Toshi Pack 20L V2

Great backpack for my needs

I watched a ton of reviews and researched a lot of backpacks before I found this brand, and I ordered the V2 the second it came out. After a few days with it, it’s already my favorite out of all the backpacks I own. What I love: 1. The design. It’s minimalist with no logos, and I’m all for that. 2. No PU-coated zippers. I’ve had other backpacks become unusable because the zipper coating started peeling, so it’s a relief to have one that should hold up much longer. 3. Two water bottle holders. Hardly any backpacks have two, which is a shame. I like carrying my umbrella and water bottle on the outside instead of stuffing them in the main compartment, and this does that perfectly. 4. The pockets. I like the layout of both the inside and outside ones. Stuff that’s not dealbreakers, but I’d change: 1. The top handle. I like how it looks, but it’s pretty small, so it can be uncomfortable to carry or hang on a wall hook. 2. The admin compartment. I wish it were a bit deeper. My headphones fit, but it’s a tight squeeze and not super easy to grab. 3. The bottom compartment. It’s nice, but it shares space with the main compartment, so it can be awkward to use. 4. The chest strap. I wish it were removable, since I don’t always use it and it just ends up dangling. 5. It attracts a lot of fluff and lint Overall, this is about as close to the perfect backpack as I’ve found for me. I haven’t come across anything better yet.

Great bag overall, very comfortable. Only issue I had was the bag was shipped to the wrong address, but luckily my neighbor dropped off the bag at my house when they noticed it wasn't theirs.

Wanted to love it, can’t recommend it for travel

I spent a long time deciding on the Toshi Pack 20L V2, reading reviews and watching multiple YouTube videos, so I was excited to use it. I took it on its first trip, and it fell short for a travel bag. Luggage passthrough strap: This is my biggest issue. The strap is extremely tight and has no give or elasticity. On a standard carry-on Rimowa, it’s a struggle to get it over the handle. Removing it is just as annoying because it catches under the top of the handle. Once it’s on, the tightness pushes my fingers and hand against the back panel while I roll the luggage. That’s uncomfortable and clumsy. Real-world travel use: Going through baggage screening is a pain, just as you’re rushing and scrambling. The same goes for disembarking the plane. A passthrough that fights you every time you attach or remove it defeats the purpose. Side pockets: The outer side pockets are tight and scrunched up at the top, which makes them uncomfortable to use. Customer service: I emailed the team before reviewing. They replied politely and acknowledged the design drawback, suggesting a horizontal passthrough might give more room. But the explanation was that a looser passthrough is hard to do while keeping a good back-panel aesthetic. Plenty of other backpacks manage a functional passthrough without issue, so this reads as a trade-off of function for looks. Verdict: I live in Singapore and can’t easily return it, so it will probably sit mostly unused, and definitely not for travel. If you plan to use a luggage passthrough regularly, I’d look elsewhere.