SwissGear1900 Scansmart TSA 17 Laptop Backpack, Black/Black, 19-Inch

4.9 stars ... ALMOST perfect :)I love this pack. I use it every day, and I love it.That said ... I'll start by telling you the ONE thing I'm not crazy about ... the fact that unless it is completely full OR I'm packing something very rigid and flat in the bottom, when I set it down on its base, it wants to tip forward. OK, so I know that now and I lean it facing against a vertical surface before I let it set on its base ... but I'd prefer if, like my first SG pack, it sat up properly, on its own. But that's a minor point. Very minor. Everything else ... I love.This is the third or fourth Swiss Gear backpack I've owned and I really must say these guys continue to knock them out of the park. Let's talk particulars:APPEARANCEMore than any of my previous SwissGear bags, I love the looks of this one. The red and black are perfect for me and the trim design on this one is just right. Everything is easy to find, easy to reach, and the color scheme is just what I was looking for. While the blue/black and the gray/black bags I've had in the past were attractive, this one is my favorite.COMFORTFull or empty, for hiking or office, this pack always feels great when I wear it. The weight distribution is wonderful, it never feels heavy on me, even when full, and unlike some older models, the straps really seem to like to stay where they belong, instead of twisting under in ways I can't control. My first SG bag had a terrible problem with the pull straps twisting as they came through the slide fittings ... not this bag ... the straps stay nice and flat and tighten and release without a hitch.COMPARTMENT DESIGNThis bag doesn't look any bigger than the previous SG bags I've had, but it seems like I can just keep putting more and more stuff into it all the time and I never run out of space. OK, I do ... but the bag consistently takes more than I think it can. There are several primary storage compartments to tell you about.1) LAPTOP/FLATS - Closest to your back is a laptop storage compartment with a single zipper that goes from the base of the pack to the top, but only on one side. Easy in, easy out ... that' show I get my laptop in and out every day, and it's a big improvement over the double zippers that ran down both sides when you don't NEED full access to this compartment. Brilliant.2) TABLET/FLATS - Next out from your back is a double zippered compartment that allows you, if you want/need to, to open the back of the pack completely and lay it flat ... they suggest for airport inspections. The netting between compartment 1 and 2 allows for quick visual inspection of the laptop area (C1) and the "tablet" area (C2) ... yes, you can pile all kinds of folders and such in compartment 2, but it has a nifty little pocket built in for storing your tablet as well ... and the design of C1 an C2 keeps your laptop and tablet safe from scratching each other. Great design. and if you don't have either a laptop or a tablet, C1 and C2 will work great for large notebooks, files, folios, etc. Tons of room.3) MAIN - Next in, moving forward from the back, is what I'd call the main compartment ... and it is cavernous. At the bottom, nearest the back, are three dividers for keeping folders or such along the back plane of the compartment but separated from each other. Forward of these dividers (which collapse almost completely upon themselves when not in use) is a larger area for storing thicker things ... stack of books, bulkier items that are several inches deep, combinations of the two. This is the area where I often keep a few poly folders, my lunch container, a hat, gloves, a small thermos ... and more. As always, the central storage section of these packs just keeps taking whatever you have to give it.3.1) MAIN FRONT TOP - Built into the main compartment is a sub-zipper compartment in the outer flap that's great for things like loose cables or other small items you want to keep handy and protected. The netting keeps them visible but secure. It's big enough to keep receipts, a check book, even your wallet, if you like. Very handy.3.2) MP3/PHONE/SMALLS - Onto the top of the back plane of the main compartment is a small pouch for ... well, for whatever you prefer ... MP3 player or phone being likely candidates, as there's a quick access hole just above this pocket that leads out the top of the pack and is marked for headphones ... handy. But, if you don't have an MP3 or phone to store there (which I often don't), I find stacks of post-it notes, flags or other small, delicate things you want to be able to get to quickly while keeping safe (this pocket is nicely padded) work just as well. A note on the access for head/earphones ... coming up from the inner pouch is a small hole for the cable to fit through ... this is shielded by a small hood to help keep water from getting in if you're hiking/walking in weather. Great idea!4 and 5) TWIN SILOS - Along the size of the pack are two deep, vertical pouches (red topped for easy visibility) that are great for things like narrow water bottles or other small things that you can stack vertically. In one, I keep a SwissTool in the bottom, a pencil sharpener atop that, and a tin of breath mints atop that. In the other, I keep a full sized tube of toothpaste and a full sized tooth brush, and a few other personal items. But water bottles would fit just as well, provided they're not too large a diameter.6 and 7) WEB WATER POCKETS - Outside and at the base of the two vertical SILO pouches/pockets are two traditional webbed pockets for water bottles. You know about those. Nothing fancy.8) TOP FRONT - at the top of the front of the pack is a small, quick access pocket (with the SG logo on it) with a single zipper that's great for whatever things you want to get ready access to most often. I can see possibly keeping a cell in here ... if it wasn't always in my shirt pocket or a wallet ... if it wasn't in my other shirt pocket. Personally, I keep my cell recharge adapter and cable in it. I'm grabbing them all the time and they're super easy to grab for a quick recharge from this pocket.9) BOTTOM FRONT - as with most S/G packs I've had, there's a nice pocket in the front divided with sub-pockets for things like a day planner, pens, pencils and loose items such as a small hand sanitizer bottle, mini-flashlight, etc. ... whatever you need that's on your quick access list that needs its own little inner pocket to live in ... PLUS ... for keys, an easy on, easy off plastic clip sewn into the back plain of this pocket that's great for securing them.SPECIAL FEATURES- Front mounted D-ring: I put my keys there sometimes when they're not at risk and I want quick access to them- Bright silver zipper pulls - packs I've had in the past had black zipper pulls ... hard to find in low light conditions ... not these ... super easy to find.- twin loops - they always seem to have these on the front ... I don't use them, someone must. :)- shades loop - on the port side strap (as worn) is a loop for slipping the stem of your shade through ... would I? No, but I wear prescription shades.- indestructible handle - this is the most indestructible of all of the grab handles I've had on an SG pack ... they were all beefy as heck, but this one could probably survive a direct hit from a ... well, I'll leave that to your imagination.- mystery loops - at the top of the shoulder straps, there are two loops, each with a small rubber emblem on them with two arrows pointing in opposing directions ... I have no idea what they're for. I'd love to find out. :)- side synching straps - not enough stuff in your pack to justify the depth ... use the synching straps to snug it up.I'll add to this review as I spend more time with it and learn more ... for now ... just lovin' it.

Very well designed, with a space only for computer of easy access. It has a lot of small pockets for easy and common access as keys, earphones, I can even keep safe my small portable umbrella. I love the bottle pockets also has a strap, so i can put my 1L thermo there without worry it would fall. The main big pocket has a lot of space and a special small pocket for pens and pencils, so I can access rhen easily and dont lost in the main pocket. Finally the backpack feels sturdy, lightweight and waterproof. I am in love with this backpack, especially for the $64 I paid for it 🤩🤟🏼😎.

This is the second one I've bought. The first one held up really well, with only one zipper failing after 7 years. This is with many trips and fairly hard service. I recommend this backpack. The shipping and packaging though, not so much. It was promised the next day by 11:00. That didn't happen. It didn't arrive until late the next day. And then, it was only wrapped in lite weight clear plastic. It's a good thing we live in a safe neighborhood or it would have been a major target for porch thieves.

I had read quite a few reviews before purchasing this pack, people were giving it high praise for its large size, but compared to my Toshiba backpack I had before I didn’t think this was any bigger. My primary laptop is a MacBook 15”, which fits fine although a bit loose as it’s designed for up to a 17” laptop, still it works fine for my 15”. I would say if you’re looking for a backpack which emphasizes protection of a laptop and a sturdy construction this is a fine backpack. Although it’s interesting that for all the padding this thing has to protect a laptop, when I set it down I’ll hear the MacBook thud against the ground, so oddly it doesn’t appear to have much bottom padding strangely. This is really the only complaint or negative I can think of though.Looks wise I think it looks pretty nice, but then I like more black stealthy bags, so this one suits me. The zippers are all metal, large and the zipper track itself is fairly large & the material itself is thick and seemingly well-constructed, so I could see this bag lasting for years while being used daily. I’ve only had mine for a few months, but use it every day for work where I carry my laptop, lunch & gym clothes, as well as other essentials. The back straps are comfortable on the back as well, so no complaints there.I’ve only used it for travel once, but at the airport it worked flawlessly, just unzipped the bag in half and went right through security without having to remove the laptop. So definitely a good bag for frequent flyers & travelers. Space wise in addition to a laptop, peripherals & toiletries, you can probably fit a few days’ worth of clothes if you cram things, but any more than that you’d need another bag. So definitely a good “weekender” bag.Far as the compartments, there’s the laptop & tablet area, which again is well padded on both sides and in-between, in fact a significant portion of the bag is just for this alone, so if a laptop isn’t something you carry often, you might look for something else. I carry one everyday so it’s a nice plus for me knowing it’s pretty well protected, although as mentioned above there isn’t much in the way of bottom protection, so set it down easy if you’re carrying a laptop. The laptop itself loads through one side only which has a zipper which only goes half way up the bag and I must admit I was afraid this zipper might unzip on its own leaving the laptop vulnerable to falling out, but so far it’s stayed in place just fine. The adjacent two zippers are what splits the bag in half for TSA security checkpoints as well as gaining access to the tablet area. The main pocket compartment is fairly roomy with some dividers which I don’t use but could be useful for kids in school for separating books & folders. It’s big enough to fit quite a few books, clothes, whatever. It also has an MP3 player pocket within it at the top and a mesh zipper pocket along the front flap which is good for thin things like pens, pad, passport, etc. Then there’s the outer front upper pocket which is the most easily accessed pocket, where I typically store my mouse, headphones and other small things I use frequently. It’s a nice small pocket but beware that if you put a few things in there, the weight then makes the front flap fall down when you unzip the main compartment area. Not a big deal unless you happen to have the zipper to the small compartment unzipped, which I’ve done a few times and then everything dumps out of it when it falls. The side mesh pockets are elastic and large enough to fit 24oz water bottles securely thanks to an adjustable strap on each side, while the side zipper pockets are also big enough to hold a 24oz water bottle or thermos, however they don’t extend the bag out any, so anything you put in those pockets will take away space from the main internal compartment. Finally, there’s the lower front compartment, which is roomy enough for all my toiletries when I travel or for daily gym use. It’s nice in that it protrudes from the other compartments, so loading this pocket up doesn’t take away space from the rest of the bag. This pocket also has quite a few subdivided pockets, which I don’t use, but again can be useful for pens or other small things. It has that carabiner on the outside which you can strap things like a lunch bag or whatever, however the carabiner itself is not removable. Finally, on the outside of the bottom front pocket is a gray / silver ribbed strap, which I suppose you could attach things to using additional carabiners, but it’s not elastic & doesn’t stretch. Personally, I could have done without this strap as I can’t think of anything useful for it and think it takes away from the “stealthiest” of the bag overall. I almost want to take a sharpie and color it black just so it doesn’t stick outOverall it’s a good bag which I expect to get years of use out of. It provides good protection for laptops & tablets, great for TSA security checkpoints. Overall very roomy as a school bag or an all in one short trips travel bag, is nice looking, and made of strong materials which should last.

Heavy is the key word. With the 17in laptop and charger in it it feels like lugging 20lb. This thing has padding and compartments out the wazoo. After using it for a month or so I just feal that it is too cramped. The paper/book dividers are not big enough for 8.5x11, which seems terribly odd. Once you get rid of the dividers and junk it becomes much more spacious, I highly recommend taking scissors to it and opening it up. The 17in Lenovo I have really pushes the boundary of the laptop compartment. After break in it no longer is stressing the zipper, but I had my doubts initially. I do recommend, but take head of the big bag with too many "features" taking up useful space.