SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA 17 Laptop Backpack, Black, 19-Inch

More pockets and space! Very Rugged Great bag

I've had--and still have--many, many backpacks; been buying them since high school, and I buy a new one every few years. I purchased this one in part because it will fit my 17" laptop, but also because I needed something to replace my old and ratty "day to day" backpack for "urban schlepping." By and large, this is one very sturdy, spacious and versatile backpack, perhaps the best one I've ever bought. It arrived at my place of work with a whole bunch of other stuff I had ordered on Amazon; for the trip home, I was able to stuff my old (partially filled) backpack into it, along with two packaged tablecloths, two shower curtain liners, and several other smaller items--it all fit very easily with little packing effort expended. Two days later I fit 25 lbs of groceries into it, again with ease, and with room to spare--didn't even need the zippered side pockets, but I probably could have put another couple pounds worth of stuff in them. Both times, both trips, I found that the loaded pack rode very nicely, very comfortably near the center of my back, and that was without having yet made any adjustments to the straps. The cushioning on the back-facing side of the backpack is generous but not overly so, and yeah, the "airflow" feature between the two cushioned areas does seem to aid in the comfort factor. The straps are amply wide, also padded, and they have a measure of elasticity to them--near the top of each strap is a trapezoidal-shaped (2x2x3) of sturdy, "one way" stretch material (stretches vertically, not horizontally); when carrying the groceries, the pack didn't "bounce around" or anything, but the elastic acted like a shock absorber of sorts, made for flexibility in movement and kept the top of the straps from digging into my shoulders as other backpacks with heavy loads have done in the past. Overall, the main material is thick and obviously strong, the exterior front pockets are conveniently, smartly placed; the zippers are all seem very strong and reliable; and the stitching of the seams and strap connections appears to be very solidly done. When first looking at this bag, I thought I might be put off by the solid plastic handle at the top of the front compartment--never had bag with one of those--but I've already come to appreciate it: while on the subway I had to take the pack off and carry it by the handle and it allowed for a very good and solid grip, like carrying piece of luggage; also, while wearing the pack the handle doesn't interfere with my head movements at all like I thought it might--doesn't even come near my head. If I have any complaints at all, I'd say I'd prefer that the "organizer pocket" on the bottom front to have a bit stiffer accessory sleeve within (where you put pens and whatnot), but I'm sure I can deal with what's there, or perhaps I'll invest in a small organizer or "catchall" to slip in there. Folks, this is a real good back pack; it might be overkill if you're looking for something just to carry a few light items all the time, but if you need something that will stand up to the regular (or even occasional) heavy load, or to maybe use as a carry on travel bag, this sucker is it.Just as a side note, perhaps to illustrate how sturdy this bag is: A few days after getting the backpack, I was watching a 60 Minutes segment on "Gorilla Doctors," veterinarians who traipse deep into the jungle to aid gorillas in peril. While in the field attending one anesthetized gorilla who had been snared, they show the vets unpacking their gear and medicines and whatnot . . . and the lead vet had what appeared to be this exact backpack. So, if jungle docs have confidence in this bag . . . go for it.

I tend to carry a bunch of stuff with me when I'm out and about.This backpack comfortably holds every bit of it, keeps it organized, and protects it.The important part is the protection for a laptop and tablets. The padding is superb. I actually dropped the pack the first day I used it, with no damage to anything. The tablet pocket is suspended perfectly enough that the one I have without a case was fine.The front section keeps pens, stylus, and small accessories from getting jumbled. The smaller side pockets hold the laptop power block well. The mesh pockets hold a 20oz rtic tumbler securely, as long as the pocket behind the mesh isn't in use.The main compartment is bigger than it looks. It carried a small power strip, a case with cables and such, over-ear headphones in a case, two shirts and a pair of pants with room left over.It sits comfortably over one shoulder, or as it's meant to be carried. The padding on the bag and straps is enough that there's no issues at all. The straps are long enough that even with unusually large chest and arms, the fit was both secure and comfy.I can't find anything to complain about at all after several times carrying it. Obviously, I can't say anything about durability after only a few days of use, but nothing came apart with initial use

Bought this bag to be my main work backpack after using a a standard Ogio one, which did an OK job of carrying my stuff but always felt so heavy considering the minimal contents. What I love about this backpack is the organization and pockets. The ScanSmart feature is great! I've gone through airport security so much quicker by zipping open the compartment and laying the bag on the belt with my laptop in the 'screen' side and my iPad in the facing pocket. No hassles from TSA. No more pulling laptops or iPads out and then having to retrieve them and shove them back in while putting on shoes and belts. It sounds like such a small thing but it makes me happy to be more efficient. There are plenty of compartments and they can store so much stuff. The 'main' compartment has dividers that allow you to organize your contents (I put my GoGrid in one of the slots, file folders in another. There is also a mesh pocket that I store my MacBook Air 'brick'. What this does is rather then sitting in the bottom of the bag and weighing it down, it sits in this suspended pocket which helps with the weight of the bag. When I'm in a pinch and am exceeding the carryon limit, I can even get my medium sized Coach purse in so I can meet the 'two item limit'. There are two side pockets for water bottles or a travel umbrella as well as another pocket that lays under them which the manufacturer suggests storing the power brick. I find that if you've got a full water bottle, you probably would want to stay away from storing a bulky item in that pocket. There's another 'kangaroo' pocket on the front of the pack to store small odds and ends. I put my Bose noise canceling headphones in here which makes them easily accessible when I want to get to them and keeps them out of the way. I like the heavy duty grab handle on the top of the bag which is convenient when you just need to grab and go. There's an MP3 pocket with a headphone feed which I don't use but for those folks who do, I'm sure it's a nice feature. The material is very high quality and heavy duty as are the zippers and clips. It's a well thought out bag.I'm giving this 5-stars because it is such a great backpack but beware...it is VERY large and a bit on the weighty side even when empty. I will admit that even when I've loaded it up for my daily commute on BART, it doesn't feel nearly as heavy as my previous 'trim' backpack because the ScanSmart is so well designed. I do get comments from my co-workers who make fun of my massive backpack but I don't care because it does the trick. For my Europe vacation later this summer, this backpack will be staying home because it is way too big to be used as a daypack and we have strict size limits on what we can take on our tour (I have bought the PacSafe Metrosafe 350 which I will review after my trip). Great product, nice pockets and organizational features.