Minaal Carry-on 3.0 Review
"Tight & Sleek"
This is the bag that started it all for me. The Carry On backpack from Minaal is one of the professional traveler’s best friends with its sleek design, killer materials and medium sized capacity for minimal travel.
- A very good looking and well built bag. This thing is sleek in both aesthetics AND in what it’s like to travel with.
- It won’t break down on you anytime soon because it’s made from excellent materials and built well.
- The capacity is medium sized to me. Other carry on bags can easily fit more stuff. But that’s intentional on this bag — the designers wanted a bag this size so they travel only with what matters… because when you travel lighter, you’ve got more freedom to explore.
- Decent organization. Two external pockets on the top of the bag and a laptop and document compartment on the back of the bag. When the bag is totally packed out it makes getting into these pockets a drag. As with all travel bags, don’t overpack!
- Does not work as a daily carry bag when you get to your destination. It’s floppy and much bigger than you’d like it to be. This is ultimately why I started looking for other bags.
More on the Minaal Carry-on 3.0
What I like
- The original sleek one bag travel bag, sized to carry on even with strict airlines in Southeast Asia, Australia and the UK
- Less than max carry-on on purpose: lighter, no strap dangle, smoother in transit
- Full clamshell rear tech compartment with an adjustable device sleeve, fits a 16 inch laptop and an 11 inch tablet
- Hidden passport pocket you can reach while wearing it, plus quick access pockets on top
- Straps hide behind a zippered panel, and there's a built-in rain fly with its own pocket
- New bluesign Picton fabric is tougher and picks up less dirt and hair. The microfiber lining feels nicer than you'd expect
- This is literally the bag that started my career as a bag reviewer
Watch for
- Capacity can get tight. It asks you if you really need to bring that
- Side handle briefcase mode is floppy and frumpy
- Almost daily-carryable when you get there, but not quite, it's big and frumpy for that
Specs
- Weight: 3.12 lb empty
- Fits up to a 16 inch laptop and 11 inch tablet
- 600D and 1200D bluesign Picton fabric from recycled yarn
- YKK #10 main zipper
Where I've covered it
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