Fjällräven Kånken Bags

Fjällräven made the Kånken in 1978 because Swedish schoolchildren were getting bad backs from shoulder bags, and it hasn't changed much since. The Classic is the original, the Mini is the small one, and the Laptop versions come in 13, 15 and 17 inch. We're a UK stockist and we carry most of the family — backpacks, hip packs, slings and the straps and pads that make a loaded Kånken bearable — in bags.

Fjällräven Kånken Classic, Mini and Laptop Backpacks

The Classic is the one everyone pictures. Sixteen litres, boxy, one big compartment with a wide zip, and a foam pad in the back pocket that comes out to sit on — that was for Swedish schoolchildren waiting for the bus. The Mini is the same bag scaled down; it's a child's bag or a handbag depending on who's carrying it. The Laptop versions are the Classic stretched, with a padded sleeve, and sized by screen rather than litres. The fabric on all of them is Vinylon F, which swells slightly when it gets wet and closes up, so rain sits on top rather than soaking through. No. 2 swaps that for heavier G-1000 canvas with leather trim.

Kånken Slings, Hip Packs and Totepacks

The shape has spread well beyond the backpack. The Sling and the Crossbody are the Kånken in small, the Hip Pack is the bum-bag version, and the Totepack has both handles and straps for anyone who switches between carrying and wearing. Re-Kånken is the Classic in recycled polyester, and Re-Wool does the same in wool. Colour is the thing people search for most on this bag, and it changes every season, so rather than list colours here we'd say search the one you want — the product pages are named by it.

Kånken Straps, Pads and Rain Covers

The Kånken has a few known shortcomings and most of the accessories here exist to fix them. There's no chest strap on the Classic, so a heavy load pulls the straps outward; the clip-on chest strap solves it. The straps themselves are thin webbing, which is why the shoulder pads exist. The seat pad replaces the one in the back pocket when it goes missing, and the rain cover is for the days Vinylon F isn't enough. If you're buying a Classic to carry every day, we'd add the shoulder pads without thinking about it.

There's more in backpacks and bags, and the small things — the pen cases, card wallets and keyrings — sit with the rest of accessories.

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