Aer’s Best Everyday Backpack Isn’t Just Sleeker Now; It’s Stronger, Too

The Slim Pack didn’t need improving. Thankfully, the San Francisco-based brand upgraded it anyhow.

Close-up of a black backpack with a zipper pull tag labeled "Aer," worn over a white and gray plaid shirt. The fabric of the backpack has a slightly textured, durable appearance.

Published September 2, 2025

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Aer’s Slim Pack was already one of the best commuter-friendly EDC packs around. Even among the San Francisco-based brand’s exceptional catalog, it stood out as a significant highlight.

Honestly, it really didn’t need improving. But it’s not Aer’s style to rest on its laurels, so the brand took it back to the drawing board anyhow.

And we’re so glad the brand did, because the Aer Slim Pack 2 is better in almost every way.

A person with long dark hair tied in a ponytail is wearing a light blue shirt, dark jeans, and a black backpack while using a smartphone to enter a subway station through a turnstile. The subway sign above reads "Entry 6 Downtown." The setting appears to be indoors with tiled flooring and metal turnstiles. — Despite the wealth of improvements, the bag retains the brand’s signature minimalist styling.

Here’s the skinny

This is not a completely new bag, nor does it need to be. As such, plenty of the original Slim Pack’s DNA still remains.

For instance, the Slim Pack 2’s exterior retains similar styling to its predecessor, albeit with slightly sleeker lines (the original was pretty boxy and this new one is more rounded). It also retains the same signature materials it already had.

A man walking against a plain light gray wall, wearing a black and white plaid shirt, loose black pants, and black shoes. He has a black backpack on his back and is holding a green book or magazine in his right hand. His hair is styled in braids. — Despite an increased capacity, this bag is still exceptionally sleek and slender.

For reference, that includes a 1680D Cordura ballistic nylon body mated to a weatherproof-coated 840D nylon face, which grants it tremendous durability against rain, abrasions, and more.

A tougher, slightly pricier version swaps the external nylon for VX-42 X-Pac sailcloth, making it even more durable and lighter. It also gets a more vibrant, high-vis orange interior liner.

Both options maintain the original’s tough-as-nails Duraflex hardware and reliable YKK zippers.

A person sitting on a wooden bench is opening a black backpack with a light gray interior. Inside the backpack, there are organized compartments holding a small brown notebook, a tube of hand cream, and a smartphone. The person is holding the tube of hand cream with both hands. The background includes greenery and a paved walkway. — The sleek exterior is mated to a highly organization-friendly internal scheme.

Sleeker outside, bigger inside

Notably, the internal capacity of the bags has drastically changed, regardless of which version you choose. Whereas the original offered 8.5 liters, this new version boosts it to 12.

That makes it far more versatile and capable, especially for folks carrying larger modern laptop computers. However, it still retains its signature slimness — you wouldn’t know the capacity had increased just by looking at it.

A hand is placing a small white oval object into an orange zippered pocket of a bag. The bag has multiple compartments, one of which contains a black device with a white cable. The orange fabric has a textured weave, and the zipper pull is orange with the letters "YKK" on it. — The hidden AirTag compartment adds a level of security.

The interior scheme has also been given a comprehensive makeover, making it smarter and more organization-friendly, especially for techies. That includes swapping its previously somewhat ugly elastic pouches for sleeker, purpose-driven ones.

The padded laptop compartment is also slightly bigger, capable of stashing folding computers and tablets up to 16 inches (as opposed to 15 in the previous edition). There’s also a hidden smart tracker pocket for additional peace of mind.

As mentioned, this bag didn’t really need improvements, but the fixes the brand has devised make it even more rock-solid.