Pretty good but not amazing, with a few tweaks could be the perfect backpack
I spent an extensive amount of time shopping for a replacement work/travel bag, and in the end chose Monos because it had most of the things I was looking for, including:
- Big enough for travel (i.e., packing a set of clothes, computer, personal items, etc.) but small enough to fit under an airplane seat and not overwhelm my short frame (taller than about 16-17" looks and feels ridiculous on me)
- A dedicated laptop pocket in the back that was small, rather than taking up half the internal space, so that ...
- The main compartment is big enough to pack a day's worth of stuff and zips open fully to make this easier
- An extra secret pocket (I use for passport) and strap to attach to luggage
- Attractive/professional-looking design and durable material that is easy to clean
- The switch-able front pouch ("Metro Kit") seemed cool, and ideal for travel
- It didn't have an integrated power-bank-cord set up, which I never use and just takes up space/adds weight to the pack
I've had the backpack about a week, and while I haven't been able to travel with it yet (thanks COVID!) I've fully packed it and taken it out for a spin a few times. Here are my initial thoughts:
PROS:
- The main interior compartment is large, and can indeed hold a lot of things
- The detachable Metro Kit seems to work well and have pretty good interior organization
- The outer material is nice and feels durable even though the backpack is light weight
- The back pocket is big enough for my laptop (13") and…