Tom Bihn Daylight Backpack
Super versatile, light, and packable daypack for your day out.
My Review
If you’ve read any more of this website, you’d know that I own a lot of great bags by Tom Bihn – and for good reason – but it may surprise you to know that I probably use this bag more than any one other bag in my lineup. The reasoning is simple – it’s a no-frills day carry backpack that has more than enough room for my water bottles, diapers, wipes, and electronics! And since I have my kids every other weekend, I typically will use this bag on an average of once per week at least. (The other ones get rotated around a lot. :)
The Daylight has two main pockets – the front, angled pocket where I usually put my water bottles (it fits my 40oz and my 25oz at the same time) and the main pocket, where I usually put a few diapers, a change of clothes, my iPad, and wipes. There’s enough room for a packed lunch for five plus some bananas if I want to stretch it out a bit. The main pocket has two small elastic pockets – but I don’t really use these. Always nice to have an option though! The straps are not padded – they’re just basic webbed straps – but I find them comfortable enough to carry around for at least a couple of hours.
I used to carry the Synapse 19 as my “day baby” bag, but started carrying this one since I got this one for a Christmas present. I prefer it, since I generally like to keep my bags nice and I don’t mind if this one takes a bit of a beating… which it does since it gets thrown around/worn/moved/etc. in many different ways while I use it.
I own two of these backpacks. The blue ballistic one I own is reserved for my kid days – the other one, a black halcyon one, is used for travel as my packable day pack. I traveled recently on a combo vacation/conference and carried one bag – the Guide’s Pack – while I was traveling, and packed the halcyon Daylight backpack for holding my laptop (yes, it comfortably holds my beloved 15” MacBook Pro). This setup worked rather well, except for one thing – the minimalist straps became quite uncomfortable carrying around 15lbs of gear.
What I Like 👍
- Lightweight and packable, but still tough as nails.
- Probably used by me more than any other TB bag.
- Just enough organization - not too much, not too little.
- Can hold my 15" MacBook Pro if I need it to!
What I Don't Like 👎
- Zipper pocket up front is kind of weird (but I'm sure it's engineered to be that way!)
- Not the best looking daypack, but still very functional.
Use This If
- You want an ultralight daypack.
- You REALLY value minimalistic travel (I've seen people travel with this thing only!)
What others have to say... Add a review!
I love this backpack, since it is light and not to “bulky”. I am only 165 cm (little), so bigger backpacks make me look like a junior in high school (I am 34 😅). This one has space enough for my surface, lunchbox, waterbottle and my summer coat (or extra pair of shoes). The front pocket is good for keys and wallets. Like that it has rings in the big and small pocket, so you can hook up keys and extra little pouches. It has a extra waist strap. Negative: no padded shoulder straps.
Used primarily for: EDC
Yes, I would recommend this product!
Easily packable and fantastic as a small daypack. Favorite use is as a packing cube in a larger bag, when flying: Toss the larger bag in the overhead and stash the daylight backpack under the seat + use it as a daypack at the destination. Also great for local use when a larger pack isn't needed/desired. Only minor issue I have is the internal pocket organization is a bit funky.
Used primarily for: Travel
Yes, I would recommend this product!
Like so many TB bags, the DLBP is a great option to carry a lot of stuff and not necessarily look like it. The design is minimal - I like that it sort of blends into the background, but it's not flashy. The tiered interior pockets nicely allow you to evenly distribute contents vertically, to a point, which is nice. It is not ideal that stuff in the interior pockets can I tried on the main compartment, but that's kind of unavoidable. Buy ifif you need a minimal, non-padded day bag of gym bag.
Used primarily for: EDC
Yes, I would recommend this product!
I love this bag in the halcyon material because it’s easy to pack for travel as a day bag. Straps are pretty comfy and don’t slip off my shoulders. Because it needs some structure, you need to know how best to pack it for a most comfortable carry. Great for outdoor excursions too, and a very light and fun bag to carry. Looks good too!
Used primarily for: EDC
Yes, I would recommend this product!
I ordered this bag to replace my current backpack diaper bag since I really liked the two pocket system on the back of the main compartment. However this bag is tall and wide but very thin. It’s about 2 inches shallower than listed. Of course when I brought this to their attention they apologized and gave me free return shipping. The front pocket was also disappointing. If you pack non-flat items they will push into the main compartment, something their designs typically don’t do.
Used primarily for: EDC
The Daylight Backpack is perfect for tucking inside a larger bag to use as a day bag once you arrive at your destination. I combined it with a Travel Cubelet during a month-long trip to Lisbon. I even used the DLBP for a 2 night side trip. It held my 12" Macbook and all the clothes I needed. It's my most used backpack at home too. Perfect for trips to the grocery store, farmers market or library. I love this bag!
Used primarily for: EDC
Yes, I would recommend this product!
I bought this bag primarily to use as a bag within a bag for travel. I thought it’d be great to roll It in use, but carry when needed. And it is! But I find I’m actually using it all the time at home. I can carry my EDC in it when heading out for a day with the grandkids, and stuff it to twice it’s size with their tossed off jackets, etc. as the day goes by. It maintains a classic look no matter what.
Used primarily for: EDC
Yes, I would recommend this product!
This is another great product made by Tom Bihn. I love the fact that you can easily pack it up and throw it in your suitcase for travel. Very lightweight and can surprisingly fit more than you think!
Used primarily for: EDC
Yes, I would recommend this product!