I received this backpack as part of the Amazon Vine Program which means I received it free in exchange for providing this review. That said, I was excited to get the opportunity to check it out since I have a laptop backpack from HP that, though much loved, is ultimately falling apart.I waited to review this until I had a chance to take it on a trip (I'm not a student these days so my backpacks mostly serve as laptop protective luggage). As I did this weekend, here's my review.
So here are my thoughts:
1) Laptop size: GREAT
My engineering workstation laptop has a 17.7" screen which frankly is almost impossible to find any sort of case for. It does fit in this. So that made me happy.
2) Stitching. GREAT
The sewing seems very sturdy. Having not lugged it around through an entire semester or more, I can't faily compare it, but tugging at it shows it seems pretty secure and the fabric it's anchored to at stress points is very reinforced. (That was the problem with my older HP laptop backpack is that it ripped at the weak points)
3) Zippers. APPEAR QUALITY.
Big heavy duty zipper. Again without wear it's hard to say but the heavy coated and smoothed teeth don't seem likely to break or jam soon.
4) Pocket Variety. GOOD.
There are ton of different pockets...frankly I keep finding more. Other than the two large ones (back one is the laptop pocket and the one in front of that is for books or whatever) and the front one (presumably for your tablet if you really need to pack two types of computers) there are many little small ones. Some inside the other pockets, some on the sides, one right against your back (presumably for important papers, but I'd never use it as it seems awkward) and a little one on top that to my mind would fit a cell phone very handily so you can find it when it rings. So for pocket variety, it's a win. For useful pockets...maybe 70-80% are ones I'd actually use. The rest I might stuff random things into just if I needed to fit in one more thing but probably not otherwise.
5) Padding. EXCESSIVE.
Honestly there so much padding it's bulky. I don't plan to throw my electronics out of speeding trains or fifth story windows. While it's comfortable it also means you can fit less in it and that it's heavier even when empty. I shiver to think how long it would take to dry out if you ever got it wet.
6) Capacity. NOT BAD, BUT COULD BE BETTER
To me this is the part that makes me think I'll likely use the HP backpack for a while longer. This backpack isn't actually that much smaller (it doesn't expand out as far)than mine, but the padding really cuts down on space. As I'm not a student, my HP is what I use to travel with. It's nice to be able to use it as my "smaller" carry on and the extra cargo room comes in handy. This one can fit about two pairs of sneakers less over all which is quite a lot less. That said, it IS fairly spacious compared to many backpacks, so it might be just fine for you. I don't know that you'd want it a lot bigger...but if it was differently designed to expand out just a bit further and only pad where it's really needed, you'd get more.
7) Finishes. AWESOME
This is what really wowed me. There's lots of little details I never thought about but like a lot. Like the cell phone pocket. Or the fact that when you adjust the straps they roll up with a velcro snap so they don't dangle down. Very sturdy and polished. Pockets are secure, straps are highly engineered. A little handle near the bottom even...handy for picking it up to say, shove in an overhead bin. Lots of little things I never even though of but are pretty cool.
8)Comfort. ACCEPTABLE
Straps are very comfortable. It seemed to carry a bit "high" for me though which made my shoulders a bit hurty when fully loaded for a while. It has to do with the wideness of the straps at the top which won't let it slide lower down comfortably and so had me adjusting it up to keep it from feeling awkward. I'm calling it acceptable though because overall it wasn't bad. Good weight distribution otherwise (wide straps were nice for that). No cutting even when heavy, easy to grip from top and with one strap.
All in all a really pretty good backpack. It's not perfect, but having never found a perfect backpack to date, I'm giving it 5 stars. My HP (best I've ever had) wins on capacity but this one beats it on construction (I'm pretty sure) and nice extra features. Chances are there are people who will love it. I certainly plan to use it again.
Two stars subtracted from an otherwise great bag for this glaring error.
Buy Case Logic RBP-117 17.3-Inch MacBook Pro/Laptop Backpack with iPad/Tablet Pocket (Black) Now
This is a very good backpack, and the description in the site was exactly what I got. I bought it to replace an older case logic backpack I had (cannot remember the model number) that served me very well for many years. It is well built, with nice features like a chest strap, and it is not excessively large, like other backpacks that try to fit even 17" models. My mac book pro 15" fits nicely and it feels secure.My only reason not to give it five stars is that the notebook compartiment could be better padded at the bottom. In my previous one, the notebook fitted in a large padded pouch in the compartiment, so it would not touch the bottom of the backpack itself. Besides that, the bottom was also padded. With this one, when I put it on the floor the first few times I felt that the notebook was not been as isolated from the impact as I expected. I ended up fitting a piece of packaging foam to the bottom of the compartment, and that solved the problem. If that was included in the design, I'd give it five stars, no doubt.I really enjoy having this backpack after finally letting go of my Targus backpack. This one came highly recommended on Amazon, so I decided to give it a shot. When I first received it, I immediately noticed that there was a very large amount of space in the front two compartments and the laptop compartment is very well padded.
One of the best perks of this bag is that there are actually two spaces for tablets, one with the laptop and one in the front pocket. Nice when you have a personal and a work tablet. The laptop compartment was very well suited for my MacBook and my Asus Transformer tablet. The first compartment after that was able to hold 3 large textbooks and 3 pads of paper. The front compartment was also large with various places to arrange smaller items. Another very fun feature of this backpack is the lumbar stash which is very well manufactured and easy to get to while walking. It also has two compression straps that allow you to carry odds and ends, such as an umbrella, a rolled up coat, it even held my heavy jacket. The side pockets are well made, each is spacious enough to fit a TI-84 calculator with ease and my keys (with the built-in keychain) and my phone (Samsung Galaxy S2).
Overall the backpack was very good, there is a lot of padding on the back and it is also designed to stop your back from sweating. I enjoy having a lot of space for everything that I carry on a daily basis and very much so enjoy how big the backpack actually is, as it goes all the way down my back (6'3" Male) and does not awkwardly stop halfway down. I would definitely recommend this to anybody, student or professional. I'm sitting in the passengers lounge at Dulles Airport as I write this review. I decided I needed a new bag for a trip and so this has been a winner. I was using a conventional laptop bag before, but it was HUGE and barely fit under this seat. This one's remarkably compact given all of the storage space.
I'm very pleased by the storage space the bag gives. I have a 17" Macbook Pro and an iPad nestled away, plus all of the cords, connectors and various stuff needed to travel. There are a variety of pockets for water, pens, etc. and a "secret" little place to put things in the lumbar pad.
I'm impressed with the small details such as little velcro straps that keep the excess shoulder strap under control. It wasn't necessary to provide, but I still appreciate the attention to detail the bag gives.
Passing through security was a breeze since there's a couple of small pockets I can stick my wallet, glasses and belt (I was surprised they made me remove it. I guess the were afraid I'd hang myself or something.).
This bag is a keeper.
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