Bellroy Transit Travel Pack Pro Review
Recently, Bellroy released the new Transit Travel Pack Pro, and as someone who only travels with backpacks, I was intrigued. I’m currently travelling with this bag across Asia, and having put it through its paces, I can give you a good overview of the features, pros, cons, and whether it’s right for you. For full transparency, Bellroy sent me this bag to use, as I have an ongoing relationship with the brand. They haven’t requested this blog, they don’t know I’m writing it, and all views are entirely my own regardless of that commercial relationship.
Materials & Quality
As always with Bellroy products, the quality is top-notch. The materials used inside and out are very high quality. The weather-resistant zips are smooth, the buckles are metal, and the whole package feels very well put together. The price is premium, but unlike many designer brands where you’re mostly paying for the name, here I can see where the money has gone. I can’t comment yet on long-term wear and tear or weather resistance, this will be saved for a future long-term review.
Padding & Straps
By far the biggest difference between this and other Bellroy bags is the significant increase in the size and thickness of the padding on the shoulder straps and back panel. It’s noticeable both visually and when you wear it. You can feel the difference straight away compared to a standard Bellroy bag. This means you can carry a bit more weight while staying comfortable. I’m sensitive to this due to a neck injury, and I felt the added comfort instantly.
Exterior Features
There are two unique exterior features worth mentioning. First, the bag expands from its default 30L to 38L. This turns it from being suitable just for long weekends to something you could travel with for an unlimited amount of time. Second, there’s a deep front pocket that could fit a laptop, though I wouldn’t use it for that since there’s already a dedicated laptop compartment at the back of the bag. Instead, I use this pocket for a jacket, jumper, or anything you might need quickly. There’s a well-padded laptop compartment with an RFID pouch for your cards, and a small side pocket that’s perfect for a bottle or umbrella.
Interior Features
The bag opens clamshell-style, which makes it really easy to pack and organise on a bed. On one side, there are two generous mesh pockets, ideal for toiletries and accessories. The main compartment is a big open space, with a small zipped pocket. It’s mostly designed as a bucket where you can load packing cubes or other organisers.
One Major Flaw
The bag has only one flaw, but it’s big enough that it could make this bag unsuitable for some trips. The Transit Travel Pack Pro doesn’t come with a hip belt. This isn’t an issue on smaller bags under 30L, but for a bag that expands to 38L, it’s a problem because it’s easy to go over 10kg. My current travel setup is about 12kg. This includes summer clothes, a laptop, camera, three lenses, and the usual accessories like toiletries. If you’re going straight from bus to plane to taxi to hotel, that’s fine. But if you need to wear it for long periods, it becomes a problem. After about an hour, I had to take it off because of the tension in my shoulders. As great as the back panel and shoulder straps are, they’re no substitute for a proper hip belt. Not all might be lost, because I have found what looks like two mounting points for a hip belt tucked away. However there is no word from Bellroy anywhere on this.
Summary
To summarise, this is a fantastic bag, arguably the best travel bag Bellroy has made. My biggest gripe is the lack of a hip belt, which I think is essential on a bag of this size. While I love this bag and intend to use it as much as possible, for trips where I’ll be carrying over 12kg, I’ll probably need to consider something with a hip belt. If a future hip belt update is released, then I will update this blog.
