People have come to expect a certain sporty sleekness to much performance gear or athletic wear. When it comes to the outdoors, style is less important than function, but it is still important. This Deuter Race EXP Air, unfortunately, falls flat in the appearance department. It looks almost bloated when in use, and it has the soft edges and unsculpted appearance that an overstuffed duffle bag may possess. This is sort of disappointing, especially considering that the product is actually pretty high-end. You may want a sleeker look to the bag you use for cycling or at least a more aerodynamic appearance. The one comfort here is that this has an ergonomic design despite looking kind of bulky and clumsy. Those who love to hit the woods or trail will be pleased with it and quickly consider it one of their favorite companions, even though it's supremely lackluster in the looks department. Some may really enjoy the look, but its bloated shell is objectively a miss, stylistically speaking.

People have come to expect a certain sporty sleekness to much performance gear or athletic wear. When it comes to the outdoors, style is less important than function, but it is still important. This Deuter Race EXP Air, unfortunately, falls flat in the appearance department. It looks almost bloated when in use, and it has the soft edges and unsculpted appearance that an overstuffed duffle bag may possess. This is sort of disappointing, especially considering that the product is actually pretty high-end. You may want a sleeker look to the bag you use for cycling or at least a more aerodynamic appearance. The one comfort here is that this has an ergonomic design despite looking kind of bulky and clumsy. Those who love to hit the woods or trail will be pleased with it and quickly consider it one of their favorite companions, even though it's supremely lackluster in the looks department. Some may really enjoy the look, but its bloated shell is objectively a miss, stylistically speaking.

Deuter really worked hard to create a bag that wears comfortably. Their attention to detail and materials used pays off to create something that you will almost forget is there on your back. Since this is a small to medium sized bag, Deuter really tried to focus on the ventilation of the pack itself. This is where their Aircomfort technology comes in. A flexible spring steel frame is the base of this unique system. Deuter actually invented the very first mesh back system ever, and they remain trailblazers in the production of such a system even today. The result of their dedicated work is terrific, especially for those who are prone to sweating when wearing a backpack or a similar close-to-the-body storage product. The soft and flexible build of this system gives you the best motion possible when on the bike, making sure that none of your movements are hindered or restricted. Couple this with the ergonomic design perfectly anatomically tailored to rest comfortably on the back and shoulders and you have yourself an extremely advanced outdoor accessory.

Durability is extremely important when it comes to outdoor gear. Deuter adds a few special features which help to ensure a long-life of use for their Race EXP Air. One of the simplest additions that you may not think of is that it comes with a cover for rain and wet conditions. Imagine a camping tent, you may have noticed many of them come with an additional guard from the elements. This bag does the exact same thing. If you are in a rainy area or just don’t want to stress about a sudden change in weather, this small feature allows you to protect your belongings and the gear itself, helping to extend its lifespan. Their fabric is intensely durable, utilizing materials with a 420 denier and 210 denier density. Deuter refers to this material as Hexlite 100, which has an intense and productive weave that works overtime in maintaining a strong and resilient fabric. A fantastically tight weave protects against abrasions and tears, taking some of the risks out of being a bit tough on your favorite gear. The inside of the bag is made using Ripstop fabrics, which are formulated in a special way to similarly prevent against tearing. This bag will last a very long time with very little maintenance, a necessary feature for most outdoor gear.

Though it seems like it’d be a no-brainer to include reflective materials in the production of athletic wear, it still isn’t available to the extent it is on this Deuter. Not only is the front of the backpack outfitted with plenty of reflective materials to catch the light of headlights or other campers at night, but there is also added reflectivity on the back of the bag. Their 3M reflectors will catch the light at a great distance and reflect it back with adequate intensity. This is a great safety feature for those who are both on the road cyclists or trail cyclists. This bag is made specifically for those needing one while on their bike, so reflective materials are an absolute must to truly feel safe when riding. The Race EXP Air has a sternum strap which stabilizes the pack itself on the back, so if you choose to attach a light to the front of the bag, you can ensure the bag rests comfortably and stays visible in the proper position no matter what. IF the sternum strap was not there to help stabilize the rest of the bag, not only would the comfort technology be lost due to its anatomical design, but the safety features would be less effective, save for the reflective material itself.

There is a ton of storage and additional space in this Deuter Race EXP Air than what meets the eye. On the outside of this Deuter backpack, it looks relatively smooth, like there is really no storage whatsoever. Actually, the stretch pockets cover the outside of the bag. These super stretchy spaces can expand and tightly grasp a number of things, from an energy bar to a water bottle. For your valuables, there is a special zippered section found inside the front zippered section of the bag, ensuring a safe and secure place to put your expensive items that require a bit more security. A shades holder comes equipped and ready to hold your glasses or sunglasses. This is simply a small loop on the shoulder of the bag for easy access. A mesh organizer system tops off the storage abilities of this product by Deuter. With so many different compartments and storage spaces, it makes it much easier to travel without stress. Knowing where exactly all your necessary items are and being able to quickly access them is a must when venturing out into the wilderness.

The Aircomfort system is a big part of the fantastic ventilation that this Race EXP Air has. The frame creates a space between the back of the bag and the back of the wearer. This is to help encourage ventilation and the moving of air between the item itself and the person using it. They call this stable tension, better allowing a steady flow of moisture and hot air away from the wearer. The straps themselves also implement some of this same ingenuity. The side panels of the bag fully mesh, so as to not trap heat against your body. The straps are equally ventilated and mesh, creating even more airflow in the bag’s materials themselves. If you want a backpack with a ton of capacity that won’t make you uncomfortably overheated, this should definitely be on your shortlist of options to consider.

We already mentioned the expandable pockets on the outside of this bag from Deuter, but there are also expansion options on the inside too. The volume this bag can hold actually expands in different sections, making storage possibilities truly endless. On the inside of the bag, an expandable pocket is specially designed to hold sweaty or wet clothes, to keep them away from the body and still tucked safely away. Making this Deuter a top option for storage versatility, the expanding stretchy areas give you more freedom to pack away additional layers if you get too hot, or store additional layers like a rain jacket or a hoodie in case the weather takes a turn for the worse. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best is one of the key rules when it comes to adventuring, so a bag that helps to accommodate all of those preparations perfectly is always welcomed. This can adjust from 12L to 15L, depending on your needs.

Not only does this bag come with a covering for the rain separate from the bag itself, but the material itself is reinforced for weather protection. We already talked about its durability against tears, but there is a coating that makes it similarly resistant to water. Polyurethane is coating the whole body of this Deuter Race EXP Air. Protecting it from the elements and any unnecessary wetness when out having fun in nature. Bikers know that when biking in wet conditions, you actually get more wet than standing or walking in the rain because you catch more drops. Even a light drizzle can end up making someone on a bike much wetter than it would a bystander. Knowing this, protection from that kind of moisture is always welcome, as it also protects the bag in the long run from damage and wear-and-tear.

Premium materials and perfectly-applied mesh create a lightweight feel that is ideal for a variety of users, however, due to having such a large capacity, this pack is a bit heavier than others on the market. Weighing in at over 2lbs, this is slightly more heavy than many other bags its size, though those bags do not have expandable volume, especially not at the level that this Deuter Race EXP Air does. Despite the weight seeming heavy on paper, their Aircomfort system still promises to decrease sweating by up to 25% due to the way it cycles heat away from the body, so this is still worth mentioning for those who don’t want to feel constricted and bogged down by a big bag. If weight alone is a very important factor to you, there are lighter reservoir packs on the market, if you take in all the other factors of this Deuter backpack, though, you may find it is actually exactly what you need.

Being heavier in weight and slightly bloated in appearance, the Deuter has a couple of surface level features stacked against it. If you look past these things though, the Deuter Race EXP Air is really something special. EXPandable volume and Aircomfort technology create a unique hydration pack that you are definitely going to want to try. Its resistance to weather and tears makes it stand out amongst its less-versatile competitors. Deuter invented the mesh system that works so beautifully in this pack. Doing it first doesn’t always mean doing it best, but it's hard to compare others to the stunning execution of this Deuter backpack.