Nayo Smart Anti Theft Carry On Backpack Review.

The Nayo Smart Anti Theft backpack is a great little pack that looks stylish and is perfect for an extra carry on bag or as a daypack when travelling, but it is its anti theft features which really make it indispensable for travellers on their round the world adventure.

This is a paid article written in partnership with Nayo Smart with products or services supplied by them. Full editorial integrity is maintained at all times. The views and opinions expressed are entirely the authors own based on personal experiences when travelling and are honest and factual without any bias.

I love anti theft backpacks, I don’t think that is a huge secret. There are quite a few out there now and I think it is such an important design feature in any backpack, not because there is a significant high risk of theft on the road but any anti theft feature is just one more layer of armour alongside other reasonable, common sense precautions that reduce your risk of having anything stolen or pickpocketed when travelling.

And when you have multiple features in one bag, like the Nayo Smart Anti Theft Backpack, then you have a significant tool to protect yourself against thieves and pickpockets.

The Basics.

The Nayo Smart Anti Theft Backpack has a capacity of 22 Litres, and measures 46cm x 15cm x 30cm. The main internal laptop compartment holds most laptops up to 15″6 in size, and the separate tablet sleeve holds most sized tablets or e readers up to 14″.

How Does It Function As A Backpack.

The Nayo Smart Anti Theft backpack is small at 22 Litres, which means that in practical terms for backpackers it is very useful as a day pack or carry on pack but isn’t quite big enough for carry on only travel. It is definitely an ideal companion to a slightly larger backpack though.

Saying that, for a 22 Litre pack you do get a solid amount of room inside and I think the hard shell shape adds to that functionality too. It opens up fully like a suitcase which makes packing and finding your gear seriously easy, and the open clamshell design is a great safety feature too which I will get to in a moment.

As a carry on pack on the plane I managed to fit my laptop and camera (including the bulky but protective camera carry case), two small waterproof stuff sacks with all my gadget essentials including chargers and microphone, a stuff sack with a spare change of clothes in (another expert packing tip for you in case the airline makes your main pack go AWOL), and a book, notepad and pen and other essential documents like my passport. As carry on packs go, that is ideal and honestly it never felt stuffed full like many others can have a tendency to do.

The hard shell case was not a problem when putting the pack under my seat or in the overhead locker, the 22 litre pack is small enough to fit both very easily and I really liked the fact that the hard outer shell added a little bit of extra protection for my camera and stuff inside when it had to deal with idiots trying to ram massive 65 litre hard cases into the bin next to it.

Using it as a daypack when exploring was just as ideal. The pack was never big enough to be cumbersome or in the way, yet had more than enough room to carry my camera, a little bit of kit (bearing in mind that as this is my business I often have a little bit more tech than the average traveller) and more than enough room for any souvenirs I picked up along the way.

The hard shell design also makes this backpack look seriously sleek. It may be functional, but it is also very good looking.

The Comfort.

This is a very comfortable backpack and I was happy carrying this on long, hot days exploring a city or on longer and hotter treks and hikes too. The pack itself has a very slight curve to it and contours around your back and sides very nicely. It has breathable back cushions with air pockets and the ergonomic harness for the straps is well padded. It feels like it is hugging your back yet at the same time the combination of the slight curve and the air pockets ensure that at least a little air gets to your back. This is essential when carrying any pack in a hot country!

Now this backpack doesn’t have any other comfort feature such as hip pads or a sternum strap but to be honest with you I didn’t miss them one bit. This is a small 22 litre pack that won’t ever be heavy enough to require them so that really isn’t an issue.

The Features.

The Nayo Smart Anti Theft backpack has a couple of great little features that came in really handy too when on the move.

First off the backpack is water resistant. The hard shell is coated in a water repellent material and the zips also have a waterproof seal that prevents water getting inside. I don’t know whether I would trust this enough for a real soaking and would still use waterproof liners and stuff sacks inside as an extra layer of protection but I do that in any pack I carry and the backpack itself should protective enough for most rain or light shower situations.

One feature I got really excited about was the integrated USB charger cable. Now you have to provide your own charger for this and of course remember to have it charged, but once it is hooked up inside you can keep it there safe and sound and have no need to go inside your pack to get it because you can just plug your charger cable into the USB port in the lower right hand side of the small hip panel.

Honestly I found the USB port really stiff to plug in at first and is still firm now after quite a lot of testing, but isn’t unmanageable and is a really useful feature.

There is a stretchable water bottle holder on the side of the pack too. It is hidden away in a zippered pocket when not in use but does hold most sized water bottles when you pull it out. I’ll be honest here I wasn’t a huge fan of this feature. It was useful and I did use it for my water bottle, but it does look a bit out of place on the otherwise sleek pack and because it is a stretchable pocket secured on on side it meant my water bottle bounced around a bit and never really felt as secure as I would have wanted.

It also has a couple of (almost) hidden but very functional zippered pockets in both of the straps too. Now these aren’t meant to be hidden so aren’t a security feature, but they are really useful for carrying a metro card in and a few small denomination notes so you don’t have to pull your wallet out every time you pay for something.

The Anti Theft Features.

Now this is where the Nayo Smart Backpack comes into its own, with a whole raft of features designed to keep your kit safe from thieves and pickpockets.

The TSA approved lock is actually built into the pack itself and means you can attach the two main zippers to it and it is completely sealed up and locked away. This is an infinite improvement on those packs which are just designed to clip onto a D ring to deter pickpockets, this actually locks your pack up completely with a solid combination lock.

There are also a ton of hidden pockets on this pack too, one in the back padding that sits in the small of your back (where no one would think to look) and a few inside the pack too.

The pack is made of a strong slash proof material, a material that is also helped by the solid shell, so that thieves cannot easily slice your pack open and steal your stuff.

Another great feature is the hard shell itself. The zips that open the entire pack once shut (and locked) are completely hidden away apart from the top part with the lock itself. The clam shell hard case wraps around your back slightly and provides zero point of access for pickpockets. There is simply nothing that they can slip their hands into. Even the hidden pocket in the small of your back is covered from the curved shape of the pack at both sides.

This is more than a basic anti pickpocket backpack, this is a solid anti theft one that short of taking the whole thing itself, any criminal would be extremely hard pressed to get into.

The Final Verdict.

Obviously not big enough to be carry on only at 22 Litres, the Nayo Smart Anti Theft Backpack makes a perfect secondary carry on bag or day pack, and its anti theft features add some serious security to your travels and can really reduce your risk of being robbed or pickpocketed.

I genuinely love this pack and will be using it for a long time to come whenever I need to carry more than just carry on only.

Ready to buy? You can get your own Nayo Smart Anti Theft Backpack here.

Related Articles.

5 Easy Tricks To Avoid Being Robbed On Your Gap Year.

Basic Travel Safety Tips.

How To Outsmart And Avoid Pickpockets And Thieves On Your Gap Year.