ScubaLab tested the Akona Collapsible mesh backpack for its 2019 dive bag review. Comfortable, convenient and capable of hauling everything you’d need on a boat, it is our Testers Choice for mesh boat bags.

We tested its comparative usefulness, convenience and durability for dive travel against other bags by packing them with gear divers typically take for a day of boat diving. We packed the bags with the scuba gear normally used for diving a 3 mm wetsuit, along with assorted accessories and personal items.

We evaluated how easy it was to pack and transport each bag, with special attention paid to any features that were specifically geared toward dive travel. We also measured and weighed each bag and inspected design and construction elements such as materials, stitching, hardware and reinforcements.

“Just right for everything I need in a mesh boat bag,” one tester wrote about this bag’s large internal volume. The wide top makes for straightforward packing, and the long side zipper provides quick, easy access to the inside. The bag provides plenty of options for packing including an extruded cargo pocket on the front and a long-water-resistant pocket inside the back. Plus, there’s a bottom compartment that turns inside-out to hold the bag in its collapsed state that can be used to store soft items like a wetsuit. Testers loved the bag’s comfortable padded backpack straps and adjustable sternum strap. The Akona Mesh Collapsible Mesh Backpack our Testers Choice for mesh bags.