Sympl Studios 25L Weekender EDC Backpack Review

We have reviewed quite a few carry-ons here on Signed + Sojourner, but we haven’t touched too much on personal items that is, until now. Every “no checking bags” traveler knows that if you choose your personal item well you can fit a lot into it. 

Let’s get into my review of this fantastic EDC backpack and see how it works not only for your everyday carry but also for traveling. 

Full review video.

Durability & Weather Resistance

Durability

A very impressive feature of this backpack is it’s fabric. It’s constructed with a sustainable, 100% recycled, and waterproof Cordura 840D Ballistic Nylon. Which is an incredibly strong material, especially for this use case.

All the buckles and tension locks on this bag are made by Duraflex, a high-end plastic buckle supplier known for their durability. They are plastic but they are super solid feeling. So I am not concerned about these buckles easily breaking.

DuraFlex Buckles

The straps on this bag are all made of a material that feels like a fancy seatbelt (The closest comparison I could think of) so I have no doubt these are incredibly strong.

However, the materials are only going to be as strong as what holding them together. All the connection points are super-reinforced. The quality of the stitching on this bag is very impressive. So overall this is a very durable and well-built backpack. They believe in their products’ durability too. Since all their bags carry a lifetime warranty.

Weather Resistance

YKK Aquaguard Zippers

You can tell the team who designed this backpack has spent a good amount of time out in nature and knew they needed to create a bag capable of protecting your gear from it. With a TPU coating on the lower panels and a polycarbonate coating on the upper panels. They made the Cordura fabric waterproof. Now that doesn’t mean this backpack is submersible. If you submerge the bag, water will still get in. But Sympl claimed the fabric itself is waterproof.

Paired with the waterproof fabric they also use YKK Aquaguard zippers on all the external pockets complete with zipper garages to make this bag a shelter for your gear from the weather outside.

I have used this backpack in both rain & snow storms and I haven’t experienced any moisture getting into the bag. This is a big win, as I don’t like having to worry about getting caught in storms while traveling since oftentimes you don’t have a choice in the matter. 

Airline Compliance & Travel Features

Airline Compliance

This bag is 25L which is a fantastic size for a personal item on flights.

For a personal item, it simply needs to fit under the seat in front of you.

Generally speaking, a personal item is recommended to be about 18” x 14” x 8”

This bag measures 19.5” x 13” x 7”

Which is a little taller but that just means it will take up a little bit more floor space. On the budget airlines like Spirit or Ryan where they are super strict on their personal item sizes you might not be able to get away with this bag so just keep that in mind. But for most airlines, the sizing shouldn’t cause any problems as long as it can fit under the seat in front of you.

Passport Pocket

Travel Features

This pack includes some more travel-specific features as well. A semi-hidden passport pocket that rests up against your back makes for a very safe place to keep valuable documents while you travel. And it’s pretty big so it can fit much more than just a passport. It can also be accessed without needing to take your pack all the way off which is very nice. 

This backpack also has a luggage pass-through so you can securely fasten it to your carry-on luggage while rolling through the airports.

Interior & Exterior

Interior

The interior of this bag is very simple and gets right to the point of what you need a backpack to do. I love that it’s not overrun with way too many pockets and confusing organizational features.

I also really like the lining fabrics they use in this bag. The lighter blue fabric is made from post-consumer repurposed water bottles. I love that, and I wish more companies follow suit and start using more environmentally friendly materials. For the laptop sleeve and the small pocket at the top of the bag, they use an incredibly soft faux-fur lining that keeps things protected.

Lined with Faux Fur

For those of you wondering, the laptop compartment can fit up to a 17” laptop. It’s also a suspended pocket, meaning the bottom of the pocket is sewn a little higher up than the bottom of the backpack. So if you drop this backpack your laptop won’t hit the ground.

The main compartment of this backpack only zips about halfway down which is a little different than most other backpacks but it does mean you aren’t going to lose a bunch of stuff out the sides of the bag while you’re unzipping it. 

The workstation compartment on the front of this bag is really unique and very helpful for anyone who takes their office with them. I use this pocket the most by far.

The pocket on the front of this backpack is full size so it goes all the way from the bottom of the bag to the top. Its also slightly cushioned from a little bit of added protection but mostly to give the bag structure. 

Exterior

This backpack weighs in at 2.7LBS which in my opinion is a very good weight considering the durability of the fabric and the amount of padding/cushion in this backpack. 

The back panel is a molded EVA which makes it both durable and comfortable. The back panel also includes ventilation channels to help with breathability while wearing it.

The shoulder straps are nice and pillowy while still being firm. They have a perforated foam on the inside of the strap which helps with breathability and they are also ergonomically shaped instead of straight. The Sternum Strap is plenty adjustable as well and removable if needed.

The top handle is made with plenty of cushion and perforated foam on the bottom. It just has a really nice feel to it. It’s also incredibly strong due to its reinforced heavy-duty stitching. 

The side pocket design is rather clever. When not in use, you can zip it closed so it can lay flat against the side. Or, you can open it up and it becomes a perfect water bottle compartment with elastic and mesh.

It also has a side pocket on the other side however this one doesn’t offer any expandability and is a much tighter fit.

Efficiency And Access

This is going to be a short category but it deals with how you’ll actually interact with this product. 

Aside from two internal zippered pockets, all the pockets on this bag are accessible from the outside. This means you don’t need to unzip or unvelcro multiple different pockets to get to what you’re looking for. So removing your laptop for TSA checks is easy. 

The workstation-style pocket also makes this a very nice bag to work out of. You won’t need a tech bag as this one pocket can become that for you. 

Appearance & Comfort

Appearance

This pack looks fantastic. While reading over some of the other reviews on Sympl’s website. The only con of this whole backpack people seemed to point out is that some of them weren’t crazy about the amount of branding on this bag. I haven’t noticed this as a problem. I think the logos are subtle and not in your face. The only branding I don’t really love is the branded webbing on the side. But that is just a personal gripe.

So appearance-wise you can judge yourself from the photos but I think it looks amazing. Rugged yet professional. It’s kept simple and its profile isn’t too bulky. This bag can blend into a lot of different environments. I could see this backpack working well for EDC and traveling, but also for business. It kinda depends on what business you are in, but I don’t think this would look out of place even in a business team setting. 

Comfort

 I also really like that they put effort into making these straps ergonomic instead of just straight. I think these straps look and feel a lot better. This is also just a really comfortable backpack. Thanks to the straps, EVA back panel, and sternum strap. Having this level of harness system distributes weight evenly across your back and chest which makes it a very comfortable bag. 

Conclusion

I think Sympl Studios did an incredible job designing this EDC/Travel backpack. This is a backpack that is the most well-suited for digital nomads, travelers, and remote workers who perhaps work in many different places and need to bring their work with them. They do make different-sized bags but I appreciate the 25L size. It’s the perfect size to bring everything I need without feeling like a large pack when wearing it. They made this pack durable, comfortable, functional, and good looking which are all the main things I look for in a backpack.

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