The Bantry Small is the most compact of our core backpacks, at 7.4 liters, sized for a phone, wallet, keys, and a tablet. Most people pick it because it takes a tablet and a water bottle without the bulk of a full-size backpack. If you need a little more room, the Canfield Small (9.8 liters) and Finchley Small (10.2 liters) are the next step up.

A tablet up to 11 inches, a water bottle, a wallet, and the small things that travel with them: keys, sunglasses, a charger, lip balm. It's sized for a day out, an evening, or a light commute. It isn't a laptop bag, so if a work machine travels with you daily, look at the Bantry Medium, which takes up to 13 inches, or our laptop backpacks.

Shape and adaptability. The Canfield is a roll top, so its height adjusts: rolled down for a light day, opened up when you're carrying more. The Bantry is a fixed shape with a consistent silhouette, which many people prefer for everyday use. Both come in recycled fabrics and overlapping colors, so it comes down to whether your load changes.

It's weather-resistant, not waterproof. Recycled nylon and recycled canvas both shed light rain instead of soaking it up, which covers a walk to the train or a shower at a festival. It isn't sealed, so in sustained heavy rain treat a tablet the way you would in any fabric backpack.