Backpack Vs. Tennis Bag: Which One Should I Choose?
Before Cancha came up with the only customizable tennis bags in the world, choosing between a backpack or tennis bag was a decision you had to make. Choosing a bag for your tennis equipment is pretty simple, depending on how seriously you want to play tennis on a scale of a rookie to Nadal.
To choose the appropriate tennis bag for your equipment, you need to consider if you want to play tennis professionally or casually. This decision, in turn, would determine:
- The equipment and accessories you would need for your games
- The number of each equipment and accessories you need.
Depending on the brand design and size, the backpack, and the tennis bag can hold your tennis racket, tennis balls, jersey, shoes, water, towels, grips, snacks, etc. However, the backpack and the tennis bag have varying features, making a huge difference in their capacities.
To help you make the better choice, in the following sections of this article, we will review the:
- The features of the backpack and the tennis bag
- The advantages and drawbacks of each one.
In addition, we will draw a comparison between the features of the backpack and the tennis bag to enable you to make a practical choice that suits your level.
The Backpack
In many ways, backpacks like the Cancha backpack or Cancha racquet bag are similar to the traditional backpacks you already know. The distinguishing feature is that they are modular backpacks, meaning that they have compartments specifically designed to hold your tennis equipment and accessories. Like tennis racquet bags, the modular backpack comfortably fits your racket, tennis balls, water bottle, etc. The fact that the compartments in the tennis backpack are designed to hold these items reduces the risk of damage that could result from handling the bag.
For example, the tennis backpack holds the rackets upright. Carrying the rackets in this position reduces the chances of them getting crushed. The same goes for the water bottle. At an upright position, it’s almost practically impossible to experience leaks. These instances are the exact opposite of how the tennis bag holds the tennis equipment.
However, depending on how seriously you take tennis, the backpack can only hold so much equipment and no more. The storage space in the tennis backpack is comparatively smaller than that of the tennis bag.
Meanwhile, although the primary function of the modular backpack is to carry your equipment, the flexibility in design makes it suitable for other uses. You will notice this flexibility in the adjustable straps, which does not restrict your backpack use to the carriage of only your tennis equipment. The beauty of this flexibility is that you do not have to get separate backpacks for tennis and other uses. The tennis backpack conveniently doubles for all the uses of a regular backpack.
Advantages of The Backpack
- Has compartments that hold your equipment in positions that reduce the risk of damage
- It has adjustable straps, which makes the carriage more comfortable and less burdensome
- It is designed to possess both on and off the court appeal for players. This feature makes the modular backpack portable and suitable for travel.
On the downside, the major disadvantage of the tennis backpack is its small storage space.
The Tennis Bag
The tennis bag should only come to your mind if you are a professional player or beginning to take your tennis more seriously as a career. If you’re only on the court on Saturdays because tennis is your favorite way to break a sweat, then you’re not a professional player. You probably have one racket and a couple of balls, and wouldn’t need the extra space, which professional players seek in tennis bags.
Unlike the ordinary racket bags, the tennis bag can fit as many as 12 rackets alongside other equipment in compartments designed for their carriage. Having as much equipment as possible is a necessity that comes with playing professionally. All this equipment for professional play hardly fits into a backpack. That’s why the tennis bag is most suitable for career or budding professionals who need all they can carry for tournaments. For professional training, having as much equipment as possible becomes a necessity.
However, unlike the modular backpack, the tennis bag is much heavier and less portable as a result. Not only that, most tennis bag designs are not adjustable for comfortable carriage. Also, unlike the backpack, you cannot conveniently adapt most tennis bags designs for other uses. But that’s why it is a professional bag anyway. If you play tennis at the level where you need a tennis bag, you hardly would have any other need for it aside from tennis.
Advantages of The Tennis Bag
- Professionally designed with many compartments for better organization of each tennis equipment.
- Cargo space to hold as many as 12 rackets in addition to balls and even court shoes.
Disadvantages of The Tennis Bag
- It is heavy, and this heft makes it less suitable for light travel.
- It is not adaptable to other uses.
The individual features of the backpack and tennis bag underline their pros and cons, which should help you choose between the two. However, to make a practical choice between a modular backpack or a tennis bag, you should consider if you are going professional or just playing casually. The backpack affords the convenience which you will learn to appreciate as a casual player. On the other hand, the tennis bag gives you every space you need to accommodate a pro-level equipment stock.
However, it may be necessary to mention that if you are going to play tennis professionally, you would need both a backpack and a tennis bag at some point. The functional difference of both would become more of necessities than luxury to you by then. In the meantime, the differences between the backpack and the tennis bag and how they should help you choose are:
The tennis bag has a more tennis-specific design. As a result, it affords the size and function best suited for a professional player or trainee. You are better off with the tennis bag if you are going professional with your tennis.
However, if your interest in tennis is only casual, you will not need the elaborate design of the tennis bag. A simple backpack is all you need. In addition to its simplicity, the backpack offers you a sporty design and trendy fashion, which are the foremost priorities of a casual player. Also, you can easily adapt the backpack to other uses, which are equally important as playing tennis. For example, you could use modular backpacks for school or as gym bags.
The tennis bag is designed for more capacity, so it is best for career players who have more equipment to carry. If you are a casual player, you don’t need as many as 12 rackets. As a result, the backpack or a simple racket bag is more suitable for you.
Considering that players use both the tennis bag and the backpack to carry equipment to and from the court, they are portable. However, the backpack is almost featherweight when compared to the tennis bag. Carrying the tennis bag is more burdensome due to its bigger size and capacity. Therefore, the amount of inconvenience you should be willing to accept depends on the number of equipment you need to transport.
Depending on the design quality and brand, both the backpack and the tennis bag could be affordable or a bit expensive. Due to its bigger size, capacity, and professional design, tennis bags are more expensive than modular backpacks.
Notwithstanding, you will get a fantastic backpack or tennis bag within your budget. Tennis racquet bags with sought-after features like thermal protection cost a little higher than regular ones. Depending on the quality and features, the average price range for backpacks and tennis bags ranges between $40 - $200.
The Cancha Customizable Tennis Bag
Choosing between a modular backpack or a tennis bag is an undesirable chore for tennis players at all levels. To take away the dilemma of choosing, Cancha built customizable tennis bags to suit your lifestyle in and outside the court. For example, the Cancha Backpack combines the capacity of professional tennis bags and the flexible portability of the backpack into one fantastic hybrid.
Unlike regular backpacks, you can adapt the Cancha customizable tennis bags for any activity or trip. Compared with other tennis bags with less desirable features, the Cancha bags are affordable even with the additional offer of free international shipping. Click here to learn more about Cancha customizable tennis bags.
Conclusion
Choosing the appropriate tennis bag depends entirely on the level and how frequently you wish to play tennis. The simplest of players make do with a basic tennis racquet bag, while the more regular players might need modular backpacks which accommodates other equipment they might need.However, if you are training professionally, you literally can’t afford to play with basic equipment. As a result, the much bigger tennis bag should be a better choice for you. If you are searching for the best bag for a friend or loved one as a gift, be sure to read our comprehensive guide to the best gifts for tennis players.
