Chrome Industries Hawes 26L Pack

The Chrome Industries Hawes 26L Pack is a stylish design that works well on and off the bike. The quality is excellent, the fabric is very water resistant and there are lots of compartments for all your needs. It doesn't come cheap, but it's an excellent choice for urban commutes.

For other options, check out our guide to the best cycling backpacks.

> Buy now: Chrome Industries Hawes 26L Pack for £131.99 from Amazon

With its 26L volume, the Hawes is large enough for commuting or trips to the gym, and easily big enough as an overnight bag with both cycling kit and regular clothes.

It has many different pockets and compartments, great for easy access to all your essentials and ideal for keeping smelly cycling kit away from other clothes.

The main body of the backpack has two medium-sized compartments, good for keeping items in their designated place. Inside one you'll find a medium-sized zipped pocket and a tablet-sized sleeve. Like most backpacks, though, if you overfill one section, there's not much room in the other.

On top of the backpack there's a cushioned, easy-access pocket, useful for sunglasses or things it's good to get to quickly, like keys or a passport. There's also a small pocket with a storm flap to help keep your essentials dry.

My 13in laptop fitted easily into the cushioned laptop compartment at the back, and there's room room for up to a 16in. Having a specific compartment makes it easy to get the laptop out without having to remove anything else, perfect for working on a train or in a café. And even when running home with my laptop in the bag, the back protector kept things comfortable.

There's a pocket each side for a water bottle, and though the fit was very tight it was super secure. Having lost a few bottles over the years from my old backpack I was glad for the secure fit; it never felt like the bottles were in danger of falling out. Note that a cycling-specific water bottle fits fine, but nothing too wide.

There's also a pocket for a D-lock, and at the bottom is a webbing strap with loops for attaching rear lights. It'd be good if there was somewhere to attach your helmet, but that's the only thing missing really.

Easy travel

At 47 x 31 x 14cm, the bag is only marginally bigger than the hand luggage allowance for some budget airlines, but I used it on a recent trip to Spain without any issues.

There's also what Chrome calls a 'roller bag handle pass-through strap for easy travel'. This is a vertical strap between the shoulder straps, which means you can turn the backpack sideways and loop it over your suitcase. As Emily said of the Hondo 18L she reviewed, which has the same feature: 'Neat.'

The padded straps can be adjusted in a variety of ways using the T-Lok system. Basically, the metal buckles at the ends of the straps can be fitted into five different loops at the top of the bag, to suit your shoulder width. This ensures the weight is perfectly distributed on your shoulders – ideal if you have broader or narrower shoulders than typical default sizes.

You can also remove one of the straps and use the bag with just one diagonal strap, messenger bag style, hiding away the other strap in a pocket. It was comfortable enough this way, but I am definitely not cool enough to pull it off.

There is just one removable strap across the chest, which was secure enough when walking or cycling, but I'd prefer a waist one as well for running or hiking.

As I mentioned earlier, the back is padded and has a mesh material to aid with airflow and keep you cool when commuting. It is very comfortable and worked fine on a few easy rides in moderate weather, but when the thermometer hits 20℃ then I'll get sweaty regardless.

The Hawes is water resistant rather than waterproof. I got caught out in light rain a few times and it performed well, with water beading on the surface, but if you commute come rain or shine then you will want to buy a cover.

Colour me happy

On my last holiday I walked off the plane with someone else's identical generic black bag, so I liked that the Royale colour of this bag was a bit different. If you want a more traditional colour, it is also available in grey and black.

There are a few small reflectives on the straps, but it isn't a highly reflective commuter backpack.

Value

At £158 this is towards the top end for backpacks we have reviewed at road.cc, but broadly in line with high-quality backpacks from other brands. Although it is a big investment for a backpack, the quality of the Hawes is excellent, which means it should see you through many years of commuting. It also has a lifetime warranty against workmanship or material defects.

Leon reviewed the Osprey Metron 24 in 2022 and thought it was excellent, and that's £150, while the Apidura City Backpack received a great review from Suvi and is £130, but it's smaller, with a 20L capacity, and pretty minimal in terms of pockets.

A cheaper option is the Craft Cadence Cycling Backpack Roll Top Waterproof, which has gone up a tenner since Stu reviewed it last year to £109.99 – though, as the name suggests, it's a rolltop design, which won't appeal to all.

Conclusion

Overall, the Hawes is a stylish backpack that works well on and off the bike. It's highly adjustable to ensure it's comfortable for riders of all sizes, and the well-thought-out compartments make it ideal for any trip.

> Buy now: Chrome Industries Hawes 26L Pack for £131.99 from Amazon

Verdict

Stylish urban backpack with great organisation and adjustability to suit any rider