Janji Revy Pack Review: The Ultimate Commuter Backpack for Runners

To find out if the Janji Revy Pack is worth the investment, we tested it on daily running commutes, packed it for travel, and used it for everything from workdays to weekend adventures.

The Revy Pack by Janji is a well-made running pack that fits way more than a traditional vest, but feels comfortable no matter how full you stuff it and how many miles you carry it.

It’s ideal for the run-commuter, the trail-adventurer, and the traveler. Plus, it’s arguably one of the best EDC bags (every-day-carry, for those who aren’t bag nerds) out there, if you want to have all of your important things neatly organized in a comfortable, bounce-free, versatile bag you can take anywhere, any way.

As far as I’m concerned, this bag definitely fulfills Janji’s mission of cultivating joy.

The Revy Pack is great for anyone and everyone who wants a well-made pack they can comfortably wear in any circumstances and for epic lengths of time.

It’s great for urban dwellers who would way rather run everywhere than take a car, bus, or subway. It’s great for trail runners who need to carry a longer list of gear than they want to stuff in a vest.

It would make a great drop bag or daypack for hut-to-hut adventures. It’s also a fantastic EDC, so you’re ready for whatever the day has in store. 

Janji Revy Pack Overview

I was eager to try this bag because I run as my main form of transportation in NYC, and I often find myself coming up with creative ways to carry things like my laptop, lunch, a rotisserie chicken, and my farmers market haul while I run.

My solutions have definitely made for humorous Strava posts, but they have not always been very comfortable or convenient.

The Revy Pack is a game-changer. I love it for run-commuting, literally running errands, daily use, and travel. I also want to use it to carry art supplies to take a painting break on a trail run, and for bucket-list adventures like R2R2R in the Grand Canyon. 

In a fun twist of fate, my husband got a Revy Pack as well. While he’s not quite the avid runner I am, he is a serious adventurer, bag connoisseur, and long-time member of the subreddit r/ManyBaggers.

He used to switch between a few different bags (Chrome, Alpaka, and Peak Design bags were his go-tos) based on what the day had in store. Now, he exclusively uses the Revy Pack and opts for Janji’s Multipass Sling Bag when he needs something small.

In his words, the Revy Pack’s “adjustability is s-tier,” or superb, for those who are not familiar with bag lingo.

As far as we’re concerned, Janji is the best bag designer. 

All my gushing over Janji aside, it’s important to note that while the Revy Pack is magic, it is still a pack with weight. You are essentially running with a weighted vest, especially if you make use of all the capacity.

In some cases, that’s a great way to get a quality workout. In other instances, it may be more stress than the body needs. Keep this in mind when deciding how far and when to run with this bag. 

Janji Revy Pack Fit

I’m a petite, 5 foot 2 inches, and I have a size small bag. For further context, in Janji clothing, I wear size XS or small, depending on the garment. 

The size, weight distribution, and shape of the bag fit well on my body. However, to fit my frame, I do have to tighten down the adjustment straps a lot. 

At first, I was really curious what to do with the extra strap length for the side and sternum straps, and then I figured out I could sort of tuck them into one another to prevent them from flopping around. This works perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t mind a more elegant solution. 

I’m always reluctant to wear my running vest without a tank top or shirt, and didn’t expect the Revy Pack to be comfortable over just a sports bra. That seemed like a recipe for some serious chafing.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the pack was over just a sports bra. I felt some minor rubbing around my waist under the elastic band, but I was able to comfortably run 6 miles in high heat and humidity without any serious chafing issues.

The shoulder straps feel like they come rather close to my neck and could potentially cause chafing, but I have not experienced any issues yet. 

My husband is 5 foot 10 inches, has an athletic build, and wears the size medium bag. It fits him comfortably, and it looks good too! 

Janji Revy Pack Feel

When I received the bag, NYC was in the midst of a serious heat wave. Every run felt like swimming through an ocean of humidity, and left me dripping in sweat.

The Revy Pack passed the heat wave test with flying colors. The back foam padding creates a nice space for airflow and prevents the bag from holding onto my sweat or adding to the heat. 

Notably, the pack feels lightweight, even when I try to max it out. For one test run, I packed it full of water, a bag of coffee beans (a gift to a friend I was running to see), another pair of shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, my laptop, and loads of snacks.

It weighed 11 pounds, and I was a little nervous about running with it because it looked pretty packed and it seemed heavy, but I put it on and it felt like nothing. 

The broad shoulder straps feel durable and very light. From what I understand, the shape of the shoulder straps were improved from V1 to V2 to be more contoured, and I appreciate that this version works for my body. 

Whenever I run with a vest, I’m conscious of limiting its potential impact on my breathing. Even with the Revy Pack adjusted snugly, I don’t feel like it restricts my breathing. I credit this largely to the waist straps that have just the right amount of elasticity.  

I’ve gone on runs both with and without the waist strap clasped, and both approaches are fine. I want the waist strap when I’ve packed more, but I am fine without it when there is less in the bag. I find the waist strap does seem to displace some of the weight, but not all reviewers agree. My hypothesis is that the effect of the waist strap depends on a person’s body proportions in relation to the bag.  

Maybe this is obvious to most, but I do find it important to balance the weight to prevent chafing and make sure the bag fits comfortably. If the bag contents fall in wonkily, it can be uncomfortable. 

Revy Pack Quality & Packing Notes

It’s so special to explore all the thoughtful details Janji put into this bag. I feel like I’ll get to discover gems for a while. I really enjoy the craftsmanship and care that went into the design. I feel like it is the result of amazing people who love running, want great gear, and want to share it with all their friends.

For starters, the pocket design is excellent. I specifically love how the large semi-clamshell volume has a two-way zipper that you can unzip from the bottom. I can access something at the bottom of my pack without having to take everything out, which is really nice.

However, I don’t feel like I have entirely gotten the hang of using all the different pockets. I find myself forgetting where I stash something quite often, and I think it will just take some time to get used to the organization I can achieve with this bag. 

Given that this is a bag I carry my laptop in, I wanted to understand how weather-resistant it really is, so I conducted a rain test.

During a beautiful shower that would have soaked me to the bone, I placed a dry towel in each pocket, zipped up the bag, and hung it on the porch. At about 15 minutes into a steady pour, the fabric looked saturated.

I brought the bag inside and checked inside. The coated primary zippers did not appear to let any moisture through, but the uncoated top zipper was a main point of entry for water.

The areas of fabric that looked saturated were indeed soaked. However, only the portions of the towels in direct contact with the uncoated zippers and saturated fabric were affected, and they were only barely damp. Everything else was completely dry. I call this a win. 

On several pool trips, I’ve stashed the wet stuff in the center external mesh drop-in pocket and kept all the dry things inside the main volume. This works great. I’ve also used the compression shock cords to secure dry swim towels on the way to the beach. 

On a different note, the bag also gets extra bonus points because everything is so secure that I am not bothered by the sounds of things jostling around. 
Buy Janji Revy Pack

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