Metro Anti-Theft Pack 20L

• Trim, until you need the room. It stays slim when you're carrying little and expands as you fill it, without ever looking bulky.
• Side straps that pull it back in. Adjustable, with simple clip buckles. Cinch them to compact a full bag, or leave them to hold a bottle in its side pocket.
• A back pocket nobody else can reach. Sitting under the shoulder straps at the top, closed with a single magnetic clip. Quick for you to get into when the bag is off, and flat against your back when it's on, which is where documents belong on a travel day.
• A compartment that takes A4 flat. Documents, a folder or a tablet go in without bending anything, on a magnetic locking zip that holds under a pull and releases with a twist.
• Three places for your tech. A 15.6 inch laptop sleeve at the back of the main compartment, an iPad sleeve in front of it, and a zipped mesh sleeve opposite for chargers and cables.
• The trolley strap unclips. Slide it over a suitcase handle on travel days, or unclip it and tuck the shoulder straps away behind it so there's nothing loose to catch.
• Simple on the back. Comfortable adjustable shoulder straps, a mesh back panel, and no cross strap to do up. One less thing to think about, which is the point of this bag.
• 0.87 kg, in lighter materials. Water-resistant high-density polyester with a subtle shimmer, a top handle, and a bottle or brolly pocket on each side.

For travel days and commutes: an airport queue, a bus in a city you don't know, the walk back to the hotel. Straightforward security on a bag that stays easy to live with.

Brand: Aoking

Model: EMT-AOK-XN58442F-GRN

Colour: Sage Green

Capacity: 20L

Dimensions: 43H × 30W × 16D cm (16.9 × 11.8 × 6.3 in)

Weight: 0.87 kg empty

Laptop compartment: Dedicated, up to 15.6 inch

Compartments: 3: hidden back-access, laptop and main

Material: High-density polyester, water-resistant

Care: Wipe with a soft, damp cloth and store in a cool, dry place. If it gets wet, pat dry, do not use heat.

How does the front expand? On its own, as you fill the bag. There are no zips across the front panel: the material is folded so it sits flat and streamlined when the bag is light, then opens out as the main compartment fills. Nothing to unzip and nothing that looks like an expansion section when you don't need one.

What are the side straps for? Two jobs. They cinch a full bag back in so it isn't bulging, and left looser they hold a bottle in its side pocket. They're adjustable and clip together with a simple buckle.

Where's the hidden pocket, and how does it close? Under the shoulder straps at the top of the back panel, on a single magnetic clip rather than a zip. With the bag on your back it's flat against you, so there's no getting into it without you taking the pack off. With the bag in your hand it's the fastest pocket to reach. Good for a passport and boarding passes.

How anti-theft is it, really? Straightforward rather than heavy duty, and that's deliberate. You get the magnetic locking zip on the documents compartment, which holds under a pull and releases with a twist, and the back pocket that can't be reached while you're wearing the bag. It's built for light travel and commuting, an airport queue or an unfamiliar bus, rather than for the most layered security in the range. If you want locking zips throughout and an RFID pocket, the Commuter 20L and Transit 26L are built for that.

Can I padlock the zips? No, the pulls aren't shaped to take one, and that's the case across the range. The magnetic zip does the same job without anything to thread, unthread and lose on a travel day.

What size laptop fits? Up to 15.6 inches, in the sleeve at the back of the main compartment, with an iPad sleeve in front of it. A 16 inch machine will physically go in, but the way the sleeve is built makes it awkward enough that we don't claim it. If you carry a 16 inch daily, the Commuter 20L or Roam 23L are the ones for it.

How is it organised? Two compartments. The first takes A4 documents flat, or a tablet. The main one has the laptop sleeve, the iPad sleeve and a zipped mesh sleeve opposite for chargers and cables. Plus the back pocket, and a bottle pocket each side.

How wide does the main compartment open? Part way. It opens wide enough to slide things in and see what's there, but it doesn't drop open flat like the Commuter 20L or Transit 26L do. This is a bag you load rather than pack.

Is there a chest strap? No, and that's on purpose. The shoulder straps are padded and adjustable and the bag is light enough not to need one, so there's one less buckle to do up every time you put it on.

Does it work with a suitcase? Yes. The trolley strap slides over a suitcase handle, and it also unclips, so you can stow the shoulder straps behind it when the bag is riding on the case or going into an overhead locker.

Does it work as carry-on? Yes. At 43 × 30 × 16 cm it sits inside the cabin-bag limits for major Australian carriers. Worth cinching the side straps on a flying day, since the front panel expands when the bag is full.

Does it have RFID? No. The security here is the magnetic locking zip and the back pocket. For RFID-shielded card carry, the Commuter 20L and Roam 23L both have it.

What's the difference vs the Tempo 18L? Metro gives you the second compartment, the expanding front, the back pocket, the side straps and a dedicated laptop sleeve. Tempo is simpler still and lighter again, with one main compartment and a 14 inch sleeve inside it. Both use a magnetic locking zip.

How do I clean it? Wipe the surface with a soft, damp cloth. Don't machine wash it, and don't use heat to dry it. If it gets wet, pat it dry and let it air.

What's the warranty, and what if I change my mind? All emmèton bags carry a 24-month warranty from the date of purchase, covering major faults such as torn seams or fabric failure. General wear and tear isn't covered. On top of that you've got 60-day money-back returns.