product links ⤵
1. fyro citta https://nitpacker.short.gy/fyro-citta
2. aer cpp2 https://tidd.ly/49F6vTy
3. rework toshi v2 https://nitpacker.short.gy/toshi-20l-v2
4. sympl commuter v2.2 https://tidd.ly/3QnNOMd

(these are affiliate links... should you decide to snag one, it supports future nitpackingl)

Bro, I own the citta and cpp2 ultra and your review is spot on. You are putting on an amazing content so please keep up the great work. I really enjoyed watching your videos and I dig your style.  👍

1. It’s amazing that Fyro (deservingly) is consistently recognised as a top bag in its category just after a small limited production batch, 2. it’s also amazing that Aer with their relatively large scale doesn’t offer any EU distribution, unlike Rework and Sympl and  just on par with Fyro, which is just a newcomer. 3. It’s a shame that AON Evade, in their 3rd gen, gets so little coverage. Their front pocket is the best to me as it offers better configuration (through admin panels) so it can adjust both to pouch people and pouchless people; also it offers a relatively large front pocket with a more interesting look at the same time than the Fyro’s blank look on the front.

Thanks for the education!

4 great choices. I’d submit the Able Carry Daily Backpack  and Pioneer Duration as my top picks. Great video!

The problem with the Sympl is it’s to organised. It leaves me no need for a nice tech pouch 😂

agree for the full length admin panel helps a lot in packing and usable ❤

Yet another really well done video. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on these bags. As much as I like my CPP2 (24L) I totally agree with you in the little ways it isn't quite perfect.

Dude, you nailed this one - one of your best videos. These four bags are fantastic, and the ranking will really depend on the individual. For me, I switch between Aer and Fyro based on the laptop compartment. I wish Citta had Aer's laptop compartment - and maybe made the main compartment zip one size larger - and it would be chef's kiss. I don't love the idea of the Velcro and then my laptop, keyboard, roost stand, and iPad in separate areas, but I get that Aaron is pushing for weight, which makes sense for a travel bag; for EDC, though, my daily interaction with the bag (and the tech) matters more than weight. Bottom line: these are four great bags, and any one of them could be someone's end-game bag. Citta v2 and CPP3 could be quite a Gladiator match... and I agree with the other bags out there that might be more unique and classy, with a bit more bag joy factor, but for EDC these four are at the top of the game, and I tend to recommend the same four to others.

I have stated several times before - I totally agree about the full paneled admin compartment. Several reasons - 1) you can stuff bulky items at the bottom of the compartment - full sized headphones, jacket, tech pouch (as you stated) 2) alternatively, the front zip pocket is almost useless when the pack is full, you can fit like some tissues/wipes and that's about it. And I'm always scraping my hand on the zipper teeth as the opening is so tight when the bag is full 3) any zipper on the front face of a pack is super easy to pick-pocket. That's why I prefer a blank front face on the pack. With the 2 zipper pulls on the full-paneled admin panel, you can always put a lock when walking around more dodgey parts of town.

The top handle on the Sympl Commuter is so nice.

Agree with the full length admin panel. And damn, that interior color on the Citta...so damn good. I've been struggling to choose between the Citta 25l and the Rework Toshi 25L.

Excellent run down, any of these could easily be #1 with a minor tweak.

Please do a video on these DIY zipper pulls!

My Aer slim pouch fits nicely into the CPP front zipper pouch.

Great video and ranking at the end of the day! The Fyro is so (so) expensive to ship here to Australia unfortunately :( Huge fan of the Rework at the pricepoint they offer but for a bigger carry, definitely considering the Aer TP4 at 28L now!

15:28 this is getting less and less common now as airports upgrade to the latest scanners that dont require anything to be taken out of the bags, so much more convenient 😊

@nitpacker, great video as always!

If I had to nitpick (no pun intended 😂), I’d probably categorize these four packs as minimalist vs. maximalist rather than the most talked about.

To me, Fyro and Toshi lean more toward the minimalist camp, prioritizing comfort, lighter weight, and simplicity.  But getting the weight down means making trade-offs somewhere, whether that’s materials, padding, weather-resistant zippers, structure, or organization.  Nothing wrong with those choices, but when you factor in their pricing, I don’t find their overall value proposition as competitive as the other two.

Aer and Sympl, on the other hand, seem to prioritize build quality, organization, and functionality, even if that means carrying some extra weight.  And I think that’s perfectly reasonable for their EDC target audience.  Sure, comfort still matters, especially if you’re commuting 1–2 hours each way, but it’s a different use case from traveling, where you might be wearing your backpack for hours or even an entire day. So comfort doesn’t necessarily need to be the #1 priority for EDC.

For me, the challenge comes when brands try to cross over between EDC, travel, and even occasional day hikes.  That’s when the trade-offs between comfort, functionality, weight, quality, and price become much more interesting and/or harder to execute.

Comfort is probably the most subjective of all.  I have a 21” torso, and many 16–18” backpacks look like I’m wearing my kid’s school bag! 😂  Some also ride too high or rub against my lower back.  But I’m sure someone with a shorter torso has the opposite problem, where a longer pack hangs too low.  One size definitely doesn’t fit all.

Weight is another interesting debate.  It matters more to me when traveling, especially if you’re trying to one-bag it.  I used to travel that way, but I’ve since found that a lightweight carry-on roller paired with a personal-item-sized EDC backpack works much better.  I can carry more, put less strain on my back, and still have a versatile everyday bag once I reach my destination.

So my priorities these days are comfort, quality, style, and functionality, with weight being a consideration rather than the deciding factor.

And here’s where I question the lightweight argument.  If a minimalist backpack lacks organization and you end up adding a tech pouch or sling to compensate, haven’t you just added back some of the weight and bulk you were trying to save?  Sure, modularity makes switching between bags easier, which I appreciate, but that’s a versatility benefit, not necessarily a weight-saving one.

After all, who carries an empty backpack? For me, comparing empty bag weights without considering the additional accessories needed to make them equally functional is misleading.

A few other popular arguments that I don’t necessarily agree with:

1) Luggage pass-throughs are unnecessary on larger backpacks.  I hear this quite often, but I wonder how many people making that argument regularly travel with kids, family groups, or elderly parents. When you’re managing multiple suitcases, being able to slide your backpack onto someone else’s carry-on or checked luggage is incredibly useful and light on the sweaty back.  It’s not just about your own luggage.

2) Two external bottle pockets are unnecessary.  Not for me!  I live in a tropical monsoon climate, so one pocket is often for an umbrella.  Who wants to mix a drenched umbrella with your expensive electronics?  The other might hold a water bottle or a larger power bank when I’m working remotely and need to charge my phone or laptop.  External pockets aren’t just for water bottles, and having two gives me more flexibility.

3) All-black exteriors and bright orange interiors.  This is entirely personal preference.  Some people love the stealthy, all-black look, or the bright orange, while others prefer subdue contrast, lighter colors, or contrast interiors for visibility.  I think Bellroy does the best good job of offering different materials and color combinations.  If brands want to appeal to a broader audience, giving customers more choices in exterior and interior colors and materials would be a welcome benefit.

Ultimately, I don’t think there’s a perfect backpack, just one that best fits your body, lifestyle, and priorities.  And that’s why I enjoy your reviews.  They help expose those trade-offs so we can decide what matters most to us rather than assuming one design philosophy is better than the others.

Keep up the great work!

Aesthetically, I like Able Carry's bags, got the 13 and MAX EDC, would love to get the Daily Plus, recently got the AER CPP2. Great bags, visually and comfort wise, I really like the MAX EDC, particularly good if I need the extra space, only gripe with the Able Carry 13 is the back panel getting sweaty in summer, otherwise it's perfect.

I have the all of these except the Fyro. What I really like about the Rework and I think deserved more attention is the dual access method of the main compartment, you can zip it half way open and then use it as a top loading “normal” bag much better than the other two. I highly appreciate that feature on the go, grabbing my camera or other stuff out of the bag but not laying it flat. The others all don’t work that great in that scenario.

My cpp2 is 20l xpac
My Sympl Commuter is 20l xpac limited edition
My Rework toshi is the 25L in xpac (side access wider on 25L btw)

Bonus: also have a able carry max edc but it sees almost no use anymore, on the go usability not as good as the other 3 imho.