The Kanken Sling and Kanken Mini are two of the latest additions to Fjallraven’s popular Kanken line. Like the original Kanken backpack, the Sling and the Mini are made out of hard-wearing, water-resistant Vinylon and are just as attractive. Both Sling and Mini received raving reviews upon their release, quickly becoming Fjallraven’s most-rated products.
The biggest difference between the two products is how they’re designed. The Kanken Sling is a shoulder bag while the Kanken Mini is a backpack. This review compares the two bags to help you make your final choice. Kanken Sling vs Mini: which product is the best for you? Let’s find out!
Kanken Sling vs Mini Overview
The Kanken Sling is a shoulder bag version of the Kanken Mini. The Sling is fairly small, but it can fit a decent number of everyday items like your phone, keys, wallet, and sunglasses. The Mini is about four inches bigger, making it suitable for short road trips. It’s large enough to hold a 7-inch fire tab and a thick book.
| Image | Product | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Kanken Sling | Smaller, holds everyday items | Check Price |
 | Kanken Mini | Good for short road trips | Check Price |
Fjallraven Kanken Sling vs. Mini: Which Bag Is the Best for You?
The Kanken Sling and the Kanken Mini offer the same rugged utility and durable construction as the original Kanken backpack. Both products are available in a variety of colors, including ochre, graphite, pink, green, black, and others. The similarities end there, however. Here are some of the most notable differences between the two bags.
Design
The Kanken sling is a shoulder bag, while the Kanken Mini is a sized-down version of the Kanken backpack. They’re both made with the same Vinylon F material.
Vinylon F fabric is more or less unique to the Kanken name, and although it was used in other products since its release in the 1970s, the world has always attributed Vinylon F to the Kanken brand. It’s environmentally friendly, hard-wearing, and naturally waterproof.
The Sling’s shoulder strap is long and adjustable. It also has two short handles you can clip together if you so desire.
The Mini backpack is just as adjustable. It’s fairly stiff, too, which is a good thing. Unless you overstuff, the Mini keeps its perfect, square-like shape. It’s held up by a firm foam board, which contributes to the bag’s overall stability and comfort. The foam acts as extra support and prevents any sort of fatigue from heavy cargo.
Size
Size is among the first things consumers look at when comparing the Sling and the Mini. The Sling is fairly small, with a height of 7.9 inches, a width of 5.9 inches, and a depth of 4.3 inches.
Although not the largest shoulder bag in the world, it’s still fairly spacious and can carry most of your daily essentials. It can easily fit a pair of sunglasses, a wallet, a phone, a Kindle Paperwhite, and a small point-and-shoot camera with plenty of space to spare.
It can get a little bulky if you overstuff, but it’s large enough to fit all your day-to-day items without worrying about space.
The Kanken Mini is larger than the Sling, which is unsurprising as it’s marketed as the “mini” version of the much bigger Kanken backpack. Measuring 11.4 x 7.9 x 5.1 inches, it’s large enough to fit all your essentials but small enough to pack in a larger bag should you use it for traveling.
The Mini can fit several pieces of clothes, a thick book, a water bottle, an iPad, a large wallet, and much more. It’s large enough for both travel and college use.
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Compartments
Just like the original Kanken backpack, the Kanken Sling features a zippered main compartment with an inside pocket. The inside pocket is small but sizable, large enough to fit hair clips, folded papers, tampons, and other tiny items.
It also comes with a zippered rear pocket, which you can use to quickly access things like your wallet or smartphone, and two horizontal pockets on each side of the bag. You likewise get a zippered front pocket which, again, isn’t the largest; still, you should be able to fit your Airpod case in there and several cards with no issues.
The Kanken Mini features just about the same number of pockets. Inside, you get a sizable interior pocket large enough to fit important documents, a wallet, or an iPad.
Outside, you’ll find two slim pockets along each side of the bag. Since it doesn’t have a closure, it’s best used for quickly accessing medication, a small bottle of lotion, or some candy. You also get a small zippered pouch on the front of the bag, which you can use to store small items like Chapstick, Airpods, and other knick-knacks.
The storage variety and organization of both the Sling and Mini is simple but effective. They aren’t unique or anything unheard of, but it certainly gets the job done.
Price
The Kanken Sling costs slightly less than the Kanken Mini. The price difference isn’t massive, but the extra cost makes sense since the Mini is larger than the Sling.
The Kanken is considered a “luxury” bag, up there with JanSport and Herschel. Kanken is just as durable as the aforementioned brands, perhaps even more so. With Kanken, price equals quality.
Conclusion
The Kanken Sling and the Kanken Mini come with their own unique merits.
Overall, the Kanken Sling is ideal for everyday use, so long as you only bring your essentials with you. The Sling design fits almost every attire, plus it’s fairly out of the way.
The Kanken Mini is best suited for individuals looking for a small backpack. The shoulder straps can be adjusted to fit both children and adults. It also has a larger selection of colors than the Kanken Sling.
Your final choice, of course, depends on you and your personal preferences. Although not the cheapest bags around, both Kanken products are worth the investment. As with most Kanken products, they’re durable, long-lasting, and high-quality. It’s quite attractive, too!