Montblanc Extreme 3.0 review: a luxury backpack with reassuring quality

There comes a time in every person's life where the prospect of owning one of the best backpacks feels like an investment worth making. After all, you'll use it every day, making it a functional purchase, and a stylish option can elevate your outfit in the process.

There are, of course, a wide range of different factors to consider when picking out the best bag for you. Price will be a determining factor, but size, materials and more should also come into mind during the process.

Recently, I got my hands on the Montblanc Extreme 3.0 backpack with M-Lock 4810 buckle. That's a luxurious option from a respected fashion house, and offers a serious contender if you've got a big budget for a compact bag. Is it any good? Well, let's take a look.

Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Medium review: Price and Availability

The Montblanc Extreme 3.0 backpack with M-Lock 4810 buckle is available for £1,260 / €1,450 / US$1,770 / AU$2,790.

You can buy it from the Montblanc website, as well as third party retailers like Mr Porter.

Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Medium review: Design and Features

The Montblanc Extreme 3.0 backpack features a single compartment in the main section, with a smaller pocket on the front. The bag is crafted from a gorgeous calf-skin leather, which is textured on the outside with a repeated pattern, inspired by carbon fibre.

It's robust feeling, and solid leather – not supple in the slightest, though that may well happen after the bag gets broken in. The stitching around the backpack is also top-notch, with a feeling of total, unadulterated quality throughout.

That's matched in the hardware, too. The zips on this bag are seriously heavy-duty with a reassuringly throaty sound as you whip them back and forth. That design ethos is carried into the buckle on the front pocket, which clicks into place like the latch of a gate.

Inside, a smattering of pockets give you places to store smaller bits and pieces without losing them. There's also a pair of spots for your favourite pens – naturally – but that's about all.

The main compartment is a single large space, big enough to house a 13-inch laptop. It's certainly not the biggest bag you'll ever see – the brand offers a range of different sizes to cater for other needs – but for me, this felt perfect for a day at the office.

I could get a small laptop, a charger, my lunch, a raincoat and some other bits and pieces in there, with enough room left over for any impromptu purchases on my lunchtime wander. Perfect.

Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Medium review: Performance

As you can probably guess from the limited spec sheet, this section is going to be relatively short. There's not a whole heap of different bits and pieces here to affect the usability, and that's really part of the charm.

Simplicity lies right at the heart of this backpack – there's no unnecessary frills or collections of pockets to get lost in.

What you do get is something which is seriously comfortable. The padding on the rear panel might not look like much, but it does a better job than anything else I've tried when it comes to getting airflow down your back.

I tested this during one of those rare British summers, too – things were pretty toasty all around, so the bag really got a baptism of fire. It stood up perfectly, and deserves real praise for that.

The other thing I really noticed about my time with this bag was just how elevated it made you feel. Let's face it, Montblanc is a luxury fashion house, so this really should garner some attention.

Strapping it on gave me real main character energy, and that's something you won't get from every alternative out there. You stand a little taller, walk with added pep in your step, and feel more eyes on you as you strut through town.

It's something you can't really quantify, or put too much of a label on – a real 'it' factor. But this bag has it in spades, and it's exactly what you'd want from something like this.

Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Medium review: Verdict

Let's be frank – justifying spending over a thousand pounds on a backpack is a tall order. It's undoubtedly a lot of money for most people.

If you can justify the cost, though, the Montblanc Extreme 3.0 backpack with M-Lock 4810 buckle is one of the best quality, luxury leather backpacks you'll ever use. Every square inch – from glorious leatherwork to robust zips – is as close to perfect as you'll find.

Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Medium review: Also consider

Our current top pick in the backpack stakes is the Troubadour Apex 3.0, and that remains a solid choice for anyone who likes the size offered here.

For something a step up from there – but still much cheaper than the Montblanc on offer here – check out the Carl Friedrik Ayrton backpack. That's a no-nonsense option with a stunning full-grain leather construction.

If you love the styling here, but need more space, check out the Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Large backpack. That does away with the buckled front pocket, offering a trio of compartments and a larger size for more of your stuff.