Evergoods CHZ 22L - A Review
I purchased the Evergoods CHZ 22L about a few months ago, intending to use it as my daily all-around backpack. Here is my review of it.
As I mentioned in my previous review, of the Minaal Carry-on backpack: I don’t have access to good backpacks. I’m left at the mercy of paying big taxes and shipping fees, and hope to like the product. With the Evergoods CHZ, I must admit—I’m disappointed.
Intended use
As a preparation for my nomading in Central America (read about my first destination Costa Rica), I decided to get an all-around backpack. A backpack that will be good for carrying a laptop to a co-working space; one that is good to go to the gym with; one I can hike with.
Oh, and I wanted one that is relatively packable, as during flight, I carry the Minaal Carry-on, and pack this backpack—inside my checked luggage.
What I like
I like the fact that the Evergoods CHZ is a good, all-around backpack. It’s roomy enough for the use-cases I’ve mentioned above. I appreciate the fact that it has two water bottle sleeves, which means I can throw in a snack when hiking, or a tripod when doing some insta content.
It also feels well-built, and I’m not afraid to take it to hikes with me. Evergoods claim that it’s water-repellent, but I didn’t have the chance to test it. Under light rain, it performed well, and kept my stuff dry.
And its neutral look helps it fit in any environment.
What I don’t like
Unfortunately, the list of dislikes is bigger.
I really dislike the shoulder straps. They are very tough, and painful on the shoulders. I read other people saying that they break in, but I was wearing it daily for more than 4 months—and mine are still tough.
Next, the laptop sleeve. The Minaal is very big for day-to-day use, so I was looking at a backpack that is good to travel daily with a laptop. I knew before that the laptop sleeve in the CHZ—is not awesome. But I didn’t expect it to be that disappointing. It’s very hard to get the laptop in and out, when the small pocket is full. And I usually carry my glasses/sunglasses in the top pocket, so it’s always full.
The laptop sleeve fits both 16” and 14” MacBook Pro, but as I said, I’m disappointed with sleeve. In my next backpack, I’ll be looking for a dedicated laptop compartment, like in the Minaal.
Conclusion
Overall, I find the Evergoods to be too painful for my needs. During long day hikes, when I carry a lot of water and clothes, I tend to develop shoulder pain.
As for the laptop compartment, I think that the Evergoods CPL has a better design, since it has a dedicated laptop compartment. However, if it has the same straps as the CHZ—then I’m not sure either of them would have been a good choice for me.