WANDRD PRVKE Lite camera backpack review

The PRVKE Lite is WANDRD’s smallest and most affordable bag in their award-winning PRVKE lineup, and with its built-in camera cube, streamlined design and practical features, it suits photographers who want a compact carrying solution for their camera alongside a couple of lenses and accessories. It’s been designed by photographers, for photographers, and we think they’ve used the space incredibly well, and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into this line of camera backpacks.

We’ve been testing the PRVKE Lite alongside the 21L version of the new PRVKE V4, so let’s see whether the smaller PRVKE Lite is worth considering for a more compact option.

WANDRD PRVKE Lite camera backpack review

Exterior

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• 3 ways to enter the bag
• We’d have liked their interlocking zips
• Attractive, weatherproof design

At first glance, this bag is beautifully designed with waterproof materials and weather-resistant zippers to keep your gear dry. It comes in a choice of 7 different colors, and our painfully millennial optics writer chose “Wasatch Green” to match quite literally everything in her home. The 11L capacity keeps this ‘Lite’ version more compact than even the smaller 21L bag in the PRVKE series, and we found it to be ideal for female photographers or anyone with a smaller frame.

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We found it comfortable to wear, but as the bag started to get heavier with more gear, we found ourselves wishing the straps had slightly more padding to accommodate the heavier weight (something they've addressed in the new V4). Luckily, the adjustable chest strap did help relieve our shoulders, but the attachment was…weird. We wished it had just had a simple buckle to make life easier. There's also a separate hip belt, although we didn't get one included in our test sample.

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The bag is designed with both roll-top entry into the top section of the bag and rear entry into the main camera compartment, alongside an easy-access side-hatch to quickly grab your camera without having to take the bag off. The top tote handles connect together using a magnetic clasp, which, although a nice touch, we found the magnet wasn’t very strong — though this doesn’t affect its use whatsoever, just an observation we had. There’s a hook-style buckle to secure the rolltop access, which looks a lot more secure and hard to get into than it actually is, and once that’s unhooked, you’ll find some velcro patches to secure the roll-top fabric down when rolled.

On the front of the bag, there’s a large front pocket to store flat items like paper or a tablet in, 4 accessory strap hooks on the front and 4 on the bottom (though we didn’t receive any straps with our sample), an expandable pocket on the side to hold a water bottle or a very small tripod and a quickdraw side hatch to easily access your camera. There’s an inconspicuous fleece-lined pocket on the back for smaller items like your cellphone or sunglasses, alongside a luggage passthrough strap and adjustable sternum strap that attaches to the shoulder straps. There’s a good amount of padding on the back of the bag, making it comfortable to wear for long periods and to protect your gear. The only thing missing for us is a side strap to secure a tripod on the side pocket, and a hidden AirTag pocket.

Interior

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• Built-in camera cube cuts down on cost when having to buy separately
• Rolltop increases capacity from 15L to 20L
• We’d have liked a few more pockets

We really like how they’ve designed the interior to match the exterior of the bag, and combined with the excellent use of the small space, we can see that a lot of thought has been put into this bag. The main camera compartment is accessed using a zip on the back of the bag, which fully opens to display all your camera gear at a single glance. We’d have liked the zips to be interlocking (like they are on the transit travel bag), especially considering you’ll be carrying expensive camera equipment. We thought this might just be a feature that’s missing in the Lite version, but the new PRVKE V4 doesn’t have it either. In our opinion, it would be an easy addition to ensure increased security, even if only on the side-access hatch.

We love the built-in padded camera dividers for easy organization, and it’s one of the main selling points of this size bag above the others. Plus, you have the flexibility to change the layout of the velcro dividers to suit your gear setup, or remove them altogether if you want to use it as a daybag.

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The main compartment also has a laptop sleeve that can fit up to a 14-inch MacBook Pro, 3 zip pockets to store smaller accessories in, and, for some reason, another padded area of the bag that would’ve made a lovely fourth pocket. There are a couple of areas of the bag where we feel there’s a bit of wasted space — this is one of them. This area would be perfect for a large pocket — we felt the existing pockets were a little small, and would only fit the bare necessities.

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When comparing it directly to the 21L PRVKE, we’d also have liked them to include the same pockets that are on the inside of the side-hatch. This is a great place to securely store batteries, spare cards and other camera essentials that are easily accessible during a shoot without having to dive into the main compartment.

This top compartment is ideal for clothing or other non-photographic-related items, making it a versatile option for everyone, not just photographers. Thanks to the roll-top design, this compartment is expandable to increase the capacity from 15L to 20L when extended. There’s also a zip hatch to access this top part of the bag when the main clamshell opening is fully open, too, which is a useful feature.

Verdict

While there’s certainly room for them to have squeezed a few more pockets and storage solutions for your smaller items, overall, we think it’s a brilliantly designed bag that can fit a camera with up to three lenses. It’s comfortable to wear and easy to access your gear, and has the flexibility to suit photographers, commuters and travelers with its in-built, but removable, camera cube dividers.

Curiously, it is more expensive than the 21L standard PRVKE bag — we assume this is due to the built-in camera cube, as the larger bags only come with the shell. Still, for the quality, versatility and style of the PRVKE Lite, we think it’s worth the money and will serve you well for years.

If the WANDRD PRVKE Lite isn't for you

If the WANDRD PRVKE Lite hasn't quite hit the mark, here are some other options to look at.