submitted by Jesudunsin David
It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
When Aer first introduced their Pro collection, it represented a fresh new direction for the brand’s visual style. The bags forewent the brand’s signature bisected front (seen as recently as the City Tote) and instead evolved the more spartan cues of the work collection, which came with a minimal front and a new placement top and center for their wordmark. Two more bags now join the collection, ever the pursuit of Aer to hit all the needs and niches of the modern-day professional.
Pro Brief
Aer haven’t done a briefcase in a while, and the new Pro Brief comes with the eco-friendly 840D CORDURA re/cor recycled nylon of the rest of the collection. Its exterior uses a combination of No. 8 reverse coil zippers for the secondary compartments, while the main one uses AquaGuard to ensure protection for the essentials.
As a tech bag, though, the Pro Brief’s main highlight is its organization. The main compartment features a padded pocket that can accommodate a 16” laptop or some paperwork, a slip pocket for e-readers, and extra webbing loops for organizing essentials. The outer front compartment also provides ample additional storage space. Its small square side pocket can hold small water bottles or an umbrella, the rear pocket is perfect for keeping your wallet or phone, and the luggage pass-through on the padded back panel is a boon for travelers.
A well-padded, closed-loop shoulder strap connects to D-rings attached to the back panel using swivel gatekeeper hooks. It allows for comfortable shoulder carry and can be detached when switching it from a shoulder bag to a briefcase.
Pro Kit
The Pro Kit is a visual sibling to the Slim Pouch, with a similar side handle and top compartment opening, but its main hook is that its main compartment opens fully and flat, reminiscent of the clamshell opening of a travel backpack. Its flat bottom allows the Kit to stand on its own, making it a great desk accessory as well since all your essentials are presented and within reach while open.
The front flap and triangle-shaped back compartment are replete with pockets and spaces for easy organization and accessibility, including space for a pen and mesh pockets for versatile storage.
What we like: The Pro Brief and Pro Kit are welcome members to Aer’s Pro collection and provide target even more specific needs of their users.
What to look out for: The bags come in three colors, similar to the original Pro release, but fans of X-Pac may need to wait a while for future iterations of the whole collection.
Final verdict: While not the most elaborate or grand release by Aer, we like the direction being taken by the Pro collection as an alternative to their flagship pieces. It’s also nice to see niches being hit and improvements being made to existing styles for users to dial in their carry even more while still sticking to the brand.
