Buying a Rolltop Backpack: What to Look For

At first glance a rolltop backpack is a simple thing: a bag whose top you roll down. How good it really is depends on what you don't see straight away: the fabric, the seams, the hardware and how well the layout fits your day. This guide helps you tell a good rolltop from one that only looks good.

1. Size and volume

Before you pick a size, think about what you carry most often and how big your laptop is. The rolltop adds a few litres of flexibility, but the bag still needs to close properly when it's full.

If you carry a laptop, that narrows it down: our size M takes a modern 15″ laptop and the L up to 17″. If you often fly with cabin baggage only, both M and L work well. You'll find exact dimensions and volumes in our guide to rolltop backpacks.

2. Fabric: figures say more than adjectives

Anyone can print "waterproof", "durable" or "premium" on a label. What actually tells you something:

• Abrasion resistance in Martindale cycles. The higher, the longer it survives rubbing. A backpack is rubbed every day by your back, chair backs and bus seats.
• UV resistance. Without it, colours fade within a summer or two.
• Coating and water resistance. Coated technical fabrics shed water and dirt far better.

For reference: the Sauleda Masacril® we use is rated at 50,000 Martindale cycles, Sanwil Soft Marine® at over 80,000, and the textile leather base and straps at 80,000–100,000. These fabrics were originally developed for boats and outdoor furniture, and most of them come from the EU. We cover them in detail in our article on materials.

3. Weather protection: it's not just the closure

A rolled-down top helps keep rain out of the opening, but that alone doesn't make a bag waterproof. If the fabric lets water through or it seeps in at the seams, your things get wet whatever the closure. Check whether there is a waterproof lining and whether the fabric itself resists water.

4. Clip, webbing and hardware

The closure and straps carry the full load every single day, so this is usually where problems start. Plastic clips turn brittle in the cold, fatigue over time and snap. Look for a metal clip and reinforced webbing.

Our bags use stainless metal hardware and strong, reinforced webbing. Both are made in Hungary.

5. Layout: where do the keys and laptop go?

Many rolltops are one big sack inside. That sounds fine until you're digging for your keys at the bottom of the bag. Check whether there is:

• a separate laptop pocket, so the laptop doesn't slide around with everything else. Even better if the pocket doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of the bag, so the laptop doesn't hit the ground when you put the bag down,
• a small zipped pocket for small valuables,
• a quick-access front pocket, so you don't have to open the whole bag for your phone.

H.ELIX backpacks have a laptop pocket and a small zipped pocket inside the main compartment, plus a front pocket with two more compartments and a key holder. The laptop pocket deliberately stops short of the bottom of the bag: when you put the bag down, the laptop doesn't touch the ground, so it doesn't take the knock.

6. Comfort

You don't carry a bag in the shop, you carry it in the morning rush for an hour. A padded back panel and padded shoulder straps make a big difference, and so do straps that adjust well. Most important of all is that the weight stays close to your body: then the bag doesn't pull you backwards, you take up less space, and it's gentler on your spine. This is exactly where the rolltop shape shines. Try it on fully packed if you can.

7. Looks

Most backpacks spoil an outfit: shapeless and covered in buckles and logos. A good rolltop does the opposite: its clean shape works with a suit, a leather jacket or sportswear, at work, at school, at a gig or on a trip. Decide whether you want a single-colour, understated piece or something that draws attention. Our Modern collection is the first, the Vintage collection the second: patterned, one-off pieces.

8. Warranty and repair

A good bag should last for years, and if something does go wrong, what happens next matters. Ask whether there is a warranty, what it covers, and whether they repair the bag or just replace it.

Our bags come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing and material defects, and it still applies if you bought the bag second-hand or got it as a gift. We repair them in our own workshop, and we fix damage the warranty doesn't cover too, for a fee.

9. Before you buy: try it

If you can, see it in person: feel the fabric, open and close the clip, and put it on packed. You can try every model in our showroom at Szervita tér 3. If you order online, you have 30 days to return or exchange it if the size or colour isn't right after all.

Frequently asked questions

What size laptop fits?

With our bags, the M takes a modern 15″ laptop and the L up to 17″.

Are H.ELIX backpacks vegan?

Yes. We don't use any animal materials: the outer is technical fabric or textile leather, and the lining is partly made from recycled PET.

What's the difference between the Modern and Vintage collections?

Modern bags are made from single-colour technical fabrics with a clean, timeless design. Vintage pieces are made in small batches from patterned fabrics, so each one is unique.

What if the size isn't right?

You can return or exchange it within 30 days of delivery. Details on our shipping and returns page.

Rolltops by H.ELIX

We design and make our backpacks by hand in Hungary, from weatherproof technical fabrics, stainless hardware and strong webbing. Each one has a laptop pocket, a front pocket with a key holder and a lifetime warranty. Browse all our rolltop backpacks.