Review: Able Carry Daily
Disclaimer
I bought the Able Carry Daily with my own money. The opinions in this review are entirely my own. The links to Amazon are affiliate links. I receive a commission if you make a purchase using my link. Thank you for considering.
The Able Carry Daily in olive green Cordura on my back. I’m 173 cm (5’7”), 66 kg (145 lbs).
Introduction
Able Carry is a Hong Kong–based brand that’s not afraid to do things differently. Their products are innovative and opinionated, and you either become a fan of Able Carry or you don’t—there’s no middle ground.
The Daily backpack is the first Able Carry product, launched in 2018. It’s a 20L backpack with a unique A-frame suspension system that prevents the bag from sagging under heavy load. The material is 1000D thick Cordura nylon. All compartments feature PU-coated, yet still buttery-smooth, YKK zippers. A well-padded, ventilated back panel, 7 cm–wide (2.7 in) shoulder straps, and the addition of a sternum strap make up the top-class comfort of this bag.
For all that, the Able Carry Daily comes in at 140 USD.
Experience
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect EDC backpack for a long time, trying different brands and form factors. It all began with the XD Design Bobby Hero XL and XD Design Soft Daypack. Then I attempted to replace a backpack with a combo of the Alpaka Go Sling Mini and Bravo tote, moved on to the Bellroy Slim Backpack, and then thought I had found the grail in the form of the Lojel Eblo (read about how it went here). Disappointed, I looked toward established brands and tried the Osprey Arcane and Osprey 26 + 6. Not one of those worked exactly the way I wanted. And then one day, a UPS courier woke me with a call about the Able Carry Daily delivery.
I took the Able Carry Daily with me on a hike to Doi Inthanon and Mae Sa Waterfalls, on long walks in the park, on a New Year shopping spree, and to work out of coffee shops. It worked for me in all situations, but it might not do the same for you.
Why not Daily Plus?
Able Carry released the Daily Plus in 2023. It is designed to be a successor to the Daily with a slightly bigger capacity (21L instead of 20L), redesigned organization group around the laptop sleeve, pockets in the front compartment, and a dedicated water bottle pocket—a definite improvement across the board but one that comes at a higher price point.
I really wanted a green backpack, and at the time of purchase that left me with two options: the Daily in Cordura for 140 USD or the Daily Plus in X-Pac for 210 USD. I’m not a big fan of X-Pac, so an extra 70 bucks didn’t seem like a worthy investment. Looking back at this decision, I don’t regret it, but it does leave me wondering if I would have been even better off with the Daily Plus.
Aesthetics
The look of the Daily is one of the best things about it. The bag has a sleek, conus-like shape rounded at the top that differentiates it from boxy, corporate-looking backpacks. The 1000D Cordura nylon gives the bag a chic-looking shine. Straps that run along the frame of the bag are color-matched with the main material nicely. The Daily looks fitting in a variety of situations if you don’t take yourself too seriously.
That said, it isn’t a casual backpack, as it seems at first glance. It’s best worn high and tight (more on that in the “Comfort” section); combined with thick material, it makes this bag a bit of a tank on your back. Personally, I like this. It gives me a “money-worth” premium feeling, but if you are looking for a more casual yet versatile backpack you might prefer the likes of Osprey Arcane.
Organization
Let’s address three elephants in the room. First, because of the shape of the Daily, it feels smaller than advertised. Looking at it from the front — it has this cone-like shape I like so much aesthetically — and from the top — it’s shaped like the letter “D” — that brings the backpack closer to 17–18L rather than 20L.
The second elephant is the lack of external pockets. You can forget about carrying a water bottle or an umbrella on the outside; those go in the main compartment.
The third elephant is the bag’s dimensions, specifically its height. Being 48 cm (18.8 in) tall, it won’t fit any airline regulation as a personal item. With this out of the way, let’s get into the Daily’s organization.
The Daily has two compartments and a top pocket. The top pocket is a great place for the most valuable things, as it sits right against your back. It’s rather tight, and you won’t be able to put bulky things in there, but it’s quite tall at the same time. I found it to be a perfect place to store my passport, a cardholder with an insurance card and driver’s license, a slim wallet, and a phone.
The front pocket is accessed via an angled zipper and does not have any internal pockets. It’s a good place for bulky items you don’t mind mingling with each other. There is also a key leash for quick access to your keys — swing the bag around your shoulder and grab your keys at a moment’s notice. Personally, I store my packable tote, full-size Traveler’s Company notebook, a Kindle in a case, and a trusty combo of a pocketknife, flashlight, and multitool. This pocket competes for space with the main compartment a bit, so you can fit a windbreaker in there, but not when the bag is fully packed out.
Going over to the main compartment, we start off with the laptop sleeve. It’s advertised to fit up to 16" laptops, is nicely padded, and has some volume. I had no problem fitting even two laptops in there at the same time: a 15" MacBook Air and a 13" MacBook Air. Both laptops fit securely and slide out easily when needed. There is a bit of a false bottom to the sleeve, and the bottom of the bag itself is padded, so I’m not worried about my laptops.
There are two pen slots on each side of the laptop sleeve. Both are decently wide and can fit bigger pens or two smaller pens at the same time.
The stretchy mesh zippered pocket can accommodate even bulkier items, like a tech pouch. But I prefer to store things there that I don’t want mingling in the main compartment, like my power bank and AirPods.
On the opposite side of the laptop sleeve, there are two pockets: an open one and a zippered one. The open pocket is rather tall, and you could use it to store a small umbrella or a larger pencil case; I tend to keep a pack of tissues and a hand sanitizer there. Although those do fall to the bottom sometimes, and I need to reach for my items from time to time.
The zippered pocket is where I tend to store items I always need but don’t access frequently: my medicine pouch, wet wipes, and backup face masks. This pocket is decently tall, but if you put bulkier things in there, it obstructs access to the main area of the compartment.
The main area is where most of the bag’s volume is. It can fit a larger hoodie, a 700 ml water tumbler, a tech pouch, and a textbook, with some space left at the top to put items picked up along the way. Even though it’s not a full clamshell opening, the zippers run almost all the way, so getting to things at the bottom of the bag is not too much of a problem.
Here is what was inside the bag: 15” MacBook Air, 13” MacBook Air, Native Union laptop stand (black), generic laptop stand (silver), Kniprs umbrella, 700 ml Muji tumbler, Muji pouch (light gray), tissues, hand sanitizer, Uniqlo overshirt, cardholder, passport, AirPods, power bank, Bellroy Hide & Seek wallet, Muji pouch (black), Muji packable tote (gray), face masks, Traveller’s Company notebook with Rotring pen, Nitecore Tiny 2 TI flashlight on Nite Ize #1 carabiner, Nite Ize DoohicKey multitool, Nitecore NTK05 knife.
Worthy of mention is the abundance of external latch points. There are two on each side at the top of the bag and nine running along the bottom. So clipping anything externally is no trouble.
Organization-wise, I think the Daily lives up to its name. It’s not a travel backpack; it’s built for day-to-day use, and it’s good at it.
Materials, Hardware, and Build Quality
The quality of the Daily is one of its strong points. It feels like a bag that will last a lifetime.
The 1000D Cordura nylon feels robust and durable; the webbing on the top handle is silk-like; the YKK zippers, although PU-coated, still glide like a knife through butter and can be used with one finger; the zipper pulls are made of grippy nylon and feature an easy-to-grab loop; the stitching is immaculate, with reinforced stitching at the weak points. I could continue my ballad to the quality of this bag, but you get the idea—it’s made extremely well. There is a catch, of course.
You are paying for this quality in weight. The empty bag weighs 1.2 kg, which is very heavy for what is, in essence, an 18L backpack.
Comfort
This bag is comfortable. Full stop.
Let’s start with the handle: it’s smooth to the touch, easy to grab, and well-padded. The shoulder straps are 7 cm wide (2.7 in), ventilated, and generously padded. But it should be noted that this padding is on the firmer side; it’s not soft and cushiony. Same goes for the back panel—thick padding, great ventilation, but it’s firm. The sternum strap is a welcome addition, as it helps redistribute the weight evenly. The fit also plays an important role; the Daily is better worn high and tight, more like a hiking backpack rather than a campus bag.
Overall, I feel like the Daily can be compared to an orthopedic pillow; its comfort comes from thoughtfully engineered support and weight distribution. So if you’re someone who prefers their pillows to be soft, the Daily won’t be a good match.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Unique aesthetic that is distinctly Able Carry.
Just enough organization for day-to-day use.
Highest quality materials.
Orthopedic pillow-like comfort.
Competitive price.
Can comfortably fit two laptops.
Cons
Smaller than advertised (more like 18L instead of full 20L).
Heavy. 1.2 kg when empty.
Won’t work as a personal item.
Lacks external pockets.
Conclusion
The Able Carry Daily has an opinion on everything—from its unique shape to organization to comfort. If you disagree with it, it’s a hard pass. But if you do agree, you have found the EDC backpack you have been looking for.
