I bought this backpack for my daughter who is in 5th grade. I figured she could use the laptop pouch later on when she actually had a laptop to use. The backpack is sturdy and rolls well. My suggestions to improve the design would be to make the handle smoother to pull and also to not have the shaft protrude so far into the main compartment. Space is reduced fairly dramatically with the interior of the handle but I guess there isn't a lot you can do about that. I felt the Calpack backpacks had more room for books but weren't quite as sturdy as this pack and also not as nice looking. My daughter can fit her lunch, her binder, and one book but not much else.
Pluses: rolls well, looks great, sturdy
Minuses: space capacity not as good as other backpacks, handle retraction not very smooth.
I just purchased on 7/24/2007 for the 2007-2008 school year and already the handle on the bag is broken. I like the material and the straps, but this shouldn't be happening already.
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An excellent, very sturdy, fairly light-weight bag, for either wheels or backpack. It looks like it's made of a truly tough material, has a couple of front zippered pockets a smallish one for large iPod-type objects, and a really large one with inner pockets and flaps and pencil-holders sketchbooks, folders, magazines, etc probably even a small laptop. And the main compartment is, of course, huge easily stores a few days' clothes and toiletries, plus odds & ends has a couple of good-size inner pockets also. Sturdy telescoping handle (mechanism takes up a small amount of space on the back surface of the large compartment.) Sturdy-looking wheels. Just got back from a trip to the Mainland with this bag as carry-on oh, yes, there's also a good-size outside pocket on the back for magazines and last-minute purchases (water bottle, newspaper, book etc...)
A fantastic buy, IMHO!
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This bag held up well travelling as a rolling carryon on a medium-length trip with a plane change, 3 other carryons, a car seat and a baby. So you can guess it got a little abuse on the trip, but it held up fine. No problems with the single strut handle or the wheels. It never once did that annoying flip/roll that my carryons sometimes do.
I didn't think I'd like the way the laptop is contained in the bag: the pocket is in the front flap instead of the back of the bag. But it worked just fine and my fears of the laptop slipping out when I opened the bag were unfounded. I have a big, heavy 17" Toshiba monster and it fit perfectly, along with all my other equipment.
The only complaint I would have is that with the weight of the bag, computer and accessories, I did not even attempt to use it as a backpack and I'm not sure I ever would.
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I bought this bag for my last two semesters in college. After I bought my laptop, and put heavy textbooks in a regular backpack, carrying the backpack around was really taking a toll on my back. So after i purchased this bag, my back pain was relieved because its on wheels.
The only thing I would improve about this bag is make it out of waterproof material for when it rains.
My 9-year-old uses this as his gear bag for swimming. It holds a towel, sunscreen, water, and swimsuit just fine. It has more trouble holding clothes and shoes along with the swim stuff. It has been reasonably durable, but after about a month of daily use, it has gotten a tear where the mesh meets the nylon bottom of the bag.
