A city backpack designed with its outdoor heritage in mind, the Quasar 28 is a great go-to pack that’s versatile enough for almost every adventure.
The Osprey Quasar 28 daypack is a self-professed “city bag with true outdoor heritage” and although we agree with the mission statement, we can’t help but feel the brand has overachieved with the pack.
The Quasar 28 is clearly aimed at city-dwellers. However, with over 3 months of ownership and abuse directed at the pack in all kinds of environments, we’re happy to report that this city backpack is competent with so much more.
So, let’s get into the specifics and take a look at what makes the Quasar 28 such a great all-rounder.
We’ll start with the outside of the pack and what an exterior it is. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a much better-looking, functional backpack than this.
There’s a no-nonsense, rugged approach taken with the design that not only looks great but is incredibly functional too.
There’s a pair of stretchy mesh pockets on either side. The kind that actually holds water bottles, not just loosely cradles them before letting go at the worst possible time. A stretch bungee that dominates the front is designed to quickly stash lightweight jackets or bike helmets. And a pair of side compression straps keep everything tightly tucked in.
Moving on to the harness and wears will instantly love the comfortable padding embracing their shoulders thanks to a pair of chunky main adjustable straps. A sternum strap, complete with a funky whistle, helps distribute the load and a hip belt completes the set-up, although the latter does feel like an afterthought more than a planned addition.
Features-wise, there’s enough to keep the everyday user satisfied, but those looking for hydration sleeves, camera mounts and belt/harness pockets may be a little underwhelmed. However, we think they’ve hit the nail directly on the head.
Going ahead and opening up the pack unveils plenty of other delights, again highlighting the sheer versatility up for grabs.
The main compartment is large, sporting enough room for everything you could need during a typical day or long weekend. A laptop and tablet sleeve keeps your PC and iPad (or your favourite magazine) separate from the rest whilst a mesh document pocket is the perfect place to keep warranties, passports and visas hidden out of plain sight.
Closing the main section and heading for the secondary pocket and you’ll find a surprisingly large volume with three organisers and a handy key hook to keep things sorted. I typically choose to store my wallet, hand sanitiser (2021 essential) and my Swiss Army Knife in each of these sections. The rest of the pocket usually stores a light hoody or, more commonly, snacks.
Finally, the top pocket, perfect for sunglasses and electronics thanks to its scratch-free properties is where I typically keep my phone when out hiking. If that’s not enough organisation for you, I don’t even know what to suggest.
Materials and durability are next on our checklist and the Osprey Quasar 28 does not disappoint.
The material choice is a 210/420/630D Nylon Dobby Blend which offers a fantastic lightweight design that remains durable and keeps things nice and dry on the inside.
Durability comes naturally to the pack too. Thanks to the tough Nylon material choice and expert hardware in top-quality zippers and buckles, it’s one pack that’s sure to last for years when treated with respect.
The Colour choice is good with four great options available to choose from Osprey Europe. For UK buyers, Sentinel Grey, Umber Orange, Gopher Green and my personal favourite (unsurprisingly) black can all be found at the site.
At the time of writing, I’ve owned the pack for around 3 months and have found it to be one of my favourites in the Osprey lineup.
Not only is it, in my humble opinion, one of the best-looking packs, but it’s the one I turn to the most for the majority of my carrying needs. The padded laptop sleeve is a must-have for any commuter, traveller or digital nomad and considering I’m never more than 3 feet away from my PC, it’s a must-have for me.
I’m also a huge fan of organisation and with the Quasar 28, there’s more than enough clever nooks and crannies to keep my belongings in. There’s a dedicated place for my phone, wallet and keys to hang when I’m out hiking and the waterproof pouch at the top of the pack is great for storing sunglasses.
Ventilation is a little bit of an issue when hiking on warm days and if I was going to choose a dedicated hiking pack I’d go with the Talon 22 or the Talon 33, but as a versatile all-rounder, it’s hard to fault.
The Osprey Quasar 28 might just be the king of the Jack-of-all-trades packs on the market today.
A rugged, outdoors-inspired design mixed with pure practicality in organisation solutions make for an impressive pack that we’re always happy to use.
Ventilation does prove to be the Achilles heel with the pack acting like a sweat-trap on hot days and the hip belt does feel a bit after thought-y. But you can’t have it all – especially at this price point.
If you’re looking for a capable backpack that you can rely on for years to come regardless of what you throw at it and where you take it, it’s hard to find much better than the Quasar 28. It’s easily at the top of its class.
Have a burning question about the Quasar 28? It might just happen to be one of the most frequently asked questions about the pack – check out our list below.
The rules as to what qualifies as a carry-on differ depending on which airline you’re looking to fly with.
That being said, at just 28L the Quasar 28 stacks up well against the list of carry-on dimensions. To be safe, it’s best to check the airline guidelines and compare them with the pack dimensions (although we do tend to find airlines often aren’t too picky).
The Quasar 28 is marketed as a city backpack with outdoor heritage, but when testing the pack, it felt so much more capable.
With plenty of organisation space, a sturdy harness complete with hip-belt and sternum strap and a good-sized 28L capacity, the pack is well-suited to travel. Whether it’s a long weekend in the city or even a month-long stay somewhere exotic – we’re really impressed with this versatile pack!
Osprey is typically really good at offering different colourways for their packs and the Quasar is no different.
The latest edition of the backpack can be purchased in black, sentinel grey, umber orange and gopher green. There’s a colour for everyone!
The Quasar is a 28L backpack with the following size and weight spec:
If you’re still searching for the answer to any question about the daypack, do reach out and we’ll get back to you with an answer and the query to our FAQ!
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