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The popular Osprey Daylite carries your essentials for short hikes and urban outings. Our experts trekked through tropical Haitian mountains with this model where the breathable mesh back panel and shoulder straps were appreciated. We preferred its sleek design when hopping around town, too. On day hikes and while traveling, the mesh water bottle pockets, compression straps, and easily accessed front pocket made this pack a joy to use.
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
External accessed hydration or document compartment
Breathable back panel and shoulder straps
REASONS TO AVOID
Only 2 compression straps limits lashing opportunities
No ice axe loop
Size is a bit small for long days
Water bottle pockets are small
Need More Space?
Love the design but need a little more space? Be sure to take a look the bigger sibling, the 20-liter Daylite Plus that comes complete with an external pouch, an extra front zipped pocket, and a padded laptop sleeve for longer hikes and more versatility as an urban commuter pack.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Osprey gave this pack a minor update in the looks department, with a new graphics logo and new colors. Otherwise, this pack is the same as its predecessor according to the manufacturer. Check out the photos below, with the updated version on the left and the older one we reviewed on the right.
Osprey Daylite
Performance Comparison
The Daylite is exactly what many people look for in a small daypack, with its breathable back panel and shoulder straps, hydration compartment, front zipped pocket, compression straps, and water bottle pockets.
Comfort
3D mesh on the shoulder straps helps wick moisture away. The hip belt was a nice feature but often unnecessary when carrying just a few items. Still, it is a nice feature if you need to run or jog with the pack. The back panel design was comfortable and allowed for a little ventilation in a hot and humid climate. When used while trekking through the mountains of southern Haiti, this pack kept our reviewer's back dry.
The 3D mesh shoulder straps are ultra breathable! We also liked that you can access the hydration pouch at the top of the pack without opening the pack itself. It's also a great place to store documents while traveling.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman
Weight
The Daylite lives up to its name and only weighs 16 ounces. It surely won't weigh you down. However, that low weight comes with tradeoffs: minimal features and low carrying capacity. If that sounds like your cup of tea, great; otherwise, consider heavier and more well-featured packs.
Versatility
The Daylight is a simple pack with a few features. Because it lacks a front pocket and only has two compression straps, we found it to be less versatile than most packs we tested, which has four reconfigurable compression straps, a front pocket, and an ice axe loop.
While trekking through the mountains of inland Haiti, we really appreciated this pack's breathable mesh shoulder straps and back panel.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman
However, the low weight and simplicity of this pack makes it nice for transitions between the urban and mountain environments. It's at home both on the bus and on a short day hike, which is really nice.
Ease of Use
In total, we appreciated the streamlined design that slipped from sight and mind. The biggest complaint we have is that we wish that the water bottle pockets on the sides were bigger with forethought; they can fit a standard one-liter water bottle if you put it in before filling the pack. If you forget or pick up a drink later, you'll probably join us in wishing that the pockets were stretchier. Without a front stash pocket, you'll need to put small things like sunscreen, your phone, and keys in the top zipped pocket, which is the perfect size to keep essentials handy. The external access hydration pocket allows for quick fill-ups.
Already have an Osprey backpack? The Daylite attaches to the Aether/Ariel, Volt/Viva, Ace 75, Shuttle, Sojourn, Farpoint 80, and Porter backpacks.
We loved this pack for traveling, but the bottle holders were a bit smaller than we'd prefer.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman
Durability
Made of 210 denier nylon along the front and 420 denier packcloth on the bottom, the Daylight is built with moderately durable materials and should withstand the rigors of typical daypack use. We would expect this pack to last for many adventures. If climbing is a function you want in a pack, we think that burlier, simpler packs are better options.
Value
The Daylite is a pretty good deal for what you get. While our reviewers ultimately preferred the versatility of some more expensive packs, some testers like the simplicity and design appeal of the Daylite. It's great for people just looking for a simple, panel-loading pack.
Conclusion
The Daylite is an excellent small daypack that's perfect for short hikes, traveling, kicking it around town, or carrying your gym shoes. We loved the simple design and visual appeal of this pack. We particularly enjoyed using it as a personal item while flying, because it was a perfect size and is easy to get into. The hydration sleeve is an accessible place to stash travel documents! Though it didn't win any awards, the Daylite is a top-scoring pack that's ready for your next adventure.
This tester loved this packs simple and clean design. It has the feature he needed without extra fluff.
