HEIMPLANET Motion Arc 20L - Review 2023

• DiveIn Score: 4.7/5
• Construction: 4.8/5
• Storage: 4.8/5
• Water and Impact Protection: 4.8/5
• Price/Quality: 4.5/5

When we review a bag we take into consideration the main purpose it will be used for. How it performs as a hiking backpack that’s comfortable on your back during long walks, a travel backpack that’s tough and great for long weekends away, or a commuter bag that fits extra folders and will protect your laptop against bumps and rain.

It’s a compact backpack with a sleeve big enough for a laptop up to 15 inches. If you’re a digital warrior with little paper trail in your wake, this backpack goes a long way to offering comfort and mobility without compromising functionality.

But it’s a hiking backpack first, and in that respect the Arc 20L is all about quality and smart design. The size is suited for an extra layer of clothing, victuals and hydration. There’s a velcro-sealed opening for a hydration tube and a water resistance that should keep torrential rains from getting anywhere inside the backpack.

The straps and zippers are well constructed and likely won’t be the reason for giving up on this bag after several years of hard touring in the sun, cold or rain.

Speaking of the straps, they wrap themselves around shoulders in a secure fashion avoiding too much friction, mitigating overheating and sweat. There is a little bit of hopping up and down that occurs when running around, but not too-too much. The backpadding, a 3D crystalline-like molding, gives an anti wicking effect and transfers heat away from the back and therefore makes the hopping not a critical problem.

All in all, the Arc 20L was very comfortable to use on the trails, biking and continues to be a go-to bag for us on the daily commute to and fro work.

Construction

The arc motion pack has a max volume of 20 liters. It’s designed with a streamlined wedge-shaped silhouette while the back is a 3d molded pad that feels really cool and creates natural compression and weight distribution.

The same 3d pattern is also used on the shoulder straps that allow for better airflow and reduces pressure on your shoulders when your bag starts to get heavy.

One thing that is always annoying when you tighten your straps is the dangling straps that seem to have nowhere to go. Heimplanet found the perfect solution by incorporating dangle free rubber ends to keep these straps in place.

Moving on to the chest and the waist straps. These straps are completely adjustable and removable to suit any body type. Heimplanet also offers two side pockets that are similar to a fanny pack that you can add to the hip strap for more storage space.

If you do not need them you can remove them completely for a cleaner look and feel to the bag.

Storage

A large zipper opening on the main compartment enables easy access to the inside. The laptop pocket can fit laptops up to 15 inches and hydration systems up to 3 liters and is held securely in place by a clip. The flexible floating pocket is a great place to store all essentials like wallets, phones, or passports.

The elastic strap at the bottom can be used to store notebooks or documents that you don’t want to fold and helps keep your backpack clean and organized.

The stretchable front layer adds a whole new dimension to your organization. It is waterproof and breathable so you can easily store a wet jacket or raincoat in here to dry without getting everything else wet.

At the bottom, it has this side pocket that combines both principles of water protection while also being flexible to store more items. On the other side, it has a water bottle holder with the same scratchy material so your water bottle probably won’t fall out.

Like all bags, there will always be a pros and cons list. It’s up to you what is more important and what you can’t compromise on when it comes to your bag. There is no compromise with the Arc 20L by Heimplanet. Like all their products, the quality is of a level to last a while and that means it fits into a commensurate price/quality relationship. In other words, it’s worth the extra dineros.

We’ve been testing out this bag for about a month now, and what we really like about this bag is that it seems to hug the contours of the body comfortably without generating excessive warmth that can lead to sweat. The zippers are easy to open/close zippers and made with high-quality material. The exterior of this backpack is definitely a premium look and by hiding the waist straps it gives it a clean sophisticated look that will appeal to most users.

Having run around on some trails with it and through the streets in a freerunning style, the Arc 20L has proven itself to be a worthwhile mini backpack with versatility that justifies its price tag. It’s hard to critically look at the quality of products these days without finding disappointments. The only one we could find here was a little hopping up and down when running and jumping, but this is by no means a problem for running and definitely not for hiking or biking.