Transit Anti-Theft Pack 26L

• Carry-on sized, and small enough to go under the seat. At 48 × 32.5 × 17 cm it sits inside the cabin-bag limits on major Australian carriers, and still fits the under-seat space in economy if you'd rather keep your cabin allowance for something else.
• A hidden compartment behind the trolley strap. It sits flat against your back while you're wearing the bag, so there is no reaching it without taking the pack off. The right place for a passport or boarding passes.
• The laptop rides closest to you, and it's strapped in. A 16 inch laptop, an iPad in the slot in front of it, and room for A4 papers behind. An elastic strap runs across the top, so tipping the bag upside down doesn't tip your laptop out with it.
• The lid opens right out flat. Lay the bag on its back and the main compartment opens all the way, so you load a laptop and a change of clothes in one go rather than posting things down through a gap.
• Three pockets in the main compartment. A zipped RFID-shielded pocket in the lid that blocks contactless skimming, a zipped mesh pocket above it, and a flat pocket below for documents.
• Two ways in from the front. A large zip pocket on the right for the things you grab without stopping, and a horizontal pocket across the top that closes with a spring-gated hook for anything you'd rather was harder to get at.
• Sealed, water-resistant zips throughout. Not just a water-repellent shell. The zips themselves are sealed, so rain doesn't find a way in along the zip line.
• Magnetic locking zips on both main compartments. They hold shut under a pull and release with a deliberate twist. No padlock to thread, unthread and lose.
• Trolley pass-through and external bottle pockets. Slides over a roller-bag handle for stacked airport carry, with a drink reachable without opening the bag.
• Straps that hold where you set them. Firm adjusters that don't creep, a cross strap with a little elastic so it moves with your chest, and an aerated back panel behind them. Built for full-day, full-flight wear.

For commuters who travel monthly and want one backpack that handles both, instead of switching between work and weekend bags. Same build and the same layout as the Commuter 20L, six litres bigger.

Brand: Aoking

Model: EMT-AOK-SN41383F

Colour: Black

Capacity: 26L (carry-on size)

Dimensions: 48H × 32.5W × 17D cm (18.9 × 12.8 × 6.7 in)

Weight: 1.1 kg empty

Laptop sleeve: Up to 16"

Material: Waxed polyester, water-repellent

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

Carry-on or personal item on AU airlines? Either, which is the useful part. At 48 × 32.5 × 17 cm it sits inside the cabin-bag limits for Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar, and it's compact enough to go under the seat in front of you as a personal item instead, if you'd rather keep your cabin allowance for something else. Worth checking your airline's weight limit, since those vary more than the size rules do.

Where's the hidden compartment? Behind the trolley strap on the back panel, which means it's flat against your back while you're wearing the bag. Nobody is getting into it without you taking the pack off, so it's the right place for a passport or boarding passes.

How wide does it open? All the way. Lay the bag on its back and the main compartment's lid opens right out flat, so you can hold it in one hand and slide a laptop and a change of clothes straight in rather than posting things through a narrow gap.

What size laptop fits? Up to a 16 inch laptop in the padded compartment closest to your back, with a separate iPad slot in front and room for A4 papers behind. An elastic strap runs across the top of both, so if you pick the bag up upside down nothing slides out.

How do the locking zips actually work? Both main compartments use magnetic zips: they hold shut under a pull and release with a deliberate twist, so a snatch at the pull does nothing. The horizontal pocket across the top of the front works differently, with a small spring-gated hook, like a miniature carabiner, that clips onto an elastic loop. Press the gate and the zip runs normally.

Can I padlock the zips? There's nothing to thread a padlock through, and for this bag that's deliberate. A TSA lock means unthreading and rethreading every time you want your laptop out, which is unworkable if you're in and out of the bag through an airport, a taxi and two meetings in the same day. The magnetic zips and the hook do the same job in a second, so the security costs you nothing in daily use.

What are the front pockets? Two of them. A large zip pocket on the right as you look at the bag, on a standard zip, for whatever you need without stopping. Above it, a horizontal pocket running across the top that closes with the spring-gated hook, for the things you'd rather were harder to get at.

How many pockets are there in total? More than the shape suggests. The main compartment has three of its own, a zipped RFID-shielded pocket in the lid, a zipped mesh pocket above it and a flat one below. Then the hidden compartment on the back, the two on the front, the iPad slot in the laptop section, and a bottle pocket each side.

Does the RFID shielding cover the whole bag? No. The shielding is in one pocket, inside the lid of the main compartment. Cards and a passport kept in that pocket are protected from contactless skimming, but anything stored elsewhere in the bag isn't.

How weatherproof is it? Better than most bags at this size, because the zips are sealed and water-resistant rather than just the shell. The waxed polyester handles rain, splashes and dust, and water doesn't find its way in along the zip line. It isn't a dry bag, so don't submerge it.

Is there a water bottle pocket? Yes, external pockets on both sides, so a drink is reachable without opening the main compartment.

Is it soft or structured? Structured. The materials give it enough body to hold its shape rather than flop when it's half full, which is what lets it pack like a case. It won't stand up unsupported when it's completely empty.

Is it comfortable with a full load? The adjusters are firm enough that the straps stay where you set them rather than creeping loose, and the cross strap has a little elastic in it so it moves with your chest instead of pinning it tight. The back panel is aerated, which you notice on a long flight or a warm platform.

What's the difference vs the Commuter 20L? Fundamentally the same bag, six litres bigger. Two small differences worth knowing: the Commuter has a sealed pocket between its compartments that suits a power bank, which this one doesn't, and its front pockets are a matched pair left and right, where the Transit has one larger zip pocket on the right plus the hooked pocket across the top. If you travel monthly, Transit. If you don't, Commuter.

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.