CODEOFBELL X-TYPE Backpack Review

At first glance, the CODEOFBELL X-TYPE Backpack is overwhelming. There are straps, pockets, and features all over the place. Still, our first thought was that it’ll likely make organizing gear easier, which may make for a comprehensive travel companion for shorter trips. After two weeks of testing, what do you think we found? Let’s dive in and find out!

Before we proceed, you’re supposed to pronounce the bag’s name “cross-type,” not “x-type.”

External Components

There are two primary materials, and we’re happy with both. First, there’s ECOPAK™, a 100% recycled polyester fabric with a PFC-free DWR coating. This looks and feels just like X-PAC and offers the same perks: it’s highly water resistant, lightweight, and technically satisfying. However, as we found on other packs we’ve tested, this material has drawbacks. It isn’t as durable as thicker materials like CORDURA®.

Wait, did somebody say CORDURA®? Oh yeah, we did … but that’s the second material at play on this pack. The ECOPAK™ is on the front expansion section, and the CORDURA® is on the rest. We dig this combination, as the front is highly water-resistant and lightweight, but the pack’s body is durable enough to handle rugged adventures. The combination reminds us of carry on rolling luggage with reinforced corners. The front face might not be the sturdiest, but the pressure points are, and that’s what matters.

The pack utilizes YKK zippers, another step in the right direction. YKK makes some of the best zippers in the business, and they tie together the CORDURA® and ECOPAK™ nicely. The Hypalon pulls are easy to grasp, too.

Some of the buckles and hard plastic hardware are from Woojin, which is a great shout, too. Like YKK, Woojin is one of the best companies we’ve dealt with for these fasteners. They’re simple to use, durable, and don’t pop open when you don’t want them to.

There’s a FIDLOCK on the expansion part of this pack (turning the 17L capacity to 20L, but we’ll get to that). It takes some getting used to if you haven’t used the brand before; however, it’s snappy and quick once you get the hang of it.

On the right side, there’s a water bottle pocket with two drainage holes, which we dig. It can’t handle huge bottles, so don’t go trying to stow your Nalgene inside. However, a thinner travel water bottle shouldn’t be a problem. When not in use, the pocket is discrete, which will be a perk for those who don’t carry extra hydration.

The pack’s front has two compression straps. They’re removable, so you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to. However, they’re pretty helpful for the expansion section, as they secure the extra material to ensure the pack looks sleek. When the expansion section is in use, you can remove the straps, use them to ensure your gear isn’t bouncing around too much, or tighten things up to try and use the pack as a personal item.

A compression strap on the pack’s bottom serves the same purpose; however, this one isn’t removable. It ties down the extra material when it isn’t in use and can help wrangle your gear, similar to the other compression straps we just went over.

The pack has a handle on the top. It has padding, which makes it comfortable to carry. It’s wide enough to give your hand room to breathe, which we’re here for.

On the backside, there’s a luggage pass-through that runs vertically through the back panel. We’re a fan of this inclusion; however, some users may be deterred by the vertical alignment, as your pack must be horizontal on your rolling luggage, making it harder to get to your gear in the airport.

Fit Notes

The well-padded back panel is aerated, making it comfortable to carry. The mesh promotes airflow, too, and this thing is comfortable through and through. The shoulder straps have similar padding and aeration and are just as comfortable. They feature some curvature to form your body better. Smaller users may feel overwhelmed by this pack, especially considering how large the footprint is for a 17L pack at its smallest. Still, the padding and aeration are solid features.

The shoulder straps each have a D ring, which we use to attach gear like travel sunglasses when the clouds roll in. There’s a removable sternum strap, too. It isn’t on a rail, so you can’t make micro-adjustments; however, adjusting it on the ladder system is easy. It hasn’t popped off when we didn’t want it to, which we think is a solid feature. The strap has elastic, which is more comfortable for long journeys but makes it slightly more challenging to bring the shoulder straps together if that’s your goal.

The hip belt is also removable and doesn’t feature padding or aeration. We like the addition, as it lets you shift the pack’s weight around to become more comfortable. Still, some padding would be nice, especially after how comfortable the back panel and shoulder straps are.

Inside The Pack

There’s a ton going on inside this pack, so buckle up because we’re diving in!

On the right side, there’s a small hidden pocket with a zippered closure above where you’d stow your water bottle. There’s some expansion available because of folds in the material, and the seam of the pack hides the zipper. It’s a solid size for a snack or your wallet.

On the other side, there’s a drawstring pocket with a drainage hole. This makes it a solid place to stow wet items, like socks, after walking through heavy rain or stepping in a puddle you didn’t think was that deep. Or, you can keep food items here you’re worried about getting smushed, like an orange.

Below that, there’s another small zippered pocket. We stowed a phone in here since it’s so well-padded. There’s also a handy pass-through into the main compartment, but the hole is larger than we’d like because gear can jump between pockets, which isn’t ideal. Essentially, it’s two small pockets back to back. We like the idea, but the implementation isn’t our favorite.

The pack has a front zippered compartment with a key leash, a handy place for daily essentials, like your car or house keys. The leash has a magnetic buckle, so you can remove your keys without messing with a jump ring or metal clip. This area shares space with the expandable pocket, so it can be challenging to utilize this for storage if you’ve overloaded that.

In 17L mode, the expansion pocket is accessible from a zipper that runs around three sides of the pack. The FIDLOCK blocks the track, so you have to undo that to open the zipper completely. While this adds security and is helpful for wrangling materials, it can be frustrating when you’re trying to move quickly to get some gear.

The compartment has a clamshell opening, so you can get into the nitty-gritty of organizing your gear. There are two mesh pockets, one without a topper and the other with a zipper. This is an excellent place to lock gear down, especially once you’ve expanded the pack and the compartment gains 3 liters of space.

When you unclip the FIDLOCK and bottom buckle, , you unleash the extra material, and a zipper runs down the center. This adds another access point and makes it easier to load gear inside for maximum capacity. Once you’ve loaded this up, things get a bit awkward with the FIDLOCK and the other buckle. You can try to secure them, but this might not be possible if you’ve filled the pack. If you liked how dynamic the pack looks at 17L, the two hanging buckles might annoy you.

The other compartment, located behind that expansion area, features more organization. It, too, has a clamshell opening; however, because of a lack of depth, it opens more like a book than a clamshell.

The compartment has little depth in the lid, which is awkward to get used to. There’s a pocket here, too, which is crafted from mesh and has a zipper. This is a solid place to lock down some gear, and it will accommodate larger items, like over-ear headphones or a sling. On the side of that is a small drawstring pocket that shares the pass-through with the external pocket we discussed earlier. You can stow a battery bank here to charge your phone but still have it accessible from outside the bag, which is handy.

On the back side, there are more organizational features. First is a padded laptop compartment that will accommodate a 15-inch MacBook Pro without issue. There’s a tablet sleeve, too, so you can travel with a MacBook Pro and an iPad if you have a use for both or want to bring one for a family member or friend. Below that are six pockets—four crafted from liner and two from mesh. Two of those made from the liner material are for pens; one is small, and the other is medium-sized. The two mesh pockets are medium-sized and work well for a phone, wallet, or tech items.

There are a ton of organizational details inside the CODEOFBELL X-TYPE Backpack: significantly more than we’re used to seeing from a daypack of this size or even a small travel backpack. However, they aren’t all the easiest to use or find a function for it all, which may frustrate some travelers. However, if you like every item to have a home without a tech pouch, packing cubes, or other organization devices, this pack is perfect for you!