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Released in 1994, the Montsouris backpack quickly became an iconic look for the Louis Vuitton brand, helping to bridge the gap between high end designer and causal styling.
I first became aware of this backpack way back in high school, around 10 years after its initial launch and love how casual and elegant it seemed to look (in high school, anything high end was elegant).
While I appreciated the bag from afar for many years, I finally made the plunge to purchase one in 2021 after having my daughter and realizing that a backpack could be a very useful bag to own as a mother of three.
So for today’s blog, I wanted to have a chit chat about the Montsouris backpack, how I’ve been getting along with it and why I think it’s one of the best bangs for your buck if you’re looking for a luxury backpack.
Why the original model?
I had actually been considering getting the newer model in turtledove, as I think that backpack is so pretty; and I just still might. But ultimately, I got the original model because it was way cheaper.
I was able to buy my pre-loved Montsouris backpack in good condition for $710.00 USD from fashionphile. VS new in store, they are going for $2,000.00 USD more to start.
The newer model does feature a bigger front pocket and no vachetta leather on the bottom, which is a welcomed update. But ultimately, I planned to use this as mostly a mommy bag, so I didn’t feel I needed something necessarily new, just nice and the older model fit that bill wonderfully.
If you’re interested in the older model, there are still a few lingering around which I’ll link in this blog, thought they do seem to be creeping up in price.
The best luxury bag for your money
I’ve been using this bag on and off for the better part of a year now, but after this past Labour Day weekend, I can now say that this is probably the best luxury backpack I’ve own.
I love how easy it is to use. It’s not a fussy bag at all and only has 2 pockets. While the front pocket in the original model is small, it will fit some hand sanitizer, card holds, head phone case or other things of similar sized for easy accesses.
The larger cavity it surprising spacious, as I’m able to easily toss in a small purse such as the Pouchette Accessories while still having space to stuff in a shawl, snacks, water, extra battery packs and small toys/ activities for the kids.
Now, my children are still all young, so I do still carry a diaper bag, but that generally just stays under our stroller carriage now, while everything we need easier accesses to fits in this backpack.
The Montsouris backpack is very comfortable to wear. The vachetta leather is super mailable and fits nicely on your shoulders. I do wish you could better adjust the size of the straps on the older model (I think you can on the newer models), but it doesn’t sag in the back too much nor does it feel like it’s pulling you backwards.
I wore this bag to the Oregon Zoo this past weekend filled with snacks, toys and juice and it felt like almost nothing on my back.
All around, this backpack was just so easy to use, held everything that I needed and just made sense for me as a mommy bag and I think most people will enjoy this bag too.
Who this bag isn’t for
Everything isn’t for everyone, and while I think this is the prefect backpack (especially for moms), it may not be worth it to some.
I don’t think this backpack would work particularly well as a school bag. Unless you’re only carrying a pen case and a table, this bag (at least in the MM size) won’t hold your books and laptop well.
For many of the same reasons, I don’t think this bag would work out great as a work bag if you’re the type who needs to carry files and bulky items around. I’ve tried using this bag for work as I was visiting different sites and it just didn’t work well for me in that way.
Lastly, if you’re looking for something small with the versatility to be worn multiple ways, then this bag also isn’t for you. This bag isn’t terribly big, but it’s also not small, so you’re not getting away with using it as a clutch or evening bag as you might with the Palm Springs Mini.
Final thought
Overall, I think the Montsouris backpack is one of the best luxury backpacks you can own, especially if you’re a mom.
Even with the buckle and drawstring, the bag is easy to accesses and hold a great amount of items inside and is prefect for outdoor outings.
I do fell like the bag lacks organization since it is a large cavity, but ultimately for me, it ends up being a non issue since it can fit SLGs such as the Pochette Accessories, which I can use to organize my bag instead.
I think you get the best deal when you buy the older version of the Montsouris from pre-loved sites, as it can be more than $2,000.00 USD less than the current models. However, the newer models are very beautiful and I can’t fault you if that’s what you end up going after instead.
Is the Montsouris a backpack you’ve ever considered? Let us know down below!
