16 December 2021
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I wasn't totally sure the Ulvö 30 would fit the bill when I pulled the trigger and bought it, but I'm glad I did!
I had pretty specific requirements when I was hunting for this bag. I wanted a small(ish) top-loading backpack, laptop sleeve to fit a 16" Macbook Pro, a chest strap, detachable hip belt, internal organisation, water bottle pockets, weather resistant material, and I wanted all this in a package that wouldn't look out of place in a London office. The Ulvo ticks all of these boxes for me and aside from a few minor nitpicks I'm delighted with it.
Most importantly, I find this bag extremely comfortable when it's got a decent amount of weight in it. The laptop sleeve is great, big enough for my mammoth 16" MacBook Pro and protective enough that I don't worry about how expensive the laptop was (gulp!).
The design of the "backwards" lid and internal organisation is a bit unorthodox but very effective. From the wearer's back outwards, you've effectively got laptop sleeve > main compartment > secondary compartment. What this means in practice is that you can access most of the contents without ruining the organisation of the other items—a major complaint I tend to have with other bags.
The external fabric looks great, and I love the more minimal look of a simple logo and not too many seams or zips. There are also a couple of small loops if you want to attach a carabiner or another small item like that.
There are a few negatives:
(i) the water bottle pouches feel quite fragile when the bag is on the fuller side, and may not last as long as the other materials
(ii) the chest strap and hip belt are both very solid when in use, but both very fiddly to attach/detach
(iii) the back of the bag (where the logo is) slumps inwards when there's not much in the main compartment, especially if you've got something in the lid
None of the above are even close to dealbreakers though, and I would buy this bag again if I lost it. I recently used it for a carry-on-only trip to a cold country abroad and it managed to fit a suit, smart shoes, laptop, iPad and chargers, toiletries and warm weekend clothes — pretty impressive for a 30 litre bag that fits under the plane seat.
Overall it does everything I need, in a nice-looking package that should still be going strong in many years' time. Fjällräven have absolutely nailed this one!