Looking for a backpack that you can bring to the office and to the gym?
Aer just launched their version 2 of their Fit Pack and Duffel Pack.
With a couple minor improvements from the original like larger zipper and modified pocket
design.
I think they continue to be really good bags for carrying a couple pieces of tech like
your laptop, alongside with your gym clothes and shoes to hit the gym after work.
Hi I’m David and this is the Aer Fit Pack and Duffel Pack Version 2
The Fit Pack and the Duffel Pack are both designed for the same person in mind, Someone
who needs to carry their tech to work but also wants to carry their active gear to hit
the gym after.
Choosing between the two is just a matter of how much stuff you need to hold, and whether
you need that dedicated water bottle holder on the larger duffel.
But let’s start by looking smaller Aer Fit Pack.
To carry your gym gear you have the main sack that uses a front loading design that makes
it easier to see and find stuff scrambled inside.
There’s also a small pouch inside this main sack to help organize smaller items like my
socks inside here.
And While this front loading design works great just a like a traditional duffel for
storing my gym clothes, it doesn’t store larger box shaped items like books very efficiently,
and there’s also no water bottle holder so you’ll just need to throw it inside of
here as well.
Turning the bag to the bottom is the shoe compartment.
It’s been redesigned with a zipper flap opening and mesh ventilation to store your
shoes.
The shoe compartment still shares the same space with the main sack so if it’s already
filled with stuff you’ll need to push it out of the way before inserting your shoes
inside.
Unzipping the main tech compartment on the top you have a suspended sleeve that’s decently
padded to protect a laptop up to 15.6” in size.
And there are also a couple small pouches in here to store items such as a power bank,
pens, and my laptop charger.
Although I find these pouches a little short to fit my laptop charger comfortably without
it sticking out.
But there’s also a larger mesh pocket that’s zipper locked to store any other odd cables
or adapters up on top.
And the last pocket on top of the bag is the quick access pocket that’s been widened
over the original version to hold larger items but I’ve never really had a problem with
that since I usually just throw my keys, lock or wallet in here which are all pretty small.
Turning to the back of the bag we can look at the cushion and arm straps.
The new version two has a couple changes to the shapes of the arm straps, and the layout
of the padding on the back.
The foam padding is also a little smoother than the original.
And the sternum strap is still there minus the elastic bit, but it’s still nice and
comfortable on the shoulder over long periods of time.
But overall I really don’t feel much of a difference going from the older version
to this newer version but that’s not a bad thing because they’re both still really
comfortable And finally build quality continues to be
really solid.
It uses a Cordura Fabric ballistic nylon material pretty much similar to the one used in the
original but feels slightly stiffer and thicker in the new one but I’m not sure if that’s
just because I haven’t broken the new one in as much
The YKK zippers and zipper pulls are larger in the newer version which are really nice
and add to the durability of the new design.
And the overall design aesthetic remains low key and looks slightly less egg shaped in
the new version.
Overall the Aer Fit Pack version 2 is a solid gym and work backpack, and continues to have
the same features that made the original fit pack my go to gym backpack.
If you already have the Aer Fit Pack version 1 there really isn’t a reason to upgrade
and I’ll probably continue to use my original one just because it continues to work great
for me.
But if I start needing to carry more stuff to the gym and work I’ll probably start
using the Aer Duffel Version 2 instead.
With a dedicated water bottle holder, more pockets and just larger space to store stuff
in general I can see this becoming my main gym and work bag.
Just like Fit Pack, it has a front loading design for the main sack to store my gym clothes,
with an interior pouch to organize small items like my socks.
While the space in here is much larger than the Fit Pack the front loading design is still
pretty awkward if you need to carry books or boxes, so I’d stick to a traditional
top loader backpack if that’s what you need to carry on a regular basis.
The shoe compartment on the bottom works the same, with the zipper flap and mesh ventilation
for storing your shoes.
And the tech compartment on the back also has the same suspended sleeve for up to 15.6”
laptops with decent padding to keep it safe.
The pouches in here are again pretty similar to the fit pack as well.
The pockets are still a little short to fit my laptop charger completely, but it fits
my power bank nicely.
There’s also no pen holder in the duffel so you can just throw it with any other odd
cables or dongles in the zipper locked mesh pocket on the top.
But what different with the duffel vs the fit pack are the two quick access pockets
on top that I really like.
A smaller one for holding my keys and lock that also has built in lanyard.
And then I throw my delicate stuff like my wallet and cellphone in the top pocket, so
I don’t have to worry about them getting scratched.
There’s also a water bottle holder on the side that expands pretty large to hold even
the largest of water bottles but to keep the bottle secure from sliding out you’ll might
want to also use the built in bungee cord.
On the other side there are even more small pockets to carry any other thin items you
can think of for the office or the gym Turning the pack to the back.
Just like the fit pack, the padding on the back and arms are soft, breathable and comfortable.
And It includes a built in sternum strap to keep it comfortable over a long period of
time.
In addition to having a handle on top, it also has a useful handle on the side to carry
it around like a traditional duffel bag.
Build quality is the same as the fit pack, nice ballistic nylon material, large YKK zippers
with zipper pulls, and overall great construction as far as I can see.
Overall both of the Aer Fit Pack V2 and Duffel Pack V2 in my opinion are great backpacks
for work and thes gym.
While the front loading design isn’t optimal for holding books or odd shaped items.
If you just need to just carry the basic tech and gym accessories check out the Fit Pack,
or if you carry a lot of gear and need that water bottle holder check out the Duffel Pack,
but whichever one you choose, I think they’re both really solid bags that I find just about
perfect for my needs.
But hope you guys enjoyed this one.
You know what to do.
And I’ll see you in the next video.