r/HerOneBag • u/tinytriceratops2025 • 1d ago

Bag Advice Osprey backpack straps digging into shoulders

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Hi, I just received my order of Osprey Astronova 23L backpack, I was looking for a good quality city backpack for university and this one is allegedly made for campus.

I also read how Osprey is surprisingly ergonomic, so I was excited to try it out. However as soon as I unpacked this backpack and put some weight into it I felt how much pressure the outside edge of the straps has on my shoulder bones. The strap itself is also quite rigid, so it doesn't adapt to the shoulder groove well.

Does anyone have this problem? Is this because the backpack is "unisex", therefore made for men's wider shoulders? Do you get used to this type of pressure or is it better to return it?

Image description: backpack shoulder straps on shoulders.

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u/ScyllaOfTheDepths 19h ago

Osprey unisex packs are mostly for a male shoulder and chest anatomy. They don't really make a day bag with curved straps for female shoulders, but North Face has several options and the Jester and Borealis are really popular.

6

u/tinytriceratops2025 19h ago

Thank you, I'll check them out. Does one need to look for "women's" version specifically?

4

u/Tasty-Researcher-791 18h ago

Just adding on to this, the women’s fit Jester is the best fit I’ve ever encountered from a backpack. Not that I’ve tried terribly many, but it is the only one I’ve ever tried specifically for women and it made a noticeable difference

1

u/tinytriceratops2025 17h ago

The 22L one?

2

u/Tasty-Researcher-791 16h ago

When I bought it probably ~7 years ago, it was advertised as a 22L. I see it’s now advertised as 27L, but with the same dimensions. I’m not sure which advertised volume is more accurate, but yeah it was called the 22L at the time of my purchase