Which Luxury Mini Backpack Offers the Best Functionality?
MPM Ristretto vs Hermès Kelly Jump & Berluti Premier Jour. A Technical Comparison.
Luxury mini backpacks occupy a unique position within contemporary leather goods. Compact enough to accompany their owner throughout the day, yet refined enough to belong firmly within the world of haute maroquinerie, they must reconcile elegance with genuine practicality. The challenge is not simply to carry more, but to carry intelligently.
Rather than comparing retail prices or brand prestige, this technical comparison examines the objective characteristics that influence everyday use: dimensions, organisation, craftsmanship, materials, ergonomics, versatility and suitability for modern travel.
Technical Specifications
Country of Manufacture:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Italy Hermès Kelly Jump: France
Berluti Premier Jour: Italy
Leather:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Premium full-grain calf leather
Hermès Kelly Jump: Premium Hermès calf leather
Berluti Premier Jour: Venezia calf leather with hand-applied patina
Dimensions:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM):
27 × 14.5 × 5 cm
Hermès Kelly Jump: 17 × 14 × 6 cm.
Berluti Premier Jour: 36 × 30 × 15 cm
(The brand had a smaller version of the same bag named Premier jour Gulliver, but it was a cross or sling bag, so not a backpack anymore)
Exterior Organisation:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Two zipped front pockets.
Hermès Kelly Jump: 1 side minipouch
Berluti Premier Jour: 1 front zipped pocket
Interior Organisation:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Multiple dedicated compartments for modern travel essentials.
Hermès Kelly Jump: Minimalist interior
Berluti Premier Jour: Multiple interior compartments
Lining :
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Plush suede lining.
Hermès Kelly Jump: leather.
Berluti Premier Jour: cotton.
Hardware: Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM):Premium metal hardware.
Hermès Kelly Jump: Premium metal hardware
Berluti Premier Jour: Premium metal hardware
Carrying Configurations:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Backpack, crossbody bag, shoulder bag, handbag, vertical pouch, horizontal clutch and belt bag.
Hermès Kelly Jump: Backpack
Berluti Premier Jour: Backpack
Primary Purpose:
Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM): Compact luxury travel
Hermès Kelly Jump: Everyday essentials
Berluti Premier Jour: Larger everyday carry and travel.
Dimensions and Carrying Capacity:
The three bags immediately reveal different design philosophies through their proportions.
The Berluti Premier Jour is the largest of the three. Its greater height, width and depth provide a substantial increase in carrying capacity. Larger personal belongings fit more comfortably, making it particularly suitable for users who regularly carry additional accessories or documents. The compromise is equally evident: the bag occupies more visual space, sits further away from the body and inevitably feels bulkier during prolonged use.
The Hermès Kelly Jump adopts much more restrained proportions. The smallest bag of the three, it belongs to the category of subcompact luxury backpacks, favoring us discretion over maximum capacity and remaining faithful to the maison’s understated aesthetic.
The Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM) Ristretto, follows the Modus Operandi of all MPM bags in striking a balance between slim elegance and functional capacity. At 27cm it is similar to the Berluti bigger bag, but with a width of 14,5cm and a thickness of 5cm on a par with the Hermès bag. Its proportions were deliberately chosen to minimize visual bulk while remaining genuinely useful for contemporary travel, as an example, it is big enough to pack a mini notepad. Rather than increasing external volume, Maison Philippe Montagne has focused on making every centimeter of interior space work more efficiently via numerous pockets.
Organisation
Capacity alone does not determine functionality. Organisation often matters far more than raw volume.
Hermès remains deliberately minimalist. The Kelly Jump provides a clean interior intended for essential belongings, leaving the owner considerable freedom in arranging personal items.
The Berluti Premier Jour benefits from its larger dimensions and 2 large compartments, allowing a more generous and conventional internal organisation suitable for everyday business use.
The MPM Ristretto follows a different philosophy. Despite its exceptionally compact dimensions, it incorporates two easily accessible zipped exterior pockets together with a carefully organised interior.
Passport, smartphone, wallet, charger, cables, sunglasses, mini tablet or notebook, cosmetics and everyday travel accessories each have dedicated spaces, reducing unnecessary movement inside the bag while making frequently used items immediately accessible.
Materials and Craftsmanship
All three maisons demonstrate outstanding craftsmanship while expressing different traditions.
Hermès manufactures the Kelly Jump in France using the exceptional leather quality for which the maison has become internationally recognised.
Berluti produces the Premier Jour in Italy using its signature Venezia calf leather, whose hand-applied patina gives every bag an individual character.
Maison Philippe Montagne also manufactures the Ristretto entirely in Italy using premium full-grain calf leather sourced from carefully selected French or Italian tanneries. High-quality YKK zippers contribute to long-term reliability. Opening the bag reveals one of the maison’s distinctive signatures: a plush suede microfibre lining that protects delicate belongings while adding a tactile sense of refinement every time the bag is used.
Ergonomics
The way a bag interacts with the body is often overlooked, yet it has a significant influence on everyday comfort.
The larger Berluti naturally offers greater capacity, but this additional volume also creates a more substantial presence on the wearer’s back.
The Hermès Kelly Jump remains compact and comfortable for carrying daily essentials, reflecting the maison’s preference for elegant simplicity.
The MPM Ristretto has been designed to remain exceptionally close to the body, and particularly elegant. Its slim five-centimetre depth allows it to accompany movement naturally through airports, railway stations, museums and city centres, reducing visual bulk while remaining remarkably stable during prolonged wear. Although the Ristretto is slimmer than the Hermès Kelly Jump, its greater height allows it to accommodate an iPad mini while maintaining an exceptionally close fit against the body. Rather than increasing depth to gain capacity, Maison Philippe Montagne has chosen to work with proportion, using vertical space and intelligent interior organisation to maximise functionality without compromising elegance.
Versatility
Perhaps the greatest technical difference between these three bags lies in their versatility.
Both the Hermès Kelly Jump and the Berluti Premier Jour remain dedicated backpacks.
The MPM Ristretto was conceived from the outset as a genuine multi-function travel companion. It transforms into a backpack, crossbody bag, shoulder bag, handbag, vertical pouch, horizontal clutch and belt bag according to the occasion (pthanks to the rear loop through which one can slide a belt, whilst strapping the 2 shoulder slings around the thigh à la Lara Croft )
Rather than serving a single purpose, one object adapts throughout the day without compromising its proportions or aesthetic coherence.
Technical Verdict
Each maison has pursued a distinct objective.
Hermès prioritises elegant simplicity and understated refinement.
Berluti offers the largest carrying capacity, making it particularly suitable for those who regularly transport more belongings, while accepting the greater visual and physical bulk that accompanies its larger dimensions.
Maison Philippe Montagne has pursued another path. Rather than creating the biggest bag, it has sought to maximise efficiency within the smallest possible volume. Intelligent organisation, exceptional versatility, premium materials, Italian craftsmanship and an exceptionally slim silhouette combine to produce a travel companion that achieves an unusual balance between functionality and elegance.
Ultimately, the Berluti Premier Jour carries the most.
The Hermès Kelly Jump embodies refined simplicity.
The Maison Philippe Montagne (MPM) Ristretto demonstrates that intelligent design can often achieve more with less.
In doing so, it offers one of the most considered interpretations of the contemporary luxury mini backpack for travellers who value versatility, discretion and beautifully organised functionality.
further readings:
What makes a Luxury Mini Backpack beautiful?
Other Luxury mini backpacks compared
Why ArtDeco remains the language of modern luxury