Mous x Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Backpack Review: Performance Gear That Looks Luxury

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Performance baggage often ask you to just accept a compromise. Tough however ugly. Clever however cumbersome. The Optimal Protective Lid Backpack from Mous, made for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, is the uncommon exception: a technical carry that appears prefer it belongs in a thought-about wardrobe.

It is a 25 litre backpack with 18 purpose-built pockets, an impact-absorbing tech compartment and a cabin-friendly form that matches beneath the seat on most airways. It can also be the identical bag the crew makes use of, and you may buy it directly from Mous. Our quick verdict is that it ticks containers you didn’t know wanted ticking, and it does so with out shouting about it.

Built for a crew that lives in airports

The Formula 1 calendar runs to 24 races a yr, which makes the crew’s engineers, mechanics and entrepreneurs a number of the most frequent travellers in any business. Ordinary backpacks don’t survive that schedule for lengthy.

Mous developed the bag by talking on to these folks. Engineers carry laptops and a tangle of cables. Mechanics want sturdiness. Marketers need one thing presentable. The crew’s temporary was particular and troublesome: take Mous’s most superior pack, the Extreme Commuter, and make it lighter, with extra exterior pockets and extra journey options, with out giving up sturdiness or tech safety.

The result’s the Optimal vary, which Mous describes as the perfect of the Extreme Commuter made lighter, with extra storage. After a number of rounds of prototyping, that is the completed bag.

Every pocket earns its place

This is the place the Optimal wins us over. Eighteen pockets appears like a recipe for chaos, however the structure is logical sufficient that you just cease occupied with it inside a day.

The quick-access pockets sit on the surface: one on the lid, one beneath, a water bottle holder on one facet and a deeper pocket on the opposite that takes a big energy financial institution. Inside, a wraparound zip lets the principle compartment open fully flat, so you may pack so as and see every thing without delay. Stretch mesh holds headphones. A hidden pocket takes an AirTag. A devoted passport pocket sits on the again panel with a flat YKK zip, so it by no means digs into you.

The actual check is the second of panic at an airport. With the Optimal, the primary pocket you verify is the correct one. Passport. Check. Wallet. Check. That small removing of tension is price greater than any spec on the web page.

Protection with out the majority

Mous constructed its title on safety, and the Optimal retains that promise whereas shedding weight. The bag is available in at 1.55kg as a result of pointless foam was stripped out of the development, whereas AiroFoam traces the total tech compartment. AiroFoam is a non-Newtonian materials, which suggests it stays versatile till an affect, then hardens to soak up the power. Mous charges it to guard laptops and tablets in drops of as much as 1.2 metres.

The tech compartment sits in opposition to the again, separate from every thing else. The laptop computer pocket takes as much as a 16 inch MacBook Pro with no sleeve, and each MacBook Air. A second padded pocket takes an iPad Pro 12.9 inch or something smaller. The lining is scratch-resistant.

The outer is 840D ballistic nylon with bolstered 500D panels and a coating that resists water and abrasion. The YKK zips are PU-coated to carry off mild rain. Mous is evident that the bag is extremely waterproof however not submersible, which is an trustworthy line and the correct one to attract.

A fast phrase on testing. We had been tempted to place the safety claims by way of their paces, and we selected to not. The bag appears to be like too good to threat, and it has shortly grow to be a bit we cherish moderately than punish.

Formula 1 design, with out the fuss

The Optimal feels, appears to be like and flows like a Formula 1 automobile. The traces are streamlined, and the form is sensible given how a lot area sits inside. The Midnight colourway is gorgeous: deep black, clear, and quietly technical.

Then there’s the branding. Collaborations are usually loud, with logos enlarged so no person can miss the partnership. Here the AMG F1 mark is small and understated, which places the eye on the bag itself. Credit to the design crew for that restraint.

One element we like: each member of the crew carries a bag embroidered with their very own quantity, akin to 63 for George Russell and 12 for Kimi Antonelli. According to Mercedes, that embroidery is the one distinction between the crew baggage and the one you should buy.

Comfortable sufficient for the lengthy day

The again panel is breathable mesh, designed to let air circulation by way of moderately than entice warmth. The straps are padded, adjustable and ergonomically formed to go well with totally different builds. The weight is balanced so the bag sits properly by way of a full day of strolling.

Travel options spherical it out. A baggage pass-through slides over suitcase handles, lash straps on the bottom maintain additional objects, and the protecting lid closes with an aluminium G-hook and magnetic facet panels. Mous notes that its personal sternum strap technically suits however will not be really useful, so don’t count on so as to add one.

What to weigh up

The Optimal is a sizeable bag. At 25 litres and 450mm tall, it fits individuals who carry so much, and it could be greater than you want in order for you a slim, minimal commuter. The ballistic nylon model we reviewed weighs 1.55kg, which is lighter than Mous’s Extreme Commuter vary however not featherweight. And whereas the water resistance is powerful, this isn’t a bag to drop in a river.

If weight is your foremost concern, Mous additionally makes the bag in ULTRATEX®. It is a lighter construct that Mous says is simply as protecting. If the F1 connection will not be for you, there’s the usual Optimal Protective Lid Backpack with out the crew branding, in addition to the Day x Mercedes Flap Backpack for a extra streamlined carry.

The verdict from consumers is powerful too. The bag holds 4.61 out of 5 from 160 opinions on Mous’s website, with reward for the construct high quality, padded straps, cool again panel and organisation. It additionally comes with a 25 yr guarantee beneath Mous’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

The verdict

If you fly usually, commute with a laptop computer, or just resent digging round on your passport, that is the bag to purchase. It solves actual issues quietly, protects your tech correctly, and appears higher than nearly something within the efficiency class. It is uncommon to discover a bag this practical that additionally seems like a luxurious object.

Specs at a look

• Capacity: 25 litres
• Dimensions: H 450 x W 341 x D 173mm
• Weight: 1.55kg (ballistic nylon model)
• Laptop pocket: H 400 x W 270mm, suits as much as a 16 inch MacBook Pro with no sleeve, and all MacBook Air fashions
• Tablet pocket: H 270 x W 270mm, suits an iPad Pro 12.9 inch and all smaller iPads
• Pockets: 18, together with stretch mesh, quick-access, hidden AirTag and water bottle holder
• Protection: AiroFoam-lined tech compartment, rated for 1.2m drops
• Outer materials: 840D military-grade ballistic nylon with 500D bolstered panels, additionally accessible in ULTRATEX®
• Lining: 70D ripstop nylon with scratch-resistant system sleeves
• Zips: PU-coated YKK
• Water resistance: extremely waterproof, not submersible
• Cabin match: suits beneath the seat on most airways
• Colour: Midnight