I love backpacks. They are my essential carry when it comes to transporting all my stuff for travel and work. However, I’m very particular about my backpacks and what features they need to have. Not only that, they need to look good and sit a specific way so they look sleek and form-fitting while still holding a lot of stuff. I’ve come across several backpacks that have been phenomenal and used daily, and the latest one I’ve found is definitely now part of my rotation. The Bellroy Classic Backpack is a 20L daypack capable of holding a 16″ laptop and much more, while its classic cut and styling make it look at home at work, or on a short trip.
DESIGN
The Bellroy Classic Backpack is exactly that. It’s a backpack that doesn’t try to get all crazy with the design, instead, it is a backpack that is familiar but with a modern twist. Because of its size, this is considered more of a daypack and isn’t really designed to carry heavy loads or a large amount of stuff. Yet, I’m able to carry what I need in its little 20L body that I need for work every day.
Let’s start with the exterior. The exterior design is clean and uncluttered. There are no unnecessary design elements other than classy leather logo tags. There’s one exterior zippered pocket, one main zippered compartment, and a hideaway top zippered pocket for small items. The back of the bag is nicely padded for comfort and the shoulder straps are thin but padded nicely. There is no waist belt or sternum straps. There also aren’t any bottle holders on the side. There is a nice leather grab handle on top, and the zipper pulls are also leather.
For the first exterior pocket, this is a good place to hold items like your keys, wallet, and smaller items that you need to get to quickly. There is a key ring inside too that lets you clip your keys to it.
Moving on to the main compartment, there is a padded sleeve for a laptop up to 16″ in size. This pocket also includes a document pocket on the front with a pen holder. I use the laptop sleeve for a Macbook Air and the document pocket for an iPad Air. On the other side of the compartment is another zippered pocket. I use this to carry accessories like a charger and my Apple Magic Mouse. Aside from that, the main compartment has enough room for extras like a jacket, headphones, water bottle, etc. I should also mention that there’s a little tiny pocket for an Apple Air Tag if you use one.
The last pocket is the top one that is just large enough to hold a phone or your keys. It’s a tight fit for something like a Galaxy S24 Ultra, but for smaller phones, it’s just fine.
EXPERIENCE
I absolutely love the Bellroy Classic Backpack. I’ve been using it every day since receiving it and it does everything I need it to do. It holds all my stuff for work and I just love the way it looks. It doesn’t look bulky when I wear it and it hangs in all the right places. I also love the Slate color that this comes in with the contrasting tan and grey elements.
I don’t mind that there isn’t a bottle holder, because I never used it on any of my bags anyway, nor do mind that it might not have as many pockets as other backpacks. All I know is that it carries what I need and everything I need stays organized.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Bellroy Classic Backpack is one of the nicest-styled backpacks that I’ve had the pleasure of using. I love the clean lines, the classic styling, and the modern touches. The bag screams quality as all the materials feel really good and the way it’s put together should allow the bag to last quite a long time.
The Bellroy Classic Backpack comes in several different colors and you can also pick it up in three different sizes. This one here is the 20L version but there’s also a 16L and a 24L version.
