Synapse 25 vs Synik22

[amoslimhg]

I’m looking for a backpack for my daily use and I can’t decide whether should I go for Synapse 25 or Synik 22.

Mainly I will be using the backpack for work to carry my 14” or 15” laptop, some engineer stuff like network cables, a 10.5” ipad, and a small pouch with tools. Occasionally I will be carry this backpack to oversea for work. I’m worry that Synapse 25 is too big for my daily use and Synik 22 is too small. I’m a 1.73m tall.

Can someone give me some advice which one should I go with?

Thanks



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[Kevin]

I think I would save some money and go with the Synapse 25 in your case. To me the one Synik feature that stands out for EDC is the laptop compartment and I think your laptops are to big for the SN22. Almost certainly you won’t be able to use the exterior zipper for the laptops you mentioned. About the only other difference worth considering are the straps. Unless you regularly carry very heavy loads or go long distances the synapse straps are still really good.


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[G42]

Given your laptop size, you are probably in the Synapse 25 / Synik 30 range

[KathyH]

I think I would save some money and go with the Synapse 25 in your case. To me the one Synik feature that stands out for EDC is the laptop compartment and I think your laptops are to big for the SN22.

Agree. The S22 is only 16” high while the S25 is 20”. Both have the same depth. To be on the safe side, though, you can contact TB customer service for indications of the biggest laptop that will fit into the S22.

[dgentile]

I’m looking for a backpack for my daily use and I can’t decide whether should I go for Synapse 25 or Synik 22.

Mainly I will be using the backpack for work to carry my 14” or 15” laptop, some engineer stuff like network cables, a 10.5” ipad, and a small pouch with tools. Occasionally I will be carry this backpack to oversea for work. I’m worry that Synapse 25 is too big for my daily use and Synik 22 is too small. I’m a 1.73m tall.

Can someone give me some advice which one should I go with?

Thanks



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If the rest that follows is TL;DR - here's the gist:
In your case I'd pick the Synapse 25... why: laptop.


now here's the more elaborate reply:

Shortly before stumbling upon the release announcement of the Synik 22/30 I was SO close to pull the trigger on buying the Synapse 25.
Now I don't think buying the 25 would have been an error on my behalf - but the Synik series added exactly *the* features I wished the Synapse had - namely a dedicated laptop sleeve WITH ext. access and a clamshell opening and a frame sheet that was more integrated into the deisg.
The reason I actually didn't buy the 25 initially was that the add-on frame sheet was out of stock, that made me wait a moment and then I discovered the Synik.

but the synik 22 / 30 delivered a new dillemma for me: Size.
I'm a happy onebagger, minimalist when it comes to travel - so far I've used backpacks with 20 (on the small side) and 25 and 30 litres.
30 was always a notch too big for my needs - and especially using for EDC, 30 was big. (I'm 5'9", broad shoulders though... but still I'm not exactly tall).
25 always was sort of the sweet spot - with often a healthy bit of room to spare.
So naturally I wished the Synik would be a 25ltr bag. and not a 22 or 30.

I bought the 22 btw to make that known.

I pondered this over and over, read the reviews that were published here, watched a few videos... but in the end it came down to this:
- 30 seems big.... and I haven't travelled with a 30ltr pack in a long while...
- I do NOT have a 15" laptop - I have a 10" (Surface) a 12" Surface pro... used to have a 13"macbook ... and frankly that's the max. size I'd ever buy (a sleek 13") - because if I need more screen, I'm usually at a location where I can hook up an ext. monitor... but on the go the 13 or sub 13" range has - for what I do - proven to be the sweet spot. I might replace the 10" surface with an 11" iPadPro at some point, to make it even "lighter" - but that's another topic.
- I like minimalistic travel packing - I actually love the process behind it and constantly trying to evolve my kit into something less bulky, reduce items I didn't use actually, etc...

the last point was the selling point for me to go with the 22 instead of the 30... it's larger than my 20 - smaller than my 25 ltr pack... and it will sort of push me to further optimise my travel kit.
and for EDC I know 20 is prefectly plenty - so 22 won't hurt either.

but here's the thing for YOU:
15" laptop doesn't fit in the Synik 22 unless you add it to the main compartment...
I doubt the 25 Synapse is too large on your back at 1.73 (5'8") (I'm 1.75 and can easily carry a 26ltr Goruck GR1 as a size reference).... I would think the 30 would look large on your back - maybe not TOO large - but definitely not small either.

Chase Reeves has a review out on the 22 - and I guess I'm inline with his thoughts about the 22 - perfect for EDC... he thinks the 30 is a big pack, and he's apparently a tad taller than I am.
that was for me sort of the"final straw" to settle on the 22.
I may get the 30 later anyhow too , because, well. you know.

Also I'm looking forward to start travelling with the Synik 22, once I get it...
I hope to slim my multi-week-to-months travel kit down that it fits in the 22 with a bit of room to spare... and then enjoy the looks when anyone at an airbnb, the airport, the bus etc asks: man, where's the rest of your stuff (already with a 25ltr pack people often find it weird.... but frankly, I'm too lazy to lug too much stuff around )

[carrot]

I think the key differentiator here is where the bags get their volume from.

The SN22 is the same height and width as the S19. It's just deeper.

The SN30 is the same height and width as the S25. It's also deeper.

For me, I am a reasonably big person. 6'0 185#. I get along fine with a lot of big bags I don't really get along with the S25. I know a lot of smaller people love the S25, too.

The S19 is the sweet spot for me and I'm hoping the SN22 feels the same. I carry the S25 now when I want a little more space than the S19 but wearing the S19 feels like coming home. I also pack pretty light for travel because I don't like the feeling of being weighed down.

A 14" or 15" laptop will not fit in the laptop compartment of the SN22 or S19. It will probably squeeze into the main compartment, assuming it's a fairly compact model. When I used to carry around a 15" Macbook Pro Retina (before the Touchbar models) the way it warped the main compartment of the S19 meant that the most additional I could fit in that compartment was a notebook and set of gym clothes. A 15" notebook is not a great fit for the S19 but it will work in a pinch. I'd expect the same in the SN22.

Based on your needs I'd suggest you're forced to go the S25 route. I agree that the SN30 is a *big bag* and it's probably the best choice if you're planning on onebag travel with a laptop.