Penny are world renowned for their vibrant and charismatic plastic skateboards, and now this quirky brand has pivoted their deck, offering a better way to keep the boards conveniently with us on the move. They've designed a bespoke backpack, which continues the trend of distinctive design and makes sure your Penny skateboard is quick to access and always on show.

Attaching The Penny Board

We’ve often put our Penny boards inside backpacks with the nose poking out, but two things are frustrating with this make-shift method: it’s not clean and the board's trucks and wheels become scrambled with the contents of the bag - cables being a particular menace. The approach Penny have implemented is to make sure the board is completely separate from the contents by strapping it onto the front exterior. It’s secure and well thought out; for absolute compatibility with both the 22” Penny Original and 27” Penny Nickel.

A Penny branded zippered pull-out pouch, located on the lower front of the bag, facilitates the kicktail, and with the wheels of the Penny board facing out, two velcro straps secure the board. We timed it, and it takes just 15 seconds for us to attach our Penny board and 8 seconds to remove it. By design it encourages us to skate whenever appropriate and we like this a lot!

Exterior Design & Quality

At the time of writing, Penny offer the Penny Pouch Backpack in 7 very different designs. Ours is the Slater variation - a bursting in colour, 90s inspired theme, with a twist of modern-day minimalism. We all liked the bright design a lot, and it feels really fitting for the current heat-wave we’re experiencing. What’s more, it complements our purple and blue Penny boards, that when fastened onto the bag, combine to make a chilled tourer image.

This is no generic backpack: things like all the rubber zippers mimicking the now iconic skateboard are memorable touches. Every compartment is stitched precisely and the materials are all substantial. 600D polyester constructs the exterior of the bag; it’s not water treated, but if caught out in the rain, the Penny board itself will act as a mild rain defence barrier. Assuredly the Penny Pouch looks good as new after a month of being left on wet grass, brushed against scratchy concrete, and after surviving other general day to day stress. Above all, the print design hasn't faded and the polyester is generally easy to clean too. The padding used in many compartments, within each shoulder strap and entirely along the back of the backpack, offers assured comfort that remains when carrying our heavy daily necessities. We truly cannot complain about any backache or fidgety shoulders. One downside is it’s not breathable against the back.

Penny Pouch Backpack Slater Shoulder Straps Rear View

Storage

For a brand that has no previous experience designing bags, we were absolutely astonished to find a functional and rather practical array of storage options. For its £45 price tag, it rivals some of the exceedingly more expensive bags we’ve reviewed. It’s a backpack that truly accomplishes its purpose of keeping your transportation and possessions in one place, whether going back and fourth from school, college or work.

To start with, the two mesh drinks holders are to be found on the left and right of the Penny Pouch. Then along the front of the backpack, above the pouch which holds the tail of the Penny board, is a larger pouch which is accessible when unbuckled and then unzipped. It sort of acts like a large pencil case, with holders for pens, pencils and other stationery, as well as having a mesh pocket which is ideal for keeping ID.

Penny Pouch Backpack Slater Front Pocket

The next compartment is the main storage area located within the middle of the bag, accessed by a zip. This area has lots of free room where we keep headphones, a DSLR camera and a hoodie. Interestingly Penny have more organising options for things like pens and other stationery along the wall of this compartment. Behind this padded wall is the notebook module, where we keep a 13” MacBook Pro. An elasticated velcro strap holds the notebook within the section; a clever addition for making sure larger notebooks of up to 15” don't shake around.

Penny Pouch Backpack Slater Middle Main Section

Lastly, a zipped compartment on the very rear of the backpack contains a neat single padded pocket for tablets and it fits a full-sized iPad perfectly. We use the space between the pocket and padding to store our charging cables.

Penny Pouch Backpack Slater iPad Tablet Sleeve

Overall

For avid Penny-boarders, the Penny Pouch Backpack is a no brainer. Its smart velcro design keeps your hands free whilst not skating and allows swift access to your board whenever desired. Furthermore, the sturdy Penny Pouch Backpack is well conceived inside and out, with lots of practical storage and designs that inspire.