![]() The R10 spent a week in aircraft, on coaches, on the subway, in and out of taxi cabs, and wandering IFA’s massive and confusing halls. Inside the bag there are fewer zip compartments, and on the outside the very handy drinks bottle holders have been removed, all in the name of keeping the bag slim and sleek. The elastic straps that keep the excess strap left over after adjustment are much stronger, staying in place throughout the week at IFA without issue. Riut has fixed an annoying problem from the older R15 on this updated R10. The wallet pocket has been added to the updated R15 Riutbag too. ![]() ![]() ![]() It’s positioned at the small of your back, but it’s never uncomfortable, and is actually easy to open and extract your wallet without removing the bag at all. It’s down at the base of the bag, and opens out to reveal spaces for business cards and enough room for a wallet. Slim and sleekĪlthough it’s slimline, the R10 retains the same rear-facing opening, ensuring it can’t be opened surreptitiously by someone creeping around behind you. By comparison, the RiutBag R15 handled the Mobile World Congress trade show earlier in the year without a problem, where the extra five litres of space definitely proved useful. It handled all this without a problem, but anything too bulky - smartphone-sized boxes are sometimes collected during the day - pushed it to the limit with everything else already inside. We took the RiutBag R10 to IFA 2016, the annual technology trade show held in Berlin, where it would be assured of a good workout.ĭaily it carried an 11-inch MacBook Air, various smartphones, a tablet on at least one day, plus a notebook, some snacks, my wallet, change, and other little things like hand wash, earphones, and tissues. The 10 in the model number denotes the amount of storage in liters, which is large enough to take a 15-inch laptop and a variety of other everyday gear as well. There’s a knack to the Riutbag, and that’s to fold the straps around the front of the bag before opening it up. My initial reaction of “there’s a reason why packs open from the front, because otherwise the damn straps are in the way,” passed, and it became more natural. They’re big, thick, strong straps as well, so folding them out of the way isn’t all that easy. I had to retrain my brain, because opening it backwards feels odd and unnatural at first. This is where things do get a bit awkward at first, because the straps are right in the way. The whole of the back panel on both bags can be unzipped using a pair of zippers, then folded down so it sticks out like a big tongue. A chest strap can be used, but we found it restrictive and uncomfortable, despite the ability to adjust it. Most pockets are secured - inside and out - by zips, each with a tiny Riut logo on it, and they have been faultless on both bags. They’re optional, so if you don’t want to light up like a Christmas tree, you don’t have to. Turn the backpack around and the rear is covered in soft, breathable meshed padding. The sturdy handle on the top is well padded and sensibly stretches from one side of the bag to the other, so that it‘s less likely to become annoying when the bag’s heavy.Įach comes with reflective, clip-on tags, ready for use when you’re on a bike or want to be spotted walking around at night. On the front, there’s the company logo and not much else. ![]() RiutBags are made from a tough and stiff material, with a plastic covered base, so that you can put them down on a wet or damp surface, without worrying that moisture will start soaking through to the items inside. It looks like the ideal bag for the urban traveller, so is it? Design While other backpacks with pockets up against the back do exist, the RiutBag stands out with its cool design and the ability to hold a ton of equipment and belongings inside. There are two versions, the larger 15-liter R15 and the slightly smaller 10-liter R10, and we’ve tried them both out. Originally the product of a successful, £160,000 Kickstarter campaign, the RiutBag has been available since the beginning of 2016. Riut placed all the pockets and zippers up against your back, so that the openings are never exposed to the masses behind you. Scared of wandering around a big city with a backpack on, because an unscrupulous thief could unzip a pocket and steal your phone? If so, the RiutBag backpack could be for you, because it completely reverses the basic backpack design. This backwards backpack befuddles pickpockets and carries all the gear and gadgets you need. ![]()
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