Osprey DayLite Carry-On 35L Review
Our review of the bigger, more forgiving sibling in the DayLite series.
Osprey DayLite Carry-on 35L Review Introduction
Osprey. Perhaps criminally under reviewed on my site. But that’s no one’s fault except mine. Mea culpa. Years ago we reviewed the Global Transporter and I actually loved it - in fact I’m shocked it never got more love in the travel community. But the travelers want what the travelers want. And the past two years - that means the Osprey DayLite Series.
HOWEVER - the typical DayLite 26+6 isn’t my favorite size - I think it’s a little too small for the average traveler getting into Onebag travel, and is more fit for the well trained minimalists or folks that didn’t realize they were Onebag travelers and just always pack that light. Or, only go on weekend trips. That all makes sense. My interest was on what appears to be a fairly newly released DayLite Carry-On. To me, a much more versatile literage for travel, and something that I think fits in much better for folks that are still trying to learn how to trim down their packing and what they bring. Don’t get me wrong, the Farpoint 40L is probably the king in Osprey’s castle. I just think 35L is a better goal because for the inexperienced: If you give them the liters, they are going to fill it. Heck, I used to. So how is the DayLite 35L backpack as a bigger sibling to the 26l? Let’s dig in.
This is my review of the Osprey DayLite Carry-on 35L travel backpack. I took this on a domestic flight, long weekend to FLA from the North East, a 3 night work trip with domestic flight, as well as a car trip home for Christmas from NYC to MA. I also, at the last minute, took this on a domestic flight 3 night trip to DC.
As always for full transparency, I did not have any interaction with Osprey for this review and purchased this bag with my own money. I do use affiliate links which help to support the site if you decide to use them to make a purchase, but you’re under no obligation to do so and there’s no additional cost to you. My writing is 100% human created without AI. Thanks for stopping by!
--Need travel insurance? As an American, our health care system is complicated and your regular insurance might not cover you abroad. For international travel, I’ve been using World Nomads for years. They have adventure packages that cover most hiking and even ice hockey. Be sure to read all the coverage information (it’s laid out very well on the site) to make sure it’s right for you, but be sure to give them a look. I find their rates quite competitive and the quotes are free!-
DayLite Carry-On 35L Overview
Rearview.
Osprey has a TON of bags. You may have heard that’s their thing. Most of their stuff is focused on the outdoors - and they’ve been a leader in that for years. But they’ve also been a leader in the affordable travel pack game. Looking to build on their wildly successful past of the Farpoint series, and to a lesser extent the Transporter series (old Transporter review) - they wanted to offer something that was lighter and more budget friendly for a more casual traveler. Or, a pro that just wanted to cut through the fluff. That’s where the DayLite series comes in.
Originally launched as the DayLite 26+6, you now have the 35L. This gives you a few more liters than the expanding-version of the smaller sibling, and because it’s built to always be that size, it’s really more purpose designed. Expansion is great, but some folks just want the regular travel bag.
It’s got all the features that made the DayLite famous like the lighter weight polyester (300D and 200D for example), no large metal accessories, lighter carry straps, etc. You can include slightly less organization and lighter gauge zippers. All of this really does make this a lightweight pack fit for a lot of different people.
Stats from the site:
MAIN
bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled 300D polyester w/ ripstop, DWR treatment made without PFAS
ACCENT
bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled 200D polyester, DWR treatment made without PFAS
BOTTOM
bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled 600D polyester, DWR treatment made without PFAS
One Size
VOLUME: 35L
DIMENSIONS: 19.3H X 14.6W X 10.2D IN.
WEIGHT: 2.03 LBS.
We’ve got three colors - black (our version), nightshift blue (that kind of famous Osprey blue), and blue spikemoss/alkaline (not my thing, but an option for the quirk in some folks).
It retails for $130.00 USD as of Dec 2025. That is not a typo.
DayLite Carry-on 35L Features
The AW fabric macro.
We already know this bag is a trimmed down travel companion. That’s the whole point. But, it’s still got features you’d expect so let’s run through those.
From an external pocket perspective, there’s not much to cover. We’ve got a top-front admin pocket, and below that is a second “drop in” pocket, we’ll call it. I’m not against making up titles on my site, it’s part of the fun. Anyway, it’s a general pocket you can put stuff in (like larger items such as a tech case). Then you’ve got two external mesh water bottle pockets. That’s it.
On the back, they’ve got their great Airscape panel, which is frankly nice to see on a pack at this price point. Plus stowable pack straps, no hip belt.
Rounding out the external stuff there's a decent laptop sleeve.
Inside the pack you do have a zippered mesh pocket on the flap with some more internal admin slots, then two compression straps to help keep things in place. No other org to mention.
For the small features I can’t leave out things like dual grab handles on the top and bottom, a luggage pass through which is a nice addition, and some attachment loops you can use for whatever your little attaching-focused heart desires.
A few little touches to add as well like the classic Osprey whistle on the sternum strap, some plastic but functioning zipper pulls, and a decent external compression system that is similar to other Osprey designs.
The DayLite Carry-on 35L is covered by the Osprey All Mighty Guarantee - one of the best in the industry.
The Wandering Loadout
Like always I do want to give you an idea of how I packed the DayLite Carry-on 35L. I’m 5’6” for reference and as noted above I used it in a few scenarios with different needs. Here’s what I brought on the trip to wintery FLA (second packed picture below). The bag was definitely under packed, which is a good thing.
Main Compartment:
Level 8 Packing Cube: 3 Button Up Shirts and one pair of chinos
Heimplanet Small Pouch: 3 Capilene Cool t-shirts and one t-shirt for sleeping
Bellroy Small Packing Cube: underwear, Airism undershirts, and extra pair of Darn Tough socks
SoniCare Toothbruth in it’s case (People try to “optimize” this all the time but being frank, I don’t find these hard to pack)
Dust Bag: 1 pair of loafers for dinners
Front Pouch:
Porter Yoshida Tech Pouch
The Good
Let’s get this right out of the way here - the price point is kind of insane on this pack. Is it cutting corners to make that happen? Yes. From a materials science and feature stand point - NOT from a quality standpoint. The DayLite Carry-On 35L is frankly a lightweight powerhouse because of this. Usually in this price range you’re looking at random Amazon brands, or brands like TomToc. (No shade on TomToc, I like how they’ve entered the fray - but they cannot compete with Osprey’s history, service, or commitment to sustainable materials).
Yes there are no water proof zippers. The hardware is plastic. There’s no top slash pocket. It’s not 800D and probably won’t survive if you pull it behind a truck at full speed. But you know what? Who in the BLUE F (sorry, recently rewatched The Green Mile) is doing that? Certainly not the market segment that’s interested in this line up. The quality is really solid, it’s truly got all the features a casual traveler (and being honest, many more involved travelers/bag nerds too) needs. That value here is really something which dovetails into the next point.
It comes with Osprey’s warranty. If we’re being honest (I mean, of course I am, that’s the whole point of the site!) - we’re talking “Darn Tough” level of warranty here. They will repair or replace your bag for any reason. No kidding. So - in a way, it’s kind of a “buy for life” product assuming Osprey sticks around (which there is no indication this favored brand won’t). That’s a heck of an incentive.
The org that WAS there I found well placed and thought out, and I had no issue finding space for my packing cubes, things I needed quickly, or my tech pouch (which comes on every trip - I’m a tech pouch guy). There was plenty of flexibility since I use cubes and pouches anyway.
While LITE on overall fancy features (see what I did there?) - it still packs in things like a laptop sleeve, a great back panel with actual airflow (not marketing “air flow”), multiple compression options, and a luggage pass through. See a theme here? All things you probably need.
There is an old sports adage that says, “the best ability is availability”. While some colors may come in and out, Osprey seems to do a good job of keeping them available most times.
Burying the lede a bit, but the weight truly was nice. I use a lot of boutique bags in high-tech material, and they can get heavy, even on their own when unpacked. With nothing in it, this bag is ridiculously light, and that transfers through to when it’s packed. That’s the entire point of the line, but it’s nice to see it’s not just marketing fluff.
The Bad
“Bad” is a bit of a misnomer here, as it’s not like I disliked this bag so I don’t have anything to really crush it over. That said, I think for a lot of enthusiasts and discerning bag nerds, this pack is more like…missing some things. “Missing” is a better term.
There’s a definite lack of premium hardware. While that’s just not possible at this price, it’s a distinction I have to note in case that’s your jam. You have to go into this with realistic expectations.
The straps aren’t amazing. I had no problems with them, but if you’re a heavy packer then you might run into some issues later since they aren’t that beefy. The solution is to not be that packer, but I know people have to start somewhere. There’s also no hip belt, which is often an option on bags of this size, so beware of that if you need that extra support, typically.
Minimal water resistance on this bag. If you’re stuck in a really bad rain - your stuff is getting wet.
And because of the lighter weight material - if you ARE a little hard on your bags over time, I’m not sure how that longevity will work. Scuffs and cuts might appear, depending on where you’re tossing this thing (you never know when a sharp piece of metal is under an airline seat - many a bag has come out of that environment with new and unfortunate battle scars). So keep that in mind and understand the type of traveler you are.
You’ve got to make this choice one way or another usually - but Osprey chose to use outside compression straps that prevent the bag from opening. You can look at this two ways. The first, is that it actually adds a layer of security by making it harder to open the bag. I think this is more of a euphemism than a real answer. The second, is that it’s going to make it more annoying to open any time you have the compression straps engaged. For me, I’m in the latter camp. I’d like to see them find a way around this, because I do like their “hugging” compression straps if I’m honest. But I don’t think that design allows for this update. Just noting.
One last thing that I found to be a “design quirk” rather than a true problem, but I found it confusing me each time. Most clamshell bags open to the left. This one opens to the right. Sounds small - but when you’re used to the opposite for like 8 years, you notice it in each operation. I’ve no idea why this decision was made, and it’s by no means a real or major issue. But if I’m making suggestions - I would swap that to a left opening on future versions. Just to align with the industry norms.
Final Thoughts On My Osprey DayLite Carry-On 35L Review
It was definitely me being a bit pretentious going into this - but I was NOT expecting to like this bag as much as I did. And now I can see exactly WHY it’s so popular amongst the Onebag travel community. I really do.
It’s probably part of a small movement AGAINST all the fancy bag features and materials and therefore rising prices (Seriously, the prices on boutique design focused travel bags is getting nuts) and a lot of folks just either rebelled against it, or realized in reality they don’t need all that. Now I’m still a fan of those because to be in the space I’m in, you need a passion for the hobby as much as the function. But I can totally see why folks might go in the other direction.
There really weren’t many great options in this particular space for a long time. You were either going boutique indie bags or Amazon rando brands and who knows what kind of QA and longevity you’re gonna get on those.
Here you’ve got a bag that’s lightweight, has all the features you’d expect or need in most cases, is backed by Osprey’s industry leading warranty, and is $130.00. Let’s spell that out with words for effect.
IT’S ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY US DOLLARS.
FROM OSPREY. Not “Bag-O-Matic Black Travel Bag”. That right there is all the reason you should need to check it out. Could it miss some boxes in your evaluation? Yeah it might. But like me it may surprise you - if you’re only doing casual travels once or twice a year or doing a lot of weekend car trips or easy plane rides with no real stress on the bag - you’d be foolish not to consider this one. Even old snobby bag nerds like myself can see the greatness in this lineup.
If the compromises this bag makes are OK with you - then you need to really consider this bag if you’re looking to make a purchase. Osprey really did a great job here.
And remember - wander more, and wander smarter.
Like My Content? Feel Free To Buy Me A Coffee!
Head on over to our Travel Bag reviews page for more like this as well as the Black Ember Forge 30 review or the recent Level8 Gibraltar Carry On review.
Please be sure to subscribe below, and follow us on Instagram @alwayswanderofficial for photos from our wanderings, and updates for when we post new articles and reviews!