Amazon Basics Carry-On Travel Backpack - Black

I absolutely love the construction and versatility of this backpack. It’s a great product, high quality and great value. I love that it opens up like a suitcase and it has a large compartment that can be organized so well. Many commented on all the other great features, so I won't repeat.After using it in one trip, there are just a few changes that I wish I could suggest to Amazon in order to create the perfect travel companion.Smaller size option – same main structureFor ladies, I feel that this backpack is a bit too big. If you pack this to maximum capacity, with heavier items (i.e. laptop, shoes) this backpack becomes too heavy because it is very spacious. I wish there was a smaller version – just a couple of inches shorter and one inch less wide.The other important disadvantage of being such a tall and wide backpack is that it does not fit under the sit in smaller planes. In larger planes, it's really a stretch to consider this an under the seat item. I had to cover mine with a blanket, because I was worried that the flight attendant would not allow it under the seat. There was no room for my feet. I liked that I could put my feet on top of the backpack. The elevation created comfort for my feet, but I also wished I could put my feet on the floor at times, next to the backpack, but there was no room left. Also, I would not want to put my backpack in the overhead compartment, because I usually have a lot of essential items I need easy access to in the backpack (i.e. headphones, iPad, snacks, chargers). Unfortunately, in most flights, people max out on carry-on items and even though you are within your allowance with a spinner carry-on and this large backpack, if you are boarding later, you will find no room to store your 2 items in the overhead bin and might be forced to check in one item. Personally, if I am going to the trouble of packing light, I do not want to go through the hassle of checking in my carry on, risking to get a damaged bag back and having to wait for the bag as well.Water bottle compartmentThis would be an easy add on such a large backpack. Many mentioned this on their wish list. It would really be useful.Better position for strap to attach to spinner carry onThe strap to attach to the spinner carry on is way too low and therefore when you try to carry the backpack on your spinner carry on, it loses the balance and you are forced to put it on your back. This was very frustrating for me, because as I said before, the backpack was already too heavy for my back.I would also suggest adding a strap top to bottom, right in the middle of the back. That strap could be used to place the backpack on the spinner carry on with the long side laying on the backpack (horizontally), which would provide additional balance and comfort.I hope Amazon will read my suggestions and make these small design changes, in order to offer a perfect travel backpack. Thank you for consideration.

I bought this back pack before our trip to Europe for a couple weeks and it worked great. Considering the low price I was surprised with the quality and durability. It has plenty of pockets but not too many plus the zippers are very smooth. I’m glad I bought this one instead of the more expensive brands.

Airlines are increasingly restricting carry-on personal items. This backpack fits under airline seats and is the perfect "personal item" for short overnight trips. Large enough to pack shoes, 2-3 days of clothing, computer, books, etc. Small enough to qualify as a personal item, avoiding the upcharge for "carry-on" luggage. Seems rugged enough to last years. I'm very satisfied with this purchase.

After YEARS of trying to find the perfect travel bag, this one has taken the #1 position in my arsenal. Typically I would use my duffle bag that has wheels and carry handle, but time and many travels have begin wearing that bag down. In preparation for my trip with a 2 year old in tow, I needed something easy and hands free. After reviewing EVERY option on Amazon, it was down to 3 different backpacks. Having not traveled airlines in 3-4 years, rules and regulations change often and I was pleased to see this backpack 

PROS:- Excellent design with large storage capacity and ample pockets/dividers for organization- Comfortable shoulder straps and back cushioning- Comes with shoulder strap, waist strap, sternum strap, backpack straps (can be tucked away), and two handles to allow multiple methods of easy-carrying- Includes internal padded laptop storage compartment placed nearest the back (ideal design for weight distribution)- Includes zippered expandable storage (unzip to expand the bag slightly, or keep zipped to keep the bag more compact)- Carry-on size!CONS:- DOES NOT include hide-away water bottle compartment or key ring clip, as described on the listing- Some loose threading here and there, and minor quality issuesPERSONAL EXPERIENCE:My wife and I travel frequently (we have Southwest Companion Fly Free) on weekend trips across the state (often 3-4 night trips). I have been somewhat addicted to finding the best carry-on size travel bag/backpack. A few months ago, I purchased the eBags eTech 2.0 Weekender Travel backpack for my wife and myself, and I recently purchased the AmazonBasics backpack as well for my most recent two trips to see how they compared. Here are some of my notable comparisons:**DESIGN & ORGANIZATION**If I am not mistaken, eBags 2.0 started selling on Amazon towards the end of 2012 and has only had minor revisions since then. The design focuses on maximizing the amount you can carry within a bag that still fits most standard "carry-on" size specifications (which is usually 9x22x14). It utilizes hide-away backpack straps (they tuck away into a zippered compartment), a handle on the horizontal and vertical side of the bag, and a suit-case style main compartment and zipper opening for easy access. This has been a winning combination, and I have found this to be one of the most efficient designs for easy travel and maximum storage (better than clam-style zippered opening backpacks, in my opinion). With the use of packing cubes, my wife and I easily pack for 4 to even 5 night trips with both backpacks. In the attached picture showing the backpack filled, I easily packed two medium-sized packing cubes carrying 2 pants, 3 shorts, 1 belt, 6 t shirts, 2 button shirts, and 2 long sleeve shirts; one small packing cube carrying 6 socks, 6 underwear; one pair of shoes; toiletry bag; lightweight jacket in the mesh compartment on the lid; laptop w/ charger and documents; chargers; sunglasses; Kindle; battery pack; and earbuds. With that said, AmazonBasics released this backpack in September 2016, and clearly copied/mimicked almost the exact design of the eBags 2.0 in nearly every respect (AmazonBasics has all the features described directly above as well).The notable differences is that the AmazonBasics backpack has a dedicated zippered laptop storage compartment placed right on the back (best design for weight distribution because it keeps the weight closest to your body), zippered expandable storage option (unzip to expand the dimension of the main compartment by 10%, or leaved zipped to keep the backpack more compact; refer to attached picture), and has clips that allow for shoulder strap carry. If you want to carry a laptop in the eBags, you either have to place it in the front zippered organization compartment or in the main storage compartment (both are not the most ideal since weight is either distributed on the furthest point away from your body, making it feel heavier; or if in the main compartment, it's a pain to open it up and remove it for Airport Security). However, the eBags has a slightly better designed front storage area that utilizes: elastic cinches on its pockets (when travelling, it keeps the contents placed in these pockets in place; while with the AmazonBasics bag, I noticed that my items would easily slide out of the pockets during travel), a larger variety of pockets, and a key clip (the listing claims AmazonBasics backpack has a key clip, but it definitely does not). Both backpacks utilized a zippered mesh compartment located on the lid-side of the main compartment, but if you look at the included pictures, eBags has it extend the full length to maximize the size, whereas AmazonBasics for some odd reason has it cut off nearly 5 inches short of the full length. I see no point in why AmazonBasics decided to do that because it's just lost space.VERDICT:Draw. AmazonBasics has the well-designed padded laptop compartment, zippered expandable storage option, and shoulder strap capabilities, but eBags has the better designed front zippered organization compartment. Subjectively, I prefer the AmazonBasics backpack because it is important for me to carry my laptop with me and have the option to use a shoulder strap, while my wife prefers the eBags because she prefers the better-designed front zippered organization compartment and is fine always using the backpack straps.**WEIGHT AND COMFORT**AmazonBasics backpack weighs slightly over 3 lbs, while the eBags weighs slightly over 2 lbs. Honestly, the difference in weight is quite minimal when the backpack is actually worn, and I did not notice that the AmazonBasics bag was slightly heavier.With respect to comfort, the AmazonBasics backpack has slightly more cushioning in the backpack straps, and it adds cushioning along the entire length of the bag that rests on your back. The eBags backpack does not provide any real cushioning for your back, and while the shoulder straps are still comfortable, it has slightly less cushioning. However, the eBags has much more cushioned and well-designed side handles (the handles on the vertical and horizontal sides of the bag). eBags uses elastic under each handles to always pull the side handles closer to the bag (refer to attached pictures), and pads it with a soft neoprene. AmazonBasics uses the same nylon covering the entire bag over its handles, and you can feel the plastic material of the handles beneath. Both backpacks have adjustable sternum straps, and simple nylon straps that can be attached to the bottom to be used as waist straps.VERDICT:AmazonBasics slightly edges out eBags here. With the slightly more cushioned/padded backpack straps, and cushioning along the length of the portion of the bag the rests on your back, the AmazonBasics backpack is slightly more comfortable to wear. The eBags has better designed and more cushioned side handles, but ultimately these travel backpacks are made to be worn as backpacks, not primarily carried by the side handles.**QUALITY**AmazonBasics describes the material used as "durable polyester", while eBags states that the material used as "420D & 1680D Nylon". Nylon is generally a stronger & more durable material than polyester, and the 420D & 1680D Nylon rated materials used by eBags is highly rated/reviewed for its quality and durability. Based on feel and appearance, the Nylon material on the eBags backpack is of higher quality than AmazonBasics.Additionally, eBags uses higher quality components and materials on many of the finer details of the backpack, such as: Clips that attach the bottom shoulder straps to the backpack (has a cleverly designed release mechanism outside of the clipped area to allow for quick release); seams on the shoulder straps are sealed & hidden (AmazonBasics uses the simpler method of placing a separate piece of material that is stitched over; refer to picture of the shoulder straps); YKK zippers with a lifetime warranty (YKK are like the gold-standard for zippers; AmazonBasics uses strong & quality zippers, but not quite as nice as YKK); and quality side handles with neoprene padding and elastic pull-back mechanism (AmazonBasics wraps its side handles in the same polyester used for the rest of the bag, and the hard plastic of the handle can be felt). Lastly, I noticed that the AmazonBasics backpack had a few loose threads here and there, and somewhat sloppier stitching/finishing (refer to attached picture).VERDICT:eBags wins here when it comes to quality materials and craftsmanship.**VALUE**eBags is very reasonably priced at $99.99 (occasionally goes on sale too) for the quality & craftsmanship that you get with the bag. eBags also has an excellent reputation for customer service and warranty. The AmazonBasics backpack currently retails for $49.99, which is a steal.VERDICT:AmazonBasics takes the cake when it comes to value. eBags backpack is well-priced and uses some higher quality materials & craftsmanship, but the AmazonBasics backpack is literally 1/2 of the retail price. eBags is a great price at $99.99, but AmazonBasics is a steal at $49.99.**CONCLUSION**Both backpacks are incredibly impressive with respect to design, organization, comfort, quality, and value. You honestly cannot go wrong with either backpack, and both are excellent choices for your carry-on travel bag needs. Each backpack has slight pros/cons as compared to the other, and I wish I could combine some aspects of both to create the perfect combination. If you want slightly higher quality materials, durability, craftsmanship, and a better designed front storage compartment–and you do not mind not having a shoulder strap-carry option or a dedicated laptop storage compartment near your back–then eBags is a great overall choice for you. But if you want slightly more comfortable shoulder straps & back-cushioning, shoulder strap-carry option, dedicated laptop storage compartment near your back, zippered expandable storage option, and an unbeatable price; then AmazonBasics will be the travel backpack for you. To prove my point: my wife opted to keep the eBags because she liked the overall quality more, thought it was plenty comfortable, and did not mind that it lacked a dedicated laptop storage compartment near the back. I opted to go with the AmazonBasics backpack because I like having the option to carry the backpack on a shoulder strap, and I love having a dedicated laptop storage option near the back.**For the attached pictures, the olive backpack is the eBags and the black backpack is the AmazonBasics. I will update this review after my wife and I travel some more!