Who hasn’t heard horror stories of thieves opening or slashing backpacks in a crowded area?

It’s a thought that plays on the minds of travellers everywhere.

Well, we recently had the pleasure of testing a new backpack, the Presli Voyager, that is designed specifically to thwart pickpockets and give you piece of mind.

Like many older travellers, we’ve been using backpacks for decades, largely because of our preference for low-cost, independent travel and the sense of authenticity that this gives.

We’ve seen backpacks change dramatically over the years – and we were, therefore, delighted to test the latest design in the form of the Presli Voyager.

Some background

Marcus Holmquist-Pollock, founder and CEO of Presli, says he noticed that, although there were plenty of “fashionable, up-market and clever backpacks on the market, none incorporated anti-theft design”.

So, he decided to design his own anti-theft backpack.

How does it perform?

Although the Presli Voyager is anti theft, which is the key point of the design, it still needs to be a functional backpack. And it certainly is!

The Voyager is practical; usable; nice looking; and light enough for even our old shoulders.

In keeping with its status as a new-generation backpack, Presli Voyager has a distinctly corporate look, in smart black or navy fabric.

It might sound a trite snobbish, but this backpack is right at home with the most slick and eye-catching modern luggage. It looks so nice that we were a little disappointed to discover that the Voyager comes in two colours only.

And, the Voyager is surprisingly big inside, despite measuring just, 45cm high, 29cm wide and 15 cm deep – well within worldwide cabin baggage requirements that are generally 56cm x 40cm x 25cm.

Anti-theft features

The anti-theft design of the Presli Voyager is smart and effective, incorporating many of the benefits that prompt travellers to wear often-uncomfortable money belts.

The stylish exterior of the Voyager camouflages a range of anti-theft features, from hidden zippers to slash-proofing.

In fact, we’ve never seen a backpack this focused on security.

For a start, reverse-design zippers are located snugly against your back, designed to stop anyone coming up behind you and easily opening the pack.

To further frustrate thieves, the Voyager is made from slash-proof and water resistant material.

And,  there are also two clever pockets tucked into the straps at the front to allow you to keep credit cards and transport passes secure yet easily reached.

Even Sue – a perennial worrier about security on the road – says the Voyager’s anti-theft measures make her feel calmer and confident.

Inside the Presli Voyager

For a start, the backpack is voluminous at 20 litres.

As well as the remarkable amount of space, we love the separate padded pockets to keep the laptop and tablet safe, as well as the pouch to store unfolded A4 documents.

The roomy interior pockets comfortably fitted our daughter’s 13 inch MacBook Air and our iPad and iPad Mini tablets. Perhaps these could have benefitted from a top flap to keep them from moving, but our devices didn’t budge throughout testing.

There’s also multiple pen slots and business card pockets.

Added interior smart features of the Presli Voyager are an easy-to-find key clip and two internal zipper pockets for storage of things like passports, mobile phones, charging cords and wallet etc.

Wearing comfort

The backpack is well padded and comfortable to wear.

Presli Voyager is easily adjustable to cater for a range of heights. Shoulder straps can be readily extended or shortened to give a snug and secure fit. This means that, with minimum effort, you can truly adjust the backpack to your stature for maximum comfort.

Side pocket and handle

The Voyager also has a material side pocket ideal for storing water bottles and the like – and a a convenient ‘grab and go’ handle.

Summary

With the current trend toward travelling light, finding the right backpack is an important decision. And it’s nice to relax in crowded areas, knowing that your backpack is designed to keep valuables safe.

Overall, the Presli Voyager is a classy-looking, well constructed and roomy backpack with the added benefits of clever anti-theft features.

These features are invaluable for travellers of all ages, along with light weight and practical simplicity.

What we particularly liked

• Voyager’s safety features give peace of mind.
• It looks very nice. Certainly not your average backpack
• Roomy with intelligent use of space
• Padded pockets for tablets and laptop
• Light weight, comfortable to wear and easily adjusted.

Based on our experience, we have no hesitation in recommending this backpack for travellers of all ages.

It would also serve just as well as a school bag – and as a smart-looking backpack for commuters.

Additional bags

Presli Voyager is the first product in Presli’s lineup of premium bags, which was successfully funded through the crowd-funding website Kickstarter.

Marcus Holmquist-Pollock says the company aims to produce two new bag designs later this year.

Presli Voyager can be purchased in navy or black online here

Presli accepts PayPal and credit card. Australian customers can expect their bag in 2-5 business days, while international orders take approximately six business days for delivery.

Disclaimer: Presli was kind enough to provide a Voyager for this review. However, as always, this has not influenced our comments. If the product was poor, we’d tell you. This one certainly isn’t.

Tagged: anti-theft backpack, Presli Voyager, travel