Last week our team put together a list of exciting new bags that came out this past year that we’d love to get our hands on. After sharing our picks, we took to the comments and social media to see what you, the readers, were excited about too. In this guide we’ve listed the bags you’ve chosen, and we hope it gives you even more great bags to pick from as the holidays come up and the year comes to a close.
KeySmart Urban21 Backpack
Facebook group regular Michael Syvret has an eye out for KeySmart’s new Urban21 backpack. While the brand is more recognized for their popular key organization tools, it’s no surprise that they’re venturing into organizing into the rest of your gear as well. As its name suggests, the Urban21 is a sleek city-dwelling pack that comes with a few fresh features you don’t see on its peers. With a focus on comfort and security, the bag comes with a unique hex-shaped foam back pad that hides one of the bag’s many secret compartments. Protection is also a priority thanks to a water-resistant front panel, hardshell top compartment for your more sensitive essentials, and padded laptop pocket good for up to 15” machines. The Urban21 even comes with a few nice touches like magnetic Fidlock clasps and super-secure Parafinity stitching on its stress points.
Dpark New Group Series Sling
Reader Henry picked up the sleek Dpark New Group Series sling earlier this year, and has made it a home for his everyday tech and gaming essentials. The compact bag can fit A4-sized documents, tablets, and other gear into its zippered main compartment, two inner mesh pockets, and outer zip pocket. No need to worry about the weather thanks to the bag’s water-resistant canvas exterior, and its polyurethane handle stays durable even with repeated use. And thanks to a breathable strap and rear mesh panel, the Dpark New Group Series sling is a comfortable carry for daily errands. It’s an inexpensive, yet effective addition to your daypack stable.
Bellroy Classic Backpack Plus
Our friendly neighborhood Franklion has his sights set on the Bellroy Classic Backpack Plus, a 22L upgrade to Bellroy’s original Classic Backpack, and comes with a few new nifty features. In addition to the larger capacity, the Plus comes a new vertical front pocket for quick access to your smaller essentials. This joins a slew of inner pockets, from a hidden stretch pocket for sensitive essentials like glasses or your phone to zip compartments and a discrete laptop compartment. And keeping it all protected is a water-resistant Venture-weave polyester and leather exterior. If you’re looking for a minimalist, sturdy, and fully featured backpack for your EDC, the Bellroy Classic Backpack Plus is a strong option.
Setout Divide Backpack
Two of our Facebook community members—Martin Chiu and Kim Macapagal—have their eyes on the travel-friendly Setout Divide Backpack. While the beefy 26L pack is designed as a compact carry-on that can expand up to 34L, it’s sleek exterior with carry-friendly curves make it an appealing one-bag EDC, too. A classic clamshell opening gives you access into its roomy interior, which you can fill as is or with packing cubes, with elastic straps to lock everything into place. A front admin pocket gives you organization for your essentials, while its rear compartment has laptop duty. Its sides hold a water bottle and compression straps, while dual handles, hideaway shoulder straps, and a removable hip belt take care of travel-oriented tasks.
DSPTCH Medium Sling Pouch
Alain Victor from Facebook is looking to pick up DSPTCH’s Medium Sling Pouch from their latest collection. The pouches are designed to ride comfortably against the body while keeping bulk to a minimum thanks to an ergonomic curved back panel where the strap connects to the bag. They all feature the same adjustable, removable and quick-releasing strap, but vary by their capacity and organization. The Medium Sling Pouch offers higher capacity and a more traditional rectangular pouch shape. Its main compartment is large enough to accommodate a tablet or book along with a few other essentials, while the front of the pack offers more storage via a zippered pocket and a row of webbing for attaching gear. Water-resistant, DWR-treated 1680D ballistic nylon construction for durability and structure, a removable D-ring, tactile zipper pulls, and back panel padding round out the pouch’s features and make it a great option as an everyday bag.
Thanks for your recommendations! We’ll be back again soon for more staff picks, and we’d love to hear from you again then.
