By TESSELVTE [Instagram] and XEONIQ [ Instagram | Tumblr ]
Contents
1. Introduction
As my previous generation Granville backpack had deteriorated to the point of being unwearable after several years of daily use, I was in the market for a replacement. As an Arc’teryx fan, I wanted an all-black backpack that had space for my daily carry, my gymwear and could handle being taken on light hikes outdoors and trips.
The Veilance Nomin with its glued zippers (waterproof but prone to failure in the heat, which is a concern in Australia) and brick-like body shape that looks awkward when worn has never been quite right for me despite it being on the market for some time. Many of Arc’teryx rucksacks and daypacks are simply too big or are geared for hiking outdoors to be suitable for urban use.
The new Mantis 32 released earlier this year was not only a far more urban and stream lined in its design than the previous generation of Mantis backpacks, but was also considerably cheaper. When just a short time after being released in Australia it went on sale on Arc’teryx’s official site, I decided to finally replace my old Granville.
Four months later, where my Mantis 32 has been on one holiday to Tasmania, two beach trips, three all day hikes and five day a week office and gym use as my daily carry, I feel comfortable doing a comprehensive review of the bag.
The Arc’teryx Mantis 32 is available for $USD120 or $AUD230 on their official e-commerce site. I purchased my Mantis 32 on sale at $AUD182 directly from Arc’teryx.
2. Performance Specifications
Arc’teryx offers the following performance claims for the Mantis 32:
- 420D Nylon plain weave body textile with polyester lining
- Elastic inner laptop pocket/hydration bladder storage
- Padded back panel with frame sheet and aluminum stay
- Stretch mesh external side pockets
- Large volume main compartment
- Compartmentalised top pocket with key clip and pen organizer
- Adjustable chest strap
- Padded shoulder straps
- Removeable waistbelt
- Capacity: 32 Litres
- Weight: 1.01 kg
3. Design Features
One of the main selling points of the Mantis 32 is the large but not unwieldy 32L carry capacity and its aesthetic design which is distinctly urban. The bag is neither too outdoors or military/tactical in its design language. The aesthetic design of the panels, the zipper placement and the use of thin but robust webbing in the grab handle and straps is a strong feature that when combined with the relatively low purchase price (for an Arc’teryx bag) makes this a very attractive option for urban commuters.
As an Arc’teryx and a Veilance fan, I was drawn to its Arc’teryx branding and design language that I feel suits my Arc’teryc and Veilance heavy wardrobe. In general, the all-black design styles well with a range of urban technical outfits, which are showcased in Section 5.
The shoulder straps of the Mantis 32 are comfortable and padded, equipped with a sternum strap and a waist strap. Some day packs do not come with a waist strap so this is a welcome addition, however there are no clips or fasteners to stow the waist straps when not in use so they will simply dangle at the sides when not engaged. The waist straps are removable if you anticipate that you won’t be using them regularly.
Feature-wise, the top zippered compartment is easily the best component of the Arc’teryx Mantis 32. A red key clip and several pen pockets are provided and it’s an ideal space to hold your wallet, coins, and other valuable carry for convenient access. This is incredibly convenient to use in practice and is a design feature I’d like to see more of in other bag designs.
However, despite how useful this pocket is, it is not without its flaws. One issue to take note of is that when this top compartment is heavily loaded, it will simply flip over on top of the bag if you open it while the backpack is upright. Further, when this top compartment is filled it will typically collapse over the main front panel, obscuring the Arc’teryc logo and potentially providing an awkward silhouette if the bag is not completely packed to the brim. This is evident in the worn photographs with the bag throughout this article.
The main compartment is spacious if not a bit lacking in compartmentalisation or pockets. There is another key clip in this compartment added to supplement the top compartment’s clip. The grey coil zipper pictured above is not for storage but actually just allows access to a plastic sheet board that provides structure to the back of the backpack, creating a barrier between your carry or laptop and the padding on the back of the bag.
The laptop does not get it’s own compartment in this backpack, instead having a large elasticated opening pocket in the main compartment. This pocket holds up to a 15.6″ laptop (potentially 16″+ if the laptop is thin). If you prefer having your laptop in its own compartment, you may need to look at other bags.
4. Issues and Concerns
4.1 Construction and Material Quality
The Mantis 32 is an inexpensive backpack in Arc’teryx’s lineup, and make no mistake, you get what you pay for. The internal polyester lining textile in particular has a very cheap feel to it. Pilling is another issue that seems to affect both the polyester mesh side pockets and the nylon main textile.
There is a lot of competition in the all-black urban day pack market, and bags like the Condor Failsafe (Shellzine Review) provide significantly higher quality materials, construction and features, for an even cheaper price. But they aren’t Arc’teryx.
4.2 Branding and Aesthetic Detail Concerns
One aspect of the design I found an issue with was that there is outward branding of the bag’s country of manufacture, the Philippines, tagged on the backpack. Both older and current generations of the Granville’s Made in China mark were not displayed as such, so all I can imagine is that Arc’teryx had a tax break offered or some sort of regulation required by the Philippines government to include this. There are also logos and branding at the front bottom of the bag and the right strap in black embroidery and the front main panel in white embroidery. These are mostly low key aside from the white logo, but they are quite a bit more prominent than other current Arc’teryx accessories.
4.3 The Mantis 32 is Only Mildly Weather Resistant
A heavy shower test saw penetration through the main 420D textile in under a minute. During urban use however in short bursts of under a few minutes in light rain the bag provided adequate coverage. While on a more involved day hike in Tasmania however there was moisture present in the bottom of the bag that had accumulated from penetration over the day. A rain cover is necessary and preferably use individual waterproof protection for valuable electronics if you know you’ll be outdoors in the rain while using this bag.
As mentioned, part of the branding of this bag is a white embroidered primary logo on the main panel. This is stitched right through the textile with no backing, and thus water penetrates right through it upon exposure. This kind of design element seems ill-thought out for a “performance” outdoor brand like Arc’teryx and is something you’d expect to find in more mainstream brands like Jansport or Eastpak.
4.4 Hardware Quality and Origin
As per the general quality of construction and materials of the Mantis 32, the majority of the hardware such as the zippers are unbranded copies of YKK. While in the case of the ACG Karst backpack (Shellzine Review) where the unbranded zippers were actually extremely smooth and nice to use, those on the Mantis 32 are merely adequate.
Interestingly though, genuine ITW quick release buckles have been included on the Mantis 32. ITW makes dependable buckles but at the same time, with many manufacturers using unbranded quick release buckles or even custom designs, better quality zippers would have been more desirable.
Note: While the zippers are unbranded and feel merely adequate in quality, the nylon textile zipper pulls are designed and constructed well with a refined look to them and they haven’t been damaged or aged significantly in four months of regular use.
4.5 No Padding on the Bottom of the Bag
Again, like the Arc’teryx Granville 10 Courier Bag (Shellzine Review), there is no padding at all in the bottom of this bag. A small towel or similar is recommended to be placed at the bottom of the bag to provide cushioning for valuables when placing it down. Reinforcing the bottom of the bag is also important for longevity as this area will receive significantly more impact and abrasion over time and sustain wear and damage.
There are unbranded backpacks on eBay that provide higher density nylon materials, polyurethane textile coating for waterproofing and heavily reinforced padding on the back and bottom of the bag to protect valuables for under $AUD50. If businesses are making profit at that kind of RRP, it is disappointing that Arc’teryx cannot field a backpack at $AUD230 with these features, or at least have a more robust but similar all-black urban day pack model available at a higher price.
4.6 External and Internal Textiles Mark with Wear Easily
Further to the feel and quality of the textiles discussed in Section 4.1, at only four months old, the Mantis 32 has already sustained quite a few significant marks and signs of wear on the inside and outside of the bag. Before photographing, the bag was washed inside and out and allowed to dry for a day. Large scratches and texture damage to the 420D nylon and stains on the light grey inner polyester lining were numerous.
While the light grey lining is claimed to promote visibility in the bag, a more-stain resistant material or coating would have been appreciated. Again, the less expensive Condor Failsafe (Shellzine Review) has not sustained this kind of visible wear despite being much more significantly worn with years of regular use.
5. Use Case and Styling
I’ve included three urban styling outfits taken over the past few weeks with the Arc’teryx Mantis 32. I feel that the bag’s aesthetics and versatility in urban techwear outfits is one of its strongest selling points.
Urban Outfit 1 Summary
- Veilance Byet jacket
- Uniqlo Dry-Ex tee
- Uniqlo Nylon Utility Gear pants
- Salomon S-Lab Sonic 2 trainers
- Peak Design Camera Strap
- Apple Watch
Urban Outfit 2 Summary
- Veilance Partition LT
- Veilance Convex Pants
- Arc’teryx Norvan SL GTX
- Zojirushi thermos
Urban Outfit 3 Summary
- Nike ACG GORE-TEX Shell
- Veilance Field Overshirt
- Uniqlo Nylon Utility Gear pants
- Nike ACG Lupinek Flyknit Low
6. Summary
6.1 Pros
- Solid all-black, urban design aesthetic, with a silhouette that suits a range of urban tech outfits; and for those that want brand synergy: it’s Arc’teryx
- Inexpensive RRP for an Arc’teryx backpack, especially in the USA
- Large volume accommodates short trips while not being too big to use as a daily backpack
- Top zippered pocket is a great feature making important carry easy and convenient to access
6.2 Cons
- Inexpensive price gets you much cheaper materials, hardware and construction quality than typical Arc’teryx bags
- A number of design choices compromise the bag’s wet weather performance, robustness and aesthetics.
- Expect significant wear and tear rather quickly
6.3 Verdict
The Mantis 32L is an affordable, versatile urban daypack, well suited for commuters and students. However, you get what you pay for and the materials, construction quality and its technical performance are markedly lower than other Arc’teryx bags. If the Arc’teryx branding and the Mantis 32’s aesthetic design call to you, the $USD120 purchase price is more than fair, else: there are numerous other bags in this all-black daypack segment that are better featured and built for the money.
Ethical Statement: This product was purchased by myself with my own funds and is in no way endorsed or otherwise sponsored by the manufacturer (Arc’teryx).