Aer Duffel Pack 2 – A Bigger Brother to the Fit Pack 2 Backpack

Aer Duffel Pack 2 Review

The popular Aer Duffel Pack is now re-born as the Aer Duffel Pack 2

The other day I reviewed the Aer Fit Pack 2, which is also a new backpack from AER.

Go see my review of the Aer Fitpack 2

When I was placing my order for the Aer Fit Pack 2 the Duffel Pack 2 also stood out so I went ahead and picked it up too. (lots of 2’s in this sentence)

aer fit pack 2 and duffel pack 2

aer fit pack 2 and duffel pack side by side

aer fit pack 2 and duffel pack 2 comparison

I’ve been using it for over a month now.

During that time I took it with me to Hawaii, Hokkaido, Sendai, Osaka and I can say for certain that it was a good buy.

aer duffel pack water fall

To be honest, as a backpack, I find myself liking it more than the Aer Fit Pack 2.

Why?

Maybe we’ll find out.

Today, I’ll be reviewing the Aer Duffel Pack 2.

 

Aer Duffel Pack 2 – A Review

I don’t have the original Duffel Pack so I can’t make a comparison to that.

So I’ll be mainly making a comparison with the Fit Pack 2.

The Duffel Pack 2 and the Fit Pack 2 are really like brothers; they are very similar bags.

The difference between the Duffel Pack 2 and the Fit Pack 2 basically boils down to the following three points:

  1. Size (the Duffel Pack 2 is larger (24.6 L vs 18.8 L))
  2. Side pockets (the Duffel Pack 2 has some)
  3. Design

The materials and other elements of the bags are very similar.

Choosing between the Duffel Pack 2 and the Fit Pack 2 will be in essence, the act of weighing the pros and cons of the above three points.

 

Size

24.6 L vs 18.8 L

The most significant difference between the Duffel Pack 2 and the Fit Pack 2 is the size of the bag.

The Duffel Pack 2 is approximately 30% larger than its little brother, which makes it a perfect bag for an overnight trip.

  • Drone (SPARK)
  • Sweater
  • JOBY
  • Laptop
  • YETI tumbler

is what I usually carry with the bag.

Aer Duffel Pack 2 main compartment

Similar to the Fit Pack 2, the laptop goes into a dedicated compartment so it’s easy to take out at airports, regardless of how much the bag is packed.

aer duffel pack with suitcase

 

Side Pocket

The bottle holder and side pocket are really helpful!

The Duffel Pack 2 has a bottle holder and a side pocket.

These additional features make a big difference when you’re on the road.

I am especially a fan of this bottle holder.

aer duffel pack 2 with arc aileron

The bottle holder will fit anything from a regular plastic bottle to something fatter like a YETI tumbler.

I was impressed by the elastic band that AER added to the pocket which holds the wattle bottle in place.

aer duffel pack 2 bottle holder

You don’t have to worry about the bottle falling out of the pocket and hitting your head when putting the backpack in an overhead compartment on a plane or on a shelf on a train.

I use the side pocket to store things like:

  • umbrella
  • toothbrush
  • receipts
  • skateboard remote

aer duffel pack umbrella

aer duffel pack receipts

I almost forgot about a pocket.

aer duffel pack key case pocket

On the top of the backpack, next to the quick access pocket, there is a key pocket.

There’s a strap in the pocket that you can hook your keys onto.

I have no use for my keys when I’m traveling so I just stash them in this pocket.

If I’m in a different country and am using a different wallet, I put my bellroy wallet in here as well.

Go see my review on the bellroy card pocket

The pocket is partially hidden, which is welcome from a security point of view.

 

Design

The Duffel Pack 2 and Fit Pack 2 share pretty much the same width so the difference is in the length of the bag.

Being the larger bag, the Duffel Pack 2 is longer but it’s actually very easy to carry.

aer duffel pack on back

Even when I’m carrying my laptop, the weight gets just the right amount of distribution and I can stand long carries.

Furthermore, the dedicated shoe pocket starts becoming usable with the Duffel Pack 2’s length.

With the Fit Pack 2, I rarely use the shoe pocket because it would just take too much space away from the main compartment.

The bottom of the bag is pretty flat on the Fit Pack 2 but it’s more rounded on the Duffel Pack 2 so it won’t stand up on its own.

aer duffel pocket shoes

 

Aer Duffel Pack 2 vs Aer Fit Pack 2

Which one to get?!

I like both bags so this is a hard question.

But if I could only choose one, I would go with the Duffel Pack 2.

aer duffel pack 2 in shinkansen

I can’t deny that I need the extra space from time to time and it’s hard to live without the bottle holder and side pocket once you get used to them.

I know for a fact that there are times like when I’m commuting within Tokyo or when I’m on a crowded train when the smaller Fit Pack 2 is the better option.

At the end of the long day, you’ll have to choose based on how much stuff you’re planning on putting in the bag, but I personally like the Duffel Pack 2!

 

Where to get the Aer Duffel Pack 2 in Japan

The Aer Duffel Pack 2 is a popular backpack so expect to pay full price in Japan.

Amazon and Rakuten were both selling it at list price.

Go see the Aer Duffel Pack 2 on Amazon

Go see the Aer Duffel Pack 2 on Rakuten

[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

URBAN RESEARCH Aer DUFFEL PACK 2 アーバンリサーチ【送料無料】
価格:30240円(税込、送料無料) (2017/10/16時点)

 

 

If you can wait a week and want to save a few thousand yen, get it from Aer’s website.

They only charge 19 USD for shipping to Japan so you can get it for 189 USD.

Go to Aer’s website

 

aer duffel pack 2 in tokyo

 

 

 

 

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