Deuter Amager 25+5: German engineering for your commute

Roll-top bags dominate the world of commuter backpacks as they offer better water-resistance compared to bags with zips. Because no one wants to arrive at work with soggy clothes to change into.

Made from a thin but tough waterproof material (without any harmful PFAs) and with taped and sealed seams, the Amager will have no problem keeping its contents dry. The kit on the inside that is. There are straps and loops on the outside to hold your helmet, two velcro loops for a lock and some fixed straps that you could hook smaller items too.

There’s enough space in the bag - 30 litres - to carry everything you need for a day at the office, and a removable padded laptop pocket that comfortably holds a 17-inch machine. The pocket itself has a couple of compartments on the front to hold pens, chargers, notepads or whatever. Take it out and you’ll have a little more space inside.

The roll top design allows you to expand the bag a little if it’s full to bursting, and clamp it down the required amount with the adjustable strap over the top.

There are two padded strips down the back of the bag for comfort, with a gap in between for a bit of airflow to keep your back cool. The padding in the shoulder straps also has some holes cut into it to allow for airflow.

Although they would make minimum difference. I tested my bag through the winter and could only dream of using it on hot sunny days, so while I can’t vouch for any cooling airflow, I can at least vouch for its comfort.

The bag has plenty of nice little features, including a magnet to hold the top together which makes it easier to roll up, and a velcro fastener on the adjustment strap so it can be neatly tucked away rather than have it flapping around. And there’s a stash pocket to hide the waist straps when you’re not using them.

The smaller chest strap slides up and down on a 14cm runner, giving good adjustability and next to it is a small loop to stash sunglasses.

The back of the bag is rigid so it holds its shape when sitting on the floor, which makes it easier to pack as you don’t have to hold the bag with one hand and pack with the other.

There’s one small zipped pocket at the bottom of the bag on the right-hand side, just big enough for a phone, wallet and keys. Those smaller items you might want to grab quickly.

The helmet straps would hold your lid a little more securely if they were elasticated and had a bit of grip. Not that it’s unsecure, it just needs some adjustment to get it just so.

But if you’re looking for something to double up as a day bag, then it might not be right for you. This is the one drawback of rolltop bags as the single opening at the top means it can be hard to find or get to items at the bottom. The worst case scenario is something at the top falling out of the bag as you’re rummaging for something lower down, as happened to me.