ROKA Commuter and Transition Pack Review

When I went to Lanzarote at the beginning of the year with Redbull, I was lucky enough to be gifted with one of the most eye-googling, conventional and pretty robust sports bags. Despite not knowing it at the time, the new ROKA Commuter Pack soon became my little everyday companion – work and pleasure.

Before I became familiar with the ROKA Commuter Pack, my go-to gym holdall was my Bulldog Gear bag, and yes, whilst it was a thing of CrossFit beauty – it sadly, just wasn’t very practical (being half the size of me and all that) and at times, I found it hard to carry.

So after I received my pack in Lanzarote, and after many IG stories of my newly claimed bag, I wondered if the ROKA Commuter Pack was truly worth the hype (and the price tag, mind you). After a good 4 months of trekking around like an American school girl with a backpack that looks larger than life, here are my thoughts…

Just a quick one… this isn’t a sponsored post. Yes, I have been gifted both bags that feature in this post, however, this review has been written out of choice. Enjoy!

A Very Honest ROKA Pack Review

The ROKA Commuter Pack, on the whole, is very practical. In fact, it’s more than practical. It’s almost as if ROKA have taken the everyday gym bag and turned it into a do-everything everyday gym bag. Work? Got it. Gym? Got it. Family life? Got it. Vacation? Got it. This isn’t just a bag – this is more than a bag. ROKA describe the bag as ‘a purpose-built storage solution designed to hustle as hard as you do’ and although it’s quite a lot to claim for a bag, it does bloody that. To put it to the test, I firstly decided to go a whole week with my ROKA bag and no other bag. Together we:

• Travelled to Birmingham to work away for 3 days (all my clothes fitted into the main part of the bag)
• Headed to the gym (I stick my water bottle in the located pocket at the side of the bag and my headphones in a small little zip pocket at the top of the bag)
• Went swimming (there’s a nifty compartment for your wet clothes separate from the rest of the bag)
• Went to the office together (your laptop can slide nicely into the back of the pack away from everything else)
• Completed the weekly food shop (I stick my personal items in a compartment at the front of the bag)

How did we get on? Well, if I’m honest, we got on like a house on fire. It’s so damn practical. As the months went on, and my love affair with the ROKA Commuter Pack continued, I was then gifted ROKA’s newly released pack, the ROKA Transition Pack – to my boyfriend’s delight. To put things into perspective, here’s a round-up review of both bags…

The ROKA Transition Pack

Just like the Commuter Pack, The Transition Pack is built for everyday life – but with just a little more detail. It’s bigger. It comes with its own wet/dry bag. Its compartment space is a little more practical. And it comes with unrestricted access – meaning that you can completely unzip the front of the bag (aka, less faffing around trying to find things).

The details

• Compliant with all international carry-on standards
• Capacity: 38L
• Bag Dimensions: 22” x 13” x 9”
• Three zippered interior compartments with removable velcro walls allow for easy customization.
• Multiple inner storage pouches and zipper pockets are thoughtfully designed to accommodate anything and everything.
• Top-pocket protective eyewear storage system keeps sunglasses safe.
• Water resistant materials quickly and effectively shed moisture.
• Through-ports make threading chargers and headphones a snap.
• Water resistant front panel offers safe storage for smaller items like wallets, pens and key fobs.
• Microfiber sleeve keeps tablets and phones protected.
• Quick side-access padded laptop compartment makes airport security and working on the go a breeze.
• Expandable water bottle pockets fit two standard bottles.
• Side zip pockets for quick-access storage to important items when you need them most.
• Compression-molded ergonomic back panel maximizes comfort and efficiency.
• Premium, padded harness with load-carry adjustment straps allows for customization based on weight.

How Doug uses it: From what I’m aware of, Doug uses his bag mostly for gym visits. Saying that however, he’s only had the bag for 3 weeks max and I’m pretty sure it’ll come in handy for motorbike rides and future adventures. Won’t it babe?

Doug’s favourite part about the Transition Pack: “I actually quite like the strap on the outside so I can roll up my wet towel and keep it separate”.

Doug’s least favourite part: “If you want to get something out of the bottom zipped compartment then you need to open the bag fully up”.

Is it worth the £250 price tag? Believe it or not, yes, it really is. Both Doug and I have not stopped raving about these bags to friends and family. I do believe however, that when it comes to practical bags like these, you’ve got to see them in person before holding your breath and asking ‘how much?!’ As far as the Transition Pack goes, you really do get what you pay for – a bag that will certainly last you for many more years to come.

The ROKA Commuter Pack

So yes, the ROKA Commuter Pack is a little less detailed, but that’s not to say that it’s any less practical. For me, it’s perfect and it does everything (and more) that I need it to do. In fact, due to it’s slightly smaller size, it’s almost as if ROKA have designed a bag for both men and women. The perfect fit.

The details

• Capacity: 30 Liters. 
• Dimensions: 21.5″ x 13″ x 10″ (55 x 33x 26cm).
• Deep main compartment with multiple dividers, inner storage pouches and zippered pockets.
• Top-pocket protective eyewear storage system keeps sunglasses safe.
• Water resistant zip pocket for quick storage of wet/dirty garments; internal handle reverses pocket for drying out after use.
• Water resistant materials quickly and effectively shed moisture.
• Water resistant front panel offers safe storage for smaller items like wallets, pens and key fobs.
• Microfiber sleeve keeps tablets and phones protected.
• Quick side-access padded laptop compartment makes airport security a breeze.
• Expandable water bottle pockets fit two standard bottles.
• Side zip pockets for quick-access storage to important items when you need them most.
• Compression-moulded ergonomic back panel maximizes comfort and efficiency.
• Rigid tubular handle allows for quick grabs on the go.
• Stands up on its own for easy loading.
• Anodized aluminum utility hook for latching items to the front of the pack adds versatility.
• Sewn-in magnets automatically secure top panel without interfering with the zipper.
• Quick finger loop-pull YKK zippers (external) and pull-tab YKK zippers (internal) won’t break or snap.

How I use it: To be honest, I use it for almost anything practical. The gym. Swimming sessions. Cafe work stops. Working away. Outdoor adventures. Motorbike rides.

My favourite part about the Commuter Pack: I love the separate wet/dry compartment of the bag. It means that I can easily store my wet swimsuit (or sweaty gym clothes) away from everything else.

My least favourite part: Hmm. Tricky. But perhaps the main compartment of the bag. After seeing Doug’s Transition Pack, I was a little jealous of the split compartment areas he had. I’m not saying I don’t love it, but sometimes it’s a pain in the backside digging to the bottom of the bag – whereas you don’t have to with the Transition Pack. It sounds as if we need to swap bags, huh? Lol.

Is it worth the £200 price tag? Yes, yes and yes. Just like the Transition Pack, you get what you pay for. I also think it’s fair that it’s £50 less than the TP, seeing as it has a little less detail and is slightly smaller. Consider the Transition Pack a slight upgrade with added detail.

So although both bags are very similar, they’re designed slightly different. If, like Doug, you transition from the gym to work and like to store away your belongings neat and tidy with larger compartment areas, then go for the Transition Pack. I’d also say it’s easier to access belongings. If however, you’re often on the go like me, then the Commuter Pack is more ideal as it’s designed with lots of pockets for different items and belongings.

To find out more about ROKA’s Packs, check them out here.