CRAFTED GOODS RIGI 25: REVIEW
FOREWORD
There are a ton of different bags on the market, from photography to adventure-oriented bags, geared toward military or civil application, but the most common and arguably biggest niche is EDC (short for EveryDayCarry). EDC is your trusty daily companion, the bag that will hold your work essentials and is a reliable sidekick when you are going on short trips.
Basically every bag manufacturer has some sort of offering in this niche, making it a very crowded market. In this review, I would like to shed some light on Crafted Goods, a brand that flies under the radar of many bag enthusiasts and that is often simply unknown to the majority of consumers, this undeservingly so.
Founded back in 2013 by Swiss entrepreneur Ralph Thoma and Vietnamese-born Swiss designer Thanh Hung Trinh, Crafted Goods has been producing high-quality, stylish and functional gear. The brand's product line is lean and tight with just a handful of bags in the 18-25L range, the sweet spot when it comes to bags you carry everyday.
The hero of today’s review is the RIGI 25L, a sleek and minimalistic backpack that has a couple of surprises up its sleeve.
Let’s find out what it has to offer.
WHO IT SUITS
Anyone looking for a lightweight, spacious and sleek backpack.
Fans of modularity and those who like to attach extra organization on the outside of the bag.
Someone who wants a bag made with great materials without breaking the bank.
WHO IT DOESN’T
Those who are looking for a heritage piece and avoid the “tacticool” look and feel.
If you absolutely need an external access to your water bottle or a quick access pocket, then the RIGI 25 might not be your best option.
ABOUT THE BAG
PRICE: $180 (for black version, $160 for Olive or Navy)
DIMENSIONS: MM: 140 (Length) x 280 (width) x 500 (Height) / IN: 5.5 x 11 x 19.7
WEIGHT: 1150g
CAPACITY: 25L
The RIGI 25L is part of the “Perpetual” collection, a timeless bag that can serve equally well to a student or a mature professional.
Immediately upon unboxing I noticed that it is quite light compared to many bags of a similar capacity, which can easily weigh twice as much (Goruck infamously is on the heavier side).
5 horizontal rows of sleek PALS webbing can be an interesting design choice or a way to enhance the external organization of the bag, thanks to a lot of MOLLE accessories on the market. These webbings are often used as additional attachment points for carabiners, water bottles, etc.
Overall, my first impression was that the RIGI has solid materials and build quality, without overwhelming features to wrap my head around. These first impressions were confirmed whilst using this bag for almost three months.
COMFORT
Without beating around the bush I can say that the RIGI 25 is a comfortable bag. The straps, despite being minimal (4mm padding), were quite nice during day-to-day use because they are contoured and wide. I did not feel the need for more padding considering the capacity of the bag. For 30L+ it would make sense to make more padded straps, but on the 25L Rigi Crafted Goods it strikes the right balance.
The back panel does not have air channels and is entirely covered with mesh. This was totally fine during my twelve weeks of usage.
I did test the bag during fall season (September to late November), so I did not really have any issues with sweaty back. Your mileage may vary if you wear the bag in extreme heat, but in those conditions I would expect any back to sweat regardless of you carrying a sling, backpack or messenger bag.
The comfort is also elevated by including a sternum strap (very standard, no frills here) and a removable waist strap (I did not find it particularly useful due to the size of the bag, but I know some people will definitely appreciate having this strap on some occasions).
DESIGN & FEATURES
In its essence the Rigi is a roll top bag. Many people steer away from roll top style backpacks, mainly because the process of constantly rolling and unrolling the top to get access inside becomes tiresome very quickly. Multiply this by thousands of times over the years of using the bag and it frankly just becomes a waste of time. This is why smart designers add additional access points: from the top, side or the back (clamshell) to mitigate the pain of dealing with the top roll.
Thankfully, Crafted Goods has thought about it and incorporated a side zip that allows access to the main compartment, which also has a dedicated laptop sleeve.
The roll top closure on the RIGI 25 is secured by not one, not two, but three buckles that you have to undo to unroll the top. This is probably my least favorite feature of the bag, as operating so many buckles just to get full access to the bag is not pleasant. I hope this will be revisited in a future iteration of the bag.
One of the standout features is the aforementioned PALS webbing on the front of the bag. It is entirely up to the owner of the bag to keep it strictly cosmetic or to make it functional by attaching accessories and pouches.
Not a big feature per se but important for me, all the straps on the bag have strap keepers that reduce dangling and overall strap chaos when wearing the bag, thank you Crafted Goods!
MATERIALS & ORGANIZATION
The bag is made out of smooth and very durable 600 Denier Ballistic Nylon which is quite fabled for its exceptional abrasion and tear resistance. It strikes a delicate balance between strength (that I personally like to feel in my gear, as it is confidence-inspiring) and weight that you carry on you at all times (in my experience, the lighter the bag the more you appreciate it).
The fabric is very water resistant and complemented by YKK® Aquaguard zippers, that have since long become the standard solution for any high-quality bag you will find on the market.
The inner liner is a dark ripstop nylon which is durable, water and stain resistant. Performance-wise it is a stellar option, but from a usability standpoint I found it lacking, mainly in the visibility department. The main compartment and the front flat pocket are essentially black holes and it's hard to see the contents inside. It’s a simple thing, but it goes a long way when using the bag daily.
The organization is a bit spartan, but I found it sufficient for my needs.
There are essentially two main compartments: the main compartment with laptop sleeve (accessible from a side zip) and the front compartment with a couple of pockets inside, including a zippered pocket and a key chain.
The side zipper allows access to the padded, suspended laptop compartment that easily fits 15” laptops (my MBP16 also fit just fine). The laptop is secured with a metal snap buckle which in theory is alright, but in practice requires some force to close properly. If you then consider the thin padding of the laptop compartment, you are basically pushing the metal buckle against your precious laptop every time you need to secure it. I personally hated pushing something hard against my Macbook every time I used this closure and wished Crafted Goods would’ve made a magnet or a Velcro closure instead.
WHAT’S HOT
Excellent build and materials.
The bag is light and spacious, which is quite refreshing after using heavier bags like Goruck, ORBITGear or Boundary Supply.
Sleek profile and low key aesthetics make the RIGI a timeless piece that can be used by a wide range of people.
Side access to the main compartment and laptop (a must on any roll top bag if you ask me).
Strap keepers that allow to keep the bag neat and tidy.
WHAT’S NOT
The dark inner liner turns the bag into a black hole that can be difficult to find your items in.
The snap buttons to secure the laptop made me cringe every time I used them, causing anxiety about the safety of my laptop.
VERDICT
The RIGI 25 is a cool bag: spacious and light, durable and expandable. It has the potential to be in the collection of so many different people and I wish more people were aware of its existence.
There are a couple of things that hold it back from being truly great. I wish these things were revised and improved:
The roll top secured by three buckles is excessive and unnecessary, opening the main section should be made simple and quick which the current solution is certainly not.
The snap buckles that secure the laptop are a strange oversight. Who would want to strongly push a small metal button against the laptop on a regular basis? If pushed against the screen unfortunately it could cause permanent damage (considering that many laptops are made out of plastic and have noticeable flex).
The lack of high-visibility inner liner is not a big thing, but an inconvenience that adds up over time. Manufacturers should just stop using black for inner liner, especially on roll top bags that by nature have limited access.
The foundation of an exceptional bag is there and I had enjoyed my time with the Crafted Goods RIGI 25. However, it is hard to wholeheartedly recommend the RIGI 25 until the above points are addressed in future iterations.
Disclaimer
Rigi 25 were provided by Crafted Goods as a sample for review purposes, the content of this review was not shared with Crafted Goods before publishing.
My goal is to share an honest, unbiased review that is not tailored to keep the brand happy.