IAMRUNBOX Everyday Running Kit review: run, rain, repeat

It takes courage to turn a product well associated with cycling culture—the humble yet mighty rolltop backpack—into a running accessory. Yet, this is exactly what IAMRUNBOX did, and the result speaks for itself. 

The IAMRUNBOX Everyday Running Kit, which includes the Everyday Rolltop Backpack and the detachable Waistbelt, is an excellent idea that looks even cooler in real life than in the pictures. Crafted from recycled materials and made with low-carbon emission processes, IAMRUNBOX’s system offers a stylish way to carry around your essentials, whether you’re commuting or just travelling from point A to B.

I’ve been using the bag for a few weeks for running (and commuting), and it’s been an absolute delight. It might not be the best running backpack, but the IAMRUNBOX Everyday Running Kit is well worth considering if you often travel with your laptop like versatile backpacks as much as I do.

IAMRUNBOX Everyday Running Kit review

Price and availability

The IAMRUNBOX Everyday Running Kit is available to buy directly from IAMRUNBOX for a recommended retail price of £195 (approx. $253/ AU$376). The bundle includes the Everyday Rolltop backpack and the Waistbelt. The Rolltop backpack comes in five colours. At the time of writing, the kit was on offer for £160 ($182/ AU$270). IAMRUNBOX offers free shipping above €150 in the EU. The company also ships worldwide, with shipping costs calculated at the checkout.

Specifications

• Best for: commuting, general purpose gear hauling
• Capacity: 16-22 litres
• Waterproof: yes
• Laptop compartment: yes
• Other features: removable waistbelt, sternum strap

Design and materials

As the name suggests, the IAMRUNBOX Everyday Rolltop backpack can be used as a standard bag and looks very much like a general backpack. It has a large, zippered opening at the top, allowing you to load the backpack easily up to a maximum capacity of 16 litres with the top rolled down and 22 litres with the bag full-full.

The exterior of the bag is 100% waterproof and made of highly durable TPU fabric with welded seams. While the company doesn’t provide HH numbers, it claims the Everyday Rolltop Backpack will keep your gear protected even in “heavy rainfall and extreme weather.”

The front of the backpack is almost featureless, with no pockets or zips, making the Everyday Rolltop look sleek and minimalist. The S-shaped shoulder straps are well-padded to ensure an “ergonomically correct weight distribution,” IAMRUNBOX says. The outside of the straps is adorned with daisy chain loops, in line with the bag’s modular approach.

Speaking of modularity, the IAMRUNBOX is expandable using accessories, one of which is included in the kit. The Waist Pocket Belt attaches to the Molle connections points on the side of the bag and allows better weight distribution of your gear, as there are two huge pockets available to store your phone/wallet/keys/whatever else. I’ve only seen pockets this big on proper hiking backpacks like The North Face Bag Trail Lite Backpack I tested last year.

You can also attach other accessories to the Molle points, like the reflective strings (RRP £14) or the Molle Strap System (RRP £19), which has wider straps to hold heavier stuff.

The back panel is also padded and somewhat raised to allow airflow between the bag and your back.

Inside, you’ll find a large laptop compartment and a couple of smaller pockets (that aren’t too small, to be fair) to help you keep your stuff more organised inside the bag. 

IAMRUNBOX proudly displays its eco-credentials (certified with BCorp and Climate Neutral) on its website and claims the Everyday Rolltop Backpack was made from 53 recycled plastic bottles. The website says that “almost all materials are recycled” in the bag but doesn’t mention which ones aren’t. Yet, it’s probably more than what most running backpacks can claim.

Performance and comfort

I used the IAMRUNBOX Everyday Running Kit on runs and walks, both to and from the office and as a general backpack. I like the sleek look of the Rolltop—I’ve even been complimented in a shop—and that it doesn’t feel like a running backpack at all while also being perfectly well-suited for running.

The shoulder straps are comfortable, and thanks to their adjustability, the bag can be worn quite close to the body/shoulders, which reduces bobbing and, therefore, unnecessary chafing. Even with a laptop and some additional kit on my back, I felt fine running with the Rolltop.

I was lucky not to get rained on during the testing period (unusual in the UK, but I’m not complaining), but I hosed down the backpack to see if anything got wet inside, and as long as the top is rolled up, the contents will stay dry. 

The main material of the bag is somewhat stiff, which is understandable. There is no such thing as 100% waterproof and 100% breathable material, and the Everyday Rolltop definitely leans towards 100% waterproofing, which makes the fabric stiffer. This is all well, but even after a few uses, I noticed a little crack around the side of the backpack where the top rolls. If it were a softer fabric, this wouldn’t be an issue.

Another thing is that the stiffer material prevents it from expanding, hence all the accessories that allow you to carry more stuff with you on the outside of the bag. This can be a good thing – who wants to carry their wet running shoes inside their bags? – but this also means that when the internal pockets are full, it’s quite hard to see and load up the bottom of the bag.

Of course, you can chuck everything in the bag without organisation, but then you also have to unload everything to find your phone charging cable or other smaller bits that will 100% sink to the bottom of the backpack.

You can circumvent the situation by adding the Waist Pocket Belt to the bag, allowing you to store smaller items in the waist pockets instead of the main compartment. It’s also nice that the Waist Pocket Belt can be used on its own. It gets quite warm under the belt, though, especially if you’re carrying a ton of stuff, as it’s quite wide. You win some, you lose some, as they say.

Verdict

The Everyday Rolltop is quite large for a running backpack yet behaves very much like one. It’s ultra-adjustable with comfortable shoulder straps and a fully weatherproof exterior, a vented back panel and a sternum strap, ensuring the bag always sits perfectly on your back.

However, I do wonder if the backpack’s in-between nature makes it somewhat less suited for both purposes (general backpack vs running backpack). It’s strange to say this, as I really like the backpack, and I can clearly see its USPs: the waterproofness, the modularity, the cool looks, etc.

Still, I can’t help but feel that the Swede’s modular approach (something Db likes a lot, too) isn’t quite the right approach here unless you love running around with a ton of gear on your back. If you do, though, the IAMRUNBOX Everday Running Kit is an ideal solution for your cargo requirements, especially if you live in a country with a lot of rain/harsh weather.