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Topo Designs Travel Bag Review
Cost: $229
Capacity: 40L (Also available in 30L)
Dimensions 35: 22.5” x 14” x 7.5” (57 x 36 x 19cm)
Style: Vintage style layflat opening
Weight: 3.6 lbs (1.6 kg)
Laptop: 15” (Sort of)
Materials: 1000D nylon, 400D pack cloth, 210 nylon liner
Origin: Manufactured in Vietnam
Overall Impression, Aesthetic
The Topo Designs Travel Bag is made using some great hardware and materials. It comes with a lifetime warranty and the quality reflects that. The exterior looks a lot simpler than the interior, which has a ton of organization, with 15 Pockets and compartments in all. But, despite the great craftsmanship and organization, the design on the Travel Bag has some flaws. With a small laptop compartment, and a subpar carry system.
Materials, Colors, and Size
If I ever design a travel backpack, it would have high denier nylon fabric, and huge YKK zippers. Exactly the materials used in this bag. The exterior is made from a combination of sturdy 1000D nylon on the sides, 400D on the front, and a 1680 ballistic nylon on the back.
It’s a totally bombproof construction, and I would expect this bag to last a lifetime. The interior lining is a thinner, Bright yellow nylon fabric. This makes it very obvious to see when your bag isn’t shut properly, and allows you to easily see your gear inside the bag.
Zippers and Hardware
The exterior zippers are all the BIGGEST #10 YKK zippers, and Smaller #5 YKK on all the interior compartments. Which is really great, I love giant zippers.
For security, instead of locks, they use Fabric Loops to secure the zippers. You tuck the zippers behind the flaps, making it difficult to unzip them quickly.
They remind me of tamper proof child locks. It works great to keep you out, but it’s also a huge hastle to open them. The fabric loop is quite close to the end of the zipper, making it hard to get the zipper out from behind the loop. Thieves (and you) won’t have an easy time of getting into your bag.
Size, Dimensions
The 40 L backpack I have here is carry-on size for most airlines. The length on the website is slightly large at 22.5” when most airlines max out at 22”. However, this bag is soft-side with no stiff frame-sheet, so It’s easy to compress. You won’t have a problem using this bag as a carry on if your airline allows the max size of 22”x14”x9”. If you’re not sure, check my handy airline carry on size table.
External Components
Thee outside of the Topo Designs Travel Bag has a large organizational pocket, a side facing slash pocket, as well as a side-facing laptop compartment, a few daisy chain straps, two hooks for attaching a daypack, and D-rings to attach the shoulder strap.
Front Panel Organization
I like that the front slash pocket, faces to the side. This feels like a more natural way to orient the bag, because it stands up on it’s own when on it’s side. But the front Organizational compartment instead, opens from the top, meaning you have to turn the bag when accessing both pockets.
Zippers go down the entire length of the pocket, giving you complete access, and there’s a ton of room in this compartment. It expands out about 2” from the front of the bag, which gives you enough room to store a jacket in the main section, or books or magazines in the zippered pocket.
The one problem I have with the front compartment is it doesn’t face the same way as the other two pockets. The backpack doesn’t stand up on it’s own when it’s sitting on the bottom. And I don’t think it makes sense for one pocket to open from the top, and the other two from the side.
I think the design would be improved if they had all the exterior pockets facing the same orientation, so you don’t have to rotate the bag to get items out of different pockets.
Carry Options
There are 3 ways to carry the Topo Designs Travel Bag: as a backpack, with the cross-body shoulder strap, or briefcase style with the side carry handles.
Backpack straps
The back padding is also lacking on this backpack, it’s just a thin foam pad, sewn behind the nylon exterior fabric, that has very little in the way of air ventilation.
Hip Belt
The hip belts help a lot to relieve the pressure on your shoulder. They have a good amount of padding, without being too thick and bulky. They make up a little for the shoulder straps and minimal back padding. But they don’t help enough to make this a very comfortable bag to carry for long distances.
Stowable Carry System
The best thing about the carry system is the ability to completely stow it away. You can unclip the backpack straps and tuck them into a zippered pocket. While the hip belts are sewn into the bag, you can also tuck them away inside their own pocket on the bottom of the backpack.
Shoulder Strap Carry
In addition to the backpack straps, this backpack also comes with an included shoulder strap. I like the idea of having this as a carry option. It makes sense with the squarish design and gives you easy access to the side-facing slash pocket. However, a 40L bag is a little on the large size for using a shoulder strap. It’s going to hurt your shoulder if you carry it this way for too long.
Interior Components and Design
Packing Style
The Travel Bag opens lengthways and lays completely flat. Giving you access to two compartments, and a bunch of further interior organizational pockets.
The main section located behind a zippered flap is a large compartment for storing most of your clothes. You don’t need to use packing cubes here, but I find they help organize your clothes, and keep them from shifting around. These two Eagle Creek Medium cubes I have fit perfectly in here.
The other side of the bag has a much smaller compartment, also behind a zippered flap. This pocket is much thinner, it’s a great place to store large bulky items like sweatshirts, or jackets.
The two separator flaps both have two zippered pockets each, hese are perfect for storing toiletries, or smaller clothes like socks and underwear.
You need to be careful not to pack all of these pockets too full. As the backpack is kind of thin, it’s only 7.5” deep, and doesn’t expand. And you can easily fill these pockets so much that you can’t even close the bag.
Laptop Compartment
The laptop compartment on the Topo Design Travel Bag is advertised as being large enough to fit most 15” laptops. I found this to be true except the access zipper is way too small to give you good access. This odd design forces you to insert your laptop sideways, then turn it as you put it inside the pocket.
This is inconvenient but works fine when the backpack straps are out. However, it doesn’t work great when you have the backpack straps and hip belt stowed away. The storage pocket for the backpack straps is BEHIND the laptop compartment, while the pocket for the hip straps is on the front side.
When you have these both tucked away, the straps press on the laptop compartment and makes it hard to get your laptop inside. It’s almost to the point where it feels like I’m damaging my laptop trying to cram it in here,
And then when you combine this with minimal back padding, and a lack of a false bottom. I don’t feel like my laptop has adequate protection in this compartment.
Summary
In summary, the Topo Designs Travel Bag is a super sturdy travel backpack that will last you a lifetime. The high quality materials make this backpack a great choice, while the internal pockets helps keep your gear organized. Better design on the backpack straps, and laptop compartment would greatly improve the comfort and use ability of this pack.
Pros
- High quality materials, Topo designs guarantees their bags for life, and it shows in the quality. With thick 1000D nylon exterior and #10 YKK zippers, this bag is built to last.
- The origination is also great. If you’re someone who has a lot of small items, this bag has a ton of compartments and pockets to store your gear,
Cons
- Backpack straps aren’t very comfortable, the shoulder straps are too close together, which puts pressure on the inside of your shoulders, and the back padding isn’t very comfortable.
- Laptop compartment is poorly designed, the zipper opening is too small. This makes it difficult to fit a 15” laptop inside, especially when backpack straps and hip belt is stowed away. The minimal back padding and lack of false bottom don’t offer good protection against damage.
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