*This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn commissions.*
The Loungefly Always Floral mini backpack is one of the prettiest bags that I own. Harry Potter fans will instantly recognize the design, but it doesn’t scream “Harry Potter”. Even people with no clue about this fandom like it because of how lovely the design is.
This bag is all about Severus Snape and his undying love for Lily Potter. Regardless of what you might think about his feelings for her (or his obsession), this bag that was originally a BoxLunch exclusive is understated, yet very functional because of its size.
I’ve had mine since 2019 and use it fairly often. In fact, I return to this bag more frequently than most in my collection, mainly because it is the perfect size for when I want to carry a larger number of items, and because of the design. It matches many of my clothes, although I admit to having a lot of dresses and shirts that are pink and purple.
Are you considering getting this for yourself or for someone who is a fan of Harry Potter? Then read on for specific details about this bag, including pictures to help you see every aspect of it.
- Fandom: Harry Potter
- Brand: Loungefly
- Model Number: 11670986
- Material: Vegan manmade materials
- Officially Licensed: Yes
- Year Released: 2019
- Exclusive: Yes, this was a BoxLunch exclusive
ALWAYS FLORAL MINI BACKPACK DESIGN
This bag celebrates Severus Snape in a very subtle way, and you probably don’t think of him when you first look at this. The front has a vignette of flowers, and they are also on the sides.
At first glance, you might think the flowers are what this design is about, but that’s not true. As I said, this is about Snape, and that becomes clearer when you focus on the wording that is embroidered in the middle. It says, “After All This Time? Always”, which was the conversation between Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Professor Snape and seen by Harry in a memory at the end of the Harry Potter series.
The question, “After all this time?”, was asked by Dumbledore and refers to Snape’s unending love for Harry’s mother, Lilly Potter (nee Evans). Snape’s answer of, “Always,” means that he has never stopped loving her.
Snape’s Patronus, a magical shield that protects people from horrible creatures called Dementors, is a doe. Patronus’s are unique to each person, and Lily Potter’s Patronus was also a doe, which means that Snape’s changed from whatever it originally was to hers as a visual symbol of his feelings for her. If his feelings for Lily had subsided then his Patronus would have returned to its original animal form.
The doe on the bag is looking straight ahead and has ghostly colors of blue, white, and pink. This makes sense because Patronuses are ethereal and vaporous in appearance.
COLOR
When I think of the color scheme for this bag, one word comes to mind. Soft. The colors are pastel pinks, greens, and burgundy. Even the embroidered wording is pale pink.
TEXTURE
The texture of this bag is very smooth. The material feels soft to the touch, and I can’t help but wonder if that was intentional to match the softness of the colors.
MATERIAL AND STITCHING
The material used to make this bag is all man-made polyurethane. No animals were harmed in the making of it.
As I expect in a Loungefly purse, the stitching is well done. I have used mine for a couple of years and the stitching has held up perfectly.
QUALITY
This is definitely a well-made bag, as is typical of Loungefly products. However, the material is starting to get a few cracks on it, and that might be because of how soft it is. The cracks aren’t very noticeable, which is good, but I am disappointed that they are there.
There are also a couple of dirt smudges near the two cracks that I have been unable to wash off. I have used this bag a lot and will continue to do so, but if this is any indication then I think I can expect more cracks and smudges to start showing up.
HANDLES / STRAPS
There is a small loop handle at the top of the bag that allows users to quickly grab it and carry it that way, or hang it up.
The back has two straps that allow this to be worn as a backpack. The top 15″ of the straps are padded and made from the same soft material as the rest of the bag. Beneath that is the adjustable part and it is made of what looks like the same material as car seatbelts, perhaps nylon. It adjusts enough to be comfortably worn by most body types.
The straps are pale pink, a lovely contrast to the back which is all white except for one strip of pink.
EXTERNAL POCKETS
There are three pockets on the outside of this backpack. The front has one that zips closed. It is a rather deep pocket that goes down 5″, although not quite big enough for my iPhone 12 Max Pro. It is plenty large enough for keys, lipstick, glasses, and other similar items.
There are pockets on each side. These are small and open (they don’t close shut as the front one does) and are too small for water bottles. They are, however, perfect for small containers of hand sanitizer.
Unsure what to put inside the small pockets? Here are a few ideas for you.
ZIPPERS
The pocket on the front has a single zipper, and it closes on the right side (or left, if you are looking straight at it).
The opening has two zippers, which is a feature that I love. Having two means you can open and close it from any place along the zipper path. Do you like your bags to close on the top? The left? The right? Wherever your preference is, the two zippers will give you control.
The zippers are all in gold, as is the front zipper pull charm.
DECORATIVE ITEMS
Many of Loungefly’s Harry Potter purses contain some kind of embellishment, and I’m happy to say that this one does, too. The zipper on the front has a decorative charm hanging from it. The charm is in the shape of the symbol for Harry’s magical school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is gold and has a fancy H in the middle.
OPENING
The bag unzips halfway down to the middle of each side. That means that the opening is nice and big, giving you plenty of room to reach inside, put things in, or pull them out.
This is how I like my mini backpacks to open. I have found that it’s just slightly easier for me to access the inside when the zipper is placed near the front of the bag instead of in the middle.
LINING AND INTERNAL POCKETS
The inside is lined with a pale blue material that has alternating patterns of a doe and the Hogwarts crest, both in white. The entire inside has this pattern.
Most Loungefly purses have at least one inside pocket, but this one does not, which is unfortunate. I love having a pocket on the inside of my purses because it helps me keep the inside organized. Since there isn’t one in here, everything gets mixed together in the large open space.
DIMENSIONS AND SIZE
The dimensions for this bag are 11.5″ H x 8.5″ W x 4.5″ D.
This is on the larger side of mini backpacks so there is more room inside than most styles. You can easily add a water bottle, large wallet, umbrella (the kind that telescopes open), an eBook reader, and possibly an iPad depending on its size. You can even fit a variety of book sizes in here. It is quite roomy, making this a great everyday bag.
CAN THIS FIT IN A THEME PARK LOCKER?
If you never plan on going to a theme park with this bag then you can ignore this. However, fandom bags are very popular at places like Disney and Universal Studios. If you even plan on going to a theme park with your bag then you probably want to make sure that it will fit inside their lockers.
The small size of this mini backpack makes it perfect to take to theme parks because it will fit nicely inside their free lockers. I’ve taken mine to Universal Studios and never had a problem.
CARING FOR THE HARRY POTTER ALWAYS MINI BACKPACK
Bags always start out clean but life happens and sometimes so do stains. If that happens then the information below will help you make it look new again.
Loungefly products that are made from man-made materials and look like faux leather are easy to keep clean. All you need to do is wipe down the outside with a clean, soft, damp rag that has been wetted with soapy water. Use a small amount of a mild detergent like Dawn or liquid soap. Clean any stains, then wipe down the exterior of the bag with a dry, clean cloth. Or, you can also use alcohol-free baby wipes to clean the bag, which is even easier.
PROS
- The bag is large for a mini backpack, making it good for daily use.
- The design is subtle, yet gorgeous.
- The material is very soft to the touch.
- The material is vegan so no animals were harmed.
- The front pocket zips shut and is deep.
- The inside lining is lovely.
- It fits inside the free lockers found at many theme parks.
CONS
- The material is prone to getting dirty.
- The material may crack with use.
- There is no inside pocket.
SUMMARY
As I’ve already said, I think this is a gorgeous purse. The colors are very flattering and go together well, and the design is a very quiet reference to the Harry Potter fandom. It’s a bag that people like even if they have no clue what it’s actually about, and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments from Muggles about it.
The one thing I would change if I could is to make the material a bit tougher, as I’m disappointed that the bag is cracking. There have been times when I’ve used it daily, but not all that often because I rotate my bags. It makes me think that this bag is better as a collectible that is admired rather than one that is used frequently.
Having said that, I see no reason why it shouldn’t be used every now and then. It is a wonderful bag to take to places like Universal Studios where they have the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or even to Disney if you want to show the world what your favorite fandom is.
Check prices for this bag on Amazon and eBay
Now that you’ve seen pretty much everything about this bag, what do you like most about it? Tell me in the comments below. My favorite aspect is the beautiful design.