Sherpani Soleil Anti-Theft [Review]

This Sherpani Soleil review was put together after 2 months of testing, and after extensive use, we can’t help but name it the most impressive small backpack of its size. At only 14-liters, it is the perfect compact backpack for daily carry of essentials. The convertible design allows you to choose between different looks; backpack, tote bag, and crossbody bag. But the real magic begins when you delve into its anti-theft features. Here is where the Soleil really shines as the perfect travel companion at busy airports and crowded sightseeing destination.

Let’s delve in!

Video Review

The Rundown

What we like

• Great anti-theft features makes it the perfect travel daypack or airplane personal item

• Easy to convert to a tote bag or crossbody bag

• Protective padded laptop sleeve

• Lots of pockets to keep things organized

What we don’t like

• The bag tilts forward when worn as a backpack

• Poor water resistant protection because of gaps in top zipper (see photos below)

SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 15” (H) x 11” (W) x 4.5” (D)

• Weight: 1 lb 10 oz

• Capacity: 14L

• Materials: Recycled Mélange, Ballistic Nylon

• Laptop Sleeve: Up to 15”

• Tablet Sleeve: None

Where to buy

Similar Backpacks

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - Model Height 5’6” (167cm)

Convertible Design and Bag Fit

The small footprint of the Sherpani Soleil makes it an ideal personal item backpack for flights. With dimensions of 15” (H) x 11” (W) x 4.5” (D), it is small enough to fit underneath most airplane seats. Its compact size also makes it an ideal backpack for petite women or anyone who finds most backpacks too bulky. 

Sherpani Soleil convertible backpack - crossbody bag and tote bag mode

The Sherpani Soleil is a convertible backpack that can be worn in three ways; backpack, tote bag and crossbody bag. Switching between modes takes seconds thanks to the clips on the shoulder straps. Simply tuck the shoulder straps away into the back panel and you are ready to go! To switch to crossbody bag mode, Sherpani includes a single long shoulder strap that can be clipped to the top of the Soleil for an easy switch. 

As for backpack comfort, the shoulder straps on the Soleil are very comfortable. These shoulder straps are made with a dense foam that do a great job under weight. Unlike other thinner shoulder straps, you won’t have to worry about these cutting into your shoulders.

Shoulder straps on the Sherpani Soleil backpack

The area where the Soleil could improve is with its back panel. When worn as a backpack, the Soleil wants to tilt forward, creating an awkward angle on your back. This doesn’t make the backpack uncomfortable until the bag gets heavy, in which case you will have a pressure point on your lower back. Despite multiple adjustments of shoulder strap length, we could not get the Soleil to not tilt forward when worn as a backpack.

Construction & Water Resistance

The Sherpani Soleil is a well-made pack that feels as good as it looks. In addition to its ballistic nylon exterior, Sherpani also adorns the bag with vegan leather trim for an upscale look. The zippers are also as smooth as butter and have never snagged during use.

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - Gaps in top zipper

Our main concern is the overall water-resistance of the Sherpani Soleil. Although it is made with water-resistant fabric, the design of the top zipper undermines any meaningful protection. Two noticeable gaps on either side of the zipper allow rain to easily penetrate the main compartment during a storm. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a waterproof backpack, you might want to explore other options.

Pockets and Compartments

Sherpani offers an impressive array of pockets on the Soleil AT, and the great organization is one of our favorite design elements about this bag.

On the outside of the bag, you have two side pockets for water bottles or an umbrella. These side pockets are large enough to accommodate larger 32oz and 40oz water bottles, although they are a tight fit and dig into the main compartment. We found ourselves sticking to slimmer 20oz and 24oz bottles for easier access.

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - Exterior pockets

Three front pockets give you easy access to smaller items. However, one small gripe is that these pockets all share space with each other, meaning that if the top and bottom zipper pockets are full, the middle slip pocket becomes unusable. This is just something to keep in mind.

On the inside of the main compartment, there are even more pockets for organization. Here you will find an organization panel for small items like pens, keys, and a phone. Sherpani even adds an additional slip pocket for a water bottle or umbrella inside the main compartment as a bonus.

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - Interior organizer pockets and side water bottle pocket

The other side of the main compartment is where you’ll find the 15-inch laptop sleeve. Honestly, Sherpani has done a great job here. This sleeve is generously padded with great protection all around. We were glad to see that Sherpani took the time to design a protective laptop sleeve!

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - Internal 15-inch laptop sleeve

Overall, these pockets offer a good mix of usefull pockets for both everyday carry and travel. As you’ll see later in this review, the ability to lock the zippers and compartments make them great safe spots for items like passports and wallets while still having easy access.

What Fits Inside the Sherpani Soleil?

The inside of the main compartment is filled with lots of pockets for everything from a laptop to sunglasses. Although 13-liters is a great size for daily essentials, we found was that once these inside pockets were packed it didn’t leave much open packing space for other items. Below are some examples of what we were able to pack inside.

Travel PackING

• iPad (inside laptop sleeve)

• Tech Pouch 

• Baseball Cap

• 24oz Water Bottle

• Compressible Travel Jacket

School or Work Packing

• Folder

• Large 3-Subject Notebook

• Composition Notebook

• 1-inch Binder

• Laptop (inside laptop sleeve)

From our testing, it’s easy to see that the Sherpani Soleil is great for essentials only! Think of just a few notebooks and folders for work or school or in-flight travel must-haves like a tablet and compressible jacket. Larger items such as a lunch box or fleece jackets took up almost all of the inside space, leaving little room for much else. If you need more space than we definitely recommend looking at Sherpani’s other larger backpack options.

Anti-Theft Features Explained

If you haven’t already noticed, the “AT” in Sherpani Soleil AT stands for anti-theft. And wow, is this backpack packed with some great safety features!

The most notable are the lockable zippers. There is a small red clip next to the main compartment zipper that allows you to lock the zipper shut to prevent theft. The front zippered pockets are also lockable; you can secure the zipper pull by passing it through a small loop, offering a simple way to outsmart pickpockets.

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - main compartment zipper locking clip

Other great features include RFID-block fabric on the front panel of the bag to prevent digital identity theft, slash-proof fabric on the bottom of the bag and a stainless steel wire and loop that allows you to lock the bag to a table or chair leg in public spaces. Talk about innovative!

Sherpani Soleil Backpack - Included ReturnMe lost and found tag

Our favorite anti-theft feature has to be the ReturnMe lost and found tag. This little tag has information on it to allow a good samaritan to report a found bag from anywhere in the world, and ReturnMe will then contact you for a safe return. This ReturnMe service is free and comes with every Sherpani Soleil purchase.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we are very impressed by what the Sherpani Soleil has to offer. This is easily one of the most feature-packed bags we have ever reviewed. Not only is it convertible, but the anti-theft features alone are enough to make it one of our favorite small backpacks for travel. 

The biggest con is the lack of reliable water resistance. Unfortunately, the gaps in the main compartment zipper leaves the inside of the bag vulnerable to moisture if you were ever to be caught out in the rain. Aside from this design quirk, we found the overall quality of the bag to be excellent and do recommend the Soleil to anyone who wants a stylish yet practical bag that feels as good as it looks. 

If you are still searching for a small backpack with good water resistance, we recommend checking out our reviews for the Patagonia Atom Tote or the Able Carry Thirteen Daybag. Other great hybrid tote bag/backpack options can be found in our backpacks like Fjallraven buying guide.

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Doughnut Macaroon [Review]

Are you looking for a small backpack that's perfect for school and carrying your laptop every day? You might want to take a closer look at the Doughnut Macaroon backpack.

In this hands-on Doughnut Macaroon review we will explore whether this backpack is a good buy. Here are thoughts on this popular, and dare we say, cute backpack.

The Rundown

What we like

• Comfortable padded shoulder straps

• Lots of pockets on the inside for organizing small items

• Real leather accents and metal buckles give it a high quality look

• Can be used for school - fits folders, binders and notebooks

What we don’t like

• Shoulder straps stick out a little even when tucked in. Shoulder straps bulge when using the Macaroon as a tote bag.

• Internal bottle pockets take up packing space. You will not be able to fit large binders and notebooks if you use the water bottle pocket on the inside.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 15” (H) x 10.6” (W) x 5.11” (D)

• Capacity: 16L

• Materials: Water repellent 420D Crinkle Nylon Twill fabric

• Laptop Sleeve: Up to 14”

Where to buy

Similar Backpacks

Size and Fit

Let’s begin this review by saying that this brand is spelled Doughnut and not Donut. Although, Donut Macaroon looks pretty cool now that we spell it out. 

We have the standard 16-liter Macaroon for this review. This is a small backpack that is similar to the Fjallraven Kanken in size. With that said, if you are a small or shorter person than you should be fine with the standard 16L Macaroon. Those with broader shoulders may want to upgrade to the Doughnut Macaroon Large size.

The Macaroon is a convertible backpack. This means that you can tuck away the shoulder straps to get them out of the way when using it as a tote bag. In concept, we love the idea. But in reality we found that the padding of the shoulder straps made the straps stick out a little more than we liked.

Materials and Construction

The Doughnut Macaroon is made out of a water repellent nylon fabric that will keep your stuff protected in a light rain. The fabric itself feels strong yet lightweight. And water does roll off the fabric when wet. Keep in mind that this isn’t a completely waterproof backpack, so if you need a bag that will protect against heavy downpours, the Macaroon might not cut it.

The most impressive materials are the leather and metal. Doughnut uses real leather on their handles and small accents. The leather really upgrades the look and feel of the bag. Doughnut also doesn’t use any plastic for their hardware, instead you’ll find metal throughout the bag. This includes metal buckles on the shoulder straps and metal snaps in the front pocket.

What fits inside the Doughnut Macaroon Backpack 16L?

With a packing capacity of only 16 liters, we were surprised that the Macaroon would make a good backpack for school. We were able to fit folders, binders and notebooks inside the main compartment just fine.

There are pockets on each side of the main compartment that can fit a water bottle. We found that it can fit a slim 24oz bottle. One gripe we have about these pockets is that they can take up room when used, making it harder to fit bigger items like books and notebooks. Keep this in mind if you carry a water bottle to work or school.

Against the back panel is where you’ll find the 14-inch laptop sleeve. It is well padded but it does not have a false bottom. This means that the laptop sleeve touches the bottom of the bag with only a strip of padding protecting your laptop from the ground. If we could change one thing about the Macaroon it would be to add a little bit more protection at the bottom of the backpack sleeve.

Inside you’ll also find an organizer panel filled with pockets. Here you can store pens, chargers and other small items. There is also a pocket for a phone and we found that it can fit a regular iPhone 13. This means larger iPhones or larger Android phones will not fit inside this pocket.

Outside Pockets

On the outside of the Doughnut Macaroon you’ll find two side pockets that can fit an umbrella. It can also fit a slim water bottle but we found that bottles dig into the bag.

Lastly, there is a large front pocket. What’s interesting about this pocket is that you enter it with two metal snaps. The leather straps are just there as decoration and you do not need to unbuckle them to enter the pocket.

Final Thoughts

The Doughnut Macaroon is great if you need a small laptop backpack for work, school or running errands. But it may be too small for some people, including students who need to carry lots of big books and notebooks. 

We recommend the Macaroon to those who know what to expect with its compact size. It makes a great daily carry bag for essentials like a laptop, water bottle and personal items. It’s also great for students who just need to bring a few books and a laptop. Those looking for a bigger bag might want to check out the Macaroon Large.

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Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L [Review]

The Patagonia Atom Tote Pack was designed to be as versatile as you are! Patagonia has set out to make one bag to be used as a daily laptop backpack for work or school. Or as an outdoor and hiking pack, thanks to its removable laptop sleeve.

In this backpack review, we will take a closer look at the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack and explore all of the details. Is this backpack worth the price? Let's find out.

Video Review

The Rundown

What we like

• Removable laptop sleeve is a game changer! Quickly turn from laptop backpack to hiking pack in seconds.

• Stretchy side pockets fit larger bottles

• Roomy main compartment that fits a lot despite being a small bag.

• Super comfortable shoulder straps. Very padded!

What we don’t like

• The front pocket becomes hard to use when the main compartment is overpacked.

• No trolley sleeve to attach bag to rolling luggage when traveling.

• Not convertible - cannot tuck away the shoulder straps when carrying as a tote bag.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 16” (H) x 12” (W) x 5” (D)

• Capacity: 20L

• Weight: 1 lb 7 oz

• Materials: 100% Recycled Polyester with PFC-Free DWR Finish

• Laptop Sleeve: Up to 13”

Where to buy

Similar Backpacks

Size and Fit

It's important to note that the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L was designed to be a smaller-fitting pack. Patagonia calls this the "Atom Fit" - which means it can accommodate those with a shorter torso length and smaller shoulders. This is welcomed news to anyone who find most backpacks to be too long on the back. It's about the same size as the old Patagonia Classic Tamangito Pack.

You can carry the Atom Tote Pack as both a backpack or a tote bag. One small design issue we have with this backpack is that it is not a true convertible backpack. The shoulder straps cannot be tucked away and you will get dangling straps when carrying it by the top handles.

Materials and Construction

The Patagonia Atom Tote Pack is made out of 100% recycled polyester with a PFC-Free DWR Finish (a technical term for water resistant coating). The polyester construction makes the Atom Tote Pack very lightweight. But this pack never feels cheap and keeps the premium Patagonia feel the brand is known for.

We found that the Atom Tote Pack can stay dry in a light rain with the weak point being the zippers, which are not water resistant. But the fabric allows water to just roll off the pack. Would we take this kayaking? No. Are we comfortable using this as daily commuter or beach backpack. Absolutely.

One of the most impressive features of the Atom Tote Pack is the back panel and shoulder straps. Patagonia does not cut corners here!

These shoulder straps are very padded and some of the most comfortable we've used in a backpack this size. The breathable back panel has two spacer mesh panels for cushioning. Again, this beefy back panel is a rare sight in smaller backpacks.

Although the Atom Tote Pack isn't a large backpack, Patagonia still includes a chest strap to help with weight distribution. This chest strap is adjustable and removable.

What fits inside the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L?

With a pack volume of 20 liters, you wouldn't expect the Atom Tote Pack to fit much. But this is a roomy 20 liters! The main compartment is designed as a large open space with just a single sleeve (more on that below).

We found that we could easily fit a pair of running sneakers and a change of clothing inside the main compartment. Folders, binders and notebooks also fit inside the main compartment of the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack just fine.

The wide open main compartment gives you a lot of versatility to use the bag as a school or work backpack, gym bag and hiking backpack.

Removable Laptop Sleeve

The removable padded sleeve is easily the best feature on the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack! This feature is what allows you to quickly switch from laptop backpack to a outdoor trail bag.

Each Atom Tote Pack includes a removable padded sleeve that is held in place by a velcro loop. The sleeve itself contains a padded sleeve for a tablet or laptop up to 13-inches plus a secure zippered pocket for small items. This zippered pocket is great for keys, chargers, cords, pens, and other accessories.

When the sleeve is removed, you can then use the built-in padded sleeve to store a hydration bladder for hiking. The velcro loop now acts as a hydration hanger and Patagonia gives you pass-through access against the back panel to feed a hydration tube.

The larger sleeve that the removable laptop sleeve lives in is also padded with a false bottom to protect it against drops. This means that you can technically use it as a laptop sleeve for a bigger laptop. We were able to fit a 14" laptop just fine.

Outside Pockets

The outside of the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L gives you a few extra pockets for organization.

The two side pockets are made of stretch mesh that fits larger bottles. We were able to fit a 32oz Nalgene bottle and big 30oz Yeti cofffee tumbler inside the side pockets. These pockets are also great for daily commute items like an umbrella or phone.

The front stash pocket is fairly large and covers the entire front of the backpack. Here you can fit items you need quick access to like headphones, winter gloves or small notebooks.

Our one gripe with the front stash pocket is that the main compartment can bulge into this pocket when overpacked. This makes it harder to access the items inside this pocket.

Final Thoughts

We recommend the Patagonia Atom Tote Pack 20L if you are looking for just one smaller pack that you can used for everything from daily laptop carry to outdoor adventures. It really is a great do-it-all option. This is all made possible by the removable tech storage that transforms the bag into a blank slate for different acitivies.

If you need a backpack with lots of pockets, then this backpack may not be the one for you. The Patagonia Atom Tote Pack has just enough pockets without being too overwhelming. But those who want more organization may find the number of pockets lacking.

Additionally, the shorter body of the Atom Tote Pack might too small for some people. If you are tall or have wide shoulders, you might want to take a look at other Patagonia backpack options for a better fit.

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Targus 15" Newport Backpack

The Targus Newport is a modern take on the classic laptop backpack. Unlike other women’s backpacks that are primarily “style-focused” and leave much to be desired when it comes to actual carry, Targus makes a real effort to incorporate useful pockets and compartments that make all the difference. There are pockets and organizers for everything from a laptop, charging cables, small personal items and more.

A clean design, intuitive pockets and small footprint is what makes the Targus 15” Newport backpack one of our favorite travel and work backpacks for women.

What we like

• Clean design and mature colors makes the Targus Newport a polished alternative to most casual backpacks.

• Lots of pockets and compartments for everyday items and tech. Separate laptop pocket makes it easy to keep things organized.

What we don’t like

• There isn’t much we don’t like if we are being honest. But if we would have to nitpick it would be how the faux-leather bottom and panels will hold up over time.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 18” H x 11.13 W" x 5.25" D

• Dedicated compartments for a slim laptop or a tablet, clothes, and everyday accessories

• Lots of smaller organizer pockets

• Materials: High-density water-repellent twill nylon and faux-leather accents

• Laptop Compartment: Up to 15”

Where to buy

Buy on Amazon

Similar Backpacks

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Everlane The ReNew Transit Backpack

The ReNew Transit is Everlane’s modern take on the travel backpack. Packed with accessible pockets, a roomy main compartment and even a separate-access padded laptop sleeve, the ReNew Transit is Everlane’s most versatile backpack design to date.

Designed for both men and women, the Everlane ReNew Transit backpack is a medium-sized bag with a roomy 27 liter main compartment making it perfect for everything from busy work commutes to weekend trips.

For a hands-on look, check out our full Everlane ReNew Transit backpack review.

What we like

• Stylish minimalist design that is sleek enough to wear to work or on casual days.

• Carefully placed pockets on the front and top of backpack makes grabbing small items easy.

• Airline friendly size - can be used as a personal item backpack on flights.

What we don’t like

• Side water bottle pocket is not gusseted so it can be a tight squeeze when backpack is full.

• No organizers for things like a phone, pens or a passport

SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 17.5” H x 12” W x 7.25” D

• Capacity: 27L

• Materials: Recycled Polyester with environmental friendly CO water-resistant finish

• Laptop Compartment: Up to 15”

Where to buy

Similar Backpacks

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