I was very excited to find out that Mukama sells Evergoods in Europe.
I got the updated CHZ26 about a month ago as my first Evergoods bag and so far I am very satisfied.
I was rocking a JanSport bag since high school for 15 years, but decided it was time for an upgrade. I was looking for an all rounder - something I can use for my commute to work carrying a laptop and some essentials, as a dad-bag, and for weekend trips or other outings. After quite a bit of research into EDC bags online, I landed on CHZ26 as I liked the bag's profile, the half-zip format and how well Evergoods is regarded online.
I am 5'9" and I went for CHZ26 instead of CHZ22 because I wanted a little extra room and because the bag dimensions do not differ that much.
Overall, I am really satisfied with the bag, its layout and the quality of materials. Personally, it is a huge upgrade from what I was used to - the bag feels sturdy, is well built, and the harness is very comfortable. I like that the bag sits higher on my back and the sternum strap adds additional comfort when needed.
As I am not a big fan of water bottle pockets, I was a little hesitant of this feature, but I do have to say that the ones on CHZ are very well executed - they fit my 16 oz (0.47 l) Stanley Travel Mug easily with some room to spare and are very sleek when not in use. Also, since there are two, I can use the other one for a regular water flask, an umbrella, or anything my wife wants to bring.
One thing to note that other reviews have also mentioned is the positioning of the zipper on the "duck bill"/quick access compartment - the zipper position makes the upper portion of the quick access compartment larger by volume than the bottom part - this makes it much easier to access/utilize the compartment when the bag is laying horizontally as opposed to vertically. However, I do not mind this much, but there might be use cases where this is not optimal.
I am also using an 8 litre Evergoods transit packing cube to be able to quickly switch what I am carrying for work, weekend trips, or regular outings with my family carrying baby essentials. A 10 litre Evergoods transit packing cube and a 1 l Civic Access Pouch are also on the way. I believe these should all fit nicely in the bag and complete the setup giving plenty of options.