I’ve been carrying the same Patagonia Toromiro for the best part of a decade.
I bought it ahead of our company retreat in Madrid more than eight years ago, and since then it’s been a faithful companion through international travel, coffee shop work sessions, and countless trips (it just about holds enough for a week away, and still fits under an airline seat). It’s simple, tough, and functional.
But recently it’s started to show its age, helped along by my dog, who chewed on the straps during his teething phase. Those little scars make me smile now, but they’re also a reminder that this bag has been through a lot, and that it might finally be time to replace it.
My first thought was to buy the same bag again. But when I discovered Patagonia had discontinued the Toromiro, I started hunting for an alternative.
Ahead of our most recent company retreat, it hit me: the best place to find advice wasn’t gear review sites, it was my colleagues. Remote workers take their bags seriously, and every choice carries a mix of practicality, taste, and lessons learned the hard way.
Here’s what I learned from my teammates at Buffer about the best bags for remote work.
Style vs. function (or both?)
One big theme that came through clearly from my colleagues is that a bag needs to work hard and look good. Tami, for example, uses two different bags depending on the context: an Away Active Daypack for travel, and a Manu Atelier Le Cambon when she’s “working outside” locally. “Backpacks are too ‘high school’ for me,” she joked, though she admits the comfort trade-off is worth it when traveling.
Diego also prioritizes aesthetics. He carries a Coach purse for day-to-day use, pairing it with a Muji carry-on when traveling. “Honestly, it’s not very practical,” he admitted, “but I just do it because I think it’s better looking. I’m prioritizing fashion over confident practicality.”
Suzanne, meanwhile, has found the sweet spot. Her CALPAK Kaya gives her “style and function,” carrying everything she needs but nothing more, keeping it lightweight and easy to use. As she puts it: “I get loads of compliments on it!”
Sometimes the best bag choice isn’t deliberate at all. Arek bought a Jack Wolfskin TRT 65L hiking pack, which came with a detachable 10L daypack. He only used the big hiking bag once or twice, but the small detachable backpack became his everyday companion, traveling with him around the world. It fits his laptop, works great for city life and hikes, and even has fun extras like a built-in bottle opener. His friends say he’s permanently attached to it.
Bags with history
Another surprise was just how long some of these bags have lasted. Octa has been using the same Incase shoulder bag for 11 years. It’s compact, durable, and still protects his laptop—he once saw it fall from an airplane overhead bin, only to find the laptop unharmed.
Hailley has carried her Knomo Beauchamp Backpack 14 for nearly a decade and still loves its timeless design and practicality. Suzanne still owns her North Face backpack from college, now 19 years old and still in regular rotation for travel. And Eric stuck with his Moshi bag for six years, only switching recently after the zipper finally gave out – though in a testament to quality, the company replaced the whole thing under its 10-year warranty.
Clearly, it’s not just me who is hanging on to a much-loved bag.
Packing habits and hard lessons
My colleagues aren’t just picky about their bags; they’re also full of clever tips and stories, which turned out to be the insightful part of our conversations. Amanda realised that her new Stubble & Co bag had a side zip to the laptop compartment when her laptop nearly slipped out of it. A quick catch saved it from teammates who saw it about to fall. Andy, one of Buffer’s many photography enthusiasts, also quickly learned to double-check his zippers after a camera lens almost fell out of his Peak Design backpack mid-trip.
Daisy swears by compartments: her Blast Quick Access backpack has made her, in her words, “an organization nerd,” keeping essentials like chargers, passport, and headphones exactly where she needs them. Kelly’s approach is to use the same packing list every trip, always putting the most important items (passport, wallet, phone) at the top of both the list and her bag, a North Face Jester backpack, so they’re easy to check off and grab quickly.
Several people shared lessons about packing less. “Always pack less than you think you need,” says Hailley. Tami echoed this: “I’ve slowly been unlearning overpacking.” Diego takes this further, suggesting leaving up to a quarter of your bag empty to make space for gifts or purchases along the way. Almost everyone mentioned water resistance as non-negotiable, whether to survive a rainy commute or just the inevitable spilled coffee. And Eric offers the most pragmatic tip of all: “Always put a couple of pairs of underwear and a charger in your backpack if you’re flying – you never know if your suitcase will go missing.”
My takeaway
Talking to my colleagues reminded me that the right bag is about more than specs. For remote workers, a bag becomes part of daily rituals and big adventures, carrying not just laptops and chargers but years of memories.
For now, my Toromiro is sticking with me. It’s had a bit of a freshen up in the washing machine, and although it’s still a little battered, it does the job. When the time comes to replace it, I’ll have plenty of inspiration from my teammates – here’s my checklist for my next remote bag:
- Is there capacity for unexpected extras (like gifts or gear)?
- Is it water-resistant enough for rain (or spilled coffee)?
- Does it have compartments where I need them, without too much “faff”?
- Does it hit the sweet spot of looks, practicality, and durability?
- Will it survive years of travel, and does it have a solid warranty?
- Do zippers, straps, and closures feel reliable?
- If I can’t check it out in real life before purchasing, is there a solid returns policy?
