Swiss Gear SA1923 Black TSA Friendly ScanSmart Laptop Backpack - Fits Most 15 Inch Laptops and Tablets

Replaced an older model with this one. The old model lasted about five years with rough use and this one seemed like it would be tougher. The shape and location of the zippers/pockets took a little getting used to but after some time, I do like this bag quite a bit. It DOES seem much tougher than the old one I had. The big critique is it seems to tip over to the front very easily. The obvious solution is to not put anything with weight in any of the front compartments, but then that also sort of defeats the purpose of having multiple storage spots.

How do you carry the absolute maximum on an airline that allows one carry on and one personal item?? You use this bag and a 22 rollerboard (if you can still find one). Rollerboards are getting harder to find as spinners are taking over, but in my experience they just dont hold as much. This fits under the seat in front of you and the rollerboard in the bin. This bag and other Swiss Gear backpacks like it are becoming the de facto bag you see see business travelers using - at least those that use backpacks. If you are considering it, go ahead and buy it. Its a good investment that will last a long time.

I bought this bag to replace a travel carry on I had. Funny how once I got to the airport that I noticed 50% of the travelers had Swiss Gear backpacks. Good sign. I bought this bag for my GF who is a Flight Attendant and she loved it. Anyway, it has pockets to keep all your stuff separate and organized. Everything is pretty easy to get into. The handle on top is great. On the left shoulder strap it has a band that you slide your sunglasses into to hold. That was the coolest. Why I didnt give 5 stars. It has a bit of weight to the bag even when empty. But, that is because it is a good quality bag. Just sayin. My only suggestion is to put your own tag or ribbon on it because everyone has one of these bags and they all look alike.

Ive held off on writing a review for this for about five months now as I wanted to give this bag a chance to get some wear and tear. Now after two trips over seas, daily use, and a couple of rainstorms Ill finally toss this up. This bag has held up remarkably well for the abuse Ive put it through. I do some travel for work and I had to find a bag large enough for my ASUS laptop and this was one of the only ones I could find. I was a little hesitant to purchase the bag as it was pricey and some of the reviews were not that favorable of it. The biggest concern I had was the reported zipper issues, that almost kept me from getting the bag itself. Now after five months Im extremely pleased with this bag and its durability. Ive had zero issues with the zippers so far and its taken a beating in the London Tubes, the plane rides over the pond and back, and while wondering around London during my downtime. Ive been hit by a few random downpours and the bag has kept my belongings safe and dry inside. The abundance of pockets gives me room to store all my computer related peripherals so I dont have to worry about them loose inside the main pocket. The scansmart feature is wonderful for going through security at my local airport. Before it was incredibly nerve wracking time as you had to unload all your electronics from the bag and put them in separate bins. Now I can simply unzip the bag, lay it flat, and send it through. That being said, over seas you still have to pull your electronics out. This bag is only recognized by the TSA not world wide security. My first trip over I watched a couple with the smart scan bags arguing with British security about it, so keep that in mind when ordering this bag if you do. Ive enjoyed this bag so much I showed one of my coworkers who does a lot of traveling for the company as well and he ended up purchasing another SwissGear ScanSmart style bag.

From back to front: Supportive yet comfortable straps that displace the weight very nicely, yet keep my back relatively cool in the Florida heat. (56 female) My 15 Macbook Pro fits easily yet securely in the laptop pocket (though I am still getting used to the side-zip entrance for the laptop sleeve). The bottom of the pack has a bit of padding which looks/feels like it will absorb any shocks when setting the pack down. The center pouch has a thin partition for organizing folders/notebooks with a phone pocket hanging from the top that snugly fits my iphone 6 plus (in a Lifeproof Case) with a protected hole to thread your headphones out of. The front has two zipped pockets. The top is shallow but about 6 inches long, the bottom pocket has an organizational partition for pens/planners/wallet etc with a little detachable ring for your keys. On either side there are two zipped pockets with vents that run the length of the bag, and two mesh pockets with additional straps; I was pleased to find that my 1 Liter Nalgene bottle fits securely in the side mesh pockets! The handle on top is, like the rest of the bag, is well made and secure! I use the carabiner on the back for my bike helmet, and love the reflective strips for my commutes as well. There are so many pockets, I have yet to find a use for all of them! Overall, its a great bag and appears to be very well-made. Its not necessarily the cutest of backpacks, but its very functional and I am glad I chose it over some of its more attractive (yet not as comfortable, protective, or durable) counterparts!

Had this for about 8 months and so far it has performed well.No problems to report. I use it for work and travel for work. It holds my laptop easily. Had a 15 laptop and it held it no problem. Now I have a smaller one and it swims in the pocket. Can easily fit a tablet or even 2 laptops. Havent tried the TSA friendly feature as I have pre check. There are enough pockets for for all of the stuff I carry. One thing I might change are the side mesh water bottle holders. When there is stuff in the zipper pockets next to the mesh pockets, it is hard to get a large water bottle in there or a thermos. Smaller water bottle fits ok. Im happy with it. Update: Been using this backpack now for 5 years. Traveled past 5 years for work with last 2 years solid travel and after several hundred flights and 3 continents, this backpack is still going strong. Showing very little wear. Zippers all in good condition, handles still secure and attached. Easily holds my laptop and an iPad. Still havent tried the TSA feature as Ive always had pre check. I honestly did not expect to still be using this after 5 years but I think I will get at least another 3 years out of it before I simply get tired of it and buy something new just to buy something new. Cant ask for too much more out of a backpack than I asked of this one. Update 2022: This backpack is still going strong. I added a new continent in 2022 with 2 trips to Australia, one to Korea and several trips to Europe. It is only showing the slightest bit of wear and only on the inside. It must be nearing a million miles of travel by now along with daily trips to the office when I’m not traveling. I don’t know if they still make this model but if they do, it’s a great durable everyday travel backpack

Wow, this backpack is the best! I had ordered 2 different packs from LL Bean to replace a 13-year old JanSport laptop backpack thats finally coming apart. Neither of the LL Bean ones were big enough for me, despite sounding as-big or bigger than this one. And this pack offers SO much more padding for my laptop. I LOVE the separate laptop compartment and the HUGE main compartment. In the LL Bean packs, the laptop sleeve was inside the main compartment, so it took up a lot of main compartment space. To compare them more specifically, this packs main compartment is the same depth as LL Beans largest capacity laptop backpacks entire depth. For example, the main compartment of the SA1923 holds my SLR camera case -- with my laptop in its separate compartment with room to spare. Not possible in the LL Bean models. To provide more of a description than what is above, this packs bottom front pocket has all the pen holders and other organizing pockets. The top front pocket is one large thin pocket. The two side pockets are deep and very cool. The water bottle holders are very well-made -- I think theyre double-lined or perhaps just use a really nice, thick mesh material. There is a small pocket hanging from the top back of the main compartment for your iPod/phone, etc. and a headphone cord hole just above that. On the outside, the hole comes out under and slightly behind the large, sturdy handle. The straps and back material are very nicely padded. And the pack is the perfect height for petite (51) me -- other packs hit the back of my neck when I looked up, but not this one. Finally, the quality of materials is REALLY nice all around. I cant tell you how excited I am to have finally found my new backpack after over a month of searching and trying out different models. Dont hesitate, this is a great find!

I really like this backpack! It is so convenient to have the ScanSmart feature when going through airport security! The laptop compartment unzips to allow you separate the laptop from the rest of the backpack. This backpack has lots of storage compartments like many other reviewers have mentioned. I was able to carry my laptop, DSLR camera, a couple of changes of clothes, several magazines and books, and still could have packed more. Of course it was pretty heavy at that point, so I wouldnt have wanted to pack more. My point is that you can carry a lot with this backpack! It seems like it is good quality and will last a long time. However, this is a pretty large backpack. Im a pretty big guy (64) so it fits me fine, but it looks a little silly when my wife wears it. So you may want to get a smaller size backpack if you dont want to look like a pack mule.

I got this as a gift for someone who travels a lot, so I cant really speak to longevity. Ive had dozens of laptop backpack over the years and this one has to be one of the best designed ones Ive seen. I initially purchased the larger one, since the detentions were only a half inch larger in each direction! That was a huge mistake. a half inch all around is way larger than one would think and no way that one would have fit under an airline seat. This bag, on the other hand is the perfect size for someone who has to carry a lot of gear, but needs to remain conscientious of size. The fact that it opens up like a clam shell is really nice. To think of all the times I had to manage two laptops, shoes, belt, wallet, carry on.....just shoot me already! This bag definitely keeps the line moving faster. Wish everyone had a similar set up going through the TSA checkpoints!

This backpack was exactly what i wanted. The construction is very sturdy; it seems like a very well made backpack. I have carried my laptop plus several textbooks to school; this pack has taken lots of very heavy loads and havent seen any tearing issues at all. I have a 17 inch laptop, it fits a bit snug but it fits. Theres only 2 minor things i dont like about this pack. There is no foam or padding to protect the bottom of the backpack, so dont slam it straight down when youre carrying your laptop. Also, I bought TSA approved locks at the same time so i can lock my laptop; dont bother as each zipper lining only has one zipper not doubled, so you cant lock it. This is the only reason i am deduction 1 star