Ortlieb Commuter Daypack Urban Line backpack review - simple and effective

The bike luggage experts go all chic with a backpack for the stylish commuter

Ortlieb Commuter Daypack Urban
(Image credit: Rachel Sokal)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Complex in name if not in nature, the Ortelieb Commuter Daypack Urban Line is a high quality rucksack that is comfortable to wear and easily swallows your kit. Importantly, you can be safe in the knowledge that everything inside will stay clean and dry. It’s a pretty simple design without many bells and whistles - so it won’t suit those who like a bag with lots of compartments, pockets and structure. And given it retails at $230 / £175, it won’t suit those who like a bargain, either.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    High quality materials and construction

  • +

    Waterproofing

  • +

    Stable

  • +

    Comfortable

  • +

    Good ventilation

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Cost

  • -

    Lack of hi-visibility features

  • -

    Only one external pocket

  • -

    Straps can drag when carrying off back

  • -

    Can obscure view and foul helmet

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Ortlieb knows a thing or two about how to carry kit on a bike - the company has been doing it for the last 40 years. But does the pannier wizardry translate into rucksacks? We packed our sarnies, pants and laptop into the Commuter Daypack Urban Line and headed off work to find out.

For lots of other ways to put your stuff on your back, head over to see some of our other best cycling backpacks.

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Rachel has been writing about and reviewing bike tech for the last 10 years. Cynical by nature, Rachel never really trusts the marketing hype and prefers to give products a mighty good testing before deciding whether they're worth buying or not. 

Rachel's first riding love is mountain biking where she's been European and UK 24hr Champion on more than one occasion. She's not just confined to the trails though and regularly rides - and occasionally races - on gravel and road too.