Cotswold Hipster Reviews 406

This is a long-term review of the Whichford Waxed Canvas and Leather Backpack. Been using this since December 2021. The bag looks good, especially when customised ( I get asked about it a lot). I even gifted one to a friend.
Having said that, the durability is questionable.One of the front closure buttons came off within 4 months. I did not escalate this since I could still use the bag. About 6 months back, the zip closure has become faulty, opens up by splitting in the middle when wearing, I don't even realise it's done that. Also, the base of the bag is slowly ripping now. I suspect this is because there isn't any metal stud/protection and canvas isn't durable enough. I raised a request via the website to check if they could mend the bag for me since my local bag repair can't do it. The bag has life left in it but is slowly becoming unusable. Something to note before your pay premium price.

I received my Churchill Waxed Canvas Backpack for Christmas 2022. I came across Cotswold Hipster online and loved their bags from the beginning. It is of sublime quality and meticulously made with good finishing, considering I travel a lot, it has stood the test of time, including in countries where the temperature exceeds 45 degrees. The customer service that I received is exemplary. Highly recommend Cotswold Hipster, for bag quality and local produce.

This is my second purchase from Cotswold Hipster and yet again outstanding service. Dropped an email to Mark late Friday night asking if he could do my company branding on the Burford Messenger Bag, got a response within minutes stating they still had artwork on file and to place my order. Bag arrived today (Tuesday) and absolutely love it. Quality is superb, colour (grey) is even better in real life. Branding is exactly how I requested.

Are there cheaper bags out there? Absolutely! Would you get same quality and high level customer service? I doubt it!

Perfect size and fit for my Leica m6 & m10 plus loads of space for charging bank and rolls of film.

5* all day long!

Thanks again guys I’ll be back to complete my hat trick of bags with a rucksack in the coming months!

So before I get to the nitty gritty of this review I want to stress that in no way is it my intention to damage the reputation of this company but as always I will be fair, honest and transparent with my review to give customers a better understanding of what they are getting for their hard earned money.

This review is for the “Churchill Waxed Canvas Bag” and I will also be talking a bit about the company as a whole.

- Product-
I went for the Churchill in Army Green and
I think the quality is pretty good as far as I can tell but this is the first bag of this style I have bought so I don’t have much to compare it to.

- However to me the stitching looks neat and tidy and the materials used feel sturdy, well made and pretty robust in general.

- The leather straps on the front do seem to be very slightly at an angle but this does not effect the bag when doing it up.

- it looks the part if vintage is your style and after using it today it is comfortable to wear, is fairly spacious (think day trips/ weekends/ hiking etc) and has lots of neat little pockets for your phone, wallet, keys etc.

- Overall the bag itself does what it says on the tin and looks nice. Is it brilliant quality? It does seem ok but for the price you pay you should think it would be absolutely flawless. I guess time will tell how durable and robust it really is!

- Customer service and brand-

The customer service at the “Cotswold Hipster” is undeniably very good.

- It was shipped within hours of ordering and I received it within 2 days of ordering.

- I was kept up to date via email and able to track the parcel all the way.

- When the parcel arrived it was beautiful presented with bespoke, sustainable packaging and a flyer for 10% off my next purchase. A lovely little touch and a bit more intimate.

- Their website is very easy to use, looks great and the marketing definitely appeals to its obvious consumers.

BUT (if you are still with me) and for me it’s a big but, I was very disappointed to read a another gentleman’s review stating that the Cotswold hipster MAY import some of its products from China (At a fraction of the cost to the consumer).

I decided to do my own research on this and after looking on the Alibaba express website I found bags that are very similar, identical indeed at a fraction of the cost (£19.41 per bag at the time of writing).

Now I am in no way saying that this is how their business operates and I cannot either confirm or deny conclusively that they do indeed import these products but in my opinion they are extremely similar. You will have to do your own research and decide for yourself.

Now not everyone would have a problem with this way of doing things and by all accounts it certainly is not against the law but in my eyes it does seem a little bit sneaky and morally wrong to set up a business model that certainly looks like you will be getting a handmade, luxury product made in the beautiful Cotswolds (And I must stress that no where on their website does it say they MAKE the products in question, namely the bags, but rather they are PURVEYORS) but as consumer that has a soft spot for good, old fashioned handmade British products suckers like me get drawn into the wonderful marketing and certainly want to believe so. You definitely pay luxury prices for a not so luxury item. In my opinion.

So understandably If this is indeed the case I do feel somewhat duped.

Overall I think I have been fair in giving this product 3 stars because the Churchill is a nice little bag that looks the part and will definitely come in handy.
However the fact that it is (possibly) being made in China as opposed to a lovely little workshop in the countryside (For a fraction of the price I paid) I cannot give it the full 5 stars that I really wanted to!!

In conclusion nice bag, great website, branding and customer service but I will be doing my research in the future before spending my hard earned money! Lesson learned.

I'd been looking for a messenger bag for a few weeks now, and purely off the back of a targetted advert on Instagram, I was directed to Cotswold Hipster. (So, if the team at CH are reading this, be aware that your Insta adverts are working!) I followed the link, and was initially impressed by the quality of the images and descriptions on their web site. This was on my phone though, on a train, so wasn't really able to look at them in "proper detail".
Took a look when I got home, and their site immediately drew me in!
I was then in a world of indecision - which do I pick, out of their range that suited my needs - Burford, Stanton or Evenlode?! It was a tough call, but I went for the Stanton in brown. And I have to say, I'm hugely impressed!
It's rugged, well made, and when they describe it as "heavy grade" waxed canvas, it's like old school canvas tent material! It's beautiful.
It accomodates my 15" laptop comfortably, there are loads of internal pockets, as well as a few external, so it's extremely practical. The strap is super thick and well padded, and the touches of rawhide leather make it look really durable.
I've only had it a couple of days, and I already know that it's going to last me a couple of decades!
Thank you to Insta adverts, and thank you to CH for a gorgeous bag!

I originally left a review last year when I bought a rucksack from Cotswold Hipster. One year on and unfortunately I had lost one of the buckles from my bag, after searching through the website, I could not find anywhere to buy a replacement. I emailed Cotswold Hipster this morning and within a hour they offered to send me a replacement out free of charge. If this isn't an example of expectional customer service, I don't know what would be. As my title says Cotswold Hipster bags have exceptional quality and the staff are just as good. Thank you very much Mark!

Ordered x 2 Saddle Bags for my Triumph.
emailed back very quickly with a reply to a question.
exceptional service, received bags with personalised leather tag within two days. Products are fantastic quality and were beautifully packaged. Highly recommend and would buy from again.

The Burford satchel I ordered arrived in time and has proved very useful. The outside is exactly as pictured, and the inside is well-compartmented.

Even more impressive was the post-sale service. I lost the left buckle (entirely due to my own fault, not the workmanship of the manufacturer) and contacted CH to see if there was anything that could be done. In a matter of minutes Mark had emailed me, wanting to confirm my address for sending a replacement. He wouldn't take payment for it. No request to fill in forms or phone or wait for suppliers - none of that nonsense. I'd happily buy all my bags from these guys.

Just bought the Whichford Backpack. Excellent craftsmanship, great quality in the detail like the zippers and leather buckle straps. Designed well and plenty of room inside. Have a list of other products I will be buying.

I liked this bag as soon as I saw it advertised on Instagram. It didn’t disappoint. Beautifully crafted in waxed canvas and leather, I think it makes a statement about me as a photographer.
I like a bag which after opening the front flap lays all my kit out like cutlery in a kitchen drawer. The design and dimensions of this one is perfect. I carry a Canon 5d Mk3, 70-200mm, 24-70mm, x2 extender, complete set of Lee Filters, batteries, SD cards, cable shutter release, lens cleaning wipes, etc. Four pockets on the inside of the front flap hold my 77mm & 82mm polarisers and Variable ND filters. All fit in neatly, snugly and safely thanks to the fully customisable padding strips. (More provided than I needed). The bag and kit weighs in at 7.5kg. I will use my own rain cover to keep the weather off it.
A 3.5 kg tripod slips into the crook of the shoulder straps comfortably. All good to go. Carries well on the back.
I get the feeling I’m going to be using this bag a lot, and for a long time. Very, very pleased with it.

I received the Churchill backpack as a gift for Christmas (that I may have opened early...shhh) and it has been amazing. I've tested the waterproofness against some London showers and it held up nicely. There is a bit of a splotching texture after that but I'm not sure how permanent it is and frankly it makes it look nicely weathered. If it had to nitpick a complaint it would be the fastenings. Every single step I take results in this chiming noise from the metal fittings.

I expect these fittings will, after a while, come away from the bag but judging by the feel of them that will be years and years from now. I got mine personalised with my surname and it makes it look even better in my opinion. Something like my grandfather would have travelled with.

The straps seem sturdy and the bag held up well to a pre-Christmas shopping trip (read prosecco haul). With added weight the bag remained comfortable to carry. It is large enough to accommodate shopping or weekend travel but small enough for my admittedly small frame.

So other than the fittings, and based on a relatively short trial period thus far, I'd really recommend the bag for anyone who wants a robust but aesthetically pleasing bag. :)

So happy with all aspects of Cotswold Hipster from speedy delivery, personal acknowledgment of item bought as well as the actual apron which is amazing. Thank-you so much. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this company.
A McConaghy

Excellent, high quality backpack. Prompt delivery and nicely packed.

Absolutely brilliant product and customer service, so good that I ordered another item and few hours later which they very kindly packaged up with my initial order, and refunded me the postage for the second item!

Ordered the leather Churchill’s rucksack and it’s brilliant

Bag brought as a present. Lovely quality and arrived promptly.

First experience of using this company and they were excellent. I ordered 2 items and they were dispatched within hours. Well packaged and arrived promptly. Good clear communications so I knew when to expect my parcels too.

A very well made rucksack, bought as a present for our son. Delivery was very speedy. Delighted with the purchase.

Superb quality. Name tags even better than expected. Gorgeous gift and my bf loves it (and I love mine too - which I had to get so that I wasn’t missing out!). Really impressed by the gorgeous packaging and super fast delivery. Will definitely order again and recommend!

Excellent service. Super fast delivery. Fantastic quality.

I have purchased, The Sherbourne waxed canvas and leather backpack 2019 - Grey, from the online Cotwoldhipster company store.
The quality of the item is very good, with lots of pockets for storage, the canvas seems strong, also the leather flap is an attractive feature.
On the negative side, the depth of the rucksack is not as deep as I would have liked, as I often carry fairly heavy items.
I'm sure I will enjoy the rucksack for many years to come.