I just recently traveled with this bag from DC to Texas and used it as our carry-on. I packed emergency outfits for my wife, daughter, and I as well as carried snacks, my 32oz Nalgene and Surface Pro 9. I also had Beats Studio headphones and all my chargers, spare glasses and sunglasses too. With all that, it fit underneath the seat and we had room to spare.
Excellent video review! Great explanation of the positives and negatives while concisely going over the bag's features without losing details. Also, thanks for showing the bag on a model as this is VERY helpful to give a sense of size in addition to the actual dimensions.
Nice bag. I’d say a bag this size though, with no hip belt, is really just meant to get one to and through the airport. Not intended to be warn for extended time, fully packed, out and about. It will mainly be down to how one feels about it. I often avoid taxi’s when possible, when metros are available, and will often be walking from a station to my hostel. Not sure I’d enjoy walking with a 45L bag for very long, in a place like Bangkok, without some hip support?
I have this bag for like 3 months now. Definitely not a 40l bag. It’s a lot smaller. I have an Osprey bag 40l and packs a lot more. Other than that it’s a minimalist bag pack and very comfortable.
Great comment. I have an Osprey Farpoint 40 and I'm looking to get a new one. Unfortunately the new version is nowhere near as good and the 10 year old one i have.
would this fit as a personal time on delta??? i would have a regular carry on i would put away over my head in the top storage and would this backpack fit with me at my seat?
@@jacobmontes5000 I'm based in Europe. I don't fly with delta therefore I wouldn't know their carry on allowance. the bag is about 32-35 litres in my opinion. not a huge bag so I think it would fit but don't take my word for it. I paid around £50 for this bag and its excellent value for money.
I decided on Decathlon Escape 500 (32 L) over the Tomtoc A82 after hours of research, mainly because of hip belt that was present on the Escape backpack. If it weren't for that I would have chosen the Tomtoc because I really liked the Duffle-style secondary access. Great review nonetheless.
I went the other way around, I decided to go with the Tomtoc because it was a deal (68 euros) and for my use case the hip belt is not so essential. I’m gonna use it in my first trip next week, and the following week for another trip
Sounds like a good featured bag, but it does not have the harness being able to be hidden / folded away. I have found that a harness can be a pain when just used as a duffle bag to sit on top of a wheeled carry on. The harness flopping around does catch on things.
@@SamRozzi Its a shame the 28L version is nearly as heavy as the 40L one, I dont even know how thats possible but I confirmed it is with their customer service staff
@@PackingLess huh that's strange, I guess I will see when it comes in this weekend. I don't need a 40L since I will typically pack a roller/duffle for travel but like the "medium" size of a 28 or so to bring some stuff when wandering out for the day without being too bulky. Been out of the pack game for a VERY long time and my insanely dated and simple bag needed an upgrade and definitely not trying to spend upwards of 2-300$ so hopefully this fits the bill.
@@SamRozzi yeah it looks great and I don’t think 28l is too little , it’s the perfect amount. But according to the staff the bag Is 1.1kg (2.3lbs) which isn’t terrible but when the 40l one is 1.2kg (2.65lb) I feel like the 28 should be lighter lol
I've had this and after 6 months and about 5 trips the middle area between the compartments started to rip apart parallell to the zipper. The ykk zippers have been great. I contacted them and only because i remmebered to register it, they said they will send out another one. So i guess they cut corners on materials? Outside of that i dont see what justifies the pricing of some of these other companies (>$150) that look the same. I know cotopaxi provides a lifetime warranty but not sure about the other ms (aer/bellroy/peak/etc) A video about which companies have the best warranties and may be worth the high cost would be good. I'll update if any issues with getting the new bag, but if registered it seems you're good for atleast 2 years.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the bag! It's good to hear tomtoc came through on the warranty replacement. With more expensive brands, you will usually get an upgrade in materials and features but it depends on the brand. Materials like ripstop, cordura nylon and tarpaulin are more durable, but also much more expensive to use in production so it adds up. It's tough finding that balance between great construction and reasonable pricing.
With ALL bags where the shoulder straps connect to an unzippable back pannel, such as this one’s laptop compartment, it is essential to use the side compression straps, to distribute the carrying load to the body of the bag… Otherwise all of the load pressure is distributed to the weakest point. In this case, the seams that attach the zippers. Which are rarely up to the task of this purpose. You don’t need to tighten the compression straps to the point of crushing your contents. But they do need to be snugged up, before use. This is why you will never see bags like this, designed so they can be opened, without having to undo the compression straps.
Might be exactly the bag I’m looking for. I have this chonky 16 inch gaming laptop and it’s been so hard to find backpacks that fits the 16 inch models
Great video. Thanks for the content. I was full steam ahead until I saw the packed measurements. Looking for something personal item/under seat option.
Glad you found the review helpful! The inside of the main compartment measures roughly 19 x 12 x 5.5 inches and a WANDRD Essential Camera cube fits nicely inside and only takes up half of the main compartment.
Hey there! Thanks for sharing your decision-making process. The Decathlon Escape 500 sounds like a solid choice, especially with the hip belt. It's essential to go with what suits your needs best. Happy travels! ✈
That's so hard to answer because everyone packs differently! The average carry-on suitcase is around 40-42L and this bag gives you an additional 40L - 80L total sounds like enough room!
I don't know if this is a good question for a travel backpack, but would this backpack be okay for everyday use? I'm in postgraduate degree and always carry a pencil case, a plastic pouch, a sketchbook (art studies) and a laptop with its hefty charger, I suppose if I tightened the straps it would be much less bulky and meet these needs. My main concern would be its durability, given its daily use and the Laptop protecrion, while also having a backpack for long travels like an all in one backpack.
It depends on the airline. In some Asian & European airlines, they will only allow you 1 carryon weighing 7 kg (15 lbs) and a small personal item like a purse or man-bag/ waist pack. So if you have 1 wheeled luggage already, this won't be allowed.
I bought it and sent it back because of quality issues and no customer support. You get only 1 year guarantee. I had issue with buckles, they just haven’t hold together, bad stitching and loose ends…. And the support just answered: it’s normal and to the buckles spring of because it was too tight….unbelievable. Price max should be like 40.
Appreciate you sharing your experience. Yeah, tomtoc only has a one year warranty as default but if you register the product on their website they bump it up to two years.
Could you please recommend me the alternative for this but with hip belt? You can send affiliate link too I will by using that so you get a commission :)
And yet people really love the MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack from Amazon. It has a 4.7/5 rating from over 94K reviews! And it's only $22. I prefer the YOREPEK Travel Backpack, Extra Large 50L. It's rugged, water resistant, has a USB port and is quite comfortable to carry through the airports. It has a 4.7 rating from over 44K reviews. I've used it on both oversea trips and local excursions; properly packed, it's good for 10 days. I did add a cross strap to it for my comfort, but others might not need it. And, it's only $28!
Nice design. For me, the side carry handle strap (skimpy) and lack of tuck-away shoulder straps are deal killers. I like to carry sideways like a duffle bag and having the shoulder straps dangle free is just plain awkward. Why not add a pocket on the backside to tuck away the shoulder straps? Nice review though, keep it up!
Because if you start trying to add this that or the other to this bag then it’s not $80-$90 anymore. The features it has for this pricing are what it is.
No way this is going through airport security in 2024 or later. 40L is a hard-no for almost every domestic and EU airport now, due to capacity and weight restrictions being halved.
For US domestic flights United, Delta and American airlines all have the same carry on size limit of 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm) as of Nov 4, 2024. This 40L bag fits those measurements and weighs less than wheeled carry-on luggage that most people use.
„overwhelm you with to many pockets“ 😂😂😂 I can’t imagine that this is a thing. Every bag has to few pockets. I never thought to myself: „oh this backpack has to many pockets“
Trust me, it's definitely a thing. Some bags go overboard, with so many that you are 100% sure you put your *whatever it is* in pocket 13, but it turns out to be in pocket 23. It's genuinely stressful... PLUS, with every pocket, they're stealing a bit of room. More pockets = less room overall.
Looking for a smaller underseat bag for flights? Here are our top picks: th-cam.com/video/UCqoJhyqhTE/w-d-xo.html
I love it when you have access from the front and also from the back...
😂
I just recently traveled with this bag from DC to Texas and used it as our carry-on. I packed emergency outfits for my wife, daughter, and I as well as carried snacks, my 32oz Nalgene and Surface Pro 9. I also had Beats Studio headphones and all my chargers, spare glasses and sunglasses too. With all that, it fit underneath the seat and we had room to spare.
That's great insight! Thanks for sharing your experience!
32z nalgene doesnt fit
a carry on or a personal item?
@@jacobmontes5000 I used it as my carry on, but it fits underneath the seat.
@@RicoTheTeamstercan it be used as a personal item? Or is it too big and has to be counted as a carry on?
Excellent video review! Great explanation of the positives and negatives while concisely going over the bag's features without losing details. Also, thanks for showing the bag on a model as this is VERY helpful to give a sense of size in addition to the actual dimensions.
Glad it was helpful!
just bought myself one of these, super exited, specially after this video!
Nice bag. I’d say a bag this size though, with no hip belt, is really just meant to get one to and through the airport. Not intended to be warn for extended time, fully packed, out and about. It will mainly be down to how one feels about it. I often avoid taxi’s when possible, when metros are available, and will often be walking from a station to my hostel. Not sure I’d enjoy walking with a 45L bag for very long, in a place like Bangkok, without some hip support?
I have this bag for like 3 months now. Definitely not a 40l bag. It’s a lot smaller. I have an Osprey bag 40l and packs a lot more. Other than that it’s a minimalist bag pack and very comfortable.
Great comment. I have an Osprey Farpoint 40 and I'm looking to get a new one. Unfortunately the new version is nowhere near as good and the 10 year old one i have.
would this fit as a personal time on delta??? i would have a regular carry on i would put away over my head in the top storage and would this backpack fit with me at my seat?
@@jacobmontes5000 I'm based in Europe. I don't fly with delta therefore I wouldn't know their carry on allowance. the bag is about 32-35 litres in my opinion. not a huge bag so I think it would fit but don't take my word for it. I paid around £50 for this bag and its excellent value for money.
Are you sure you didn't get the 28L version?
Great evaluation. Thank you for the facts and research.
This is the best backpack that I brought for my monthly travels. Around P5000 Philippines price. Worth the money 👌
I decided on Decathlon Escape 500 (32 L) over the Tomtoc A82 after hours of research, mainly because of hip belt that was present on the Escape backpack. If it weren't for that I would have chosen the Tomtoc because I really liked the Duffle-style secondary access.
Great review nonetheless.
Glad you found something that works for you!
I’m considering the tomtoc and decathlon bag, this review and your response helps a lot thanks
I went the other way around, I decided to go with the Tomtoc because it was a deal (68 euros) and for my use case the hip belt is not so essential.
I’m gonna use it in my first trip next week, and the following week for another trip
@@DrBrito Same. I am an ultra-light packer, so I went with the smaller 28l version of the Tomtoc which is enough for me for a week-long trip.
p.s. the Mogplof 40L has very similar features/pockets/size, and has shoulder straps that tuck away. cheers
The Mogplof 40L looks interesting. We'll check it out, thanks!
Sounds like a good featured bag, but it does not have the harness being able to be hidden / folded away. I have found that a harness can be a pain when just used as a duffle bag to sit on top of a wheeled carry on. The harness flopping around does catch on things.
Just bought it on Amazon for Black Friday :)
Enjoy the detail in this review, mentioning some things others haven't.
Much appreciated!
Wow! Great job! I bought it! Thank you!
Interesting looking bag and great review! I see they also make a 20L but would be nice if they also had a 30L for those who dont need as much
Thank you! Yes, a mid-sized 30 liter pack would be perfect.
They make a 28L just ordered on Amazon for 80$
@@SamRozzi Its a shame the 28L version is nearly as heavy as the 40L one, I dont even know how thats possible but I confirmed it is with their customer service staff
@@PackingLess huh that's strange, I guess I will see when it comes in this weekend. I don't need a 40L since I will typically pack a roller/duffle for travel but like the "medium" size of a 28 or so to bring some stuff when wandering out for the day without being too bulky. Been out of the pack game for a VERY long time and my insanely dated and simple bag needed an upgrade and definitely not trying to spend upwards of 2-300$ so hopefully this fits the bill.
@@SamRozzi yeah it looks great and I don’t think 28l is too little , it’s the perfect amount. But according to the staff the bag Is 1.1kg (2.3lbs) which isn’t terrible but when the 40l one is 1.2kg (2.65lb) I feel like the 28 should be lighter lol
Can you take it on Ryanair?
GDNasist version of this backpack does have waist strap, security pocket and a side pocket with usb charge compartment
I've had this and after 6 months and about 5 trips the middle area between the compartments started to rip apart parallell to the zipper. The ykk zippers have been great. I contacted them and only because i remmebered to register it, they said they will send out another one. So i guess they cut corners on materials? Outside of that i dont see what justifies the pricing of some of these other companies (>$150) that look the same.
I know cotopaxi provides a lifetime warranty but not sure about the other ms (aer/bellroy/peak/etc)
A video about which companies have the best warranties and may be worth the high cost would be good.
I'll update if any issues with getting the new bag, but if registered it seems you're good for atleast 2 years.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the bag! It's good to hear tomtoc came through on the warranty replacement.
With more expensive brands, you will usually get an upgrade in materials and features but it depends on the brand. Materials like ripstop, cordura nylon and tarpaulin are more durable, but also much more expensive to use in production so it adds up. It's tough finding that balance between great construction and reasonable pricing.
With ALL bags where the shoulder straps connect to an unzippable back pannel, such as this one’s laptop compartment, it is essential to use the side compression straps, to distribute the carrying load to the body of the bag… Otherwise all of the load pressure is distributed to the weakest point. In this case, the seams that attach the zippers. Which are rarely up to the task of this purpose. You don’t need to tighten the compression straps to the point of crushing your contents. But they do need to be snugged up, before use. This is why you will never see bags like this, designed so they can be opened, without having to undo the compression straps.
This is the bag all I need for an outstation work . Great design with good price !!
Might be exactly the bag I’m looking for. I have this chonky 16 inch gaming laptop and it’s been so hard to find backpacks that fits the 16 inch models
Great video. Thanks for the content. I was full steam ahead until I saw the packed measurements. Looking for something personal item/under seat option.
Can I use this bag for overseas for Serbia for a week? If I use a vacuum bag instead. That can work for must airlines standard?
I. Am wondering why they do not make an easy jet size luggage .....the ones on amazon are selling like crazy
Thanks for the review. I wonder if we can fit in a 3rd party camera cube in main compartment and use it as camera+laptop backpack.
Glad you found the review helpful! The inside of the main compartment measures roughly 19 x 12 x 5.5 inches and a WANDRD Essential Camera cube fits nicely inside and only takes up half of the main compartment.
Hey there! Thanks for sharing your decision-making process. The Decathlon Escape 500 sounds like a solid choice, especially with the hip belt. It's essential to go with what suits your needs best. Happy travels! ✈
Can you use this for personal item ?
And on return to base trip, will worn clothes still fit?
Is this backpack, along with a 21" carry-on suitcase, enough for a two to three-week trip during the autumn season in a foreign country? Thanks.
That's so hard to answer because everyone packs differently! The average carry-on suitcase is around 40-42L and this bag gives you an additional 40L - 80L total sounds like enough room!
@@Backpackies Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'm now convinced that it's a practical and effective solution. Your review was a great help. ☺️
I don't know if this is a good question for a travel backpack, but would this backpack be okay for everyday use? I'm in postgraduate degree and always carry a pencil case, a plastic pouch, a sketchbook (art studies) and a laptop with its hefty charger, I suppose if I tightened the straps it would be much less bulky and meet these needs. My main concern would be its durability, given its daily use and the Laptop protecrion, while also having a backpack for long travels like an all in one backpack.
Way to big for EDC, you should check other options from Tomtoc
Just too large for under seat on most measly European budget airlines. Is the 28 litre version small enough?
whats the difference beetween this one and the T66 40L
Very funtional backpack!
I have this bag and I love it..
When flying, van you take this bag as your personal item and also a carry on suitcase?
It depends on the airline. In some Asian & European airlines, they will only allow you 1 carryon weighing 7 kg (15 lbs) and a small personal item like a purse or man-bag/ waist pack. So if you have 1 wheeled luggage already, this won't be allowed.
If it had load lifters, I might consider it
I bought it and sent it back because of quality issues and no customer support. You get only 1 year guarantee. I had issue with buckles, they just haven’t hold together, bad stitching and loose ends…. And the support just answered: it’s normal and to the buckles spring of because it was too tight….unbelievable. Price max should be like 40.
Appreciate you sharing your experience. Yeah, tomtoc only has a one year warranty as default but if you register the product on their website they bump it up to two years.
Would this fit under the seat as a personal item on a plane?
my question as well trying to figure out
Super review
Could you please recommend me the alternative for this but with hip belt?
You can send affiliate link too I will by using that so you get a commission :)
Anyone have both cabin zero and tomtoc? How to compare
Thanks!
Where can I get this in the uk?
As of right now the tomtoc website only ships in the US but you can try finding the bag on Amazon UK
Is this bag waterproof or weatherproof?
Water resistant/weatheproof not waterproof
And yet people really love the MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack from Amazon. It has a 4.7/5 rating from over 94K reviews! And it's only $22. I prefer the YOREPEK Travel Backpack, Extra Large 50L. It's rugged, water resistant, has a USB port and is quite comfortable to carry through the airports. It has a 4.7 rating from over 44K reviews. I've used it on both oversea trips and local excursions; properly packed, it's good for 10 days. I did add a cross strap to it for my comfort, but others might not need it. And, it's only $28!
If it can attach a waist belt I will consider to get one.
Unfortunately there is no waist belt attachment 😩
Nice design. For me, the side carry handle strap (skimpy) and lack of tuck-away shoulder straps are deal killers. I like to carry sideways like a duffle bag and having the shoulder straps dangle free is just plain awkward. Why not add a pocket on the backside to tuck away the shoulder straps? Nice review though, keep it up!
Because if you start trying to add this that or the other to this bag then it’s not $80-$90 anymore. The features it has for this pricing are what it is.
@@CeeMKE The Mogplof bag is actually half the price, $60. cheers
I struggled with American Freedom units but good review thanks
Lol noted. Regular measurements will be added next time
i don't know why everyone's praising on this pack. It has no internal organizing nor pockets. Returned it
No way this is going through airport security in 2024 or later. 40L is a hard-no for almost every domestic and EU airport now, due to capacity and weight restrictions being halved.
For US domestic flights United, Delta and American airlines all have the same carry on size limit of 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm) as of Nov 4, 2024. This 40L bag fits those measurements and weighs less than wheeled carry-on luggage that most people use.
Darun backpack video
.....تم
„overwhelm you with to many pockets“ 😂😂😂 I can’t imagine that this is a thing. Every bag has to few pockets. I never thought to myself: „oh this backpack has to many pockets“
You'd be surprised! Some people can't stand it haha
Trust me, it's definitely a thing. Some bags go overboard, with so many that you are 100% sure you put your *whatever it is* in pocket 13, but it turns out to be in pocket 23. It's genuinely stressful... PLUS, with every pocket, they're stealing a bit of room. More pockets = less room overall.
This is heavy
In the future you have some problems with earth gravity? 😅
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