Targus 15.4" Rolling Notebook Backpack

I have had the Targus rolling notebook backpack for almost 1 year and use it every week to carry my laptop, work papers, lunch, snacks, etc to the office. I commute by train with 10 to 15 minute walks through suburban and city streets on either end. I've taken it through rain and snow and it still looks new and keeps everything dry. It's taken a lot of abuse over this time but the wheels still roll smoothly and it is easy to get over curbs. Other reviewers mentioned inadequate laptop padding but I've found that my laptop is well padded against normal bumps and jostles. It holds quite a lot and is good for day trips. My only somewhat negative comment is that if you are petite, you will not be able to comfortably use it as a backpack when fully loaded. Larger individuals will not have a problem with the weight when using it as a backpack and pulling it is no trouble regardless of your size.

When I selected this bag, I thought that I would switch between rolling and backpack functionality regularly. However, this hasn't turned out to be the case. For a backpack, this is a very heavy bag. Also, once you stow the straps for rolling, it takes a few minutes to free them up again.

From the rolling perspective, the stowed straps can sometimes get in the way.

For it's size and weight, it doesn't have that many storage areas. I am a traveling technologist and I carry a lot of small devices and cables, in addition to my laptop. With this case, I've had to dump most of these in the one large compartment.

And very annoyingly, one of the rivets holding one of the wheels on has broken through after only 4 months of regular use.

My advice: if you primarily roll, get a rolling bag. If you primarily carry on your back, get a backpack.

Buy Targus 15.4" Rolling Notebook Backpack Now

I was looking for a reasonably-priced unit that could double as a carry-on bag for the stuff I really do not want to check as baggage. The Targus TSB700 15.4 Rolling Notebook Backpack looked like it would work. I recently used it on a week-long trip by air. It held all the laptop's gear in its many compartments. All the items I usually put in my standard carry-on more than fit in the separate center compartment. I was able to leave the carry-on bag at home. The stuffed-full bag fit in the overhead compartment and under the seat of a "real" airplane, but not overhead in the small commuter planes. During my 3-hour lay-over at the airport, I could easily drag the bag around. The backpack is comfortable to wear. (I am not young and athletic!!) The wheels roll very easily, and the shift from wheeled bag to backpack is quick and easy -like when I had to grab the airport bus to change terminals. Access to the laptop is easy, since you have to pull it out every time you go thru security. It was particularly nice to be able to pull out the laptop and its inner padded carrycase (included) when I had to check the bag at the airside at the last minute on a crowded, teeny little commuter plane.

I looked at comparable units that were advertised as weekender computer cases. Most were not backpack-convertible. All were much more expensive. I am really happy with my purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Targus 15.4" Rolling Notebook Backpack Here

My 12 year old son has tried virtually every wheeled backpack on the market. We require a large capacity (2000 cubic inches+) wheeled backpack to be able to fit his textbooks, planner, school supplies, water bottle, gym clothes, and assorted other odds and ends. When full, these result in a load too heavy to be comfortably lifted-hence the need for a wheeled pack. Said pack has to go up and down multiple flights of stairs at his school daily, in and out of 2 separate carpools, and travels on planes for trips. No back pack we have ever purchased has lasted one full school year, including this one-but, this has been the best and longest lasting of what we've tried. The Jansport Driver 8 is our second choice, but the second main compartment droops on the ground when filled, causing the fabric to rip almost imemdiately from being scraped. It is $12 more expensive than the Targus (at least when we bought it), 2 inches smaller in width, and 1 inch smaller in depth, and hence 2 pounds lighter. But like I said-for durability and capacity issues it gets second place. The targus has more options for organizing stuff and has more capacity, and it has a more durable bottom, and it's cheaper. However 1 week before school ended, the handle snapped off. Still, like I said, we've never had a backpack last a year so I still give this high marks. For the record, we have also tried Lands End and LL Bean rolling backpacks, samsonite, and a few others. I will be buying another Targus for my son for next year.

Want Targus 15.4" Rolling Notebook Backpack Discount?

As a children's author I travel constantly to speak and visit schools. I've spent the last six months looking for a new rolling backpack to suit my needs and finally encountered this one in an airport shop. I came right home and ordered it. It's lightweight with the most fabulous telescoping handle, a variety of pockets that fit my various accessories, and plenty of room to carry copies of all of my books as well as my laptop computer. Plus, the wheels are far apart, balanced so that the pack doesn't tip forward when free-standing, and relatively quiet on tile airport floors. I'm delighted!