Classic II Water Repellent Backpack

After receiving the Bellroy Classic 20L Backpack, I packed it and unpacked it several times and wore it around my house. Originally, I wasn't going to keep it, but a family emergency resulted in me taking it cross-country on a few flights with me. After traveling with this backpack, I've determined that I like it but I don't know that its worth full price. The good: The backpack can hold a laptop, tablet, a full size pair of headphones, a Nintendo switch, a 24oz water bottle, and a rolled up hoodie in the main compartment. The front pocket has a key clip and space for a wallet or a couple granola bars. The outer fabric feels tough and is fur-resistant. I have the backpack in all black, and it's a nice deep black. Zippers are YKK, but I don't know what the strap holders are made of. They feel metal though. There's a small quick-grab pocket in the main compartment, but other than the laptop and tablet sleeves, you'll have to organize the main compartment yourself. The back panel is very comfortable, whether standing or sitting. The leather top-grab handle feels durable. The meh: I wish there was an exterior water bottle pocket, I don't want to have to keep my water bottles inside the backpack with my electronics. The straps feel thin compared to other backpacks at the same price point, and the strap adjustment cords are exceedingly long, so the strap keepers are ineffective. The leather tabs on the zippers are nice to grab but they're already starting to wear at the edges. In the front compartment, things will move to the short side of the pocket and can get lost there. The sunglasses pocket is too small to effectively hold sunglasses - tested w/ a pair of Ray-ban Clubmasters. The laptop pocket feels thin, and it doesn't feel like it's suspended off the bottom of the backpack (if it is, it's barely noticeable). All in all, it's a good backpack but it doesn't feel worth the cost at full price. It feels durable in some areas and cheap in others where it shouldn't be. My biggest gripes are the laptop sleeve an not having an outer water bottle pocket. However, I do love the way the backpack loads, the front compartment opens up really nicely and it's easy to just shove stuff in. After being under airplane seats and in baggage compartments, the fabric still looks great and the dirt just wipes off. If you need a small backpack and carry a laptop and tablet around with you, this is definitely an option to consider.

The backpack is really small. As a taller (6’2”) human, this felt like a mini pack.