Mommy and Me with Fjällräven {review}

You would think that with the preschool year coming to an end I wouldn’t be thinking about backpacks. It’s the total opposite thanks to my daughter who loves twinning. I’m constantly trying to find every possible opportunity to do so, and backpacks are a fun way for us to match.

Fjällräven is a Swedish brand that has been around for 50+ years, but I had never heard of it until a few months ago. Suddenly I was spotting their bags all over the Vancouver area. They had my attention, especially after I realized several of my friends were using their backpacks.

 My daughter instantly fell in love with the peachy pink colour, and sure enough, that was what we had to have. In the eyes of a three-year-old pink is best.  Armed with a Kånken, and a Kånken Mini we were soon set to face the day with our matching bags. 

For myself, I need a bag that is multifunctional. I need to be able to use it as a day bag, book bag, laptop bag, carryall, and a diaper bag on any given day. I was a bit apprehensive that the Kånken may not be able to keep up with my needs. Little did I know that I was in for a big surprise. 

While it may look like a very simple bag, there is a lot to it. The main pocket has a very generous opening thanks to the zipper that allows it to open almost completely. Have you ever lost something small at the bottom of a bag before, and had a hard time finding it? That is not an issue with this bag, thanks to being able to lay it flat and open it all the way up. It also has two side pockets that are great for putting things in that you need to be able to get to easily, for me that’s bottles for my youngest daughter. I have also tossed my sunglasses, and keys in the side pockets when we have gone out on beach adventures. Hidden inside, in the back pocket is also a sitting pad. How brilliant is that? It has come in very handy for our different outings. Who else has that kid that wants to sit on the ground, but refuses to do so if there is dirt? Problem solved with this. 

Now there were two things I was a bit worried about. When I saw the straps of the bag my first thought was that there was no way this bag was going to be comfortable. The straps are narrow compared to other backpacks. What I soon learned was that Fjällräven created the Kånken to help with back problems that were occurring in Swedish students. If you’ve ever carried a diaper bag with a shoulder strap when it is fully loaded for an outing, it can be incredibly heavy, and hard on the back to carry. I love using the Kånken as a diaper bag because I have two straps to evenly distribute the weight of the bag.

The second thing I had some doubts about was the fabric. My daughter had picked out a light colour. I am someone who normally goes for all things grey and black. I was not sure how it would hold up against dirt, and every day wear. Our bags were well loved and put to good use. The bags got covered in marks and dirt from trips to the beach, walks to the grocery story, being put in the car, and so much more. With a little bit of water, and some scrubbing the bags were brought back to their original glory. A few spots needed a little more help from a mild soap, but it did not take much effort to get the marks off the fabric. The Kånken is made out of Vinylon F, which is a very durable fabric that also repels moisture better than most fabrics. If the Kånken Mini can survive my preschooler, it can get through anything.

The smile that goes across my daughters face when she sees us matching with our peach pink Kånken bags is good enough for me. Nothing beats being able to twin with my little girl. To have it be a bag that fills so many needs is even better. This is a bag that will be staying in our family. When both of my girls no longer need them I will very likely pack them away to hand down some day.