In the fall of 2022, my workplace decided it was time to enforce return-to-office and informed us we had to be in the office 3 days a week or else. The only bags I’d used to this point were hand-me-down promotional backpacks or an over-the-shoulder canvas bag - neither of which worked well for what I take to the office when I drive in.

I’d initially considered the Brevite backpack primarily because they demonstrated the water bottle holder expanding to accommodate a large hydroflask. However, I wanted a bag quickly, and they were out of stock then. I was also looking at more commonly recommended brands like Belroy, but none of their water bottle holders seemed compatible with my 40 oz stainless water bottle. Finally, I decided on the Moment MTW Backpack 17L (I’m short). It met the following qualifications:

• Separate laptop compartment that fits a 16” Mac Pro
• Large/expandable external water bottle holder
• Luggage passthrough

Since then, it’s been my primary work bag and personal carry-on bag on several flights, and I’d recommend it depending on your own needs.

The laptop compartment is one of my favorite parts of the bag; the two pockets give my wireless mouse and AirPods a permanent home, and the laptop sleeve juuust barely fits my work laptop. The main compartment has very little in the way of organization – just one mesh zip pocket – but that also means it’s flexible in what I pack in there (lunchbox for work, clothes for an overnight stay, or my Switch, a book, and snacks for a plane ride). The front zip pocket has more pockets for organization, which I don’t use much day-to-day but are suitable for organizing all the little things you might want to bring on a trip, like headphones, pill bottles, etc. I’m a keys-in-jeans-pocket sort of person, so I don’t use the pocket’s attached key holder much.

The water bottle holder does indeed stretch to fit my 40oz bottle, but it’s a pretty tight fit and pushes into the main compartment space. My partner’s 32 oz bottle fits much better without pushing into the side of the bag as much. Ultimately I’ve found it more convenient to put my water bottle in the main compartment when commuting, but having the external holder for travel is handy.

In general, with the 17L bag, there’s not a huge amount of room, and filling up one section will reduce the space available in others. I like a smaller daily-use bag, so I’m cool with that.

When I was researching the bag, people mentioned that the fabric does collect dust, and scuffs can show up noticeably on the darker fabric color. I chose the green to avoid that, and aside from a few faint scuffs, I think it’s still looking good. From a quality perspective, all the materials feel good in the hand, though there are a few loose threads on the bag’s inside pocket.

Do be aware that while Moment’s website says, “We designed the base so the bag doesn’t fall over when it’s set down,” that is definitely not true for my bag, especially with a laptop in it. The back feels like it has a rigid plastic backplate in it, and even when empty, the bag will always fall forward. I don’t find it a huge annoyance, but some folks might.

Reviews also mentioned the sternum strap mechanism is fiddly – personally, I removed it as soon as I got the bag and haven’t used it since.