When ROKA first announced the SG1, we rolled our eyes a little.

At 27 liters and $245, this swim bag felt small and expensive. At least, that’s what the photos made it look like.

We’ve carried a TYR Alliance 45L for years, and bigger has always felt better. But specs on a page and a bag in your hands are two different stories. Once we finally got our hands on the SG1, it beat every expectation we had.

Whether it’s the pool deck, the office, a business trip or a flight, here’s what changed our minds, and what didn’t.

The Size

Hand up and maybe I’m just an idiot but 27L is a lot of storage.

Yes, 27L is plenty of space, especially when the storage is as thoughtfully laid out as ROKA made it. If you’re going straight from a workout to the office, it’s the right amount of bag. It’s not so big that you’re hauling empty space around all day, and not so small that you’re leaving gear behind.

We loaded ours with fins, hand paddles, a couple of towels and goggles, and there was still room to spare in the main waterproof compartment. The side-access laptop storage is a smart add too, since it keeps your computer away from anything wet.

Could we squeeze a full wetsuit in there? Almost certainly, but it would be snugger than we’d like. We didn’t push it, because that’s the point of this bag. It isn’t built for the handful of days a year you’re in a wetsuit. It’s built for the four or five days a week you’re not.

That’s why 27L stopped feeling small the second we started packing it.

First Impressions

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ROKA’s photos undersold this bag. Open it up and there are far more zippers, pockets and dedicated storage zones than the spec sheet suggests.

The waterproof compartment swallowed fins, paddles and two full-size towels with room left over. It’s fully separated from the rest of the pack, so none of that wet gear touches your dry clothes or your laptop on the way home.

The main compartment also unzips a full 180 degrees. Lay it flat and you can see everything, with no burying your forearm to find the smallest thing. There are six different zipper and slide-in pockets, plus one big open storage area for everything else.

🔥Here’s What Works

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The Side Carry Handle. It’s a small thing, but it matters. Grabbing this bag off a wet pool deck or out of the trunk is easy when the handle sits where your hand actually goes.

The Dedicated Laptop Pocket. It’s side access and separate from the main compartment, so you’re never digging past wet gear to get to your computer. A MacBook and its charger fit cleanly with room to spare. You could honestly have journals, magazines, and more here too.

The Mesh Side Pockets. Fits a standard water bottle without a fight, some snacks, bars, and whatever elese. The materials are good and it stretches, so having these two pockets accessible without opening the whole bag is a win.

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The Small Details. The fleece-lined top pocket protects your goggles from scratches. The lockable top zipper pocket keeps valuables secure. Five loops on the outside let you hang gear. Every detail is well thought out and has a reason to exist.

Side note, we took this thing camping with our son and because there are so many pockets, we had a hard time finding everything. I’m not exaggerating, the ROKA pictures don’t do this justice and thats good news because when we first read, $245, I said, oh hell nah.

Here’s What Stinks

The Price. If you break the price down, it actually comes down to not that expensive but for some, the initial investment might seem like a lot. But I keep things for years and if you dedicate 5-10 years to this bag, or even hand it down to a child as they get older, its completely worth it. There is just so much to like and so many use cases, yes, price is a factor but if you’re in triathlon or have a reason to get a new bag, get this one.

Learning Curve. As dumb as it sounds, because there are so many pockets and they’re so deep, it does take some time to learn the bag. We took it camping with our son and spent a while hunting for things we’d tucked away. Even thinking we lost or didn’t pack things. There’s a short learning curve to remembering what lives where.

As a Carry On. The bag meets international carry on standards but that doesn’t mean it’s the most economical under a plane seat. Yes, it does fit and we didn’t have any problems, but being 6’2, you better believe once we took off, I pulled the bag out from under and safely dropped my legs in. But look at me, now I’m just nitpicking.

What to Know

• Price: $245
• Capacity: 27 liters
• Best for: Daily pool, gym and office carry, plus travel weekends
• Not for: Race-morning gear sherpa hauls
• Key Features: Waterproof compartment fully separated from dry storage, side-access laptop pocket, 180-degree main opening, lockable top pocket, side carry handle, five exterior loops
• Built On: The larger ROKA T1X transition pack platform, with a simpler everyday interior

Real Life with the ROKA SG1

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We came in skeptical about the size and left impressed. It’s not trying to be a 45L do-everything bag, and it shouldn’t. It’s built for the daily shuffle between training and real life.

Once you pack it the way it’s meant to be packed, 27L stops feeling like a limitation and starts feeling like a design choice for people on the go.

We’ve brought it to the pool deck, and we’ve also used it as our travel bag. It has so much storage and so many pockets, and it looks damn good too.

It’s a bag, not a watch or a $10K bike, so there isn’t much to nitpick so we don’t want to drag this review on any further.

Does it do what you want a swim bag to do? Yes.

Would we swap it in for our 45L during race week when you have a ton of gear to transport? No.

Would we grab the SG1 for every other morning, the office and travel weekends without hesitation? Absolutely.

SG1 is available now at rokamultisport.com for $245.