When I was planning for my recent Disney trip, I knew a new backpack was a must. I had a cheap Target backpack kicking around from my 2015 trip but it was very well loved and had gotten dingy with multiple bike rides and had more than a few holes showing. Of course, I’m not quite ready to throw it out yet but it’s definitely been downgraded.

In my search, I stumbled across Day Owl backpacks.

Each bag is made from 25 post-consumer plastic bottles that were destined for the landfill or the ocean. I don’t love the idea of clothes being made with recycled bottes as they shed plastic fibers in the wash but something like a backpack is a great use of this material. The material that Day Owl creates with the plastic bottles is similar to a waxed canvas, is weather resistant and durable.

The item was shipped with no plastic. Yes please! Is there anything worse than trying to support a sustainable company and then you receive a product wrapped in 20 layers of plastic. Not here, my friends! The box is 100% recyclable.

Now, let’s get down to the bag. The design of this bag is fantastic! I am such a fan. I’m about to sing it’s praises for approximately 2000 paragraphs so bear with me. It’s too cleverly designed to be ignored.

It has a slim cushioned laptop/tablet pocket, which more than fit my HP laptop.

The large pocket fit my medium-sized packing cube filled with two days worth of clothes and pajamas, a half gallon stasher bag with my toiletries, a snack size stasher bag with my oral care items, a plastic to-go container (repurposed take out container) with cloth napkin and utensils and my Contigo mug for coffee. Working in the travel field, I see people’s luggage get lost all. the. time. I hate checking my luggage but knew I had to this time so I made sure my carry-on was well stocked with essentials. I would not be stranded in Disney without underwear or a toothbrush! And yes, all of that fit comfortable in that pocket.

I also had my Kleen Kanteen 20 oz water bottle in the Spill Resistant Bottle pocket (the purple stickers water bottle in the previous picture is what I took on the trip. This is my go-to Camelbak that is so worn it occasionally leaks so it stays at home). The Spill Resistant Bottle pocket is lined with neoprene to prevent leaks from reaching the contents inside your bag. Day Owl also recommends storing umbrellas in this pocket.

The Floating Top Pocket, as they call it, is a slim pocket at the very top of your bag perfect for a small wallet, sunglasses or your cell phone. I usually kept my wallet and my fold-up reusable bag here. This made it easy to grab my wallet when I was making a purchase and near impossible for me to forget to use my reusable bag.

The flat pocket in the front was were I sort of threw everything else during the day. My cellphone most frequently ended up in this pocket. It holds a surprising amount of stuff.

And lastly, as if this bag didn’t have enough pockets, there is another super slim pocket on the side. Online, Day Owl shows this as holding an IPhone. My phone’s too large for that so I ended up putting my sunglasses in here for part of the trip.

In addition to the millions of pockets, the bag also has a luggage strap, which is a must for anyone that travels a lot. Again, I don’t normally check my luggage so this is super handy to keep my bags together and easy to maneuver.

In addition to a great design, the company currently guarantees Free Repairs for Life. I think this is an excellent testimony to the company’s desire to make quality bags that they stand behind and to keep bags out of landfills if possible. I appreciate companies that think long term and treat their products as an investment and not as disposable.

They are currently also taking back your old backpack to prevent it from ending up in a landfill, offering free shipping both ways, and have a $50 discount. The bag usually sells for $149 but you can get it for $99, which is actually one of the best “black Friday” deals I have seen so far. I’m not sure how long the discount is going on though since it’s been running for a little while now. My bag is the large in Charcoal black.

If I was one of those people that was going to give you a Gift Guide, I’d definitely include this Day Owl bag. I know we aren’t doing a lot of traveling this year but it’d still be great as an overnight bag or if someone has to commute into work a few times a week.

Day Owl has also partnered with other eco-friendly brands on their website so you may be able to get more than one Christmas gift out of the way! Definitely check them out.

Also, I clearly added a bit of Halloween flair to my bag before heading to Disney. All are tagged in my Instagram if you see anything you like.

**this post is NOT sponsored at all. Just sharing a bag and company that I have tried and love**