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If you find yourself carrying your valuables to work on your back every morning, having a rucksack that suits your needs is essential to a good commute.
Whether it’s for sturdiness, fashion or visibility, at least one of these six backpacks are sure to suit you for your cycle to work:
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For Staying Dry: Chrome Urban Ex Gas Can Waterproof Backpack (£96.10)
If it’s you’re after a rucksack that will prevent your belongings from getting soaked by the rain, then look no further than Chrome’s Urban Gas Can backpack. It’s extremely sturdy, and is 100 per cent waterproof.
So, if you often get caught in a shower on your way to work with your laptop in your backpack, then this is certainly one to consider, because it will keep everything in it nice and dry.
Read the full Chrome Urban Ex Gas Can Waterproof Backpack Review here.
Its storage section can comfortably fit a laptop inside it, while it also has a large zipped pocket which should accommodate most tablet device. It also has three elastic pockets on its front; two of which can fit A6 notebooks and the other can fit a pen.
The bag also has two handles, one on the top and one on the side, which make it much easier to carry if you want to take it off your back for a bit.
For Durability: Craft Cadence IPX5 (£44.99)
This backpack will also keep your things perfectly dry too, but is a sturdier, tougher design with a long shelf life.
With its 30-litre capacity, it comes with two storage areas; its main compartment, with a removable inner section, which can fit a 15” laptop inside it, opposite a large zipped pocket which can safely fit most tablets. There is also plenty of space left over for whatever else you are packing.
Read the full Craft Cadence IPX5 review here.
The other compartment is pocket approximately 10” wide, and is fastened with a waterproof zip, making it the best place to keep your valuables like your phone or keys.
And the fact that it is waterproof again makes it an excellent choice for commuters, rather than your standard eco friendly bag, because there is no danger of your belongings getting wet at all, and its straps prevent sweating due to its airflow system which creates a cushion of air between you and the backpack.
For Organisation: Evoc MacAskill Street Backpack (£71.95)
As urban rucksacks go, this is up there with the best for commuting.
The MacAskill also contains two main storage areas; the first, a spacious compartment, can fit a laptop as big as 17”, with enough space left over for smaller shoes or bigger books.
The other is also fairly spacious and can easily fit a book of A4 size in it, and its many compartments make it ideal for storing smaller items, like pens, cards or loose change, especially the wide horizontal zipped pocket.
Read the full Evoc MacAskill Street Backpack review here.
But that’s not all. As well as two small side pockets, on the front of the backpack, there is a hidden pocket designed to store your helmet. By ripping the small Velcro cover at the bottom of the bag, you will unfold a carrier which makes it much easier to look after it when not cycling.
While it does offer some water-resistance through its PU coating, it isn’t entirely waterproof, though, so if you often cycle through rain on your way to work, have a think about whether this is the right bike for you.
Buy it here
For Pure Style: Bellroy Slim Backpack (£129.00)
If you want a rucksack that is as slick as it is handy, then this might be the one for you.
Made from leather, with flexible shoulder straps, this backpack is designed to offer extreme comfort, and gives a lot in the way of storage, too.
It can hold laptops of sizes up to 15”, and also boasts soft-lined pockets for smaller objects, and an external zip pocket for items you may need quickly, like your phone or keys.
And with a leather magnetic snap closure with water-resistant foldover, the risk of your belongings getting a soaking in the rain is minimised.
Buy it herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UojcdWaVZw
Perfect for everyday use, this rucksack can hardly have more space for you to store your belongings before heading off to work.
It’s a slim bag, but can expand to 24L when you need to pack more things in it; not to mention it is full of handy storage compartments, such as its magnetic water bottle pockets, RFID safe storage and hidden pockets.
What’s more, the bag can also practically double up as a briefcase through its versatile strapping, while its removable panel enables you to customise it as you see fit.
And again, it is made of waterproof materials, so your valuables are well-protected from the rain.
For Visibility: Proviz Waterproof Reflect 360 Unisex Outdoor Cycling Backpack (£59.99)
If you often find yourself cycling home in the dark, then this bag has you covered.
It is made of entirely reflective material, meaning pedestrians will easily spot you at night, while its design is built especially to your body to maximise stability.
Its waist and chest straps ensure this, while the easy-release buckles offer great comfort and security while cycling.
It also features a compartment big enough to fit most laptops in, so you should find yourself with plenty of space for storage, too.
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