ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack Review

The ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack is ideal for daily commutes, offering flexibility, spacious capacity, a lightweight design, and super-rugged protection no matter rain or shine. As a waterproof city pack, it stands up to just about anything city life or nature can throw at it. Aside from its waterproofing, one of its most useful features is its detachable laptop sleeve, which has built-in organization for extra convenience. Overall, the design is simple, robust, and straightforward.

Ortileb is a German brand specializing in waterproof, durable, and sustainable bags. Many of their bags have extra features specifically designed for bicyclists and travelers. They work exclusively with ultra-durable materials and proven closure methods, including high-frequency welding, to ensure the highest degree of waterproofing. This manufacturing approach gives their bags an IP protection rating of up to IP67, making them exceptionally reliable in harsh weather conditions.

External Components

The outside of the ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack is made of PU-coated nylon fabric that feels super protective and strong, although the rugged materials have a somewhat off-putting tarp-like sound. The pack incorporates many reflective elements, including the logo on the front and stripes along the shoulder straps, to enhance visibility at night.

Its reinforced bottom provides peace of mind when setting the pack down in damp or dirty environments such as hiking trails, public transportation, or wet conditions after rain or snow. This reinforcement adds an extra layer of protection to safeguard everything inside. For cyclists, the pack includes dedicated attachment points for a rear light and U-Lock, making it ideal for night riding while offering convenient storage for security essentials. You could also use them to attach extra gear.

On top of the bag is a single top grab handle made from nylon webbing. While it is not the most comfortable for extended carrying and somewhat longer than seems necessary, this handle serves a dual purpose. Thanks to its robust stitching into the shoulder strap’s harness system, it can also function as a secure hanging point for the pack.

The shoulder straps of the ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack have a unique air-permeable design that prioritizes breathability over traditional padding in most backpacks. These straps are incredibly thin and lightweight, with a decently wide design that helps distribute weight evenly across the shoulders. Their ergonomic, contoured shape provides comfort despite the minimal padding, which proves especially beneficial in warmer environments. Users accustomed to thicker, more padded harness systems may need to adjust to this ultralight design. However, the thin straps tend to twist when putting on or removing the pack, which is not a significant issue but something to keep in mind. One nice aspect of these straps is how smoothly they can be adjusted, even while on the move.

There is a removable sternum strap with four specific placement options for flexibility. These straps hook onto dedicated slots and connect via a simple plastic buckle. When not used for support, these connection points can theoretically be used to attach extra gear, providing additional versatility.

There is also a removable waist strap with a simple connection using D-rings. The ends of the waist strap can be fed through these D-rings, allowing for easy removal and angle adjustment for optimal comfort. Like the sternum strap, it connects via a simple plastic buckle and adjusts incredibly smoothly. When not in use, the D-rings can serve as convenient attachment points for heavier gear, adding versatility to the pack thanks to their robust stitching and design.

The pack’s back channel takes a unique approach to comfort and ventilation. It uses foam padding with dedicated air channels between the padded sections, providing both comfort and breathability during extended wear. This design helps manage heat while maintaining structural and ventilated support against the back.

Fit Notes

Despite its minimal padding, the pack feels incredibly comfortable. The thin design of the shoulder straps effectively distributes weight, preventing them from digging into your shoulders even when carrying heavier gear. The additional sternum and waist straps provide extra stability and ensure a comfortable, secure fit for extended journeys.

Inside The Pack

The ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack only has one secondary compartment with just a front zippered pocket for quick access. This pocket features a vertical zipper for convenient on-body access by sliding the pack over your right shoulder. The pocket offers easy access and visibility of the contents inside. Despite having an AquaGuard coating on the zipper, this pocket is not waterproof, as it has two holes at the bottom that likely provide breathability or drainage. Overall, it’s a well-sized pocket ideal for everyday essentials like commuter cards, wallet, hand sanitizer, gum, or even larger phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The main compartment on the ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack has a practical rolltop closure system with a G-hook that connects to three specific loops, allowing for extra storage space when needed, thanks to the rolltop design. This will enable you to cinch the pack for a more secure seal, and the rolltop edge includes a thin plastic reinforcement that provides structure for easier rolling. The G-hook’s adjustable strap glides smoothly, making it easy to roll down, hook closed, and cinch tight without any issues.

The main compartment is a spacious cavern with no additional organization beyond the notebook sleeve. It accommodates both loose items and organized pouches. Interestingly, the vibrant color options allow ambient light to illuminate the material better, providing more internal visibility than traditional rolltop backpacks. During our testing, the Rooibos (orange-ish) color provided a nice amount of visibility to see everything inside.

The laptop sleeve offers excellent protection with a nice amount of padding on all sides and a reflective interior with a subtle decorative pattern. The sleeve attaches to the main compartment using hook-and-loop fasteners at both the top and the bottom, with the bottom connection providing extra security for active users like cyclists or hikers. However, in our everyday commuting tests, we found the top fastener good enough. It is also possible to use the sleeve without securing it and have it float freely in the main compartment.

ORTLIEB specifies the dimensions of the laptop sleeve as 15.4 in/10.6 in/1 in (39 cm/27 cm/2.5 cm); however, we had no issue fitting a 16-inch MacBook Pro. The sleeve’s floating design attaches to the main compartment’s wall, keeping devices elevated from the bottom of the bag and providing peace of mind when setting the backpack down, as it prevents direct impact on the ground.

On the front of the laptop sleeve is a zippered pocket that spans the entire length and width of the sleeve and has two additional slip pockets against the back wall. These slip pockets have an elastic opening, making them perfect for smaller items like thumb drives or hard drives, keeping them secure and accessible near the top of the compartment. Overall, this laptop sleeve does a great job organizing tech essentials in one place and can be removed entirely to sit alongside you at a table for convenient access to all your gear.

The ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack provides functionality, durability, and weather resistance in an aesthetic package. Its waterproof design and thoughtful features make it an excellent choice for commuters, cyclists navigating the city, or hikers exploring a trail. The rolltop closure provides versatile storage capacity, while the minimalist internal organization offers flexibility for various needs. Its waterproof functionality and intuitive design make it ideal for multiple use cases. The built-in reflective elements and attachment points also help it stand out specifically for urban adventurers or commuters. The unique harness system, though minimally padded, distributes weight effectively for comfortable daily use. While the minimalist approach to organization and the tarp-like sound caused by the bag’s materials may not be for everyone, it definitely stands out, especially with its vibrant color options. Overall, the ORTLIEB Commuter-Daypack’s thoughtful design and quality construction make it an ideal weather-resistant and flexible carry option.