Bellroy Transit Plus Review - Travel Backpack

[@LezOLee]

Newer releases of this pack have their revised strap keepers that hold the extra slack in place much better, and keeps the straps from sliding loose very effectively.

[@ofthetraveler]

Thanks for the update. If that’s the case, this bag is a no-brainer.

[@pinkybunyi4982]

Thank you for this in-depth review, I’m excited for the next one on another Bellroy bag! 😊

[@AdamNevins]

Nice! I want to get that color too. Such a great pack.

[@_dreko]

"alright, let's do this. I'm Giovanni Georgiou, and this is the Bellroy Transit backpack" **Techno music starts playing*

[@ofthetraveler]

Rofl 🤣 This made me legit laugh out loud.

[@BrainFlipp]

Excellent review mate 👍

[@ofthetraveler]

Thanks! I hope it was useful for you.

[@wemajorhomie]

Thanks for the review, I just bought one myself from your vid!

[@ofthetraveler]

That’s the best compliment I could get. I hope the Transit can be a faithful companion on many adventures! What color/material did you get?

[@wemajorhomie]

@@ofthetraveler same exact one! I love the color of the marine blue and I wanted to be strictly one bag traveling with the 38L

[@ofthetraveler]

@@wemajorhomie great choice. You can totally pull it off. I did two weeks in Austria with a Large Knack Pack, and the Transit is larger. If you don’t mind, once you take your trip, let me know how it suited you.

[@yoddythegreat]

Nice review! By the way, Tom from Pack Hacker said that the shoulder strap adjustment can slide by itself when its packed out. Does this also happen to your bag?

[@ofthetraveler]

hey Yoddy! Yes, and it’s the reason why I sold it. At first it wasn’t too bad, but over time it just got to be a hassle. I was adjusting it every few minutes while walking.

[@anter881]

Hello regarding the strap buckles losing the grip. Personally I have solved the same issues on Oslo and Venture backpacks with sea to summit field repair 20mm buckles. They work great and are relatively easy to subsitute bellroy buckles. Downside is that original buckles need to be destroyed. Thank you for your videos!

[@ofthetraveler]

That’s a super helpful suggestion! Ha, I wish I’d of known this before I sold the pack. I replaced it with a Remote Equipment Alpha 31. Not sure how it’ll do as a replacement, but I’m going on a long trip with it next month so we’ll see. Thanks!

[@anter881]

@@ofthetraveler will be waiting for the review!

[@tugberkugurlu]

Did you try to get a refund or replacement from Bellroy for the issue of loosening? Just want to understand how helpful they are with their 3 year warranty.

[@comeatime-rg2yl]

Hey how is the material holding on? Have you been using the bag and do you have hard stains on Baida nylon I heard its very susitanable to stains...

[@ofthetraveler]

@@comeatime-rg2yl I am still using it! In fact, I just took it on a family trip last week. The fabric is amazing, still holding up strong and looks almost brand new. It’s one of my favorite fabrics. Also, stains do come off very easy. No issues there.

[@comeatime-rg2yl]

@@ofthetraveler I have bought it earliear in this fabric. This video motivated me tho haha. I was expecting Nightsky in Venture Ripstop nylon that I adore and think thats is one of the most versetaile and malleable materials but the seller have seneded me Baida Nylon but now I got it i really enjoy it.

[@sennahojw]

Hi, how does the size and comfort compared to the GR2 40L? And is the bellroy weekender plus review coming soon?

[@ofthetraveler]

Hey Johannes! I've not used the GR2 40L, but I can make a comparison between the Transit Plus and the GR1 I've been using. With the Transit's thinner straps, although comfortable, you'll definitely want to use the sternum strap. Bellroy does a good job of using just enough material to provide comfort, even after long periods of use. With GR straps being so robust and beefy, it would probably be more comfortable over long stretches of time, but this will also depend on your shoulders and neck since the GR straps are ridiculously big. The Transit's size felt good, I wasn't bumping into people in airports or train stations. I think the two are similar in how they'd sit on your back. The Weekender review will be out next month. I am doing a Bellroy Venture review next. If you have any questions, let me know.

[@sennahojw]

@@ofthetraveler Great! Thanks for your insight 🙏

[@hugoornelas8172]

I'd like to know how well this bag fits under the airplane seat. Nice review!

[@ofthetraveler]

Thanks Hugo, I appreciate that! The Transit Plus won’t fit underneath the seat at 38L. Even if empty, it’s still a big bag. You might be able to get by with the Transit Backpack that’s 28L, but at that size you’re really pushing it. If under seat is important to you and you want to stick with Bellroy, the Transit Workpack is very nice and will fit under the seat, as will as Bellroy Apex. Outside of Bellroy, I recently tested an Osprey 26+6 that’s only $100, has a great design, and fits under the seat.

[@hugoornelas8172]

@@ofthetraveler thanks for your answer! I'll try transit workpack

[@ofthetraveler]

@@hugoornelas8172 Let me know how that works out for you. And which one you get. The Transit line has such a great design.

[@jcpalermo2576]

Glad to see you back. I feel like it’s been a while. So Bellroy, turns out they make phenomenal gear. I’m a huge fan, but have never seen this pack specifically. You’re right, it’s really big, but I wouldn’t say it looks awkward. It looks, like the shoulder straps are attached 5-6” below the top of the bag. Does that add any extra pull on the shoulders? Almost seems like it would hang cussing the bottom of the bag to drive into your waistline.

[@ofthetraveler]

I would have posted last week, but I was on a family vacation. You bring up a good point about the straps, one that I didn’t really notice until I really started evaluating this pack for a review. In use, though, I’ve never notice it bother me, and I’ve loaded this thing down. I think they’d do well with adding some load lifters to keep the top of the pack closer to the body. I wonder if the back contouring helps to alleviate the issue. The straps are about two inches down from the top. Good eye, though, JC.

[@jcpalermo2576]

@@ofthetraveler thanks for the reply and as usual, great review. Another question, when you had the pack on, the straps looked completely unruly. Did Bellroy fit this bag with strap keepers like what’s on the Apex, or do they leave it to the consumer to figure out?

[@amaraslogic]

Where did you get the packing cubes?

[@ofthetraveler]

Hey there, I use the Trakke Foulden Clamshell packing cubes. They’re made of dry finish waxed canvas with YKK Aquaguard zips. Super nice. trakke.co.uk/collections/accessories/products/foulden-clamshell-packing-cubes I also use the Arcido Oxna Compression Packing Cube. It’s very similar to the Peak Design packing cube, but it has a slight taper. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to make them anymore.

[@amaraslogic]

@@ofthetraveler Thanks for the reply. I also just ordered the transit plus backpack due to your review 🫡

[@ofthetraveler]

@@amaraslogic that’s great to hear! I hope it helps you travel as many miles or kilometers as it has for me!

[@tugberkugurlu]

Great review!

[@ofthetraveler]

Thanks, man. I appreciate that. As a small content creator, the means a lot.

[@pablozunigacarvajal3297]

What do you think about Peak Design 'Travel Backpack 45L' model?

[@ofthetraveler]

Hey Pablo, good question. The Peak Design bag is an excellent choice, especially if you are a photographer, as Peak includes features that are perfect for photographers. In terms of travel bags, it’s #3 on my list, #2 being the Heimplanet Transit 34L, and #1 being the Bellroy Transit Plus. The Peak travel bag is rather heavy at 4.5lbs or 2.05kg vs the 2.7lbs or 1.1kg of the Bellroy Transit. Also 45L is quite large, and if you pack it out too much, you may get issues with overhead bins on certain airlines. I personally find 38L to be the sweet spot for travel bags. Honestly, if the weight or size is not an issue, you can’t go wrong with any of the three packs i mentioned. Hope this helps.

[@pablozunigacarvajal3297]

nice comment, thanks! I did not know Heimplanet, now I am taking a look at it. ;) @@ofthetraveler

[@ofthetraveler]

@@pablozunigacarvajal3297 Nice! They’re great people. Let me know what you decide to get.

[@pinkybunyi4982]

Does the exterior have white marks due to the wax that is used to make the material water-resistant? Thanks.

[@ofthetraveler]

Good eye. The white marks that tend to appear on Baida material is a result of the DWR coating mixed with the material itself. It creates a patina that’s unique to how you use the pack - similar to waxed canvas.

[@ofthetraveler]

This happens quite a bit on my Apex because of how it folds, although, after I got your message I checked the Transit and didn’t really see any noticeable patina marks.

[@pinkybunyi4982]

@@ofthetraveler I’m torn between Lunar and Marine Blue, though leaning more toward the latter because dirt and abrasions won’t be too noticeable on it compared to the other color, which is lighter. Anyway, thanks for the quick reply! 😊

[@ofthetraveler]

@@pinkybunyi4982 Lunar is quite classy as well. You can't go wrong with either, although, I would venture to say that Lunar will show more wear because of how light the color is. I hope you enjoy many adventures with your Transit!

[@pinkybunyi4982]

@@ofthetraveler Thanks, can’t wait to get mine! 😊

[@Medsas]

5:39 you’re not necessarily travelling alone 😅 could be your partner’s roller luggage with your own backpack on top

[@ofthetraveler]

@@Medsas You’re absolutely right. In a few of this trips, the luggage I was rolling around with was my toddler’s 😆

[@erichanson5628]

Excellent video!

[@ofthetraveler]

Thanks for taking the time to say that, I appreciate it, Eric.

[@bshaw1003]

Couple of things: 1. Yes the material is great but does not justify $450 price tag. I think its bit much. 2. I had bought a Bellroy weekender in marine blue and everyone kept asking about how to keep it clean cause smudges and all will be more visible with time, so I returned it and got the black one, I like this bag too and may settle for black (when it goes on sale) though marine blue does look nice but my concern again is wear n tear and spotting with time & how to keep it clean. Due to my work, I travel alot, 6 months in the year I am flying (well not recently due to Covid) but when it starts again, I want to start with new gear and I think I will settle for this backpack (in black) unless someone assures me that marine blue won't start to look darker with time lol

[@ofthetraveler]

Thanks for the comment. The website says it’s $289 USD. I am not sure if you are in another country though, so that may account for the higher price tag. Baida will patina over time for sure, if you dislike that, than definitely get a different material. I personally feel it adds a little character to the pack, like waxed canvas does. So far on mine, despite several trips, there are zero smudges or patina. Maybe I am not using it hard enough. Despite what material you choose, the form-factor, design, and features are the main draw.

[@bils6434]

@@ofthetraveler Thanks. I am in Australia and price is AU$450. It does go on sale sometime and drops to like 370.

[@ofthetraveler]

@@bils6434 That’s tough, man. You’d think being an Aussie brand, Bellroy would have better prices for you. Despite the price, their warranty is good, as is their customer service. I’ve had a few Bellroy pieces for several years now and they’ve held up. Happy carrying!

[@bils6434]

@@ofthetraveler That's the problem, they are charging the same at home & I have no issue paying for something worth having but I think this should be around AUD$300 but that's just my pov. You can find better prices at RM Williams , Crumpler & Kathmandu, these are all Australian brands.