CPL 16 Review
(photos at end)
A few weeks back I received my first Evergoods bag, the CPL16. I love the bag and have used it daily since, both as my EDC bag and as a companion bag when traveling on a handful of domestic trips, including some flights.
Before buying the bag, I found it helpful to read the experiences and opinions of people on this sub. So I figured I’d share my own experience here if it helps anyone make a decision to buy (or not buy) the bag.
Why I love it
As I mentioned, I love the bag. My goal is to have one bag that’s not too large but can still be used everyday and as a carry on item, and this fits the bill. Here’s specifically what I like about the bag:
- The size. I prefer bags that are on the smaller side, so 16L is perfect. For me it’s the Goldilocks size: small enough to be an EDC bag when traveling internationally while still spacious enough to be a travel companion bag for what I travel with.
- The material. I have the 840d nylon and it feels really premium. My other bags are Aer CPP and Able Carry Thirteen, all in nylon, and of the three I prefer the CPL16 material. (All three are extremely solidly built, though.)
- The comfort. I know some folks have reported comfort issues with EG bags, but I find this bag to be extremely comfortable.
- Clamshell design. I love how accessible clamshell openings make everything. I only recently discovered clamshell bags and I’ll never go back.
- The look. I love the design. It’s subtle and looks unique, as far as tech-y black bags go.
- Solid build quality. I don’t want a bag that I feel I have to baby: this one feels tough.
- This is a smaller thing, but carrying it with the side handle is extremely ergonomic, even when the bag is packed out heavy. Any time it’s not on my back I carry it with the side handle.
Concerns going in
I had two concerns before buying the bag, neither of which ended up being true:
- Back digging. I’m 5’11” and wear the bag high and tight. The bottom of the bag lands before my back starts to curve back out, which may be why I don’t experience the back dig.
- Depth. People criticize some EG bags for being too deep, and the model photos on the website make this backpack look way too deep. Maybe it will look like that if you absolutely overstuff it, or maybe they’re just bad photos, but in my experience it looks more reasonable in person.
Issues I do have
These are my personal issues I have with the bag. I might be wrong, and you might disagree, which is totally fine. This is just my personal review.
The main issue I have with the CPL16 is that I’m right-handed and the bag is designed for left handed use. If you sling it over your right shoulder (my default), all of the vertically oriented pockets point straight down. If any have accidentally been left unzipped, things can fall out.
I looked it up and their reasoning has to do with riding bikes. Well, I ride a bike with the bag 5 days a week and this orientation still makes no sense to me. You can get around it by training yourself to use the left arm, but it’s the biggest design flaw in this bag, I think.
And some smaller things that are personal preferences of mine.
- No water bottle pocket, though I understand why it doesn’t have one.
- No luggage passthrough. I prefer luggage passthrough on all of my bags. It makes them more versatile and well-designed luggage passthroughs don’t add much bulk or weight (see: Aer), so why not?
- The idea of the side access is that you can swing it over your shoulder, but in my experience this doesn’t work so well. The bag needs to be worn high as tight, so there’s not enough strap to easily swing it over the shoulder. For me this is minor as I wouldn’t usually access my bag that way, even if it did work. The side-access design is still useful, as I tend to set the bag down on its side and access it like a tote.
- No dedicated AirTag holder. This seems like a weird omission considering every other bag manufacturer these days includes one. You pretty much have to just throw an AirTag in one of the pockets, which doesn’t feel as safe to me.
- No built-in strap keepers. There’s not much else to say here other than “What the heck, Evergoods?“ I use the Tom Bihn strap keepers which work, but man, this is an absolutely bizarre omission.
My Carry
This is my typical EDC carry, which is mostly dad mode as I’m often going out on adventures with my toddler these days.
Main compartment:
- Diaper bag. I use a Tom Bihn Large Snake Charmer for my diaper bag, which holds diapers, wipes, and a foldable changing mat.
- Snacks for kid. These also go in a little bag so that they’re easy to find. I had a Bellroy pouch lying around that I repurposed for this.
- Sippy cup in a waterproof bag. The waterproof bag is my workaround for a lack of a water bottle pocket. I zip up the bag when we head out, but then during the day I’ll leave it unzipped and just drop the sippy cup inside.
- 16oz water bottle. Due to weight and how much I drink when we go out I usually fill this halfway, so I just ordered a 9oz water bottle which will take up less space in the bag.
- Assorted toys.
- Glasses case with glasses and sunglasses.
- Winter accessories for the fam (gloves, hats, etc)
- Notebook
In the interior top zipper compartment, I keep my wallet and a nanobag.
In the interior bottom zipper compartment, I have an AirTag, Hero Clip, travel fork (comes in handy sometimes when feeding the kid), very small reusable towel.
Quick access pocket:
Airpods Pro, phone charger, tissues, keys, chapstick.
Front compartment:
Kindle, small toiletry bag (band-aids, lotion, spare tissues, etc.) quart sized ziplock bags, paper towels, snacks for adults (Clif bar, etc.). The ziplock and paper towels are there because every now and again I’ll need one of them when out with the kid.
Exterior:
- S-biner where winter coats and gloves can be attached for external carry.
My “Work EDC” mode is different, but it’s not packed out as full (basically, remove kid stuff, add AirPods Max, a Macbook Air, and some other tech accessories.)
Overall rating
9/10
This bag is a nearly perfect execution of what Evergoods was aiming for. I love the size — there aren’t too many “premium” bags at 16L, especially not clamshell ones — and the biggest compromise, that it was designed for lefties, does have a workaround.
I’d reluctantly upgrade to a mirror version if they release it. And I’ll probably vaguely keep looking out for other well-designed ~16L bags that also have a water bottle pocket and luggage passthrough as a bag to eventually replace this one. But I’m not in any rush and can see myself using this for years to come.
I meant to take photos of how I load it out, but I just don’t have the time. So rather than wait around and never post this, I decided to just post it with these outdoor photos I took with it on a hike the other week.
