NEWS – Topo Designs has around since 2008, making supremely functional bags & accessories with a distinctive outdoorsey vibe. The Commuter Briefcase (which I reviewed here) is still in my regular work rotation, as is their iconic Rover Pack… which is now the subject of a full lineup based on the original design.
The original Rover Pack was a ridiculously user-friendly 20 liter multitasker with two external water bottle side pouches, two external pockets (one in the flap), an internal laptop sleeve, and a variety of groovy colorways. From camping to airline travel, you could take this thing anywhere. That design lives on as the Classic model, and is now joined by 4 additional designs in the stable:
- The Mini, which is scaled down to a 10 liter size;
- The Heritage, which upgrades the materials to Cordura and Horween leather with distinctive (er, heritage-inspired) color schemes;
- The Tech, which is upsized to 24 liters in addition to an external padded laptop compartment and padded back panel for dedicated tech carry; and
- The Premium, which upgrades the Original design with an external laptop sleeve, upgraded materials, premium hardware, and urban all-black styling.
They’re all great looking and functional packs but the Premium (pictured above) is the one that catches my eye. It parks squarely in the camp of higher-end business/style bags with a slick urban look while keeping the functionality that made the original rover so great. Which one do you like? Let me know in the comments!
Prices range from $99 for the Mini up to $169 for the Heritage and Premium models. Check them out at The Rover Collection Page on Topo Design’s web site!
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I love topo design. I daily their commuter briefcase in backpack form and get a lot of compliments. I was excited to pick up the Rover mini for my kids but they’re a tad too small at the 8.5” width since they need space for a binder and folders. The normal classic version may be an option.
The commuter briefcase is one of my all-time favorite bags, and still in the regular rotation for me. I love the simplicity and the backpack convertible feature.
The Rover is also on mu much-loved list, and I still use it as a trip bag. My son loved it as a school bag until he started having to haul around a lot of books and binders. We switched to something a little more structured at that point.
What bag does your son use now?
He’s been raiding my collection. He’s currently using my Timbuk2 Uptown, which is a variation on the Command backpack. I don’t think it’s in production anymore.