runs all the way around, allowing the centre of the backpack to expand. The expandable zip has to be undone in order to reveal the centre compartment, which opens up horizontally in two halves like a clamshell. Both halves have identical dimensions (29cm wide, 46cm high and 6cm deep) and have a zippered privacy mesh securing the compartments.


The last compartment in the Litepoint backpack is built-in to the back panel and opens up via large dual zips, which have a passthrough opening for locking the compartment with a wire padlock (not included). The back panel compartment is also protected from the rain and dust, thanks to the waterproof zip construction. 


The back panel compartment has a narrow vertical opening, which is fixed in place via non-detachable fabric hinges and, it integrates a large sleeve pocket that measures 35cm high and 29cm wide so, you can fit a large thick laptop. The laptop pocket is fully padded and features a velcro fastener to strap down the laptop securely. The laptop pocket is padded all around to protect a laptop from side and rear impacts. That said, the laptop pocket isn't suspended like the laptop pocket on the Midtown backpack. This means, the laptop pocket on the Litepoint runs all the way down to the base. Having the laptop suspended a few inches above the bottom is more preferable to protect it from bottom impacts.  


Regarding fit and comfort, the Samsonite Litepoint is very comfortable to wear on the back. It has thick mesh back padding, which is split into three sections and allows better ventilation. There is also a passthrough strap built-in to mount the Litepoint backpack over the handles of a rolling suitcase such as the Magnum Eco spinner. The Litepoint shoulder straps are made of  closed cell foam padding, which is firm and springy.


The Litepoint shoulder straps are straight and don't integrate a chest strap, which maybe an issue with someone with sloped shoulders. The Litepoint backpack should fit comfortably on someone with a long torso (17 inch and higher). The shoulder straps measure 43cm long, 6cm wide and 0.5cm thick. The shoulder straps can be tucked inside the trolley strap, which is convenient when carrying the backpack from the top handle. In between the shoulder straps, there is also a small webbing loop. There is no branding on the Litepoint backpack zips but, they feel very good quality and have a smooth operation. The zips are made of metal alloy with a rubberized pull tab.


There are two models of the Litepoint backpack, which you can buy from Samsonite. These include the 15.6-inch version and a 17.3-inch version (pictured), which has the expandable zip feature, which increases the volume capacity of the backpack from 25 liters to 31 liters. The smaller 15.6-inch version only has 18 liters capacity and no expandable zip.

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