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Details
- Price $249 at minaal.com
- Material 600D custom poly blend
- Capacity 15 L / 915 cubic inches
- Weight 31 oz / 890 g
- Dimensions 16.1" (w) x 18.9" (h) x 5.5" (d) / 409 (w) x 480 (h) x 140 (d) mm
Overview
I’ve never been a fan of rolltop bags. Not even Outlier's spectacular Outlier Nexhigh Rolltop Bag swayed me.
While most rolltop bags give you some flexibility of capacity, it is hard to access. I just didn’t want to roll it up and down every time I need something.
When Minaal sent over their Rolltop Bag, I was dismissive, expecting to reaffirm my preference. However, I was pleasantly wrong. In this Minaal Rolltop Bag review, I discovered a bag that completely changed my perspective.
Style
While not particularly stylish compared to brands like Aer or Outlier, Minaal’s bags exude an understated utilitarian design that I find appealing. This holds true for their Rolltop Bag.
The bag is sleek in all-black, avoiding the trend of prominent branding with just a subtle indented logo on the padded back, which makes a surprisingly impactful statement.
The backpack continues with a utilitarian approach: a single zip down the middle, flanked by two pockets on each side. The design is deliberate and lacks unnecessary embellishments.
Compact at 15L, it’s reminiscent of the Minaal Daily Bag. Despite feeling small on my 6 ft frame, the size suits its capacity well, without seeming disproportionately tiny.
Material
The material uses a 600D custom poly blend fabric. Many travel backpacks use something like 1000D Cordura, which can be overkill that you are unnecessarily paying for.
Minaal opts for practicality with its 600D fabric, ideal for urban travelers. While it may lack the name recognition of Cordura, it balances durability and affordability effectively.
Minaal backpacks come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. They use a common sense basis in evaluated claims. I’d say it counts if the material falls apart within five years, provided you didn’t get into an accident or put it through the washer.
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Usage
Capacity
The Minaal Rolltop Bag is a small bag at 15L. Even then, I was surprised by how much I could fit into it. I was able to pack the following
- Change of clothes
- Outlier Grid Linen Towel
- Peak Design Travel Tripod
- Stanley Travel Mug
- Sony α7R IV and Sony FE 24 mm f/1.4 GM stuffed into my Matador Camera Base Layer
- Other smaller essentials like my RORRY Portable Charger, Raen Sunglasses, tissue pack, wet tissues, key pouch, and passport
Unlike most rolltops that give you the flexibility of expanding the capacity by unrolling it, the Minaal Rolltop Bag closes with two folds. This means that it doesn't roll out into extra capacity, which might defeat the purpose of a rolltop for some.
The rolltop
Besides its typical function of expanding capacity, another advantage of a rolltop bag for me is security. While it may be more challenging to access compared to a zippered bag, this also means it's harder for pickpockets to target.
However, the full-length zipper on the Minaal Rolltop Bag slightly diminishes this security benefit since it allows easy access to the contents without unrolling the top.
Minaal addresses this by designing the zipper pull to be accessible from both sides. When zipped and facing inward, it remains concealed from potential thieves. But this requires you to actively set it inwards each time.
Personally, I often access my backpack's contents on the go, so I rarely use the middle zipper to fully open the bag. When packing, it makes it easy to have a visual on what’s already inside and arrange them to your satisfaction.
If you plan to pack it to the brim, using this zipper can complicate the process of closing it afterward. I prefer the simplicity of packing through the top opening in this case.
With frequent use, the rolltop mechanism may cause the zipper to slide a few inches due to the tension of the opening. This means you either need to pull it up each time or risk unwanted access through it.
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To be fair, the zipper doesn’t slide down each time, but eventually will as you use it.
The rolltop itself is the easiest-to-operate rolltop I've come across. You fold it twice and don't even need to aim the closure at one another because of the magnetic mechanism. They just sort of close when you bring them near.
Front quick-access pockets
There are two pockets on the bottom of the front of the backpack, on either side of the middle zipper. They are identical, each with a zippered mesh pocket within.
I was initially worried that the quick-access pockets were far too easy to access. I was testing this out in Johor Bahru, which was not known for safety.
The zippered mesh pocket squashed my worries. I think it provides a nice balance between easy access and reasonable safety. I put my apartment keycards in the mesh pocket and a large pack of tissues on top as a decoy.
On the other side, I have my RORRY Portable Charger. At times, I put my wallet into the mesh pocket here, since that's still safer than having it in my pants pocket.
Secret pocket
Most of Minaal's bags have a secret pocket which I love. The same can be found on the Minaal Rolltop Bag in the form of a zippered compartment along the seam of the back.
This is great for your wallet although I have my key pouch in here. You can reach this pocket with the bag slung across one shoulder.
This pocket isn’t ideal for anything even a little bulky; I could feel my key pouch prodding my back with a stuffed pack even with the padding on the back.
Main compartment
Inside the main compartment, there's a dedicated device slot where I could effortlessly slide in my iPad even when the bag was fully packed. This fits up to a 16-inch Macbook Pro and is suspended so you won't break your device if you drop your bag onto a hard floor.
Close to the opening, two well-placed zippered pockets were surprisingly effective. These pockets are ideal for keeping essentials like my passport and spare cash for quick access. They strike a balance between convenience and security, unlike the front pockets, which could present a security risk.
Straps
The shoulder straps do not have padding, but even at max capacity, you are unlikely to feel a strain on your shoulders.
Like most Minaal bags, you can keep the straps in the bag itself. I've always thought that this feature was clunky and unnecessary. This is supposed to be for formal occasions where a backpack wouldn't be appropriate.
The design doesn't look too formal, so I don't think keeping the shoulder straps does much here. I also can't quite imagine carrying the bag around by the top handle. It'll just look awkward.
The slot where the shoulder straps can be hidden into makes a good device slot. It fits my 12.9-inch iPad Pro nicely, but no more than that.
The Minaal comes with sternum straps that attaches onto a groove along the shoulder straps. I used to think they aren't necessary for packs this size, but became thankful for it once I started hailing motorcycles in Vietnam or Thailand.
I'm not a fan of sternum straps being attached to grooves. I've has a few experiences of them pulling off due to tension on my Aer packs.
Conclusion
The Minaal Rolltop Bag defies conventional rolltop backpacks with its practical features and thoughtful organization. I was skeptical about rolltop bags but pleasantly surprised by Minaal's implementation.
Despite its compact 15L size, the bag felt spacious, effortlessly fitting my essentials. Its minimalist design, free of excessive branding, resonated with my preference for understated aesthetics.
Minaal's Rolltop Bag blends practicality and style effectively, changing my mind on rolltop bags altogether. Kudos to them and keep rollin’!
Additional Images
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