One year ago I posted my review of Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag. Although I liked the bag, I didn’t make it my main bag until March of this year. Since then it has become my favorite gear bag that I carry every day. Peak Design followed up their successful Everyday Messenger Bag Kickstarter campaign with a campaign this past August for a couple other bags including the Everyday Tote bag which they recently set to me for review.
What is it?
The Peak Design Everyday Tote is a classic tote bag that has been designed with photographers in mind, but the bag is great for anyone as it can be customized to hold a wide variety of gear.
Design and features
The Everyday Tote has a weatherproof 500D Ultralight waxed Kodra synthetic canvas exterior that is available Charcoal or Ash. I was sent the Tote in Ash which is slightly lighter in color than the Everyday Messenger bag. The material is also a little smoother so that it doesn’t seem to attract fuzz and pet hair like the messenger bag.
The front of the Tote has wide horizontal slip pocket with a second narrower pocket inside it along with external carry straps that can be used to hold a tripod, umbrella, etc.
A tether with a detachable clip-in holder is sewn into the slip pocket. This tether can be used for keys or a small device.
If you flip the Everyday Tote around, you will find seat belt style carry straps with padded leather accents that allow the tote bag to be carried by hand, on over the shoulder or even as a backpack.
On the back of the tote, there’s also a band of fabric that is designed to slide over the handle of your rolling luggage or carry-on bag.
Traditional tote bags are like an empty bucket that can hold a lot of gear but without much organization. The Peak Design Everyday Tote isn’t like a traditional tote bag. It has zippered side pockets that let you access your gear without taking the bag off your shoulder.
Zip down panels on either side allow access to the interior of the bag.
The top of the tote is held closed not by snaps, zippers, buttons or Velcro, but by magnets which are quiet and easy to use. The magnets hold the top closed, but if you need a more secure closure method, you can use the hook and strap to hold down the folded top.
The interior of the tote has two configurable FlexFold Dividers similar to the ones in the Everyday Messenger bag. The images above show how the interior can be configured by folding, positioning or even removing the dividers.
Also inside the bag are quite a few pockets that allow organization of smaller items like flash drives, lip balm, multi-tools and more.
There’s even a double slot slip pocket large enough for your phone and a small wallet.
The Tote has a padded sleeve with a divider and two pen slots on either side. The sleeve can hold a laptop and a tablet.
The laptop part of the sleeve is large enough to accommodate a laptop with maximum dimensions: 12.5″x8.65″x.75″ (32x22x2cm) In the image above, I show the Dell XPS 13″, but it can also hold a 13 inch MacBook Pro. A Velcro strap secures the laptop in the sleeve.
The bottom of the Everyday Tote bag is wide, flat and reinforced with a black canvas bottom. I really appreciate the fact that this bag can sit upright without falling over even when it is filled with gear.
Final thoughts
I used the tote bag for several days and didn’t have any complaints. The style and construction of this bag are both first rate. The zippered side panels are a unique feature, but I didn’t find that I used them. I think this is because I personally prefer a messenger style bag. That’s just me though…
Craftsmanship and attention to detail are two reasons why Peak Design is swiftly becoming my favorite bag manufacturer. I really like the way the interior of their bags can be configured especially for my needs. And the fact that their bags look nice doesn’t hurt either. Whether you’re a photographer or just a gadgeteer like I am, I think you’ll enjoy the Peak Design Everyday Tote or one of their other bags. I know I do.
Updates 08/24/17
I’ve been using this bag as a gym bag for the last month to carry my sneakers, shorts, Tshirt, and protein shaker bottle to the gym 3 days a week. I removed the inserts to make the bag a little roomier but it’s still on the small side for what I’m carrying. I also wish that the bag had a shoulder strap since I don’t like to carry it as a backpack. I plan to replace it with a duffle bag as soon as I find one that I like, but in the mean time, it’s working out pretty well.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Peak Design. Please visit their site for more info.
Product Information
| Price: | $189.95 |
| Manufacturer: | Peak Design |
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Is this your photography here? It’s jolly good. That bag looks really, really impressive. So functional, yet rather aesthetically pleasing as well. It’s a shame it costs so much, otherwise I’d be tempted.
Yes, those are my photos.
I don’t think that this bag is any pricier than other bags of this quality.
I wasn’t suggesting it’s overpriced or more expensive than competitors, rather that my budget, as a student, doesn’t stretch to luxuries as nice as this. Perhaps one day!
Ah understood!