You can tell a real Notabag by five things. The handles run through the body of the bag and become backpack straps with one pull, without a clip, button or Velcro. The pouch is sewn on and doubles as an inside pocket. The bag is made of a single material, ripstop polyester with a visible grid, weighs 140 g and carries 15 kg. A woven label with the notabag lettering sits on the edge. And it comes from a retailer that carries the brand, at One Horizon on the Notabag brand page. The switching mechanism is patented internationally, which is why copies have to rebuild it with extra parts. This article covers what makes the original, where it comes from and how to care for it.
How to recognize the original
The patented switch is the heart of the bag and also the best authenticity test. On the Notabag Original, the two handles aren’t sewn on; they run through the body of the bag as a loop. Pull them apart and they shorten into shoulder straps while the edge of the bag cinches itself shut. With a little weight inside, the bag closes as a backpack without a zipper. According to Notabag, it deliberately left out zippers, buttons and Velcro: the Original, Reflective and Mini are made entirely of a single material. If a supposed Notabag has a clip, a button or a Velcro strip that makes the switch possible, it isn’t one.
- The pouch is sewn on. The Notabag disappears into its own pouch of 15.5 × 13 cm, which is firmly attached to the bag. It also works as an inside pocket for keys and small items. A loose pouch is a warning sign.
- The fabric is ripstop. Hold it up to the light and you see a fine grid in the fabric. It stops small tears before they spread. That is why, according to the manufacturer, the bag carries 15 kg at 140 g of its own weight.
- The label. A woven label with the notabag lettering sits on the edge of the pouch and on the bag. The lettering is all lowercase.
- The dimensions. Open 45 × 65 cm including the handles, folded 15.5 × 13 cm. Different dimensions point to a different product.
- The origin. According to Notabag, the bags are made by hand in small, family-run workshops in southern China, with almost one hundred percent quality control. The material is produced exclusively to Notabag’s specifications and is REACH-tested. A label without a country of origin doesn’t fit that picture.
2-in-1 Backpack and Shopping Bag – Solid Color
A tote bag and backpack in one: Just pull on the handles, and your tote bag turns into a backpack.…
Why the mechanism is patented
The idea came about on a bike. Founder Adnan Alicusic was riding through Frankfurt traffic with shopping bags on his handlebars, the bags kept hitting the front wheel, and he wished for a backpack that would fit in a jacket pocket. In 2012 that became the Notabag, the first bag that turns into a backpack with one pull. According to Notabag, the design and the function are protected by international patents. The awards followed: the German Design Award 2016, the Hessian State Prize for Universal Design for its suitability for people with disabilities, and the Good Design Award 2019 in Japan.
A patent protects the solution, not the idea. Anyone who copies a bag with a backpack function has to solve the switch differently, with carabiners, snaps or a separate pair of straps. That is exactly where you notice the difference in everyday use: the original needs one second and no second hand, the copies need both.
The versions of the Original at One Horizon
The same bag comes in five versions, and all of them have the same switch, the same pouch and the same weight. The solid Original in thirteen colors from Black to Forest Green is the classic. According to Notabag, the Original Recycled is made entirely from recycled PET; technically it is the same bag. The Original Reflective has a back panel and straps made of highly reflective material that lights up in the beam of headlights, which makes it the bike version in the strict sense. Then there are the versions with patterns and dots, with stripes and gradient and the Artist Edition with designs by artists such as Judit Canela, which also comes as a gift box.
Don’t confuse it with the Notabag Tote: that is the foldable shopping bag without the backpack function, 120 g, 21 liters, 20 kg load, also with a sewn-on pouch. It is a product of its own, not a stripped-down Original.
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2-in-1 Backpack and Shopping Bag – Recycled
The Notabag Original, made from recycled PET polyester: a shopping bag and backpack in one—just pull on the handles. Holds up to 15 kg while weighing only 140…
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2-in-1 Backpack and Shopping Bag – Reflective
The Notabag Original with a reflective back and reflective straps. When hit by headlights, the area facing traffic lights up. It’s a bag and backpack in one…
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Foldable Shopping Bag – Solid Color
Foldable shopping bag with a 21-liter capacity that can hold up to 20 kg and weighs only 120 g. After shopping, fold it into its sewn-in pouch (14 × 11 cm), and…
Original, Recycled, Reflective: the facts
| Original Solid | Original Recycled | Original Reflective | Tote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHF 32.90 View product | CHF 32.90 View product | Price range: CHF 24.90 through CHF 37.90 View product | CHF 19.90 View product | |
| Converts to a backpack | yes, patented | yes, patented | yes, patented | no |
| Size open | 45 × 65 cm incl. handles | 45 × 65 cm incl. handles | 45 × 65 cm incl. handles | 39 × 32.5 × 16.5 cm |
| Pouch | 15.5 × 13 cm, sewn on | 15.5 × 13 cm, sewn on | 15.5 × 13 cm, sewn on | 14 × 11 cm, sewn on |
| Weight | 140 g | 140 g | 140 g | 120 g |
| Load capacity | 15 kg | 15 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg |
| Material | Ripstop polyester | 100% recycled PET | Ripstop plus reflective polyester | Ripstop polyester |
| Closure | none, closes by weight | none | none | none |
| Care | 30 degrees, air-dry | 30 degrees, air-dry | 30 degrees, air-dry | 30 degrees, air-dry |
Care and what applies if it gets damaged
Notabag is built for the washing machine: 30 degrees, air-dry, iron cold if needed. No fabric softener, it coats the water-repellent finish. After washing, stuff the bag into its pouch, pull the cord and you’re done; there are no folding instructions. If a Notabag arrives damaged, the rule for every product at One Horizon applies: send a photo and the order number to info@one-horizon.ch and we replace it at no cost. The details are under Returns and warranty.
Frequently asked questions about the real Notabag
By the patented mechanism: the handles run through the body of the bag and become backpack straps with one pull, without a clip, button or Velcro. Then there is the sewn-on pouch of 15.5 × 13 cm, the ripstop fabric with its grid, 140 g of weight for 15 kg of load and the woven label with the notabag lettering.
No. Notabag deliberately leaves zippers, buttons and Velcro off the Original, Reflective and Mini. The bag is made of a single material and closes itself as a backpack under the weight of what’s inside. A bag that converts with a clip or a button is not a Notabag.
According to Notabag, by hand in small, family-run workshops in southern China, in direct contact with the production team and with almost one hundred percent quality control. The material is made exclusively to Notabag’s specifications and tested for harmful substances under REACH. Adnan Alicusic founded the brand in Frankfurt in 2012.
According to the manufacturer, the Original carries up to 15 kg at 140 g of its own weight, the Tote up to 20 kg at 120 g. The reason is ripstop polyester, whose grid stops small tears before they spread.
Yes, at 30 degrees in the machine or by hand. Let it air-dry; ironing it cold is optional. Don’t use fabric softener, it impairs the water-repellent finish.
The Original turns into a backpack with one pull, the Tote is purely a foldable shopping bag with handles. Both have a sewn-on pouch and ripstop fabric. The Tote holds 21 liters and carries 20 kg, the Original is designed for 15 kg.
One second, no second hand
The simplest test is still the switch: grab the handles, pull them apart, backpack. If that takes a clip, a button or a second hand, you’re holding a different bag. All versions of the Original, the Tote and the accessories are on the Notabag brand page.
Neo Abgottspon, One Horizon, Raron. As of September 2026.
