ProView – Sterling Bartleby Gym Bag Review

As someone who is constantly in and out of coffee shops and climbing gyms, I’ve been able to put the Sterling Bartleby Gym Bag to the test over the last three months. It is a lightweight yet durable bag that works just as hard as you play and also allows you to work just as hard, with the separated sections for your computer and smelly climbing gear.

While I was reviewing this pack, I was finishing up over a year of living on the road full time and also finishing my undergrad degree. What do these two things have in common? A lot of time in coffee shops and climbing gyms, all over the country. Due to the fact we were living out of our vehicle, space was of the utmost importance. Instead of having a dedicated gym bag and school bag, why not have both in one?

Features

This stealth black Sterling bag has received numerous compliments, both in the climbing gym and coffee shops. Not only does it look great but it is made of durable ripstop material and it is waterproof! Not that I plan on taking this backpack into the mountains but even going to gym on a rainy night, I always appreciate a waterproof bag. Also while I was living out of a truck and truck camper, space was tight. This meant my backpack was constantly being stuffed into cubbies in the backseat or under the bed, so it got pretty beat up. The rip stop material Sterling made this bag out of, at first seemed like overkill for a commuter bag, but I quickly became very appreciative. A couple of stand out features include the removable hip belt and 180 degree clam shell opening. Again, not that this bag is intended to be putting up serious miles, but I would always rather have a feature and not use it than vise versa. The 180 degree clam shell opening creates super easy access to everything inside, and it’s great because you don’t have to completely open the bag to access the computer sleeve. For being such a sleek bag, there is a surprising amount of storage for pens, headphones, chargers, and climbing shoes.

Room for Improvement

I would love to be able to grab my water bottle without opening my backpack. It does seem that a lot of backpack manufacturers are moving to this more streamlined look, I still want easy access. That would really be my only complaint with the features of this pack — I would like to see one or two external water bottle mesh pockets.

This has nothing to do with the function, but this pack only comes in one color option, all black. While I like the stealth black aesthetic of this model, some are looking for more excitement. The other notable possible improvement for this bag is for those who wanting to do more than bouldering. This bag is the perfect size for a laptop, chargers, books, bouldering shoes, and chalk bag. As soon as you add a harness and any hardware, the bag starts to become very cramped.

Who is the product for?

Whether we like it or not, following the Covid 19 pandemic, a lot of employers moved to a full remote or partial remote schedule. For many, this means working from home, from coffee shops, from the library, or anywhere with wifi. For the climber folks out there, this was wonderful news, the ability to work from anywhere. The Bartleby bag is designed for those folks who plan on going to coffee shops or libraries for work and then straight to the climbing gym afterwards, all using just one pack. 

Friendliness to the Earth

Upon looking more into Sterling’s environmental goals and commitments, I was incredibly impressed. A huge step that Sterling took, was that they went carbon-neutral in 2021. This includes all of their manufacturing processes, start to finish. This had been a huge goal for the company, striving towards every step of their products being carbon neutral, so cool! They have an entire page on their website about specifically what they are currently doing and hope to be doing in the future. What Sterling is probably known most for is their climbing ropes and they’ve been able to do super cool things around recycling ropes and raising funds for good causes. They have created special edition ropes such as the “Kenya Dry Rope”, paying tribute to the Kenyan flag. Sterling also has programs which support groups such as the Global Climbing Initiative, so go Sterling.

The Final Word

The Sterling Bartleby bag is an incredibly durable and versatile hybrid backpack for gym and coffee shop goers. I love the handful of small, useful features including the gym membership card, 180 degree opening, and numerous pockets. I’d love to see external water bottle pockets and maybe some more flashy colors in the future.

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