Osprey Savu 2 hip pack review

The Osprey Savu 2 hip pack is intended to blend the benefits of a lightweight design with simple, yet clever ergonomics.

Several useful features typically found on the brand’s larger, high-end hiking packs make this bag stand out. These include the ErgoPull adjustment straps and AirScape back panel.

The Savu 2 has a centrally positioned, angled water bottle holder that can securely hold up to a 750ml bottle. Osprey offers both a left- and right-handed version of this pack.

Osprey Savu 2 performance

The thoughtfully angled padded bottle sleeve makes accessing the bottle less of a strain while you’re riding. The bungee used to secure the bottle in place worked well, and it remained in place even over the roughest trails.

However, there were times when it got in the way while placing the bottle back in its storage compartment, hindering insertion.

Osprey's ErgoPull waist strap system give a superior, close fit over other packs, and adjusting its tightness is effortless. Its malleable and flexible construction conforms closely to your body, where the straps can be cinched in to enhance the fit.

Its asymmetrical pockets are accessible without removing or spinning the pack around, and offer plenty of room for a small bike pump. Given the size of the bag, items such as pumps or multi-tools are best positioned at the bottom of the pack or in the pocket, angled along with the bottle.

There’s an internal pocket with a key clip, and slipping a phone out of the angled internal sleeve is efficient.

It’s built around a wide-profile waistband, and its lightweight AirMesh padding provides all-day comfort even in hot weather.

This means it’s impressively stable, and on moderately steep and rough trails it’s faultless. However, on much steeper, rougher trails some swivelling was present.

That said, the Savu 2 is one of the best smaller-sized hip packs I’ve tested, despite that movement on gnarly trails.

Osprey Savu 2 bottom line

Thanks to its smaller size and lightweight airy feel, the Savu 2 is ideal for short or local rides. It’s best suited to riders who like to carry the bare essentials, and ones who prefer a water bottle over a hydration pack.

Although I would usually penalise a hip pack for rotating on really gnarly trails, the Savu 2’s impressive comfort and ease of use, plus how stable it is on less gnarly trails are all hard to overlook. Plus it’s affordable compared to the big-name competition I’ve also tested.