Commuter Anti-Theft Pack 20L

• 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 pack into it 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.
• A sealed pocket for a power bank. Tucked between the laptop compartment and the main one, water-resistant, and exactly where you want a battery when you need to reach it without opening anything else.
• Two hidden pockets on the front, hooked shut. One each side, closed with spring-gated hooks. Flat enough for receipts, documents or a passport, and not obvious that they're there.
• 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, and hooks on the hidden pockets. The main zips hold shut under a pull and release with a deliberate twist. The hidden front pockets use a spring-gated hook that clips onto an elastic loop. No padlock to thread, unthread and lose.
• Straps that hold where you set them. Firm adjusters that don't creep, loops on the straps for clipping keys on, and a cross strap with a little elastic in it so it moves with your chest instead of pinning it. Aerated back panel behind them.
• A handle you can actually use. The main grab handle is a wide 3.5 cm band with real stiffness to it, so a loaded bag doesn't cut into your fingers. There's a small hook handle too, for hanging it behind a door.

For laptop-carrying commuters who'd rather think about their day than their bag. Same build and the same layout as the Transit 26L, in a more compact shape.

Brand: Aoking

Model: EMT-AOK-SN41385F

Colour: Black

Capacity: 20L

Dimensions: 44H × 30W × 15.5D cm (17.3 × 11.8 × 6.1 in)

Weight: 1.1 kg empty

Laptop sleeve: Up to 16 inch, with an iPad slot and an elastic retention strap

Compartments: Laptop compartment, main compartment with a flat-opening lid and 3 pockets, hidden compartment behind the trolley strap, sealed power-bank pocket between compartments, 2 hidden front pockets

Security: Magnetic locking zips on the main compartments, spring-gated hooks on the hidden front pockets, RFID-shielded pocket in the main lid

Zips: Sealed, water-resistant throughout

Carry: Aerated back panel, firm adjusters, elasticated cross strap, strap loops for keys, 3.5 cm wide main handle plus a small hook handle, trolley pass-through

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 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 see everything and pack into it rather than posting things down through a gap.

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.

Will a 16 inch MacBook fit? Yes. The padded compartment closest to your back takes up to a 16 inch laptop, with a separate iPad slot in front of it 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? Two systems. The 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 two hidden front pockets use a small spring-gated hook, like a miniature carabiner, that clips onto an elastic loop. Press the gate and the zip runs normally. Nothing to unlock and nothing extra to carry.

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 on a daily commute. The magnetic zips and the hooks do the same job in a second, so the security costs you nothing in daily use.

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

What's the sealed pocket between the compartments for? A power bank, usually. It sits between the laptop compartment and the main one, it's water-resistant, and it means you can reach a battery without opening either of the big compartments. The Transit 26L doesn't have this one.

Does the RFID shielding cover the whole bag? No. The shielding is in one pocket, inside the lid of the main compartment, where you can see the metallic barrier in the lining. Cards kept in that pocket are protected from contactless skimming; anything stored elsewhere 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 commute-grade 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 it comfortable with a full load? The adjusters are firm enough that the straps stay where you set them rather than creeping loose through the day, 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 warm day. There are loops on the straps for clipping keys on, too.

What are the handles like? The main grab handle is a wide 3.5 cm band with real stiffness, so lifting a loaded bag doesn't cut into your fingers, which is rarer than it should be. There's a smaller hook handle as well, for hanging the bag behind a door or off a seat back.

Does it hold its shape? It does. Same waxed polyester as the Transit 26L, with enough body that it looks the same full as empty. No slump when it's half loaded, which is most of the point of a work bag.

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

Does it work as carry-on? Yes. At 44 × 30 × 15.5 cm it sits comfortably inside the cabin-bag limits for major Australian carriers, and there's a trolley pass-through so it rides on a suitcase handle. Worth checking your airline's weight allowance, since those vary more than the size rules do.

What's the difference vs the Transit 26L? Fundamentally the same bag, six litres smaller. Both open right out flat and both have the same locking zips, hidden back compartment and laptop layout. Two small differences: this one has a sealed pocket between its compartments that suits a power bank, which the Transit doesn't, and its front pockets are a matched pair left and right, where the Transit has one larger zip pocket plus a 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.