After heavy use of this backpack for the past 8 months, I'm fairly satisfied. The primary selling feature for me was that the pack was very streamline and slim, so that it did not protrude far from my back like some of the "puff packs". Here are some of the pros and cons I've found through extensive use:
(1) Highly durable nylon materials, though they tend to fray on the inside seams and the threads frequently get caught in the zippers, jamming them shut. It is very annoying, but you can easily fix it by taking scissors and triming the treads. Overall I felt the fraying nylon detracted from the overall construction quality of the backpack.
(2) Heavy-duty zippers
(3) Lots of compartments
(4) Nice padding for your computer, but note there is significant room between the bottom padding and the sides of the computer compartment. This room permitted my Macbook Pro (a slim computer) to slide off of the bottom pad and rest directly on the unpadded floor of the computer compartment. Essentially, this leaves the computer with no padded protection on the bottom and my computer did get dented (the Mac is made of aluminum).
(5) Side external pockets would be better if they were large enough to hold a water bottle. They are large enough to accomodate a cell phone or iPod. One of them has very nice padding and soft microfiber lining to protect those items from external impact or scratching on a rough nylon material.
(6) Fits snuggly under a seat in an airliner.
(7) Has a detatchable internal case for cables that is quite nice.
(8) Pack features two large pockets: A padded one for the computer and a second with dividers which holds a notebook, files and other papers. This pocket features conveninent dividers and a small blue LED light to help located items. Very nice touch.
(9) Shoulder strap had a cellphone holder sewn onto it, but within 4 weeks the threads had completely frayed adn the cell phone holder was gone. This incident also made me question the overall quality of the product.
Despite some issues, I still like the pack.
The reason I pick this bag was the padding. It was the best kind I saw. My laptop is a 15.4 inch widescreen and it just barely squeezes in, it's a tight fit but worth it for the PADDING (lol). It looks nice, though the little plastic 'no fall' deals look kind of goofy. You can't get much more than laptop (plus accessories-mouse, charger, etc) one school book and folder in there, but that's to be expected. It's got lots of little compartments for pens, pencils and what not, and a cool feature is cup holder that can be folded and zipped up!
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This bag has an excellent array of pockets with loads of space. Highly robust construction along with well designed features make it an ideal tool for hauling the laptop or other electronics. The stand up base is a great feature for travelling with the bag.
The shoulder straps are very wide, I'm sure they'd accomodate someone who is quite large. They are a little too wide to sit comfortable on my shoulders and end up sliding down lower than I'd like. Otherwise a great bag.
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I purchased the backpack and thought the many compartments would be great. However there is not as much room for documents and folders and I thought. The padding is great for laptop protection. The backpack is very heavy and hurts my back when carrying through an airport.The style and look is good function is poor.
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This backpack is durable! Purchased it for my 3 year old for Pre-K and he is absolutely in love with it. My son is and in the 100th percentile for height/weight so if you have a smaller child, this backpack is definitely a little to big, otherwise great for kids!
