Commuter Pack 20L

I waited to review this bag until I had traveled on a plane with it - and now that I have I can confidently say this commuter bag is outstanding. I live in a big city and work in the law, and semi-frequently have to travel for legal conferences. This bag fits a LOT while remaining compact, whether you're commuting on a train or bus, or flying. It also has a lot of useful (and I do mean useful - not superfluous) inner pockets for phones, external chargers, umbrellas, cords, etc. My coffee has never fallen out of the holder on the side, and the zippers stay zipped. It's water resistant and things stay dry when it rains. The fabric looks and feels quality, and the straps are comfortable. My only complaint is that I probably have to adjust the backpack strap lengths about once a week or so - but this is easy to do when standing and a minor issue. I have now compared it with friends who have the Troubadour Apex backpack and the Portland Gear Cascade backpack, and can confidently say that this backpack by Sympl is the superior product, even if those other examples look more stylish. For me, there's no hiding a backpack as a backpack, and the worst that can be said of this bags' style is that it's boring. But its functionality + size more than makes up for that. Definitely recommend.

I've had the commuter (20L, ballistic nylon) for about 2 or 3 weeks. Here are my thoughts:

Good:
- The organization and layout is very good. My real-world experience is consistent with how the layout is promoted.
- the back is firm, but comfortable. I prefer a softer back padding (Aer, for example), but this works, too.

OK:
- the harness adjustment straps are fine, but I wish they had a thump loop at the bottom so it's easier to tighten them up.
- if you have stuff in the tech caddy area, but not a packed-out main compartment, the bag creases horizontally on the front and collapses into itself. It's not a huge deal, but looks a little silly and I thought the bag would have more structure.
- the first week of having the bag, it really didn't want to self-stand unless fully loaded. It's better now.

Bad:
- High likelihood of losing your water bottle from the side pocket:The water bottle is very loose for all but the girthiest of water bottles. In my attached video, I demonstrate that, when the side pocket is expanded, "average" bottles slip right out. Conversely, when zipped tight, bottles can't fit. I'd love it if Sympl could tweak this design to be more elastic, providing better grip for the bottle, and if they could add a D ring or fabric loop or something to clip a bottle (or umbrella, or etc...) for added security.
- This bag is significantly deeper than the 6.5 inches advertised, when loaded out. As demonstrated in the video, depth for me was closer to 9 inches, and that was without a laptop in the back, pushing things in the main compartment forward. It's not that this is terrible, it's that it was inconsistent with my expectation that this would be slimmer and more refined looking than it is.

Really liking the commuter v2 so far. Definitely a stiffer back panel and thick shoulder straps, but it’s executed very well and is quite comfortable and well made.

Hands down my favorite bag I have owned. Stylish and plenty of space/storage. Comfortable to wear but it does have a firmer back.

I do like the pack
My only complaint is spending this amount of money and they ship it thru USPS. Why not FedEx or UPS?