My dilemma....

[mrbaseball47]

I currently have an Aubergine/Island Synapse 25 and I really liked the color and loved the bag even though I have only carried it on 3 trips. I had planned on carrying it as EDC but my employer bought us new backpacks to go with our new laptops this past year.

Anyway fast forward to the synik22 and synik30 debut and them having Navy Parapack/Steel Parapack as on option. I have a few Steel Parapack items and I really really like that material. I am contemplating getting the synik22 since I have some gift card money but only if I can sell my Synapse 25. Do you think it's worth making that change? I like the material and have a few trips lined up that would be nice to use it on. I generally don't pack my S25 too heavy which is why I feel the Synik22 would be doable. I'd love to hear other people opinions. I appreciate your response in advance.

[KathyH]

I have both bags. Started with the S25 for an EDC bag and for work travel. Love the bag but it was more than I needed about 1/2 the time for my EDC. Then added an S19 for smaller days. It’s always felt a little cramped though. Then added the S22. It’s a good in-between. Right now in winter, though, I wish it was a little deeper and just tall enough to fit my 13+” laptop (HP Elitebook) in the laptop compartment. I’ll probably switch back to my S25 during the big winter months to give me more space for my winter gear.

The bad news for me. My laptop doesn’t fit into the S22 laptop compartment. I put my iPad, an organizer holding Bose Qc30 earbuds, my work phone, and sometimes a file folder in the laptop section (I carry headphones on planes but earbuds for commuting). My laptop goes in the main compartment within a thin neoprene sleeve. Not my favorite since it takes up valuable real estate. There’s room for a lunch (I usually use a stuff sack), and a large Pashima scarf. All my doodads fit into the organizer pockets.

I’m not a minimalist traveler like many TBers. I travel with a roll-on that’s often checked and then carry my backpack with me on the plane. For work travel, I’ve got my laptop, iPad (9.7”), USB cables and extension cord, Bose headphones, snack bag, and misc do-dads. The S25 takes it all. Once on the plane, I pull the headphones out right away. Same with the snack bag. The backpack goes into the overhead or under my seat.

I could get a lot of my pack list into the S22 but would probably have to move my headphones into a soft case like an organizer. I wouldn’t have the ease of access in transit, though, that the S25 would offer and that’s important to my use case. If you are the sort of traveler who doesn’t need to do much digging into your pack while in transit, then you could probably downsize.

Keep in mind, the S25 does work well under-packed but you’d still have room to expand when needed. I believe the S22 is about the same depth as the S25 but it’s not as tall. This also means the S22 side pockets are smaller. The S25 bottom pocket is also larger.

If it were me and I was only going to keep one bag, I’d go with the S25. Then for times when you wanted something smaller, you could add something like an L12, SCB, or TC. The last time I traveled, I used my SCB for snacks. I carried it in my S25 but on the plane put it under my seat and the S25 in the overhead. With this approach, you’d spend about the same as an S22 (or a little more if you got an L12) but would have more versatility.

[goblin]

I'd try loving what you have first. If you can't get it off your mind and you are not too attached to the current bag then go for it. For me if I get a little obsessed with something I sometimes can't stop thinking about it until I buy it, which is probably not healthy honestly. But the one you have might be perfectly good for you. By the time you truly feel it is time to upgrade in a couple years maybe then you can truly test out the difference because you'll be so used to the current bag. I have the Synapse 22 and it keeps growing on me more and more. Besides the laptop pocket I don't see how the Synik would be a drastically big difference for me. If the padding of the straps bothers you on the Synapse, though, it may be worth it to swap out and go for the Synik.