If you’re looking for a cool, casual backpack from a brand with recognizable street-style chops, the Eastpak Padded Double is the answer. It’s a more practical and functional—yet still fab—twist on the brand’s best-known backpack, the Padded Pak’r. The Padded Double retains the same general vibe and swagger as the original, except it has been elongated by about three inches, which confers some advantages: a pair of handy front pockets, a generous 28-liter capacity, and what we consider to be an even more attractive, well-proportioned silhouette.
It offers great organizational extras. The Padded Double has a large main compartment, with an elasticized slip pocket that fits most 13-inch laptops (it can also be used to keep a textbook or notebooks secured close to your back). Two large front zip pockets offer added versatility for wrangling smaller items that you need to access quickly.
A discreet third pocket at the top of the bag unzips to reveal one of our favorite design elements, a phone (or sunglasses) pouch with a delightful, minky-soft lining. A hidden stash pocket on the back panel is great for securely storing important items such as passports and credit cards, especially if you plan to use the bag when traveling.
The bag has only one smallish water bottle pocket, on the left side—so it’s harder to balance out the pack’s weight on the right, and it’s not ideal if you carry a wide bottle.
Its straps are a pleasure to wear. We were impressed with the Padded Double’s gently contoured, cushioned shoulder straps. Unlike the stiff, scratchy straps on other models we tested from Eastpak and JanSport, the Padded Double’s soft, subtly curved straps were well-constructed and comfy.
It has smart internal organization and extra features that make life easier. A spacious front zip pocket affords quick access to on-the-go essentials, so you don’t need to take the bag off every time you flash your ID or swipe a transit card. The bag’s fold-over top has another roomy zip pocket, and is secured with a convenient magnetic closure—a favorite feature among all of our testers, and a plus if you have reduced manual dexterity.
The Transit’s main compartment has two slip pockets for notebooks or folders and an interior water-bottle pocket, while a second, exterior water-bottle pocket on the opposite side offers added versatility. A zipper along the side of the bag opens to a separate, lightly padded laptop pocket that can accommodate computers up to 15 inches.
Notably, this is our only school backpack pick that’s equipped with a luggage pass-through strap, which allows you to attach the bag to the handle of a rolling suitcase when you’re on the go; it’s a handy feature.
Someone wearing the Everlane The ReNew Transit Backpack.
The magnetic closure on the Everlane The ReNew Transit Backpack.
An unzipped Everlane The ReNew Transit Backpack, showing notebooks inside.
The close-up showing the laptop compartment in the Everlane The ReNew Transit Backpack.
The back of the Everlane The ReNew Transit Backpack.
It feels sturdy and well-made. Though its materials aren’t quite as hard-wearing as those of our picks from Patagonia and Fjällräven (and it’s not backed by a warranty), we still think the Transit will hold up nicely over time. The bag’s water-resistant exterior is made from a sturdy recycled polyester, and the all-metal hardware feels durable. One tester, who’s been using the Transit regularly for a year and counting, reports that her bag isn’t showing a single sign of wear.
