The Lab: ORTLIEB Kuriertasche Review

Our global test team has been pushing products to the very limit on the world’s toughest trails. In The Lab, durability is rewarded and weaknesses have nowhere to hide. This time, we tested the ORTLIEB Kuriertasche.

Granted, the ORTLIEB Kuriertasche is not ideal for mountain biking, but those who rely on their bike for daily commutes swear by it. Light yet robust, this fully waterproof backpack swallows pretty much everything you want to throw in it, with its whopping 39 liter capacity. Despite the bare-looking back padding, this rucksack is a surprisingly comfortable fit, even when carrying our heavy weekly shopping back home. A thin plastic plate helps stabilize the load on our shoulders, while a wide adjustable waist strap and a sternum strap help make sure the bag sits nicely. On the inside, the ORTLIEB Kuriertasche looks like one big empty cave, with no partitions or compartments, but ORTLIEB offers a wide range of accessories to customise your own bag to your liking. On the outside, a range of lively colours combined with reflective material (on both sides) will make you clearly visible to motorised road users.

Even after twelve months of strenuous daily use, our bag shows no signs of wear. If we wanted to be picky, we’d notice a tiny amount of wear on the edges of the folding closing system. Having said that, this doesn’t affect the waterproof qualities of the bag in the slightest. Definitely a perfect choice for anyone who needs a year-round, large-capacity backpack.

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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl