I’ve been on a lookout for a compact day bag that can easily take a laptop, a camera and some accessories and with the Bellroy Tokyo Totepack Compact, I feel I found the perfect solution. It’s only 14 litres but easily takes my 14 inch MacBook Pro, a couple lenses and even more as I will show you in this blog. I will admit that this is very much a form over function bag however I feel it has the right balance of the two.

Materials & Design

The main outer material is a 100% recycled water resistant woven fabric. The zips are chunky and feel solid. The shoulder straps are not the most padded in the world however as this isn’t designed to carry much weight or be a hiking bag, this isn’t a huge issue. All the buckles and handles feel solid and premium. The bottom of the bag is reinforced to help protect anything inside should you drop it on the floor. The materials inside the bag are all high quality and the entire bag feels very well made. This is definitely a premium feeling product.

The biggest issue with this bag is that the main top zip is not weather sealed nor is there a cover to go over it. This means that should you be caught in some rain, there is a chance water can seep in. There is a piece of fabric that seems to cover the zip from the inside but there is no way it would stop water coming in. Some of the older Bellroy products used to suffer from shoulder strap slip due to a bad buckle design. I’m happy to report this isn’t an issue here.

Ergonomics

First and foremost this bag is designed to be a tote and backpack hybrid so naturally there will be some compromises. The biggest issue you will face with this bag is the lack of a proper back support. This means that if there’s anything hard and bulky inside or if the bag is very full, it will be pushing into your back. With that said I have carried cameras inside with no issues at all. The second issue is because the material is water resistant and it’s right up against your back, you will sweat almost instantly. This can actually become a bit of a pain in hot climates and although this is an issue with every backpack, I feel this one is extra prone to it. The shoulder straps have sufficient padding for the size of the bag and the use case, however I wouldn’t want to be wearing it all day if there’s something heavy inside.

The front pockets have side access which allows you to access them by simply swinging the bag on one shoulder which is really nice for essential small items.

Features & Space

On the outside the biggest feature are the shoulder straps that can stow away in a giant pocket on the back of the bag. This turns the bag into a tote if that’s how you wish to carry it. Personally I always use it as a backpack and the strap pocket I keep for receipts and random pieces of paper.

On the front there are two pockets with side access with plenty of room and can probably even fit a compact camera. Inside the main compartment is a laptop sleeve with a false bottom that can easily fit my 14 inch MacBook Pro. Next to it is a tablet pocket that can take an 11 inch iPad Pro. On the sides there are two long cylindrical pockets which seem to have been designed for either bottles or camera lenses. My primes perfectly slide inside and it’s a secure fit.

Finally there is a small zip pocket for wallet, keys etc. The main compartment itself is spacious and can take quite a lot. I can easily fit a big camera with a zoom lens, a tech pouch, water bottle and a few more bits. I would say it’s best to run this bag at 60-80% capacity and not overfill it.

Summary

If you care more about how a bag looks over how it functions but still want some functionality then I feel this is a good option. People who only care about practicality, features and function will hate this. If you’re looking for a weather sealed bag to take on long walks in hot countries, this is not it. However if you want something small, light, aesthetically pleasing and pretty functional to take to a coffee shop, to the office or for a city break, then this ticks many boxes.

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