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Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L Review

Peak Design has become one of the most popular camera accessory manufacturers in the world, with a string of popular and award-winning tripods, straps, and camera bags to their name during a 15+ year history. Among the most popular are a variety of different sizes and shapes of backpack, including the one we're looking at today in our hands-on Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L review.

I was fortunate to be able to test the latest generation of this compact bag during a spring staycation, where I packed plenty of camera gear for a week-long trip westward. So join me to discover whether this may be the perfect Peak Design backpack for your adventures in our hands-on review, beginning with an overview of the range.

Before diving in, this review was made at the same time as reviewing the Cuff leather strap, a minimalist wrist strap that uses a low-profile Anchor Link connector to quickly attach to your camera. If this is what you're most interested in, click here to skip to our Peak Design Cuff leather strap review.

What is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack range?

The Everyday Backpack is from a wider range of Everyday bags, which is arguably Peak Design's most iconic line of ‘urban-inspired' bags. The Everyday Backpack is popular with photographers, but works just as well as an everyday carry (EDC), as it features removable internal dividers, weather-resistant materials, and multiple access points to the inside.

Both 20L and 30L are available for 2026, and this review focuses on the smaller one, but features are shared between the two.

Along with two size options are four colours, which Peak design introduced in 2025. The 20-litre Peak Design backpack I had was in Eclipse, a sort of deep burgundy red. The idea behind this range is to cater for everyday use, whether you need to carry photo equipment, a laptop, tech, gym clothing, or a mix of everything.

One of Peak Design's strengths is the way they listen to customer feedback to improve their products and deliver generational improvements, which we explore next.

Everyday Backpack New and Improved Features

Aside from stylish new colours, this generation features a new aesthetic with cleaner seams, more rounded profiles, and refined functionality. The main outer fabric is Bluesign-approved 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, with reduced water and energy consumption in the materials inside and out. These are great eco credentials that help it stand out.

This generation also includes:

1. A new UltraZip designed to be more durable
2. Revamped shoulder straps for greater comfort
3. Larger laptop capacity up to 15/16” Macbook Pro
4. Widened top and side access points
5. Improved internal storage with more pockets
6. Updated MagLatch mechanism
7. Larger volume external pockets
8. New external carry straps with improved connectors

That's quite the list of improvements over the previous version, but what about the general features for everyday use?

What Other Features Does the Everyday Backpack Offer?

I was guilty of bringing way too much gear for the 20L V3 Everyday Backpack to realistically hold, including a Peak Design Pro Lite Tripod for review. That said, the bag coped well, which is mainly down to some of the refined features it offers, such as:

• 3L of additional storage space in the top expansion flap, which proved very handy, if a little disconcerting due to having a wider opening when fully extended
• Peak Design’s unique MagLatch and Ladder Lock system that allows the bag to expand, as well as being easy to adjust with just one hand
• Clever shoulder straps with magnet retention to keep them organised when not in use
• Plenty of grab handles that let you pick the bag up from different positions, as well as hanging it from a tripod for weight stability

When it got dirty it was good as new after a quick wipe down with a damp cloth

Despite being stuffed to the gills for the journey, once at our destination I was able to slim down the contents for everyday shooting, with a packing list that included:

• Sony A7R V camera body
• The Sony RX1R II compact, as I was asking Is The Sony RX1R II Still Worth Getting?
• Two Sony E mount lenses, which you can check here, Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F/4 G Lens Review and Tamron 35-100mm F/2.8 Di III VXD Lens Review
• Peak Design Pro Lite Tripod
• Various accessories including the usual straps, cleaning gear, filters, memory cards, spare batteries and so on.
• Lightweight rain jacket

That is quite a lot for a relatively small 20 litre bag, so it was useful that the bag expanded to accommodate my extras. But was it comfortable? That’s what we look at next.

How comfortable is this Peak Design backpack?

Once any backpack is filled with camera equipment it tends to become quite heavy, and needs to be as comfortable as possible, especially when hiking or travelling on longer journeys. Despite being compact, Peak Design's harness system is good at distributing weight across your shoulders, making it quite comfortable in use.

It was a little unbalanced with the tripod in an outer pocket, but this would be mitigated with the optional Everyday Hip Belt. Otherwise it was easy to carry, has great grab handles, and worked well as an EDC while away. It is worth noting that for quite a small bag, at 2.01kg it’s relatively heavy when empty. This is partly down to the thick padding used throughout, which is not necessarily a bad thing when you have expensive equipment inside.

If you regularly carry a lot of equipment, I'd definitely consider the larger 30-litre model, which holds 50% more gear, but the 20 litre was just big enough for what I brought along, with just enough padding to protect your shoulders. A customisable sternum strap helps with weight distribution too, so all in all it was fine even during longer walks with quite a high load.

That brings us onto how it performed in the city and for landscape photography.

What Is It Like to Use?

Peak Design bills this as more of an urban bag, which is accentuated by clean lines and a minimalist outer design. I used it for both street photography and landscapes, providing a great opportunity to test it in various situations.

Despite a few minor gripes, I was surprised at how effective and functional this backpack was in everyday use. It's really easy to swing around to your front and access equipment through either of the very smooth operating side zipped openings. This type of access makes it very quick to grab your camera for a shot, though you're still going through a few steps to retrieve it.

There are lots of magnets throughout the design, reducing flapping straps and keeping the bag neat, which is a nice touch that helps maintain the sleek styling.

The main MagLatch mechanism is a unique element, making top access satisfying, as well as relatively quick and efficient, while bucking the trend for roll-tops or zipped entry. I did wonder whether unwanted access might be too easy with this system, but it worked well and I had no problems during my time with it. If theft is a concern, there are two hoops at the top of the bag, which allow you to weave the side access zipper pulls through them, creating a theft deterrent, although this does remove the quick access feature.

If your gear is evenly distributed inside, the bag stands on its own, though it rolled over a few times, which isn't ideal in some situations. Magnetic closing water bottle pockets are nice and stretchy, accommodating around a 700ml bottle, a tripod or similar item. This 20L version is better suited to a smaller travel tripod, but it did the job, while a water bottle sat comfortably on the opposite side.

That leads onto the interior storage, which we explore next.

How Is Interior Storage and Organisation?

Interior storage in the Peak Design Everyday Backpack is quite customisable, with removable and configurable FlexFold dividers for refining your layout. Naturally you're restricted to the width of the bag, but it was deep enough for my camera with an attached Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD lens.

The FlexFold dividers fold down, which proved useful on several occasions as I could stack smaller lenses on top of each other within the same area. Essentially they save space, are really lightweight, and feel very well made.

The two end flaps that fold open to reveal the inner storage include various accessory pockets at either end. I used these all the time, but did note that as the bag swung around, my camera and lenses would sometimes shuffle and knock into the contents of these end pockets. Aside from that minor downside, they're handy accessory pockets for everyday items.

At the top there's a decent-sized compartment that I used for clothing, spare lenses and accessories depending on the shoot. Access is quick and easy via the aforementioned latch system, and a stretchy lid pocket with magnetic closure is another useful space at the top for smaller items.

Although I didn't bring a laptop on this trip, there's a pocket for a 16" MacBook Pro or smaller device, plus room for a charger and other items, so you can bring your mobile editing setup.

Who is the Everyday pack for?

Thanks to being easily convertible between camera gear and everyday items, there are plenty of users who would benefit from this backpack. Its versatility suits the everyday commute with a laptop and work essentials as much as it does a city break or even a dedicated photo trip with a reasonable amount of equipment.

If you're a heavy packer, backpacker, or hiker this may not be your first choice, but it would suit students, professionals, and everyday content creators looking for a stylish bag that ticks a lot of the boxes.

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L is a refined bag that looks smart whether shooting in the city or on a countryside adventure. The MagLatch system, FlexFold dividers, and magnetic strap retention all feel very ‘Peak Designy’ and are practical in use. When considering the eco credentials, premium build quality and all of the features discussed in this review, it’s easy to justify the price tag.

While it isn't the lightest bag at this size, the smaller 20L capacity does restrict anyone who has less equipment, helping to keep weight down. However if you regularly carry a larger load the 30L pack is of course more spacious and will likely be a better fit, or for additional capacity a without camera compartment take a look at the Peak Design travel backpack, which goes up to 45 litres.

All in all this is a compact, stylish, and functional everyday option, which is also one of the best Peak Design camera backpacks at this price point that doubles as both an EDC and camera equipment hauler.

Browse the range, or shop the Everyday Backpack 20L Eclipse for your next adventure, safe knowing that it comes backed by a robust lifetime warranty and won’t cost the earth thanks to recycled and Bluesign materials.

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By Nick Dautlich on 28/05/2026

Nick Dautlich

Senior Content Writer and Product Reviewer

Nick Dautlich is the Senior Content Writer and Product Reviewer at Park Cameras, with over 15 years of photography experience. A Sony Imaging Professional and expert reviewer, Nick has worked with major brands such as Canon, Sony and Nikon. His work is also featured on Vanguard World UK’s website, Capture Landscapes, and Shutter Evolve. Nick’s photography includes National Trust projects and magazine covers and he is passionate about landscapes and storytelling. Nick also enjoys hiking and teaching his children about nature. Learn more on his profile page.