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

Ill start by saying that I take my 13 MacBook Pro with me everywhere I go. I use it and my iPhone to run my business when Im not in the office. So, having a good bag to carry everything I need is a must. Ive been using a

I cant tell you how excited I am this bag is in the Gold Box on Amazon! Totally getting a new one despite trepidation to retire the old one... I travel a lot and have had a bag nearly identical to this model 1923 for a while. Its been all over the USA and throughout the World with me. It is not only incredibly durable but has easy to reach pockets for everything. The ScanSmart is great for airports who allow it. The trim is reflective which am pretty sure saved my butt when I was walking through a back alley in France last month... blasted scooters. This bag has stories, many stories. Its the most interesting bag in the world and has been the best backpack Ive ever owned. After years of severe abuse; here are my notes on this bag: Note: I give this 5 stars on account of the fact that its outlasted any other bag Ive owned: Pros: Durability: Seriously, over 150k miles Ive traveled with this bag... Its still intact. And I didnt buy it, I found it on the side of a rubbish bin full of junk from China. So yeah, dont judge me for dumpster diving when I saw something I knew would be awesome, despite its likely use in an Asian drug deal or hostage exchange! It gained a new life as my travel companion. The Small top/outer pocket: This little bugger will hold 82 Euro in change with room for train tickets and is still so easy to get to you can grab a Euro on the fly without removing the pack and the zipper prevents loss of contents. (Actual reach ability will vary on your flexibility and length of arms) Airflow: It didnt make my back all sweaty carrying it all day on a hot late spring afternoon wandering the streets in Amsterdam. Its also very comfortable to wear and didnt give me trouble despite many long walks and hikes including a 35 km jaunt around Paris holding 2 days worth of clothes, trinkets, laptop and a large camera. Pockets galore: The little pocket inside, labeled as an MP3 pocket is a flap pocket that very nicely holds anything you want to get at easily... such as headphones like I use it for. Especially useful when in tight spaces like a tiny plane seat where disturbing the large smelly man asleep next to you on an Inter-European commuter flight could result in disastrous consequences. Yet another time this bag likely saved my life. Rugged handle: The Handle at the top is not only useful for lifting the bag and easily retrieving it from overhead bins, It will save your life by providing something for someone to grab onto when you slip on a gangplank exiting a channel ferry in Belgium and prevent you from entering cold icy waters of the Rhine in mid winter. Cons: Zippers: While the actual pulls are metal and will last a million years the tracks are plastic, very durable but after an encounter with a rogue hatch on a train in Germany, the zipper on one of the pockets would stick on the track. This was abuse, not manufacturing defect. Any other bag would have be unusable at that point, I just stopped opening the pocket all the way until it finally came undone in LA leaving only one of the two pulls on the track. (Looking forward to the new one to use that pocket again!) Inside Liner: After its encounter with a garbage bin which brought this pack to me, I had to wash it. The inside lining of the bag came apart. Maybe a toss through the industrial dryer on high wasnt a good idea despite the germ/smell killing benefits. If you get dumpster residue on yours; it will take a wash, just hang it up to dry as I did on subsequent washes. (Its endured at least 3 washing machine visits since Ive had it) Bottle Pockets: The mesh pockets on the side are great but the elastic will fail eventually and cause you to lose your water bottle somewhere in Paris and leave you parched after that amazing ham and cheese street-crepe, curse you worn out elastic. The above mentioned dryer encounter likely didnt help the elasticity. Summary: Buy this bag! It will save your life several times and endure some of the most harsh beatings you could ever imagine while containing all of your vital travel items and mementos on the way and at the same time protecting your laptop. I hope the new one will accumulate as many stories and adventures as the old one has.

I had L.L. Bean backpacks for years, so when I was leaving for college three years ago I ordered their newest model with laptop sleeve built in. After only a few years of use, it was fraying at the edges and the zipper began to tear off on the main compartment. I returned it for this one, not knowing if Id like it. I really like the seperate laptop compartment on the back. It makes getting to my computer -- what I reach for most of the time -- quick and easy. The front compartment door could be a little larger but other than that I love this bag! Looks new to this day. UPDATE: after about a year with the bag, the left shoulder strap began to tear at the top where it attaches to the backpack. it looks like its a problem with the stretchy shock-absorbing component of the strap. Ive sent the bag into Swiss Gear for warranty repair, so well see if/when I get a replacement what happens. even with this Im still pretty happy with the bag, as its very functional and good looking. just wishing the straps were a little more heavy duty...

This is my second backpack like this. The first was stolen out of our rental car. It has so many pockets and is great for travel. It fits under the seat in front of you in airplanes. I usually haul my camera, iPad, one or two lenses and many other necessities needed on a trip. Side pockets hold a water bottle Little pockets inside are good for headphones, medicine, change. Use front pocket for items needed immediately such as wallet and passport. There is a separate zippered area for your laptop and you can throw a lightweight jacket in there too. It has traveled to Australia, London and Paris and it looks brand new still. The biggest drawback about this backpack is the weight. I dont know how much it weighs, but its pretty heavy.

I havent bought a new backpack since middle school. Im in my sixth year of college and still using the same backpacks. Although Ive tried to be frugal, I wanted to look for something that was comfortable for my back and shoulders for long school days and that didnt have holes in it. =] This is the first backpack Ive ever bought over $20, but I think it is really worth it. This semester has been made very easy and comfortable with this bp. I love the handle, at first I wondered if it would look goofy ^-^, but its great for picking up easily, or hanging onto a bathroom stall hook, or on any hooks really. (Your friends will probably yank on it though while its on you...) The straps are very cushioned on my shoulders and I have much less back/shoulder strain. The few times Ive carried my laptop in this backpack, I wondered if I remembered to put it in, because my backpack felt too light. Bottom line, sorry this is so long, and I do not regret buying this. Its helped me become more organized and I know exactly where every item is, so I dont feel as flaky or like a spaz. On an insignificant side note, I also feel a little more professional at school, which is new for me, I usually have holes in my backpacks, socks, and shoes :D

I was skeptical about this purchase with the myriad of complaints about quality in the reviews. So far this pack has held up well to both urban and camping usage. I can carry a decent amount of weight in it without strain. I loaded 35 pounds in it and took it on a 4 mile hike with my dog - no sweat! It has LOTS of compartments that are well designed for all the various electronics used today and various items I like to carry The straps are comfortable and easy to adjust. The handle is sturdy. And so far, every bit of it has held up to some abuse. My only complaint is the zipper design. They are all curved in a way that is pleasing to the eye and helpful in how much you can open each compartment. BUT because of the curves, its been impossible for me to close any of the zippers with one hand. I get annoyed when I reach for something and then want to close it back up and have to set things down so I can use both hands.

OK, so that may be a bit dramatic. I looked for quite awhile for a bag reasonability priced with pockets, bottle pockets, key pockets, kleenix pockets, eyeglass case pockets, book pockets, laptop phone and cord pockets and so on. I commute many mornings via Park and ride into work and need a bag that is easy to carry, pockets for bus pass, phone, Kindle, paper files, pens, keys, glasses, lunch bag, rain coat, and wow. This bag has it all. I am quite satisfied. Sturdy construction. Zippers tough and hold up to my every day use. I have been using for a couple months (or thereabouts) and have nothing about which to complain. Side pockets, one on each side, easily handle my 22oz thermos and coffee cup. The front pocket has slots for pens, markers. There is a attached key clip thingy that easily releases and re-clips. I dont use the padded laptop pocket much - it is large enough for a 15 - 17 screen. My wife things it larger than necessary, however, she isnt the one on the bus in rain and or snow wanting an easy one hand or over the shoulder bag. I do recommend it! Did I mention it has pockets? 22Oct2013 update - I continue to really enjoy this bag. This week (no kidding) I have seen this same bag over the shoulder of a fellow bus commuter, and a gentlemen who belongs to the same wellness center. I have take work out clothes with me to work using this bag so that I could stop and workout on my way home. This is ideal in my book.

I dont normally write reviews but I read them often. I bought this based on the great reviews, the SwissGear name, and the nearly 50% discounted price at the time. One thing I did not see in the reviews but I think is very important to anyones satisfaction with a backpack is the ease of access, specifically how easily can the user open the various compartments to access their stuff. For the most part this pack does a great job of this with quality hardware and well designed placement of the compartments/pockets. However, there was one oversight in the design that draws my attention almost every time I open the pack. The main compartment has a dual zipper that has to pass the ends of another zipper of a smaller pocket on the front of the pack. The stiff ends of the smaller zipper are too close to the main compartment zipper and therefore impede the operation of the main compartment zipper without manually readjusting the zippers with 2 hands. A slightly wider gap at these 2 locations would have made the zippers function flawlessly without compromising the overall look of the pack. Modifying this myself to correct the problem would result in possible damage to the pack. As an engineer I have a hard time overlooking such a design oversight when the rest of the pack is of such high quality. Maybe my pack has a manufacturing defect causing this and that is why it did not come to my attention when browsing the other reviews. Its just something to be aware of. Hopefully SwissGear reads this review and can make sure the problem does not persist.

I have used many different types of laptop bags usually over the shoulder Tumi or Targus laptop bags throughout my career. I started to notice that my back was starting to hurt and the doctor said that it was probably from lugging my laptop around. He suggested that I try a backpack style bag. I tried several brands of backpack style laptop bags which truthfully mostly work the same in that it puts the weight on both shoulders. However, I liked how the pocket compartments were in this SwissGear. I also really like the ScanSmart system whereby I can just unzip the backpack and it folds flat to expose the laptop without having to take it out. There are 2 file compartments for putting file folders in. There are 2 pockets on each side which can be used for a water bottle or other miscellaneous items. The outer pocket has a fairly generous amount of space. The only thing I would have liked would have been another zippered compartment inside the outside pouch. But this is a minor technicality and I would highly recommend this backpack!

This backpack is awesome! I bought this over 4 years ago to take to college and its still going strong! I havent had anything break on this, and I have loaded this up with multiple textbooks at a time. As a math major, I think this has probably gotten up to 50 pounds in it at least. Now I am working on my Masters and still using the same backpack. This is great for compartmentalizing and organizing your stuff. I can hang my keys or a Nalgene water bottle off the carabiner, I put my calculator in a side pocket, pencils/pens in the front, laptop in the back and most of my books in the front main pocket. Makes it really easy to find whatever I need. I have been very happy with this, and even if it breaks tomorrow, I think Ive gotten my moneys worth and will buy another SwissGear.