Best Urban Backpack of 2018? Moshi Tego Backpack Review

Three months ago at CES2018, Moshi, the west coast maker of premium backpacks and bags, headphones, protective cases, and other digital lifestyle products, introduced their Tego 2018 bag collection. With Spring finally upon us, what better opportunity than now to review their latest offerings. So without further delay, let’s take a closer look at one of their recently released products in this Moshi Tego backpack review.

Moshi Tego Backpack Review

A Backpack for the Tech-Savvy Urban Commuter

If you’re familiar with this website, then you know that after doing a dozen reviews on Moshi products, we’re fans of this lifestyle brand.

Per the press release: “Moshi, the international accessory designer, today announces the debut of the Tego Collection, four new bags inspired by urban streetwear that provides the ideal combination of style and safety, and Avanti Air, wireless on-ear headphones blending minimalist and retro styling with the best wireless audio technology.”

“Each bag in the Tego Collection ensures you travel smart with anti-theft concealed zippers, cut-proof fabric and 3M Scotchlite reflective strip for safety at night. Crafted from lightweight and durable fabrics, each bag features padded Airmesh straps for breathability and comfort, weather-resistant surface treatment and zinc alloy hardware and studs. The Tego Collection consists of four styles: Tego Backpack, Tego Sling Messenger Bag, Tego Crossbody Sling, and the Tego Slingpack, each available in Stone Gray and Charcoal Black, and are priced starting at $99.95.”

With the exception of the Tego Slingpack, the Tego Collection is not part of the Urban Safari Bag Collection which was introduced in February of this year. This latter collection consists of the Lula crossbody mini handbag and Helios Mini backpack, both available in the olive green or savanna beige colors.

On The Surface

You’re probably saying to yourself or maybe out loud something to the effect, ‘What’s up with this futuristic, science fiction, and space travel inspired design?’ I certainly did at first glance.

The Tego backpack is made from the same high-resilience polyester materials with the same weather-resistant surface treatment that appear on most, if not all of Moshi’s 2016 and 2017 bag collections. The charcoal black color is the same that graces the Vacanza travel bag, and Arcus and Helios backpacks. Stone gray is new to the Moshi universe, and only appears on the four Tego-named products.

On the front, you won’t see any zippers or sleeves; not a single one. All you’ll see is the square metal Moshi decal on the lower right. What you don’t see is the weather-resistance surface treatment which protects Tego from the elements or the 3M Scotchlite reflective strip. Of course, you’ll only notice the latter at night.

Flipping the bag over, you’ll see the adjustable shoulder straps, the heavy-duty coat hook, the padded and vented back support, and an 11″ x 7″ RFID shielded zippered pocket. It’s in this last feature where you’ll want to place those (micro-chipped) items that’ll make you most upset if lost or stolen (identification cards, wallet, passport, etc.) This RFID protected pocket is a must in today’s society, and I for one am glad that Moshi incorporated it. I hope we see an RFID pocket on all Moshi bags and backpacks going forward.

What the Tego backpack doesn’t have are water bottle holders or cross-body straps. Not including either was the right move on Moshi’s part.

Harder to notice is the 40″+ wrap-around zipper which allows for the bag to lay flat when opened. Even though space is tight, there was no difficulty opening this zipper, unlike on a previously-reviewed crossbody bag. The other inconspicuous item is the pass-through USB charging port. I’ve seen this feature on bags before, but they were usually poorly conceived; not the case with Moshi’s design. Who wouldn’t want a pass-through charging port?

Finally, we come to the underside which has a durable and hardened surface with padding behind it to protect contents against drops.

As stated in the past Moshi product reviews, “The zippers and straps are of high-quality, and the stitching is put together well.” The craftsmanship of this backpack is solid.

What’s On The Inside

The interior of this Tego backpack is broken down into two compartments.

The front side of the backpack has a 3½” x 6″ microfiber pouch for holding sunglasses, plus there more pockets, one of which is to carry a battery charger like the Moshi IonBank 5K. After all, the pass-through USB port has to go somewhere.

On the back flap, there are two padded sleeved compartments. One is for holding up to a 10½” tablet, the other a 15″ laptop. Should the bag get upside down, you need not worry about either device sliding out. A Velcro strap holds both in place.

Below these are two equally sized 5½” x 6″ deep pockets. Each pocket is capable of holding one sizeable mobile device.

The belly of the backpack is 5″ wide and with more than enough space to simultaneously hold books, clothing, lunch, a headphones case, even a Manfrotto compact tripod.

The lining of this Moshi bag is luxurious, and it’s throughout their 2017 and 2018 lineups. On this particular model, the lining is dark gray.

This bag weighs 1.87 lbs and as stated earlier, has dimensions of 13″ x 20.6″ x 5.5″. For you Metric System users, the weight is 0.85 kilograms, and its dimensions are 33 x 52.5 x 14 cm. Also included is a storage bag big enough to fit the backpack.

Final Thoughts

Although my first impression was “What the heck is this?” it didn’t take long for me to grow fond of the Tego backpack. After all, this bag was well thought out and has some very real-world, practical uses.

The Moshi Tego backpack provides much with its feature-rich, tech-forward approach at a price of $149.99. If you’re an urban dweller or a suburban commuter, you can’t go wrong with a great-looking product. I believe you’ll be quite pleased with the Tego.

Both color patterns of the Tego are available for purchase on either Amazon (see the link at the bottom of this review) and the Moshi website.

Based on this thorough review,  Moshi’s Tego is one handsome, futuristic-looking commuter backpack which fits nicely within their Urban Safari bag collection for Spring 2018. If your needs are for something a bit smaller, then I direct you to either the Moshi Tego Sling Messenger or the Tego Crossbody Sling.

You’re welcome you to compare Moshi’s bags and backpacks to those from other brands. Only then will you know you’ve found the right bag or backpack for you.

What do you think of this Moshi Tego backpack review? Do you agree or disagree that this is one of the best commuter backpacks for 2018? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Moshi press page to see their latest product announcements. To learn more about service and support, click here for their Support page. There’s a one-year limited warranty on all Moshi products. There’s also an extended warranty via product registration. We highly advise you take advantage of this.

FTC Disclosure: Moshi provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Tego backpack sample (in charcoal black) for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown and Moshi © 2018.