My old backpack, a Delsey Quarterback for 13.3" laptops, was starting to really wear off in different places, so I thought it was time to get a new bag. My main usage for the backpack is just to carry my laptop and a few other stuff, so I do not need a big volume. However even if most laptop backpaks are padded, they easily dig into my back when the laptop is inside (even with a dedicated laptop sleeve) and end up hurting a lot. So it is quite hard to find a comfortable backpack that suits me.
Specifications
My old Delsey backpack had the following specifications:
- size: 39Hx33Wx14D cm
- volume: 18L
- weight: 900g
I was looking at something:
- a bit lighter
- more or less the same volume
- not too tall to protect by back. My current laptop is a Macbook Pro 13", so I only want bags that fit that size, not ones for 15" or 16" laptops: bags over 45cm height were not considered
- not too big or bulky as I do not like having a big chunk on my back, even if it’s mostly empty
Budget was not really a concern, as I was not looking into a very fancy backpack. So mostly around the 100€ range.
Candidates
I searched online on a lot of websites for bags matchin my criteria and checked a few stores. I tried all of the following backpacks by taking my laptop and a few other things (charger, …) to try it for a few minutes. I first explained to vendors what I was doing, and all of them were fine with that, so that was great.
Note: most links refer to the french or european websites.
| Name | Size HxWxD (cm) | Volume (L) | Weight (g) | Price (€) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabaia Old School | 41x27x16 | 20 | 920 | 79 | Lifetime warranty. French brand. I did not like the handle and the bag was a bit annoying to open. |
| Cabaia Medium Aventurer | 41x27x16 | 23 | 900 | 89 | Lifetime warranty. French brand. Good bag, but I didn’t like the removable pocket, the handles and the flat back. |
| Décathlon NH500 10L | 35x22x16 | 10 | 430 | 18 | The laptop surprisingly fits in the main compartment, but it wasn’t very comfortable like that. Has a sternum strap. |
| Décathlon Escape 500 16L | 40x28x20 | 16 | 700 | 30 | Very comfortable, too many pockets! Almost bought it, but not a fan of the material, and a bit too deep for my taste. Has a sternum strap. |
| Delsey Parvis Plus 13.3 | 39x28x14 | 15 | 500 | 69 | Great bag, capacity a bit low, but after trying it a few times, the straps were hurting my shoulders if the backpack was a bit full, which was easy to achieve. |
| Doughnut Colorado Small | 40x26x13.5 | 15 | 750 | 93 | Very comfortable backpack. Because of the big compartment, capacity seems bigger than the Delsey above. I am not too fond of the opening systems (there are 3). |
| Eastpak Tecum S | 42x30x15.5 | 16 | 800 | 92 | 30 years warranty. Also a great backpack, but I was not a fan of the thick material and the outer pocket. It seems that some version have a sternum strap. |
| Fjallraven Kånken Laptop 13" | 35x25x16 | 13 | 345 | 120 | Lifetime warranty. I like the look, but hurts my back, a lot. |
| Fjallraven Raven 20 | 42x28x18 | 20 | 650 | 115 | Lifetime warranty. Great backpack. Has recently been updated with a padded back, but still hurt my back with a laptop inside. I could see myself use it without a laptop. |
| Fjallraven Skule 20 | 43x28x16 | 20 | 650 | 95 | Lifetime warranty. Was better on the back than the “Raven 20”, but still not great. Also looks a bit too technical for me. Has a sternum strap. |
| Gotbag Daypack | 36x28x12 | 11 | 540 | 89 | This one was surprisingly ok for my back. One drawback is the low capacity. Actually a bit too short for me. |
| MeroMero Wanaka roll-top backpack | 40/55x28x12 | 10/15 | 490 | 95 | French brand. Really comfortable and light, the buckle works great. Straps seem sturdy but feel a bit cheap. It is one of the few roll top bags that I do not find too bulky. Optional sternum strap. |
| Moleskine - The Backpack | 41x32x13 | 13 | 850 | 84.50 | Was 50% off, but I hated the hard bottom which dig into my back and made the whole bag too bulky. |
| Moleskine - Metro Slim | 42x32x10 | 15 | 500 | 138 | Fitted better than “The backpack”, but not a fan of the flap system. |
| Osprey Arcane Large Day Pack | 45x30x22 | 20 | 600 | 110 | Great look, great quality. The straps and bottom of the back were annoying. |
| Osprey Arcane Roll Top | 50x30x22 | 22 | 800 | 110 | This bag was suprisingly comfortable for me, as opposed to the Arcane Large Day. But too tall for my taste, I am also not used to roll tops. |
| Osprey Arcane Small Day Pack | 37x27x17 | 10 | 500 | 110 | Great look, great quality. Straps were good, but the bottom of the bag too hard (as usual). Volume a bit on the low side. |
| Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L | 40.6x30.5x12.7 | 20 | 645 | 90 | Lifetime warranty. Great backpack and tote, more of a backpack actually. The only drawback is a lack of organization as the bag only has 2 pockets. The removable laptop sleeve is surprisingly handy. Has a sternum strap. |
| Rains Backpack Mini | 40x29x10 | 9 | 888 | 80 | Nice material and nice buckle. Otherwise bad straps, no padded back, low capacity and uncomfortable. Expensive for what it is. |
| Rains Rolltop Rucksack | 48x32x11 | 13 | 835 | 110 | Like the smaller one, material is the same. Has an opening on the side, the buckle is fine. Too tall for me and I did not like the small seam at the bottom which annoyed my back. Has a sternum strap. |
| Rains Trail Rolltop Backpack | 47x36x13 | 19 | 898 | 120 | Just wanted to try it because I was in the store, really too bulky for me. Has a sternum strap. |
| Samsonite Roader S | 42x30x19 | 17 | 600 | 85 | A bit too bulky, and the laptop hurts my back, as usual. Has a sternum strap. |
| Samsonite Securipak S | 38.5x29.5x12.5 | 10 | 620 | 109 | Really liked that bag at first, but the capacity is actually very small and I did not like the the USB port and cable. Plus the bag needs to be full, otherwise the back panel stays “inside” and the backpack border goes out too much and hurt my back. |
| Samsonite Securipak M | 44x30x16 | 17 | 700 | 109 | This was one has more capacity than the “Securipak S”, but has the same problems than his smaller counterpart. It’s also too tall for my taste. |
| Sandqvist Konrad | 40/56x24x14 | 14/18 | 500 | 159 | I was pleasantly surprised by that bag. The quality seems very good and it is very comfortable, but I was afraid of the roll top design which I am not used to. Has a sternum strap. A bit too expensive. |
| Topo Designs Light Pack | 44.5x25.4x14 | 18.5 | 500 | 79.90 | Yet another simple backpack with a nice design. Lack of good padding is a no go. |
| Ucon Acrobatics Hajo Mini Backpack | 44/54x28x10 | 12/16 | 850 | 89.99 | Material feels nice, but may be not very durable (?). I have the feeling that the buckle will attrack a lot of dust. Not a fan of the opening and the pocket on the side. Straps and padding not that great. |
| Ucon Acrobatics Jasper Mini Backpack | 42/53x28x10 | 12/16 | 850 | 99.99 | Material feels nice, but may be not very durable (?). The buckle seems better than the velcro on the Hajo. Otherwise the same than the Hajo. |
Final choice
As I was trying all those backbacks, I realized that 10L is actually really really small when you already have the laptop and a few cables inside.
I finally chose the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L. What convinced me to get that bag was:
- padded back almost perfect for me, that does not dig into my back
- sternum strap
- not too deep
- surprising capacity for the size
- easy to hand carry because of the “tote” format
- bottle pockets were a little plus
I also bought a separate pouch to add a bit of organization.
Others real contenders were:
The real conclusion is that I spent way too much time testing all of them…
Later edit: my daughter stole took the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L, so I just go myself the MeroMero Wanaka roll-top backpack. We’re both happy!