Db Hugger 25L Review

25I was really looking forward to receiving my Hugger 25L, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’d had my previous Herschel and Supply bag for a few years and dragged it around the world. So it was starting to look a little worse for wear. I was also getting annoyed as it wasn’t the most easy to access stuff when I needed it. So when Db asked me to review their hugger I was ecstatic.

I really like the design of the bag. It’s sleek and stylish, and it opens up fully meaning I don’t have to hunt around for my gear in the dark. I was particularly excited to use it when I go out on photography shoots. The ease of access meant I could find my lenses and accessories easier. My first thoughts of the material is it feels great, but it also feels like it’s durable too.

The initial build quality feels great on this bag. The Huggers materials have a structured design which is perfect for protecting my camera gear. But the materials are soft so there’s a bit of flex to absorb any impacts. Or when I inevitably knock somebody with it on the tube.

There’s nothing worse than buying expensive gear that looks great but you have to treat it like glass because it damages easily. I’ve been using this bag every day for a few weeks now. It’s been on my commute every day to London, been out every weekend on day trips and it’s still pristine.

If you do get any dirt on it the material is easy to clean. Now I do have the black which is hard to mark or stain, and with the lighter colour you accept that it won’t hold up as well. But providing you look after it I’m confident the beige will hold up for years too.

I wore this bag all day around the British Museum without any issues whatsoever. The straps are quite thin but made of soft materials so it rests comfortably all day. It was comfortable and easy to carry. I did have a lot of gear so the bag was about 75% full, and I had no issues at all.

A few days later I had to take all of my equipment to a photography studio in London. This included cameras, lenses, a laptop as well as products. So it was massively heavier than I would usually want it to be. It was still really comfortable to wear. I had balanced the inside so it was weighted correctly. The structured shape really helped to prevent anything from poking through into my back when I walked.

Style is always a personal choice, but for me this is my style of bag. I love the mix of smart but tactical. It fits in the office as well as it does in the wilds of Iceland. It is a great bag for travelling and I cannot wait to take it on my next city break. Hugger is a really apt name as it really does hug your body. You can see in the photo above it curves to your body. The Hugger gets smaller at the top to make it more streamlined, preventing it from getting in people’s faces when in crowds.

This is the middle model at 25l. Db do make Huggers in smaller and larger capacities with 20l and 30l options available. 25l is perfect for me, I can easily fit my laptop and tablet, any camera gear I need or if in the office my gym wear. I have space left over so even the 20l would have suited me fine. But on days I need to carry a lot I’m welcome for the extra 5l. My usual tripod, the Carbon Fibre from K&F fits perfectly along the inside with room to spare.

If you are debating between the two I would definitely recommend getting the 25l. The 30l would have been perfect for my trip to Iceland. On colder trips, I have to carry bulkier gear. So the extra space would have been welcome. I wouldn’t have to try and squeeze my camera in and still have room for my warm thick jacket, crampons and gloves.

So at first, I thought the Hugger 25L didn’t have any organisation pockets at all. But cleverly they stitched into the sides internally. This is kept in place by one big zip. I would probably prefer this to be an individual zip for the pocket. But the netting does keep items firmly in place so they don’t fall out when the zips open. It also has an easy-to-access laptop pocket (an essential nowadays).

At the top, there’s also a smaller pocket for things you need to grab quickly. This was really useful for my glasses as I needed them. But I often have to take them on and off as I can’t see through my camera’s viewfinder when wearing them. I usually keep my PGYTech Createmate here when doing photography so I can easily switch SD cards or check my photos.

There’s also no external water bottle pocket. On my last two trips, Singapore and Bucharest, I have used a bag without one. And on both those occasions I’ve had drinks leak all over my camera. So now having that feature is really important to me.

But that has taught me a lesson about being more careful, so now no cans that can be pierced are allowed on this bag. Only reusable bottles that are tried and tested are allowed. However as a solution, there is some webbing at the top for you to clip a bottle on with a carabiner.

I do prefer the bucket style that allows me to fully open the Hugger 25L. It allows me to find what I need quickly and easily. So I’m not doing that awkward root around on the tube. When I took it to the British Museum and needed to change lenses, it was so much quicker to lay it down, zip it fully open, grab what I needed and close.

Db are now a B-Corp registered business, meaning that the manufacturing of their products have been reviewed by an independent board. Ensuring that the company is acting ethically towards its customers, environment, workers, environment and governance. When you see a business has acheived this certification it means you can shop with confidence that the product is ethical.

A B-Corp certification is tough to get and doesn’t mean the business is perfect. But it means they are are being transparent about their practices without Greenwashing, and they are making steps towards more ethical business practices.

Good luck to Db if they hope they are getting the Hugger 25L back! I love it. It’s comfortable on my commute. And just made photography days out so much easier. I could zip open, grab what I needed, and then zip the bag up within a few moments. Much better than having heavy pockets or lense cases hanging off my belt.

If you want to purchase your own Hugger 25L, you can do so using the link below. By purchasing through the link it won’t charge you any extra but I may receive a commission which helps support the blog.