Granville 16 Backpack

Been using my bag for three months and I’m enjoying it so far. Love how spacious and how much I can put inside (lunch, jacket and a large water bottle). Has two inner pockets and one has a zipper. Wish they didn’t remove the side zipper because that would have been handy and it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra set of pocket on the outside. The top zipper has just enough space, but even that gets packed quickly with keys, work ID, pens, bus pass and other mini items I need easy access to. The straps aren’t as strong as I find I have to keep pulling/adjusting as I’m walking. It has a tendency to slip and requires frequent adjusting. Love the bag overall, does the job! But an extra zipper would have have got it to 5 stars.

Overall a very pleasing pack that has quickly become my "go to" for everyday use (what I'd hoped it would be). No problems with rain or fit. Flexible construction works well for walking or biking. The missing "5th star" was really for the very small things such as the main adjustment strap buckles slip very slowly, requiring retightening every 3-4 days.

Such a fantastic bag I bought 2 colors. Excellent.

I love this back it's great for small trips and everything feels high quality.I don't really understand all the negative reviews.

I have decided to buy a new backpack, as an emergency plan during my last trip; last minute; went straight to Arcteryx reseller. Got my eyes on the Black Granville 16. The weather conditions outside were pretty bad, mostly rainy, cold, wind, need to walk outside with a solid backpack, no cosmetics, 100% water-resistant, no risks as I've got a Macbook 16 plus 2 technical bags, papers inside, to move safely around the city, comfort yes, but less visible as possible. The Granville did the purpose, magnificent backup, amazing room inside, essential, super water-resistant, not even a drop of water, very comfortable considering that this backup is not specifically designed for trekking. The zips are perfect, well designed. The rear side is made with material which is meant to be waterproof, this is the whole concept. No sign of abrasion on my Alfa. Probably this backpack is not versatile as presented, but surely it serves the purpose. Very happy with it, would recommend to buy.

I really like the overall design of the pack. I have a Granville 25 (2018) and need something a bit smaller. Unfortunately as noted in the reviews here and elsewhere, the revised back appears to be extremely abrasive. I could feel it catching on my shirt the first time I tried it on, and when I rub my hand over it, it feels like I'm getting shards of glass in my hand. Maybe it would be okay with a high-denier Goretex or softshell, but I'm not willing to take that risk, and even with those, I don't see how it couldn't cause some level of damage. How did this make it past testing? Aside from that, as a minor nitpick, the laptop sleeve is 1-2 cm too short for a 16" MacBook Pro, and the sleeve doesn't feel padded at all. The back is rock hard, and there's what appears to be a lumbar pad near the bottom that would create uneven pressure on a laptop.

I don't understand the reason they change this bag for a new version cause, except for the back, more breathable, not is better than previous version. Still very light, but not enough pouches, computer pouch has to be improved, top pouch is smaller than before, lateral pouch doesn' exist anymore. At the end, no amelioration, only bad changes except for the back.

Such a desirable bag - in 'Serene' it is a thing of beauty. But I returned it. Not enough organization - really missed the front stash pocket for access to slightly bigger items (jacket, sunglasses, phone, etc.) Internal zip mesh pocket would be more use on the front side of the interior, and the quick access pocket on the lid blocks packing and unpacking if its full (which it will be, if you want anything quick access.) The zips are stiff - OK, they are watertight - but it makes it all the more of a chore to get into it for things on the go. Probably wouldn't change the zips, but its worth noting. Bring back the front stash pocket!

When this bag is not full it looks a bit odd, I wish it had a different design or was made out of a different material. The material is also someone nosey when you move. It is missing a pocket along the back or front strap that would make this bag easier to use! This is super annoying, you need to take the whole bag off in order to get anything inside the bag.

It is a pleasure to use this bag. It has numerous pockets inside that are perfect for carrying my laptop and other items. Additionally, it has a useful pocket on top for my keys, and the overall quality of the bag feels fantastic. It is also very comfortable to use for day walks.

I bought this bag after catching up on the online reviews and speaking to family members. Perfect size for travel, and getting it on sale was a bonus. So far, very happy with no complaints.

I was so excited to purchase this bag. I received it and was so impressed with the craftsmanship, pocket design/layout, and the waterproofing that I immediately brought it with me on a two week vacation abroad. Big mistake. The back panel of the bag is like a cheese grater. It is so abrasive that it destroyed several shirts, sweaters, and jackets on this two week trip, and I had no other option but to continue using the bag despite this issue. I unfortunately only discovered this after wearing it with a brand atom hoody that I absolutely loved. The back of the atom is now pilled, stretched, and deformed after wearing the backpack for only three hours--it looks terrible. So much so that the windproofing on the back fabric panel of the atom is now questionable, and Arcteryx's warranty won't cover abrasion. This was the worst damaged item I wore the bag with, and I am rather upset about it. The backpack was also abrasive enough to pill a nylon rain jacket. I am now out the cost of this bag, the cost of a different backpack to replace it, and several hundred dollars in sweaters and jackets that the back panel has now ruined. I think the most upsetting thing is that this was apparently a known issue from other backpack designs (like the Aerios). This review would have been 5 stars if not for the back panel design. I really wanted to love it! I really (really!) like the design of the bag other than the fact that it has damaged some of my favourite clothing. As horrible as this experience was, I would honestly repurchase the bag in a heartbeat if the back panel design was fixed.

This pack is basically flawless as a work-laptop commuter bag. There is a great soft-lined sleeve that fits a 15" Macbook Pro perfectly (sure seemed like it was designed for this laptop), a zip compartment on the outside of that laptop pouch that's perfect for pens, other. Main compartment holds an extra shirt/lunch/notebook easily. In addition there is a seperate waterproof zip compartment with keychain clip. Pack fit is great fully loaded, it's also nice and low-profile if you commute on two wheels. It also appears to be fully waterproof. Another nice touch is the exterior fabric-- it seems like it's developing a really nice patina after 3-4 months of use. Perfect commuter pack- nicely done Arc design team.

This backpack has destroyed every shirt/jacket that I've worn it with, because the 'AeroForm' mesh back panel scrubs the hell out of the backs of them. AeroForm is really abrasive –– feel it for yourself! The old backs were just as comfortable and didn't damage clothes.

Took this backpack to Mount Rainier as an everyday hiker bag and it was great! Lightweight and outside shell was well protected from the random showers throughout the day, was not worried about the rain at all when wearing this pack. A couple things I did notice was firstly, the outside is easy to scratch and leave a mark especially when impacted against rocks or branches. Secondly, the bag starting from the bottom is quite narrow and trying to balance items being packed, it's difficult to have items weight balanced or difficult to reach the bottom items. Overall quite comfortable with the padded straps and Expanse colour really stands out and had a lot of attraction from it that weekend.

To preface I have the both the previous and current version of this pack and just don't get why they changed anything...and sadly for the worse. You now get an even larger main compartment, whereas before this space was sectioned into two separate spaces. For me the added option to divide my items was really nice! 3 sections was perfect but now just going down to 2 I have no idea why this bag is $200. I absolutely love the fabric of this bag, so durable and waterproof, but $200 for a single dump pocket?? Also another HUGE upset is the switch to a different back panel, one that has been proven to destroy clothes! The new version of the Granville uses the same back panel as the Aerios 15 which is too rough on Arc'teryx own clothing. Honestly just sad to see this bag go up $20 in price and have it loose and pocket and comfy back panel!

I bought the Granville 16 with the intention of using it to carry my computer, iPad, planner and other productivity items. When it arrived, I found that the backplate was distorted. Therefore I returned it for a refund. I do not plan to buy another because, based on the features, it is not a good value. At the $200 price point, I feel that it should have more organizing pockets for charging cords, pens, etc.

The size of this backpack is perfect for an everyday bag to carry my laptop and other work items. I like that the laptop sleeve has a stretchy mesh along the sides, so that it provides snug support for my laptop without putting too much pressure on it. The fact that it's highly weather-resistant is the best feature—I don't have to worry about my items getting wet or fumble with a rain cover if I get caught in some weather on my commute. The weather-resistant material on the outside and inside is also very easy to wipe clean. The only thing I wish this backpack had was a pocket for a waterbottle or mug, but the sleek profile is nice.