You could say imperfection is a byproduct of making just about anything. But as far as Aer is concerned, it takes these imperfections seriously. After only about a year on the market, their City Pack Pro 2 has already been revised, bringing a new 20L option (to go along with the 24L) and redesigning some crucial aspects of the overall bag experience.
While this wasn’t the original plan, the San Francisco-based brand is wholly committed to satisfying its customers, and it’s what makes them arguably the preeminent name in the EDC bag space.
A Brand Built on Iteration
Aer launched in 2014 via Kickstarter with a dead-simple premise: bags that work harder without looking like they’re trying to. That ethos carried through to the original City Pack Pro in 2022, and then again with the City Pack Pro 2 in early 2025, a ground-up refinement that added dual carry handles, a hidden smart tracker pocket, a horizontal luggage pass-through, and a significantly improved harness. The community loved it, but still, Aer kept listening.
Feedback-Driven
The new 20L came about from users telling Aer that the 24L ran a little big for a true daily driver. Four liters may not sound like much, but the difference lands you squarely in the EDC sweet spot (19 to 22L), and the bag will feel noticeably more manageable on your back as a result. Beyond the size reduction, Aer took the opportunity to clean up a handful of long-standing critiques. The lower front pocket has been completely re-engineered. It previously compressed when the pack was full, defeating the purpose. So you now get access to its full volume regardless of how loaded the main compartment is. The quick-access side pocket, absent since the original City Pack Pro, also makes a return, giving you a fast lane to your keys or transit card without unzipping anything.
The keychain has been rethought too. Instead of being fixed to the front pocket (where it ate up prime real estate), it’s now removable and can be relocated to the side pocket, front pocket, or upper dump pocket.
That dump pocket also picks up a low-profile pen slot. This is another small addition, but one the community had been requesting for a while. The carabiner has been upgraded to custom aluminum, the result of a collaboration with Industrial Design Studio, a fellow San Francisco outfit, replacing the original Duraflex rings for better compatibility across different clip sizes. Rounding out the refinements are elastic added to the sternum strap for comfort, slightly tapered Hypalon folds up front for a cleaner profile, and marginally shorter zipper pulls. This thing is tighter in every sense.
Three Ways to Have It
The standard edition comes in Black, Navy, or Olive, built from 1680D CORDURA ballistic nylon with a grey liner. Step up to the X-Pac and you get Dimension Polyant’s VX-42 fabric with a high-vis orange interior and YKK waterproof zippers. The Ultra swaps in Challenge Sailcloth’s Ultra400X material with a bright green liner, and at 2.47 lbs, it’s the lightest of the three. All share the same dimensions: 17.5″ x 12″ x 7″, with a padded laptop sleeve that fits up to 16″.
Spec Sheet
Model: City Pack Pro 2 20L (Standard / X-Pac / Ultra)
Capacity: 20L
Dimensions: 17.5″ x 12″ x 7″
Weight: 2.74 lbs (Standard) / 2.64 lbs (X-Pac) / 2.47 lbs (Ultra)
Shell Material: 1680D CORDURA (Standard) / VX-42 X-Pac by Dimension Polyant (X-Pac) / Ultra400X by Challenge Sailcloth (Ultra)
Laptop Fit: Up to 16″
Hardware: YKK zippers / Duraflex hardware
Colors: Black, Navy, Olive (Standard); X-Pac; Ultra
Pricing & Availability
All three editions of the City Pack Pro 2 20L are available now directly through Aer at $199 (Standard), $229 (X-Pac), and $249 (Ultra).
Recap
Aer City Pack Pro 2 20L
Aer shrank their already-excellent City Pack Pro 2 down to 20L and used the opportunity to fix a handful of things that fans had already critiqued — a cramped front pocket, a keychain that got in the way, and a missing pen slot, among others. Three material options, same great bag, tighter execution.
