[PLACEHOLDER: affiliate link for the Matador Global Travel Pack 35. Replace this paragraph with “Get the Matador Global Travel Pack 35: Check price” and the link.]
Matador just retired its entire lineup, including the GlobeRider 35 and 45, and replaced it with what the company calls one complete travel system. I’ve used the new Global Travel Pack 35 for four weeks now, so is this the best travel backpack Matador has ever made?
I think the Global Travel Pack sits firmly in the maximum carry on category, and it’s for the user who wants quick access and carrying comfort above all. That identity is its greatest strength, and it’s also the reason the bag will be too big and too heavy for a lot of people.
Disclosure: Matador sent me the 35 and the 45 as review units, and both are production units. The opinions here are my own, and Matador hasn’t seen this review in advance. These are my initial thoughts after four weeks. A separate review of the 45 is coming, and I’ll follow up with long term reviews of both bags.
| Specification | Matador Global Travel Pack 35 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 35 liters |
| Weight | 1,673 g (3 lb 11 oz) |
| Dimensions | 53 x 36 x 25 cm (21 x 14 x 10 in) |
| Fabric | 420D recycled nylon, PFAS free |
| Exterior zippers | DuraGlide sealing zippers |
| Carrying system | Composite frame stay, load lifters, removable hip belt and sternum strap |
| Laptop compartment | Padded sleeve with its own zipper on the outside, plus a tablet sleeve for tablets up to 13 inches |
| Colors | Black, Juniper, Garnet |
| Price | $279 |
Quick access and pockets
Quick access is one of the most outstanding features of this bag, both in terms of pockets and grab handles. The bag has a slight V shape, narrower at the bottom and bigger at the top, and the top is where you’ll find a large quick access pocket with an admin pocket right below it. The admin pocket has some actual depth to it. It fits my Logitech Anywhere 3S mouse, a small tech pouch, flat chargers, cables and my ebook reader comfortably, and the top pocket takes my phone and earbuds.
I would’ve preferred the admin pocket to go all the way down for things like a power bank, but that’s not a big deal. You can also get into the quick access pocket from the inside when the bag is fully open, which is really convenient when you’re packing or unpacking. In areas with a lot of pickpockets, I rarely keep valuables in these outer pockets. They go into the main compartment.
There are grab handles pretty much everywhere: on the top, on both sides, on the bottom and on two of the corners. The top handle feels a lot like the one on my Peak Design Travel Backpack, which is a very comfortable and sturdy handle. The bottom one is really useful for pulling the bag off the shelf on a train or a plane, and the corner handles give you one more place to safely grab it. I haven’t seen corner handles on any other backpack. There’s also a second loop on top for hanging the bag, and that’s where I clip my Heroclip so I can hang it on more surfaces. If this bag has one recurring theme, I think it’s optionality.
The side pockets are stretch mesh and fit pretty much any bottle. Each has a loop at the bottom and one higher up, so you can secure a bottle with a carabiner. I use the second pocket for an umbrella, which is why I really like having two.
I know a lot of people miss the mesh kangaroo pocket from the GlobeRider 35. I never used it that much myself, so your mileage may vary. It’s been replaced by an elastic cord over four attachment loops, and I think that’s a fair compromise. You can take the cord off completely, and the loops hold a towel, a travel pillow, a jacket or even a yoga mat. I’m also not the biggest fan of compression straps with buckles like the GlobeRider had, so losing them isn’t a big deal for me.
Matador’s Smuggler’s Pocket is an RFID blocking pocket hidden behind the back panel, and that’s where my passport goes. There’s also a dedicated AirTag pocket on the front. I would’ve liked that one hidden in the Smuggler’s Pocket, but that’s a nitpick.
Materials and build
The fabric is 420D recycled nylon that’s PFAS free, and the exterior zippers are Matador’s DuraGlide sealing zippers, developed together with Zoom. Living in Trondheim, I really appreciate that. I can go for shorter walks with my tech in the bag when it’s raining a bit, and I can leave the rain cover off. If you’ll be walking in a lot of rain, I think a cheap rain cover in the second side pocket is still a good idea.
When I overpack the bag and stretch it a bit, the zippers gap a little under the cover. I’ve seen the same thing on my Peak Design, so I think this is to be expected. I haven’t noticed any other wear after four weeks, and on a $279 backpack I don’t think you should.
Packing the main compartment
The main compartment opens fully like a clamshell, and the whole compartment zips up behind a mesh divider. That makes this one of those bags where you don’t necessarily need packing cubes. I’ve always packed into one big volume, so dropping the cubes is new for me, and I think a lot of people who find cubes to be one more layer of friction will appreciate it.
With this setup the dirty laundry goes in a plastic bag. Because the clothes sit behind the mesh, there’s still room for other items when the compartment is zipped up. Two more mesh compartments take my toiletries and my Philips OneBlade when I’m flying.
You can also open the bag from the top. I find that quite useful, since I can pull out a jacket or a tech pouch while the bag stays upright and full.
The laptop compartment fits my gigantic 16 inch HP G10 laptop, and a separate padded sleeve comfortably holds a tablet, an ebook reader or a notebook.
The biggest tradeoff is size. This is a true 35 liters before you count the pockets, and I’ve seen a packing test put it at 36 to 37 liters with the bottle pockets filled. Next to my Osprey Daylite 35, which is also rated at 35 liters, you can see the difference.
Matador calls the 35 carry on friendly, and that’s not a guarantee. A completely full bag fits in the overhead bin of a 737. On domestic flights here in Norway I pay a bit extra for carry on, and Norwegian has never checked my bag, but I think it’ll probably be too big for the bins on smaller planes. Do your own research with the airline you fly.
Comfort and carry
Comfort is where I think Matador has done its homework. I usually approach larger travel backpacks with a bit of pessimism, so I was quite surprised by how comfortable this one is, especially under load. Both the 35 and the 45 come with a composite frame stay, load lifters and a hip belt right out of the box.
The bag is a bit shallow, so the weight sits close to your back. My Thule Landmark 40 drags me backwards in comparison. The Osprey Farpoint 40 is still the more comfortable bag, but the Matador is almost up there, and I think it’s clearly better than my Peak Design Travel Backpack and the Osprey Sojourn Porter, even with the hip belt on the Porter.
The shoulder straps stow away, and the clips that hold them are hidden. Details like that make the bag feel like a more refined product. The hip belt comes off too, which was the first thing I did on the 35. If you plan to pack a lot of weight you might want to keep it on, since it stows away when you don’t need it, but at this size I prefer to travel without it. On the 45 I leave it on, because I know I’ll be packing a lot.
I’d go as far as to say you could use this as a hiking bag every now and then on a one bag trip. There are many better options for hiking in general, but I think it can do that double duty.
My biggest gripe is the sternum strap. Adjusting its height means taking it out and clipping it into another slot, which is tedious, and the plastic seems very prone to scratches. I would’ve liked metal here, or the standard rail you see on a lot of bags from Osprey and Thule. That being said, this is one of the few bags where I don’t feel I need a sternum strap, which is a huge compliment to the design. On many other bags I need it to keep the shoulder straps from sliding outwards.
Who should buy the Matador Global Travel Pack 35
I think this bag is for you if you travel often and want convenience, build quality and carry comfort above all else, in a bag that can last you a long time.
I’ve also tried the 35 as a gym bag and a grocery bag, and it did the job fairly well with the mesh divider opened up for maximum space. The mesh panels then lie around awkwardly inside the main compartment, and this is primarily a travel bag. I asked Matador what they’d recommend, and their answer was the 24L Adventure Pack for the gym and grocery runs, and the new 18 liter pack if you want a bag that works as a personal item.
If the 35 looks too big, Matador recommends the 30L Carry-On Travel Pack ($199) as the bag most airlines will accept as carry on. You can’t tuck away the shoulder straps on that one and it has no load lifters, which I don’t think is a downside on a bag designed to be lighter and smaller.
If you need more room, there’s the 45L Global Travel Pack, but do know that it’s a very big bag. It’s the biggest 45 liter bag I’ve tried, way larger than my Farpoint 40 when both are fully packed. Between the two, I think the 35 is the one most people will be happy with.
| What I like | What I’d change |
|---|---|
| Carry comfort under load | Sternum strap is tedious to adjust |
| Build quality and sealing zippers | The bag doesn’t compress |
| Quick access pockets and grab handles everywhere | Big and heavy for 35 liters at 1,673 g |
| Clamshell opening with a mesh divider | Admin pocket could go deeper |
| Hip belt included in the price | AirTag pocket sits on the front |
There are lighter and cheaper packs out there, but what the Global Travel Pack 35 does, it does really well. The sternum strap is a bit of a downer and the bag doesn’t compress, though I don’t think compression is necessary on a bag like this. The hip belt you’d pay extra for on many other backpacks is included. Overall, I think this is a really great bag that a lot of people will enjoy. Do you miss the GlobeRider, or is this the better direction for Matador?
[PLACEHOLDER: affiliate link for the Matador Global Travel Pack 35, same as at the top.]
