Venture Fold-Top Pack 18L

• Flat on a light day, 20% bigger on a full one. Rolled down it keeps a slim, clean line against your back. Fully extended it gives you roughly a fifth again in capacity, and the clip strap adjusts to wherever you land in between.
• The fold-top closes itself. The clip is magnetic, so the two halves fall together rather than needing lining up, and you pull them towards each other to release. The opening is magnetic too, and a rigid bar down each side holds the shape rather than letting it crumple.
• A quick-access zip at the top of the back. Sitting right where the shoulder straps begin, it reaches straight into the main compartment, so a laptop up to about 14 inches or an iPad comes out without unfolding the top at all.
• Three locks, depending where you are in the bag. The magnetic fold-top at the opening, spring-gated hooks on the two front pockets, and moulded catches on the quick-access zips that the pull has to be drawn back over. No padlock to thread, unthread and lose.
• A hidden compartment behind the trolley strap. Flat against your back while you're wearing it, so there's no reaching it without taking the bag off. The right place for a passport.
• Four pockets inside. A sleeve for a 16 inch laptop and a second one for an iPad, two vertical pockets sized for a phone and things that shape, and an RFID-shielded zip pocket with the metallic lining you can see.
• A phone pocket on the front, locked. Above the two hooked pockets sits a quick-access pocket on a moulded catch, sized for a large phone or a power bank.
• A bottle each side, or a bottle and a brolly. Both side pockets take a full-size bottle, so it's your call which goes where.
• The same back and straps as the bigger packs. Aerated mesh back panel, firm adjusters and a cross strap, built the way the Commuter 20L and Transit 26L are.

For people who carry a laptop and not much else most days, but want the bag to cope on the days that go differently.

Brand: Aoking

Model: EMT-AOK-SN41303F

Colour: Black

Capacity: 18L, roughly 20% more fully extended

Dimensions: 43H × 30W × 14D cm (16.9 × 11.8 × 5.5 in)

Weight: 980 g empty

Laptop sleeve: Up to 16 inch, plus a separate iPad sleeve

Compartments: 4 internal including an RFID-shielded zip pocket and two vertical pockets, a hidden compartment behind the trolley strap, two hooked front pockets, a quick-access front pocket, and a quick-access zip at the top of the back panel

Security: Magnetic fold-top clip, spring-gated hooks on the front pockets, moulded catches on the quick-access zips, RFID-shielded pocket

Carry: Aerated mesh back panel, firm adjusters, cross strap, trolley pass-through, bottle pocket each side

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.

How much bigger does it actually get? Roughly 20% more capacity fully extended. Rolled all the way down it's a slim, flat bag for a laptop and not much else; let the fold-top out and it takes a jumper, lunch and a change of clothes. The clip strap adjusts to anywhere in between, so you set it to the day.

How does the fold-top close? With a magnetic clip. You don't have to line the two halves up, they fall together on their own, and you pull them towards each other to release. The opening itself is magnetic too, so it pulls shut neatly, and there's a rigid bar down each side so the top keeps its shape rather than crumpling.

Does it hold its shape? Yes, it's rigid in the same way the Commuter 20L and Transit 26L are. The difference is that it's deliberately shallow, so it sits flatter against your back than either of them. That's the design, not a shortfall: the depth is there when you extend the fold-top.

What's the zip at the top of the back for? Quick access. It sits right where the shoulder straps begin and reaches into the main compartment, so you can pull a laptop or an iPad straight out without unfolding the top. A machine around 14 inches comes out easily; a wider one is better taken out through the top.

What are the locking mechanisms? Three, depending where you are in the bag. The fold-top is held by the magnetic clip. The two front pockets use spring-gated hooks that clip onto an elastic loop. The quick-access zips sit on moulded catches: the pull has to be drawn back over a raised mould to release, so it doesn't run open on its own or under a snatch.

Can I padlock the zips? There's nothing to thread a padlock through, and that's deliberate across the range. A TSA lock has to be unthreaded and rethreaded every time you want your laptop, which nobody keeps doing past the first week. The magnetic clip, the hooks and the moulded catches do the job in a second each.

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

What size laptop fits? Up to a 16 inch laptop in the padded sleeve, with a separate iPad sleeve beside it so the two don't rub.

How is it organised inside? Four pockets. The laptop sleeve and the iPad sleeve on one side, and on the other two vertical pockets sized for a phone and similar shapes, plus an RFID-shielded zip pocket. The main body opens to about 15 cm deep, and more again once the fold-top is extended.

Does the RFID shielding cover the whole bag? No. It's in one zip pocket, where you can see the metallic lining. Cards kept in that pocket are protected from contactless skimming; anything stored elsewhere isn't.

Is there a bottle pocket? One each side, both sized for a full bottle, so it's a bottle and a brolly or two bottles, however you want to use them.

Does it work with a suitcase? Yes, there's a trolley pass-through on the back, so the bag rides on the case handle through a terminal.

Why pick this over the Commuter 20L? Shape and access. Both are rigid and share the back panel, straps and hidden compartment. The Venture is shallower, so it sits flatter when you're carrying little, and the fold-top means it grows when you're carrying more. The Commuter is a fixed 20L with a lid that opens right out flat, which suits packing more than grabbing. Venture if your load changes day to day and you like the look of a fold-top.

How weatherproof is it? The waxed polyester shell is water-repellent and handles commute-grade rain, splashes and dust. It isn't a dry bag, so don't submerge it.

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.