HyperPack Pro review: Spacious, comfortable and trackable

Apr 25, 2024

With a MagSafe pocket and Find My support, the HyperPack Pro is built with Apple users in mind. But is it worth the $200 price tag?

I have far too many backpacks. I tend to find one I like, use it for a bit, get bored and then move on to another one. But for the last few months, I seem to have found a backpack I'm ready to settle down with. It's the HyperPack Pro from Hyper.

What's so appealing about it? It has a ton of space, for starters, but then there are small features like a pocket designed for a MagSafe charger, or the ability to route charging cables pretty much anywhere inside the backpack. And then there's the fact that there's a small module built into the bag that allows it to connect to Apple's Find My network - allowing you to track it down and locate it should someone ever walk off with it, or you misplace it.

Let's take a closer look at what'll probably be my backpack for months, if not years, to come.

The HyperPack Pro is a fantastic backpack for Apple users thanks to Find My support and a spot for a MagSafe charger. For that reason, it's not really made for Android users, but for those that can make the most of it, it's a great way to carry a lot around comfortably... and fully charged too.

Hyper is an accessory company that's better known for its USB and Thunderbolt docks, battery packs and cables. It's not really known for backpacks. So when Hyper first announced the HyperPack Pro at CES in January, I was sceptical, but also intrigued because my experience with Hyper's products has always been good.

But going beyond my personal experience, the backpack's design checked a lot of boxes. It's a 22L backpack that weighs 2.99 pounds (1.4kg) empty. Its footprint spans 12.2 x 5.1 x 19.1 inches (8.5 x 31 x 13cm). The exterior is made of 1260D Cordura Nylon, offering IPX4 water resistance.

On the inside, it has a six-pocket design. The compartment closest to your back is where you can store your laptop (up to 16 inches), a tablet and other small accessories if needed. The back is padded and your MacBook is suspended off the bottom of the bag to protect it from those times you just drop your bag on the floor.

The middle compartment has arguably the most space, with three total pockets. The bottom-most pocket has a zipper and a couple of cutouts just above it. This is where you can put a portable battery pack, with the cutouts providing a path for routing cables throughout the rest of the pack. It's in the middle compartment where I've been keeping my Fuji X-T4 and either a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, both of which are in a case.

The front compartment is where you'll most likely put all your random, smaller items like business cards, keys, chapstick, etc. Oh, and it's also where you may want to store any payment cards, as it has a zipped RFID-protected pocket.

Near the top and on the front of the backpack is a small compartment that's lined with soft material; ideal for keeping your sunglasses or even your phone.

There's also a somewhat hidden zipper that runs vertically on the front of the backpack, opening up a space where you can store something like a small jacket or other miscellaneous items. I've been using it for receipts, medicine and masks.

On both sides of the backpack are zippered pockets. On the left side is the pocket that's designed to hold an Apple MagSafe charger, with the cable routed back inside the bag to the portable battery pack. I tested out the pocket with an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and while it was a right fit, my phone was secured inside the pocket and wirelessly charged. The pocket on the opposite side of the bag is big enough for a water bottle, which is exactly what I've been using it for.

Finally, there's a hidden pocket on the backside of the backpack. You'll find the zipper just above the bottom pad, where you safely store valuables.

You can - and trust me, I have - put a lot of stuff in the HyperPack Pro. I'm currently packing for a 10-day trip, and I know I'll be able to fit everything I'll need for work and gaming in one bag.

I had been using a pre-production sample the HyperPack Pro since early January, when it was announced at CES 2023. However, as is often the case with pre-production samples, I ran into a few issues almost right away.

My main issue was with the battery cover that goes on the Find My module. It'd come loose, fall off the module, and in turn let the battery fall out of it. Without a battery, the module couldn't communicate with any nearby Apple devices. At that point, it was a normal backpack that lost its key selling point. Eventually I taped the door on and made it work.

Thankfully I got my hands on a finalised sample, which I've been using in this review — the same kind that is going out to customers right now — and I can confirm, the battery door is fixed.

Underneath the top handle on the backpack is a small, plastic square with a button in the middle of it. It doesn't look like much, but that's where the Find My module is housed. The button only acts as a tool for initial setup and resetting the module — pressing it after initial setup doesn't do anything.

To access the module, you need to open the main compartment on the bag, and then look for a zippered compartment inside the bag, near the top. Once it's open, you can see the battery door for the module. The expected battery life is between 250 and 300 days, and you'll need to replace the CR2031 battery when it dies.

You can remove the module using a paperclip or the included removal tool if you want to put the module in another bag or luggage, or need to send the backpack in for warranty repair.

The initial setup for the Find My module and the backpack took me a few tries. Out of the box, you have to remove a tab between the battery and module, powering it on. You should then see the module as a new available device in the Find My app on an iPhone, iPad or Mac, after which you can add it to your account.

However, it never showed up for me. Instead, I had to reset the module by double-clicking the button and then pressing and holding it in for 3 seconds until I heard a tone and the LED flashed. It took about 5 minutes, maybe a little longer, after resetting it before the module showed up in the Find My app and was ready to be added to my account.

But now that it's set up, I can track my backpack's location, even if I'm nowhere near it, thanks to Apple's Find My network that crowd sources the location of Find My items using third-party iPhones, Macs and iPads. It's the same way AirTags work, or even if you were to lose your iPhone — the Find My network helps track it down.

If it's nearby, and I need more help pinpointing it, I can trigger a sound that's played by the module. The sound is fairly loud and high-pitched, which should make it easier to hear in loud environments.

Sure, you could get a backpack that's not as expensive as the HyperPack Pro and put an AirTag in it, saving yourself money. But where I think Hyper's product benefits its users is that there's no AirTag for any would-be thieves to look for. Unless they're familiar with this specific bag, they wouldn't know any better that there's a tracker built into it. And for many, that peace of mind is worth the cost of the bag.

I've carried plenty of stuff in this HyperPack Pro over the last few months. There was a trip to New York where I loaded it up with my camera, a 13-inch MacBook Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a Steam Deck and my AirPods Max. I never really felt like I ran out of room, even though I could tell the bag was much heavier once it was fully loaded.

What's more, the straps and weight distribution of the HyperPack Pro lessen the burden on my back for carrying such a loaded bag.

One critique I do have is that I would like the shoulder pads and straps to have a little more padding, and maybe a hidden pocket on the straps for putting things like loose change, or even a hotel room key for easy access.

I especially like the small loops inside the bag that help route the charging cable from the portable battery compartment to the back section where you can charge your laptop or tablet, or out to the side pocket for charging a phone - MagSafe or not.

I really like the HyperPack Pro. It has an abundance of room that'll fit everything I want for any given trip, is comfortable to carry around for long periods, and has a convenient design for charging your devices while on the go. Find My connectivity is just an added bonus.

Admittedly, this backpack is very much aimed at Apple and iPhone users thanks to Find My and MagSafe features, which limits it appeal to Android users. You could always just route USB-C cables everywhere to forget about MagSafe, but its price tag reflects its full functionality - and it'll be those that can make use of this that find the most value here.

Jason Cipriani is based out of beautiful Colorado and has been covering technology news and reviewing the latest gadgets as a freelance journalist for the past 15 years. His work can be found all across the Internet and in print.