Monos Metro Backpack Review

Have you ever had a bag with a front pocket that you loved so much you wanted to put it on another bag? Maybe that happened to the designers at Monos because they’ve created a modular system with their Metro Kit that allows you to pop it off the Metro Backpack and put it on another bag, like their duffle. Since Monos uses quality materials and incorporates thoughtful design into its products, it stands to reason that if you like one of their bags, you may like them all and want to mix and match.

We’ve put the Monos Metro Backpack and the attached Metro Kit to the test for a few weeks of our daily commute. Of course, we’ve tested hundreds of daypacks over the years, so it takes a lot to impress us. Will the Metro Backpack make the cut? There’s only one way to find out. Read on.

External Components

We’ll start with the overall design. While not marketed as a tote pack, the Metro Backpack has two carry handles at the top that give off travel tote vibes. The front of the bag has two strips of vegan leather running vertically to the top, where they meet soft webbing that forms a loop. There’s a matching handle on the back, and each one is wrapped in vegan leather at the top to create a comfortable handle. In turn, the back handle has another loop of vegan leather wrapped around it with a strap and a snap so you can wrap it around the front handle and connect them. That keeps them standing straighter atop the bag, which looks nicer when you’re wearing it and is easier to hold when carrying it.

At first glance, you’ll only see the Monos brand name debossed into the front of the Metro Kit, which, frankly, just looks like a large front pocket. All this vegan leather serves as an accent for the primary material for the travel daypack, which is nylon in the case of our brand sample. If you opt for that material, you can get it in Carbon Black, Oxford Blue, Juniper Green, and Dover Grey. It has no trouble in light rain, even without any water-repellent coating, although we wouldn’t trust it in the elements for extended periods. You can also order an all-vegan leather bag, which comes in a variety of other colors, including Ivory, Saddle Tan, Mahogany, and Purple Icing, a fun collab with Magnolia Bakery, at the time of this review.

As we mentioned, the Metro Kit is vegan leather in any material or color choice, and it attaches to the bag with a FIDLOCK fastener. If you reach underneath, you’ll feel a tab. Pull it, and it releases the FIDLOCK, allowing you to pull the Kit off the Backpack. Unfortunately, it’s not as seamless as it should be. The FIDLOCK snaps to a flap on the back of the Metro Kit, which has the male end of the fastener. This flap goes through a horizontal strap on the front of the Metro Backpack like a trolley handle through a luggage pass-through, but the male end of the FIDLOCK often snags on the strap as you’re trying to pull it off. A deal breaker? No. Clunky? Yes.

When you remove it, you’ll see the Monos brand name debossed on that horizontal strap of vegan leather. Without the Kit on the Backpack, it almost looks like the bag is wearing lederhosen, as the vertical and horizontal straps create a similar aesthetic. If Oktoberfest isn’t your thing, leave the Metro Kit on, and you won’t have to see it.

Oh, and before we move on, we want to mention another horizontal strap on the back panel. This is an actual luggage pass-through that you can slide over the handle of your rolling carry on luggage as you make your way to the airport gate.

Monos uses unbranded hardware for the zippers and strap adjusters, but they work well. The zippers have vegan leather pull tabs that make them easier to grab, and the straps haven’t come out of adjustment over our testing period, which is great.

The harness system is quite simple, with straight shoulder straps, and that’s it. The back panel is padded, though it’s on the lighter side and we can still feel the shape of a laptop through it when the Metro is jam-packed with gear. It also lacks breathable mesh, but this is not a bag you’re taking hiking, so you’ll only notice it if you commute on foot to work during the sweltering summer months (we’re looking at you, August in New York City).

Fit Notes

The Metro Backpack has a sleek and stylish look, no doubt. Lederhosen jokes aside, we like it better without the Metro Kit attached, and you may decide to leave it behind when you learn about the organization inside the daypack. The Kit almost looks like an afterthought on the front, and it has a cleaner design without it.

As for carry comfort, it’s about what you may be expecting after checking out the back panel and straps. It’s fine for short periods, but the straps occasionally twist as you put them on, and we feel rather like we’re wearing a box when we stuff it full of gear.

Inside The Backpack

We’ve mentioned it so much that it just seems wrong to start with anything but the Metro Kit and the organization inside. It can be what you want it to be, whether that’s a tech pouch, a toiletry bag, or a little bit of both. It’s one of those jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none sort of pieces, but that means it’s pretty adaptable to whatever you need it to be.

Against the back panel is a large zippered TPU pocket where you can stash small toiletries to keep them from spreading to the rest of your gear. That’s handy because the kit’s interior is cotton twill, so it’s not exactly easy to wipe up if a cream or powder spills. You can also pop in SD cards or dongles if you want it to be more tech-focused.

The opposite side features two large slip pockets for bulkier items like cords, wall chargers, battery banks, or your phone. In front of the right-side pocket is a vegan leather tab holding a key clip. It snaps to the front of the pocket, so you can pop it off when you need the key. There’s no leash, but pulling it off is easy when you want to use it. In front of the left pocket is a vegan leather strap; we never found a good use for it. It’s not a great pen holder and just sort of hangs out. If you find a good use for it, please let us know!

There’s plenty of space remaining in this kit for anything else you want to bring along. We use it to hold our glasses in a case, but there’s plenty of room above that to fill, as well; just don’t go too high, or you’ll start blocking the side pockets.

If you flip around to the back of the bag and reach between the handles at the top, you’ll find a hidden pocket with a snap at the top. It’s to hold your phone, passport, or wallet, but it’s not the easiest to access on the regular and you have to squeeze your hand inside if things fall to the bottom of the spacious area. Because of that, we prefer tucking our passport here for a bit of hidden security, but otherwise, we leave it empty because the Metro Kit is a much easier spot for a phone.

Above that, you’ll find a zipper atop the back panel. It opens to the laptop compartment for up to a 15-inch device. There’s no other organization inside, but the soft cotton liner is here, too, so we don’t worry about scratches on our MacBook.

And that’s it for exterior features. Sure, it’s a lot, but the one thing missing is a water bottle pocket, and we missed it. We get that bag-makers want sleek designs without pockets pooching out the side, but there are ways to do it well and still provide a convenient feature.

Let’s head into the main compartment, which opens with double zipper pulls that extend more than three-quarters of the way down each side of the bag. That means you can get a good look at your gear inside, and it’s easy to pack.

The back panel is lined with soft PET felt, which is good for the environment and prevents scratches on whatever you put inside the large slip pocket. If we didn’t already know there was a laptop sleeve, this seems like a great spot for one, so if you carry an iPad or other secondary device, we recommend you put it here. Otherwise, it’s good for a travel journal, notebook, or Bluetooth keyboard. In front of that is a large zipper pocket where we’ve been tossing a small toiletry bag and our extra cash, but it’s big enough to hold any tech gear you didn’t fit in the Metro Kit or a standalone tech pouch if you decide to leave the modular bag behind.

Two large elastic-topped pouches sit below that. You could pop a water bottle or travel umbrella in them, but they’re cotton twill, and we don’t like the thought of what might happen if a bottle springs a leak. Sure, your laptop is in a different compartment, but the material between the two isn’t waterproof, so you may have to call AppleCare or the Geek Squad in a panic if the worst happens. Instead, we popped a toiletry container full of pills in one and some tissues in the other, but they also work well for snacks if you’re using the Metro Backpack as a personal item on the plane.

That’s not all, folks! Against the front panel is an upside-down U-shaped panel. When you unzip it, you’ll discover that this pocket is made with water-resistant material so that you can stash your shoes or damp gym clothing if you want to get to spin class right after (or before) work. The panel has a decent amount of stretch to hold even bulkier items, and we were actually able to squeeze four pairs of travel pants inside to take home for testing.

If you don’t bulk out that compartment, it lays flat, leaving you with enough room to pack a toiletry bag and a small cooler for airplane snacks or lunch. Since the main compartment opens so widely, it’s super easy to load up with gear, and it stands independently (full or empty) for easy access to your gear if you take it to a coworking space or coffee shop.

The Monos Metro Backpack has a lot going on, but if you’re looking for a bag to organize a lot of gear every day or on a trip, it’s pretty capable. We wish it had a slightly beefier harness system, and we definitely miss an exterior water bottle pocket. Still, it’s great for a combination work and gym bag or to bring snacks, entertainment, work gear, and an emergency outfit on the plane.