Differences between men’s and women’s Osprey backpacks follow the same logic that you have in such gender-specific packs in general. This is about comfort, functionality, and aesthetics.
Osprey is one of top brands that make gender-specific backpacks for hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, and even travel. Such packs are built for some typical men and typical women, so this does not mean that every women’s pack will indeed perfectly fit every women. It is always important to test it and see how it suits you.
But there is no doubt that a gender specific pack is better suited for its targeted gender. The main principles of such packs are outlined in my separate text.
Osprey has been making such packs for several decades already. Their women’s packs are deigned by women and tested by women. You can see a bit more about this in the video below:
Osprey gender-specific packs series
Osprey has many series of backpacks that are with separate versions for men and for women. As of the moment of writing this text, these are their gender-specific packs available on the market:
- Osprey Aether & Ariel.
- Osprey Aether Plus & Ariel Plus.
- Osprey Arheon M/W.
- Osprey Atmos & Aura.
- Osprey Duro & Dyna.
- Osprey Exos & Eja.
- Osprey Exos & Eja Pro.
- Osprey Fairpoint & Fairview.
- Osprey Kamber & Kresta.
- Osprey Katari & Kitsuma.
- Osprey Kestrel & Kyte.
- Osprey Levity & Lumina.
- Osprey Manta & Mira.
- Osprey Ozone Duplex M/W.
- Osprey Raptor & Raven.
- Osprey Rook & Ren.
- Osprey Seral & Savu.
- Osprey Siskin & Salida.
- Osprey Skarab & Skimmer.
- Osprey Stratos & Sirrus.
- Osprey Syncro & Sylva
- Ospey Talon & Tempest.
- Osprey UNLTD Airscape M/W.
- Osprey UNLTD Antigravity M/W.
- Osprey Xenith & Xena.
As you realize, this is an impressive list, and I doubt you will find yet another brand that can match it. Note that these are series of packs, and some of them are numerous. So these 25 items imply around 45 different names, and all of them are available in multiple options regarding volume.
Note also that they usually have a few different versions of the same packs. This is because of their updated versions that they launch so frequently. This means literally hundreds of packs on the market. If you are interested in some of them, you can see all manuals at one place.
Undoubtedly, the most advanced (and also the most expensive) are the packs from their two UNLTD series, they are mentioned in the list above. They have them separate for both genders, see more in this video:
So what is Osprey’s women-specific fit?
• In all these women’s packs you will find a shorter torso length and generally narrower harness. This implies that the harness attachment at the backpanel is with narrower points, and it also tapers differently from packs for men.
• The harness is contoured to follow a typical women’s anatomy, and this is particularly around neck, on the shoulders, and on the chest. One obvious example is the sternum strap which is positioned differently compared to men’s packs because of obvious reasons.
• Yet another important difference is in the hip belt, in women’s packs the padded flaps are canted slightly upward to cup the hips that are differently shaped in women. The hip belt is also made for a narrower profile.
So all these mentioned differences can be described as essential.
But there are some that are not really essential like colors that are usually different for the two genders. If I remember correctly, a few years ago some of their packs for women used to have softer buckles, but I do not see this mentioned now, so I am not sure if this is so or not.
Some top brands build physically smaller packs for women, but this is not so with Osprey. You would expect this in particular in their large packs.
But you can check their currently largest Osprey Aether Plus & Ariel Plus and you will see that they have 85 liters in both versions. The same is with their other large packs, take Rook and Renn as yet another example.
Final thoughts
In summary, regarding gender-specific packs, there is no brand that could match Osprey. They have been developing such packs for decades and they have them many on the market. This is why you can find them in such numbers on Amazon, Bass Pro Shops, and REI.
It is not only about numbers and diversity. Osprey packs are typically full of great features, and they are introducing innovations all the time. So this brand is truly on the forefront of the backpacks industry.
Related to this text is my post about specifications of a good hiking pack, so have a look. Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below. Have a nice day.
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