Backpacks

Start with how you will use it most. For daily carry around the city, a compact everyday pack like the Rover Pack or the Light Pack works well. For commuting with a laptop, look at the Rover Pack Tech, the Daypack or the Commuter Backpack. For a weekend away, a fuller pack carries more. The comparison table above shows each model side by side to help you decide.

The Rover Pack is the signature everyday silhouette, the brand's most recognised pack, made to move from town to trail. The Daypack is one of the earliest Topo Designs shapes, built for the city, the campus and the daily commute. The Global models lean towards travel, with a layout suited to trips away rather than the everyday run around town.

Several models carry a laptop in a padded internal sleeve. The Rover Pack Classic, the Rover Pack Tech and the Daypack all hold a laptop up to 15 inches, with the Tech and the Daypack adding an outer sleeve for quick access. The Rover Pack Mini and the Light Pack also take a laptop. Check the Laptop column in the table above before you choose.

It depends on what a typical day looks like. The range runs from around 10 litres on the compact Rover Pack Mini up to about 25 litres on the largest models like the Klettersack and the Commuter Backpack. For a light city load, 10 to 18 litres is plenty. For a laptop and a day's kit, around 20 litres works well. For a weekend away, choose one of the larger packs. The table above lists each volume.

Many models are built from recycled nylon in different weights. Everyday packs like the Rover Pack Classic and the Light Pack use a 400D recycled nylon body with a 210D recycled nylon lining. Harder-wearing styles such as the Rover Pack Tech and the Daypack use a tougher 1000D recycled nylon on the areas that take the most wear. The material for each model is listed in the table above.

Yes, several are made to do both. The Rover Pack Classic moves easily from town to trail and handles a full day out as well as the daily commute. The Rover Trail Pack and the Light Pack are built to be versatile, with room for a weekend's kit when you need it and a comfortable everyday carry when you do not. One pack can cover most of what a normal week asks of it.

They are made for years of daily use, not for the back of a cupboard. The bags use heavy-duty materials, including recycled nylon on many styles, chosen to hold up through years of daily carry. Any recognised manufacturing defect is covered by the Topo Designs guarantee. A bag that is well made from the start earns its character with use rather than wearing out.