• Even The Cheese Is a Pocket!: Cheeseburger Backpack Review a Month and a Half Later


    Ever since the Cheeseburger Backpack was shown in the show, it has captivated Steven Universe fans. It's such a neat idea! It's a backpack in the shape of a cheeseburger! And, according to Steven, even the cheese is a pocket! Well, back in July, my order from the Cartoon Network Shop came in and helped complete my cosplay. In this article, I will share with you the pros and cons about this bag and so you can see if the Cheeseburger Backpack is right for you.


    Firstly, let's look at what Cartoon Network says about the bag on their website:

    "The famed Steven Universe Cheeseburger backpack is on its way! This is a real backpack (not a toy) which measures approximately twenty inches in diameter and nine inches deep when full. The backpack features tomato, cheese, and buns that all unzip to reveal separate pockets. The bun has a second nylon pocket inside along with smaller pockets for school supplies and other small items. This is a preorder that will ship in September, so order today!

    Product Materials:Nylon, polyester, and Polyurethane
    Product note: Product details are subject to change prior to final manufacturing; product may appear slightly different than sample shown, and dimensions and product materials may change."

    Now, I will say that they are accurate with the size and such. It's a very big bag and very nicely made. When it arrived, it looked absolutely flawless and quite accurate.
     


     

    And it was, for a while anyway. I started using my bag in everyday life. I don't carry a lot with me, nor do I need to, but I do like having it when I go shopping so I don't have to worry about bags, or when I go to work so I can take my external phone charger, food, and any extra items I might need.

    From left to right: meat/tomato pocket, cheese pocket, and bun/lettuce pocket

    Let's talk about the pockets in the backpack. Starting with the 'meat/tomato pocket', it is the largest pocket, ideal for items such as binders, sweaters/jackets, laptops, and so on. Basically, like any other main section of a backpack.

    Next, the 'cheese pocket' is slim. This would be perfect for folders, loose papers, and thin books. If you have something that needs to stay "unbent", this would be the ideal pocket for it.

    Lastly, we have the 'bun/lettuce pocket'. This pocket is a little more complex than the others, which are just a giant holder. This pocket has two sections, divided by a piece of fabric, which also has a phone holder, pencil holder, and other little pockets for small items that might be easily lost.

    Now, this is an important note: the Cheeseburger Backpack does not have a flat bottom. Like the burger it is modeled after, it has a round bottom. It's a minor inconvenience and should be noted.




    As for wearing the backpack, there are a few things I should note.

    1. The backpack is not completely sturdy. There is no internal skeleton to help the backpack keep it's shape, let's Steven's in the show. As you can tell in the photo above, it can slump on your back the more you put inside.

    2. It does not evenly distribute the weight. Unfortunately, the backpack is smaller than you might think (remember, Steven might be 14, but he's a small boy). Since I'm not as small as Steven and I'm 20-something, it's not exactly ideally made for someone like me. However, I have seen this on middle schoolers and some high schoolers and it's fine on them.

    3. Overloading can be an issue. I took this bag with me to San Diego Comic-Con because, well duh, I was cosplay Steven Universe. Inside, I put in a quite a lot of comics to bring with me, but as shown in the picture above, the weight was not evenly distributed and it slumped on my back. And with it slumping down, something a bit worrisome came up: the stitching. As shown below, the thread from the stitching shows up when there is a lot of weight inside the bag. Now, no breaking or anything has happened yet and the backpack does return to it's normal appearance afterwards, but it is still a fear that I have. I highly recommend that you do not overload it with things such as textbooks or anything of the such.



    4. It is a bit difficult to clean. I have taken this bag with me just about everywhere: San Diego Comic-Con, Canada, work at the mall, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and so on. Of course, taking this wonderful bag around can cause it to get dirty. I have tried to use a damp cloth to clean the polyurethane coating but to no affect. I don't want to try anything more than just that for fear of damaging it, but I'm sure there is a proper way to clean it. Below is a picture of my backpack in it's current state.


    5. Sesame seeds fall off. Now this next one is minor. If you look closely at the above picture, you can see that there is one sesame seed missing from the back and one looks close to falling off. This is a very minor, appearance issue, but it is still something I find to be noteworthy. Below are close up pictures.

    Left: missing seed. Right: peeling seed.

    These were some of the issues, but don't get me wrong, this is an amazing bag. It is large and spacious for whatever you put in this bag. And Steven as had done so in the show, you can easily pack it for a weekend trip with clothing and the like. Great for using as a shopping bag, and nice to just show off.

    So, let's look at the pros and cons:

    PROS:
    -It's the Cheeseburger Backpack from the show
    -Show accurate
    -Large and spacious
    -"Even the cheese is a pocket!"
    -Good for shopping
    -Excellent for a Steven Universe cosplay
    -Very nice to show off in public

    CONS:
    -Overloading is an issue
    -Can easily get dirty
    -Designed for kids
    -Sturdiness issue
    -Seeds can come off
    -$54.95 price tag before shipping
    -Pre-order only


    Overall, I highly recommend this backpack. If you treat it well, it will treat you well. It's a wonderful bag and great for cosplays, everyday use, and just showing off to people (even those who don't know of the show love it). But do be warned, carrying the backpack might cause people to chant "Cheeseburger backpack! Cheeseburger backpack!" when you are carrying it, just as Emerald did at a recent convention we were both at.

    I do hope this review was helpful to any of you interested in the Cheeseburger Backpack. For those of you who are interested in the cheeseburger backpack, Cartoon Network is currently doing more pre-orders, but I do not know for how long.

    Click here to see the more details about the Cheeseburger Backpack on the Cartoon Network Shop.

    Here's hoping they will do the Hot Dog Duffle Bag next!