The best backpack I’ve ever used: Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2 review

BY ANDREW UTTERBACK

Podcast Producer

I’m serious. This backpack is genuinely great. 

Maybe it’s the matte black colorway or the insane amount of magnets throughout this bag. Or maybe it’s the fact it stands up on its own when I set it on the ground and keeps my tech safe from any conditions that get thrown at it. 

It’s on the expensive side of backpacks, but you get exactly what you pay for, which in this case is features galore. 

For starters, this is a great-looking backpack. It doesn't exactly have a “normal” design, but it doesn't look obnoxiously different either.

I opted for the matte black color, so everything from the zippers to the carry handle is a perfect matte black. 

The top compartment, which we’ll get to later on, makes the top of the bag slope downwards, kind of slimming it down a bit. The zippers on the sides of the bag serve as nice accent lines, and there’s only a small Peak Design logo on the right side of the top flap. It’s not a loud design by any means but it's different enough where I’ve had people ask me about it. 

The bag is made out of a nylon material that is weatherproof and extremely durable. I expected the Everyday Backpack to be durable, but I guess I didn't expect it to be this bulletproof. Mind you, it may not live up to a rugged hiking backpack, but from my scientific tests of slinging it on my back, onto the ground, into cars and setting it on plenty of dirt and gravel, there isn't a scratch on it. 

Before I took the pictures for this review, there were a few smudges on the front and sides. One wet washcloth swipe later, and they were gone. The zippers are also waterproof, so I’ve had no issues keeping my tech dry from the rain. 

Speaking of my tech, let's talk about carrying things. People like to do that with backpacks. 

This bag is a camera/tech bag first and a “normal” backpack second. The bag opens from a flap at the top of the bag as well as from both sides for easy camera grabbing. Inside, it has three velcro dividers that you can move around to fit whatever you need to carry. When I’m bringing gear with me, the dividers are great to keep it all secured. When I’m bringing larger items or clothes, I pop the dividers right out to make one giant space like any other backpack. 

On each of the inside walls of the bag there are magnetic pouches and zipper compartments for smaller items that could get lost if just tossed in. 

The bag has a top, zipper access, laptop compartment with a laptop slot, tablet slot and elastic pockets for smaller items. The pockets all have false bottoms as well, so your laptop isn't making contact with the ground when you set the bag down. 

My M2 MacBook Air fits perfectly in the laptop slot, my thin notebook is right at home in the tablet slot and my AirPods, travel SSD and other miscellaneous trinkets are secured in the mesh pockets. Just like the rest of the bag, this section is well-thought out and well-built. 

The top flap of the bag is secured with a magnetic latch system dubbed MagLatch. To get into the main compartment, you pull down on the latch to release the mags, and then it opens right up. 

This is kinda sorta an anti-theft feature because supposedly not everyone would know how to open it, but it isn't too hard to figure out. 

The great part about the MagLatch is it allows you to position the top of the bag depending on how much gear you have with you. 

You can see in the picture that the top of the bag tapers down, but if you have clothes for example packed all the way up to the top, then you would latch the mag on the higher of the four latches. That makes sense, right? 

It basically allows the bag to stay slim when you’re not carrying all of your belongings with you, but then easily expands to fit whatever you need it to fit. 

Is this practical? For me, extremely. 

Usually, my everyday tech carry is limited to my phone, laptop and AirPods. I usually only put two of those in the backpack anyway. 

So for my light carry, this backpack is amazing. Even when I need to bring more, I just fasten the MagLatch at a higher height and I’m set, although space does get a little snug toward the top of the bag. 

We’re not done though; there are more features. I’ll start with possibly my overall favorite, the magnetic straps. The straps on the back are magnetic, so when you take the backpack off, you can snap the straps into place so they don't flop around when you carry it. This may be one of those “don’t realize you need it until you have it” features, but I think this is something that should come built into every backpack. 

These straps are comfortable enough but could definitely be more padded. I’ve never found this backpack to be uncomfortable to carry, but it will occasionally slip a little off my shoulders if I have it loaded down with clothes or podcasting gear. 

The bag also has carry handles on the top and on both sides to carry it in whatever orientation you please. 

There is yet another magnetic compartment tucked into the bottom front part of the bag that is thin enough for another notebook or something of the sort. It is facing downward toward the ground and only closes with one magnet, so maybe not for something super important, but it's there. 

The bag has two pockets, one on each side, for your water bottle, tripod, umbrella, etc. And just like the main bag compartment, these pockets stay magnetically tucked up next to the backpack when not in use and then elastically expand to fit my Owala and GorillaPod perfectly. 

If you are someone who carries the same sorts of things as I do, then this is hands down the best backpack I’ve used. 

If your day-to-day carry consists of bulkier items or even a lot of smaller items needing more pockets, the LTT Backpack is my recommendation. That bag has more compartments and is easier to pack and unpack large items. 

If you carry just cameras, then I would take a look at offerings from Nomatic, as those offer bags with a host of camera-carrying features that would better suit a photographer. 

But if you carry a mix of all of these items or even just prefer the look more, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack gets my easy recommendation. 

It’s not cheap, priced at $279 for the 20L and $299 for the 30L, but this is just one of those purchases that you only have to make once, especially with Peak Design’s lifetime warranty. 

Until the next version comes out with even more magnets.