Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Incredibly comfortable
- Offered in an extended range of sizes
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Not fully waterproof
- Not suited as airline carry on
The Gregory Maya 25 is a pack that makes sense. It’s made partly from recycled materials, is well proportioned and extremely comfortable to wear and has optional sizes for plus size hikers.
I have fallen in love with this daypack through my tests due to the comfort it offers, and it’s well thought out design. It fits close to the body for unparalleled comfort and never feels sweaty or uncomfortable.
Due to this and it’s ‘light suspension’ style back, well-padded straps and hip belt means you can take this pack on shorter, lighter trips or more full on trails where you may need to carry heavier loads.
This article is part of our overall guide to the best daypacks, see more in this guide:
- Best Daypacks for Hiking
- How to Choose The Right Daypack For Your Hike
- How We Tested Hiking Daypacks
- Compare Hiking Daypacks
You may also be interested in: Best Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
Compare to Similar Products:
Product | Osprey Talon 22 | Gregory Maya 25 | Deuter Speed Lite 23 | Osprey Stratos 24 | Gregory Citro 24 | Rab Tensor 20 | Osprey Daylite/Plus | Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 | Black Diamond Distance 15 | The North Face Basin 24L | Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 20 | Cotopaxi 24L Batac Pack | Granite Gear Dagger Ultralight | Rab Adrift 24L | Adidas Terrex Climacool Daypack | Cotopaxi Luzon Del Dia 24L |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||||||||
Our Award | Best Overall Daypack | Best Overall Daypack - runner up | Best Daypacks For Women | Best Daypacks For Men | Best Waterproof Hiking Daypack | Best Daypack For Hot Weather | Best Daypack For Travel | Best Hiking Daypack With Hydration | Best Lightweight Daypack | |||||||
Type and Style | Lightweight all purpose backpack for hiking, climbing and bikepacking | Active hikes, longer trails, climbing | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Full suspension backpack | Full suspension hiking pack | Lightweight summer pack | Lightweight lifestyle travel/hiking pack | Full suspension backpack/summit pack | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Hiking and biking | Ultralight daypack | Basic hiking | All round hiking | Fully waterproof hiking | Basic hiking, travel and general day to day use | Basic hiking, general everyday use, travel |
Material | bluesign®-approved recycled 100D x 210D wave check high-tenacity nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating. | 100D 30% recycled high density nylon, 200D 45% recycled high density nylon | 140D and 100D recycled polyamide | 210D recycled nylon body, 420D recycled nylon accents and bottom with a PFC/PFAS-free DWR | 210D Honeycomb Cryptorip Nylon and 420D High Density Nylon body. EVA foam straps, alloy steel frame. 135D High Density and 50% recycled polyester lining | 100% recycled 420D polyester ripstop | bluesign® approved 300D recycled polyester | 210D recycled nylon, DWR | UHMWPE ripstop body fabric and mesh | 210D recycled ripstop nylon and 600D recycled polyester also all with non PFC DWR | 15D high strength nano nylon fabric with silicon coating for water resistance | Offcut material used from other brands production runs, making a sustainable pack | Nylon (100D and 210D) | PFAS Free ripstop nylon | 100% recycled polyester | Offcut material used from other brands production runs, making a sustainable pack |
Capacity | 22 liters | 25 | 23L | 24L | 24 liters | 20 liters | 20 liters | 30L | 15L | 24L | 20L | 24L | 22L | 24L | 32L | 24L |
Breathability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Not as good as some other models | OK | OK | Not as good as some other models | Poor | OK | Good | OK | OK | OK |
Pockets | 6 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6/7 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Dimensions | 48 x 28 x 23 cm | 50.8 x 28.4 x 23.3 cm | 52 x 27 x 18 cm | 59 x 34 x 24cm | 52 x 28 x 20 cm | 50 x 30 x 23cm | 43 x 26 x 20 cm | 57 x 27 x 24 cm | 47 x 32 x 13 cm | 50 x 27.9 x 17 cm | 48 x 28 x 20 cm | 51 x 28 x 18 cm | 53.34 x 33.02 x 20.32 cm | 52 x 30 x 25 cm | 50 x 26.5 x 17 cm | 60 x 30 x 17 cm |
Rain Cover | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No - but the daypack is already waterproof | No | No |
Durability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | OK | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good |
See the Gregory Maya 25 in more detail:
Analysis and Test Results
I loved the Gregory Maya 25 daypack in my tests and was pretty much sold the moment I put it on. It fits so well and is easily adjustable to your size, which makes carrying it feel almost like you aren’t.
This was especially something I liked when hiking in winter which much more bulky gear on, and this pack stayed feeling comfortable throughout. I was also impressed with the placement of the side pouches, which meant I could get my water bottle out without having to remove the pack fully.
The light suspension this pack offers makes it fantastic for carrying heavier loads, but it also handles really well for lighter loads too. It’s a great, durable and versatile pack and due to this, for many hikers, it may be the only pack you need.
Performance Comparison
Type and Style
The Gregory Maya 25 is a well-proportioned day pack that gets the mix right of a kind of hybrid pack. It’s lightweight, with a ‘soft’ suspension system that gives you what you’d expect in a much more full-on pack.
At 25l, it’s perfect for carrying day to day items on your hikes and can be packed light. Because of its fairly full on back and strap detail, you can also carry heavier loads, making it a perfect ‘best of both worlds’ solution.
In terms of style, to me, this very much looks like a hiking backpack. Some hikers may feel like they’re perfectly happy using this as a day bag for commuting, however, I think this pack is best suited to the trail.
It’s important to note as well, that this pack in the 25l size is likely too big for airline carry on, but the 20l could be better suited to this. Though I’d recommend checking this in advance if this is a consideration for you.
Material
The Gregory May 25 daypack uses a combination of different denier nylons in its construction. There’s a 100D 30% recycled nylon and 210D 45% recycled nylon used for the body.
The base is constructed from 210D 45% recycled nylon, the harness, hip belt etc. are EVS foam. The lining is made from 135D 40% recycled polyester. The hardware uses Bluesign approved buckles. All of these are PFAS free.
This is obviously great to see! I was happy to see that the Maya stands up really well against the other Gregory packs I’ve had a chance to use over the years. It’s strong, made incredibly well and up close looks like it makes use of very well produced materials.
Breathability
The Gregory Maya 25 uses a back panel with molded/channeled foam. This uses a grooved shape, which aims to help with air movement. I will say that I haven’t tested this pack yet in summer, as I have used it through winter, so I’m yet to see if this is fully breathable on hotter trails.
However, I have used this pack pretty extensively on my winter season hikes, where I was able to build up quite a sweat. At no point did I find any sweat transfer on my puffy. So, I’m pretty happy with how this pack performs here.
I think something that does make a big difference here is that this pack is designed to hug the body and fit your shape whilst wearing. There was still some airspace which really helped keep the pack in place, but also provide air circulation – the best of both worlds.
Waterproofing
The Gregory Maya daypack does have a DWR treatment, but this makes it only water repellent and not technically waterproof. This in turn means that it will work until a point, but if you know you are going to be up against heavy rain or storms, then I would suggest getting a fully waterproof cover for this pack.
I experienced pretty heavy rain on some of my test hikes with this pack, and it never reached saturation point. However, to take this through to a full four seasons, I always carry a cover that can be used over it.
Dimensions
This pack is 51x29x23cm, and it feels pretty much perfect for a day pack size. I found the dimensions of this pack to sit just right on my back. There were no areas at the top that stuck out and the sides were perfectly aligned.
If you’re looking for a pack to use for airport carry on, I think this may be too big for some airlines. So, I would check in advance if this is something you’re considering. Gregory do smaller versions of this pack too, so this may be worth looking at as an option also.
Fit
I absolutely love the fit of this pack, and this is one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with it in the time I’ve been testing it. One of the things I absolutely loved was the positioning of the side pockets.
Usually, with other daypacks I’ve tested, I’ve had to take off my pack to get my water bottle out the side. Gregory have done something magical and made it so you can easily slip out and back in your water bottle without having to take your pack off.
In fact, I was able to do this with my hiking poles too. This was a bit of a revelation for me. I sometimes find myself not drinking as much as I should because of this.
I also really love the position of the hipbelt on this pack, it feels like it’s just right and really comfortable. The mild suspension (as I’m calling it) back is also really comfortable for longer missions with a heavier pack.
Storage
I think the Maya 25 from Gregory is a well-proportioned day pack that allows you to fit a lot in without it feeling overly bulky. I have been able to fit in everything I need for winter hiking (which is more as layers bulk up and crampons/snow spikes needed etc.), which I was pretty happy about.
I’ve also easily been able to fit a drybag inside with my swimming gear for mid hike icy dips along the way, including a small towel. There’s also space for my camera gear too.
The outer pockets on the sides are also well proportioned for water bottles and hiking poles. The front has a mesh stash pouch, which is really roomy and well made.
There’s a big zip up section at the back that you can either use for a hydration pouch or a laptop. There’s an inner zip up section and a front zipped up pouch. This all makes for a very roomy, well organized pack.
Comfort
When I say this is one of the most comfortable daypacks I’ve ever used, I don’t say that lightly. The Gregory Maya 25 is built with comfort in mind, and comfort it delivers.
I sometimes find that certain areas of a pack just don’t quite come up right for me, but this pack really delivered here. The fact that I could wear this and not have to take it off to take a drink was a big bonus too.
I love the contoured shape of this pack; it feels like it’s hugging you whilst you hike. This is especially good when you have a pretty full pack as it never feels overbearing and allows you to move quickly on the trail.
Features
In terms of the technical information, there is an adjustable torso length with 9cm of adjustment possible. The shoulders are perforated and use foam to help with their comfort. Then there’s the ‘biosync’ body hugging comfort offered that aim to adapt to your shape.
There are also comfort grip molded zipper pulls which are great in winter with colder hands. You can also buy this pack in plus size, with a number of adjustments and fit revisions.
Other than this, I love the way the side pouches have been designed to allow you to grab your water bottle on the go without having to take your pack off. This was a revelation to me, and something I loved.
Sustainability
This daypack makes use of significant recycled materials (I’ve gone into more detail on this in the material section). This is of course great to see, as are the PFAS free DWR coatings.
Gregory are a brand who are committed to sustainability, and are focused on making sizes available to all too. I’ve always been a fan of Gregory’s upfront and inclusive tone, so they get good points here when it comes to the Maya.
Conclusion
The Gregory Maya 25 has become one of my favorite daypacks in a very short time period. It’s hard to ignore it’s comfort, which is pretty evident from the moment you put it on, but there’s more to it than just that.
Firstly, I love that Gregory actively offer this pack in plus sizes too, with adjustments made to certain elements to fit hikers’ bodies better. I also love that this pack gets the balance right between lighter day hikes and more full on, with its ability to carry weight easily.
On more full-on hikes, it handles breathability really well, and just gets a lot of boxes ticked with the thoughtful placement of a lot of things. Such as being able to take a water bottle from the side without removing the pack.
If you’re looking for a daypack that’s just comfortable, durable, versatile and thought out well, you won’t be disappointed with the Maya 25. It’s a fantastic pack, full stop.
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