PolarPro has entered the camera bag chat with the addition of its RoadRunner camera bags in various sizes and designs. The company was gracious enough to send over a few samples for us to try and share our thoughts with you.
PolarPro‘s new RoadRunner bags come in a variety of sizes and styles. From the 1L sling to the 16L backpack, there are various options to fit your use case. PolarPro sent over the 1L Sling, 12L Shoulder Bag, and the 8L and 16L backpacks for us to test out. Below is a list of all options and their prices that PolarPro has to offer:
- 1L Sling – $49.99
- 6L Shoulder Bag – $99.99
- 12L Shoulder Bag – $119.99
- 8L Backpack – $139.99
- 16L Backpack – $179.99
Gear bags for the camera nerds
First and foremost, these are gear bags, not everyday camera bags you can carry everything in. PolarPro, as a company, has always focused on the gearheads with their filter lineups and other accessories. The RoadRunner camera bags are smaller than your normal large bags and are designed to hold your gear while you’re out on a shoot.
With that said, the bags are designed to protect your gear, and less for style like other brands; that’s not to say they don’t look great. The sides are made of a harder foam material, perfect for keeping your expensive drones, cameras, and lenses safe.
Inside, the bags have a soft felt material that you would expect from any other camera bag and dividers to help you organize your gear within it.
The bags can fit any size drone up to the Mavic 3 Pro, replacing the DJI bags that come along with most bundles. I recently used the 16L Backpack on a shoot over the weekend and was able to fit my entire camera setup alongside my battery bag inside it. Usually, I’ll bring my Canon R6, 70-200mm, 24-105mm, 17-26mm, and 35mm prime. All of these fit into the bag with room for spare batteries, some SD cards, and card readers. Perfect for when you just need to go somewhere, get some photos shot, and leave.
Our favorite features
Each RoadRunner bag features a microfiber cloth attached to the inside of the bag. Since PolarPro is primarily a filter company, they have always included a cloth with its products. These included cloths make for a great emergency option if you’re like me and always forget to pack them or forget to move them over to your new bag.
There are pockets everywhere on these bags. Most are designed to fit one of their filter cases and have a unique overlapping opening that doesn’t require a zipper to keep things from falling out.
Finally, the zipper entrances to the bag, on top of the shoulder bag and on the sides for the backpacks, are designed to open fully. Many camera bags that prioritize form over function can be annoying to use when trying to have a clear opening to grab gear out of. For example, my Peak Design Everyday‘s side openings don’t open all the way, leading to snags when quickly trying to grab a new camera or lens. PolarPro’s Roadrunner’s flaps can open all the way, allowing for easy access.
Features they don’t have
A big disappointment for me was the lack of space for a laptop. This makes it hard to use as an everyday backpack, leaving it to strictly be just for jobs that don’t require you to do any work on location. However, the point of the Roadrunner line is gear bags; either you’re not needing the extra space required for a laptop, or you’re bringing a dedicated backpack for it. This is strictly for your camera gear, and that’s it.
I would also have liked to have seen top-down access for the backpacks. The Roadrunner backpacks currently only offer side access to the inside. Again, this is fine for the bag’s purpose as a gear bag; maybe PolarPro is working on a true everyday backpack in the future?
Is the PolarPro Roadrunner bags worth buying?
Overall, the build quality, features, and creative thinking of the Roadrunner make for a fantastic gear bag. If you’re looking for something smaller and lighter to use on trips—a use case I’ll probably utilize in the future—or for on-the-go creative sessions, then I can see this bag being a great option.
My favorite options are the backpacks; they seem to have the most room and options for customization. The shoulder bags are more utilitarian in design, perfect as a secondary bag full of accessories.
The PolarPro Roadrunner bags can be purchased on PolarPro’s website.
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