I'm so enthused about this pack! I'm a licensed professional and a father, and 7 days a week I have need for backpack. My old Eddie Bauer one lasted about 7 years until a zipper failed, so it was time for a new one. Days of agonizing over the internet led me to purchase this one, about 50% off on Amazon.Pros: Handsome, spacious, many specialty pockets, attachment points for caribiners, water bottle holders, solid cable lift handle. The zippers are large and easy to grab, and remarkably smooth; there is no stiffness or hesitation on the corners. The biggest pro is the comfort level while wearing. It has wide, padded straps that come perfectly across the shoulders (I'm a big guy so a smaller person might have a different fit). The padded foam back cooling system sounds kitschy but is wonderful. It works just right, and adds a stiffness to the back that no other backpack I've had has. With most backpacks, you have to instert a book or clipboard if you're carrying odd items to keep them from jamming your back, but this pack's construction means that whether you're carrying pillows or bricks your back will always have the same padded comfort.
Cons: Er...the only thing I can think of, and it's a stretch, is that the overall pack design (size, number of metallic zippers and other components, padded materials) means that the pack is heavier than a standard generic pack of the same size. It's only a matter of ounces, but a small-framed or fragile person might notice it.
Enjoy!
Peeling through each compartment of this backpack from the front pocket to the back, first we see a square carabiner clip, perfect for attaching keys, sunscreen, chapstick or keychains. I like to attach my keys to it when I'm out of town at my mom's house. Open that first compartment and you have a generous amount of pockets, including space for two writing instruments and your cell phone too. My iPhone fits perfectly and stays securely inside with the velcro strap that folds over it. The next zippered compartment is unexpectedly deep and reaches to the very bottom of the backpack. This would be great for small accessories. And then we have the big kahuna. The humongous zippered compartment would fit a lot of books, binders, notebooks and all sorts of paper-size documents from school or work. It's a very generous size! I also love how far down it zips on each side. If you're anything like me, I tend to loose stuff in backpacks and a good cleaning is in order quite often. Because this compartment zips down so far, it is so easy to pack and unpack it's contents as needed. Also in this huge compartment is a pocket large enough for a thin folder, and an iPod/MP3 media port and pocket making it easy to stay connected to your electronics while keeping them in your backpack. You can also see the large, heavy duty carry handle for easy carrying and pulling out from an overhead bin if used as a carry on too.
The last zippered compartment is for your laptop up to 17" and will fit a few slim accessories in front of the padded laptop pocket too. I'm paranoid about keeping my laptop safe and this compartment eases my mind. Because the molded back padding is at least an inch thick, your laptop is pretty safe. Not only that, but there are no unpadded crevasses at the bottom of the backpack that your laptop can shimmy into, leaving it unprotected. I had that problem with my last backpack, so I had to stash an old t-shirt at the bottom to protect my laptop! This backpack, however, has an amazing amount of more than ample padding to store your laptop safely.
There are two side pockets on each side, and also built-in side compression straps to make a smaller load feel more secure. I like this feature for the added security in knowing a really full load isn't going to rip the seams and come out! Of course this is a very high quality backpack we're talking about here, but here I can buy peace of mind and not worry one bit. There is also a pocket on each side that will fit my 17oz stainless steel water bottle and keep it nice and snug.
There is just one thing that I have as feedback about this backpack. The area on the right strap to place your phone is FAR too small for most phones. My iPhone would surely slip out and face a dreaded fall to certain death. I don't even want to think about that! The strap is just not wide enough to accommodate a regular smart phone (or most phones for that matter). So, I just don't use it and it really isn't a problem. Besides, there is another spot that fits my phone perfectly in the front zippered compartment as I mentioned. Overall, this backpack is amazing. Absolutely worth investing in if you need a backpack everyday. It's comfortable, extremely well made, and will last you a very long time.
Buy TETON Sports Tech The Executive Backpack (Black/Grey) Now
I use this backpack for graduate school and I absolutely love it. I got one for my friend too (she is also a university student) and she loves hers as well. The center compartment is huge and easily fits my lunch bag, jacket, gloves, ear muffs, whatever. The back compartment holds my laptop in the sleeve and the padding on the back of the backpack is really rigid and seem strong so I never worry about my computer getting damaged, even the one time my son thought this backpack was his and threw it over his shoulder into the back of the car with my computer in it. Yikes!Oh, by the way, my 9th grade son has one of these too and he likes it a lot, although admittedly his looks a little more beat up than mine since he drags it to school, in and out of his locker and the car and to basketball practice at the gym and generally beats it up. But there are no holes and all the zippers still work great so given that abuse, I think a few scuff marks are no big deal.
I love the side pockets. I can hold 1 or 2 water bottles in the mesh pockets and still stick my smartphone in the lower zip, along with glasses cleaner and rag, gum, lipstick, sudafed, more lip stick--well, you get the idea. I always take my computer, a folder, a paper notebook, a lunch bag, a jacket, a water bottle, my thumb drive, my phone, my wallet, my power cord, mouse, and a bunch of random little items. Sometimes I also stuff in 3 or 4 textbooks, depending on the day.
Everything fits and even when the bag is very heavy it is comfortable to wear. The shock absorber thingy on the shoulder actually does seem to make a difference and the back panel doesn't get real hot even when it's warm outside. The front organizer is nice because not only does it have all the little pockets for pens and cards and cords and such, but it also provides quite a bit of room in front of those items. I usually put my mouse there and sometimes even my computer power cord if I want to get it out of the way in the main pockets (like when I want to sneakily eat my lunch in class and so I don't take the bag out, I just reach in and grab food).
The "phone" pouch on the shoulder strap is a bit small but since I put my phone in the side zip pocket, that doesn't particularly bother me. This bag feels sturdy and roomy. I guess if you didn't need quite this much space, it might be overkill, but me, my son, and my friend do seem to use it's capacity fully, for what that's worth. I haven't used the media pocket and headphone ports but they would hold my iPod if I put it there. I just don't take it with me to school very often. I haven't used the front metal clip thing but I imagine you could hang an umbrella on it. I haven't used this backpack in heavy rain so I don't know how waterproof it is, but it seems fine for short stints on damp pavement and when I spilled water on it once, the water beaded and brushed right off.
All in all, I am amazed how good of quality this bag is for the money. I guess you could pay double or triple the price and get something higher end, but this already seems plenty high-end to me. It's certainly the best computer or school backpack I've ever owned.
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My wife gave me this backpack as an early Father's Day gift. I walk all over in the city and I love this pack because even filled to the brim with my laptop (great padded laptop pocket), documents, and other items the padded shoulder straps make the backpack feel weightless. Just looking at this pack I can tell that their other gear is bullet proof, I have a cot from them too and I love it... it makes camping enjoyable. I just wish they would get their tents out already. I know that for the price I am getting some sweet durable gear. THANKS for a good backpack!Want TETON Sports Tech The Executive Backpack (Black/Grey) Discount?
I have a couple other Teton backpacks all ready and I needed one for work, so I went with the Executive. The quality on these backpacks really is great. Also, tons of pockets, places to put stuff, etc. This one has a spot for your laptop, lunch, hole for water bladder, side pouches for travel mug, etc. The front pouch is great to keep your mini first aid kit and elastic spots to hold small tools, like screwdriver, multi-tool, flashlight, etc. Great product!Save 57% Off
