Vessi Astoria Backpack 17L Review

The Vessi Astoria Backpack 17L offers a sleek, minimal design with fantastic weather protection thanks to its use of waterproof materials and the design. This daypack is ideal for both daily commuting and world travel. Its 17-liter capacity provides plenty of space for a trip to the office or all your essential gear for a personal item that fits under a seat. Vessi has done an excellent job combining a stunning aesthetic with practical weatherproof protection, ensuring peace of mind whether facing a light drizzle or torrential downpour. The clean, minimal design looks fantastic and maintains a low profile, making it an excellent choice for travelers wanting to avoid unwanted attention from potential pickpockets or thieves.

External Components

The external fabric has Vessi’s waterproof Dyma-tex® technology built in. While the material itself is waterproof, it is important to note that this does not mean the bag is ready for a swim. The bag protects against rain, ensuring water rolls off the sides, but it’s not intended to be submerged. The material has a surprisingly pleasant, cotton-like texture, though it does tend to attract dust, debris, and hair—something pet owners should consider, even though most of it can be easily brushed off.

Vessi keeps the branding subtle, with only its emblem on the front of the bag and logo along one shoulder strap. This minimalist approach is particularly beneficial for travelers, as it helps avoid drawing unwanted attention in unfamiliar places.

The zippers are thoughtfully designed with chunky, ergonomic pulls and additional cords for easy locating and handling, each featuring the brand’s logo. The zipper is concealed under protective flaps of the Dyma-tex® fabric to enhance weather resistance. While the protective coating on the zippers provides additional weather protection, it makes them slightly stiffer, requiring a bit more force than standard zippers.

The top grab handle is a basic nylon strap at the top of the backpack behind the shoulder straps. While it lacks padding or cushioning, it serves its purpose as a simple way to maneuver the bag when needed, even if it is not the most comfortable.

The luggage pass-through is straightforward yet effective, constructed from a robust nylon strap that provides reliable durability. It’s stitched securely, while its vertical placement between the back panel’s padding keeps it out of the way and flush with the bag’s profile.

The primary method to wear this backpack is using the shoulder straps, which are made with dense foam padding and contoured for extra comfort. They are constructed from the same weather-resistant material as the rest of the bag. While minimal in design, with only a Vessi logo on one strap and no additional attachment points, the straps provide excellent comfort thanks to their foam padding. Simple strap keepers allow for convenient slack management, and the straps adjust smoothly and easily. There is no hip belt or sternum strap.

The back panel consists of two sections of densely padded foam boards that provide comfort and protection, with the luggage pass-through between them, creating a minimal channel for airflow, though it doesn’t provide much ventilation.

Fit Notes

The Vessi Astoria Backpack 17L features a straightforward, minimalist aesthetic suitable for various use cases. Its simple design and clean face help it maintain a low profile, avoiding unnecessary attention—particularly beneficial for travelers wanting to avoid being targeted by pickpockets or thieves. The clean, professional look works well in a business setting across all the available color options, which include Black, Limewash (a neutral gray), and Twill (a darker blue or navy).

Inside The Pack

The front pocket has an intuitive design for easy access when you sling the bag over one specific shoulder. While the pocket’s opening uses a relatively small zipper, it’s recessed and protected by a reasonably large flap of the waterproof fabric for enhanced water resistance. However, this protective design can make the zipper somewhat difficult to locate and grab, particularly for users with larger hands.

Inside, the pocket includes some separation for added organization, with a slip pocket for keeping items tidy and accessible. At the top of the compartment is the dedicated key leash, which combines elastic material for flexibility with a secure metal carabiner. Theoretically, The key leash placement at the top of the pocket is supposed to make the key leash easier to locate; however, for some reason, we found the process slower than expected. It was slightly more difficult to locate the key leash, especially since it tends to slip into the added slip pocket during transit.

The main compartment has a simple yet effective design with one large dump space for gear and a minor degree of organization. At the top, a zippered pocket provides a secure spot for smaller items you may want to keep from getting lost in the main compartment. While this pocket uses a single zipper for security, its spacious design has one notable drawback: the pocket tends to sag when filled with larger or heavier items, making accessing contents somewhat difficult or annoying.

Inside the main compartment is a laptop sleeve that can fit a device up to 16 inches without any issues. In our testing, a 16-inch MacBook Pro fit comfortably, though we needed to be mindful of the corners when zipping due to the bag’s shape. Due to the pack’s curved shape, this extra step is necessary to ensure that the device properly slipped into the dedicated compartment and could be closed.

The sleeve features a thin layer of padding that provides basic protection for your devices. For added security, it’s elevated about half an inch from the bottom, helping prevent damage when the bag is set down or dropped.

In front of the dedicated laptop sleeve is a slip pocket with a mesh gusset that keeps contents secure while allowing for a decent amount of stretch. This pocket is ideal for documents, notebooks, magazines, or a tablet, though it’s worth noting that it lacks padding for protection.

This backpack works exceptionally well for minimalist packers as an overnight or, possibly, even a weekend bag. Its 17-liter capacity comfortably fits a 16-inch MacBook Pro, 11-inch iPad Pro, toiletry kit, a pair of jeans, three T-shirts, and a dress shirt, with additional room for tech accessories like Bluetooth headphones and a tech pouch. This daypack’s open space would also make it perfect when combined with packing cubes.

The Vessi Astoria Backpack 17L does an excellent job walking a delicate line between style and functionality. Its weatherproof construction, clean aesthetic, and thoughtful organization make it versatile for everyday carry, work commutes, or light travel. While there are some minor drawbacks—like the stiff zippers and lack of ventilation in the back panel—these should not be significant reasons to eliminate this bag as an option. This bag provides excellent weather protection in a stylish and classic design. It is a solid choice for those looking for a minimalist backpack that can handle severe weather while maintaining a professional aesthetic.