Rarely, if ever, do I feel moved enough to write a review of a product (good OR bad), but this is one I find worthwhile. I love backpacks and biking and have never been able to find a bag that I was convinced enough would meet my exacting standards to marry the two. I needed something with a lot of storage space, weatherproof enough to carry a laptop in, and convertible to work as a backpack or pannier bag. I thought that, if such a thing existed, it would cost me at least $300 based on the research I had done last year.

When I returned to the task of picking out such a bag, I found this one very quickly and was STOKED. I waited for it to arrive like a kid at Christmas. I bike 11 miles to work each way, 2 days per week with a dog in a trailer behind me. In this bag, I usually carry a (large!) water bottle, some emergency tools, TWO laptops, a portable monitor, a change of clothes, a small lunch, and assorted odds and ends. And I don't even feel like I'm pushing it quite to its limit! I never thought I'd be able to get this all in a single backpack-style pannier bag. This has replaced my Topeak MTX Trunk Bag EXP and is doing a better job for my use case than the old bag ever did. Cannot recommend it enough!

I should note it does take some squeezing to get my 16 inch laptop in the pocket, but it's a weirdly designed 16" computer — much deeper than most with that branding would be. I don't fault Two Wheel Gear for this, but it might be worth noting.

All-around a very well designed pannier/backpack. It has the size I was looking for; the separated compartments for my laptop, sunglasses, small pouch for easy access to whatever I need, along with a mini zippered internal pocket in the main compartment. The material seems to be made well and should last long awhile.

My only two negatives about this bag (one being more personal) are that the straps for the backpack are designed a little close together and rub against my neck when I wear both straps. The second is the plastic clips for the shoulder straps are pretty thin, and will likely break easily.

Overall though, I am very happy with this bag. It had everything I was looking for.

I love that while it is a very capable pannier, it looks like a (rather sleek) regular backpack. It’s super easy to “convert” from backpack to pannier and it feels super durable. Haven’t had to use the rain cover yet but it’s a really nice touch. I can fit in everything I need to bring to work (emergency change of clothes included) and I haven’t felt any changes in terms of balance while riding my bike, which was my main concern with a full 30L backpack.

I like how big it is & how organized I feel having it. It’s better than my old pannier. I’m dealing with less clutter with how many different compartments/pockets it has.

Pannier Backpack Convertible 2.0 PLUS (30L)