CALPAK Winder Deep Red Unisex 18-inch Rolling Lightweight Laptop Backpack

I was looking for the perfect backpack. I found it. I have struggled for years with a heavy laptop hanging on my shoulders, shoulder straps that didn't fit my small frame and other carry-on bags that were just plain too big and bulky. This was the answer to my search. It can be carried as a backpack, but it also has wheels so I am not stuck with lugging it on a shoulder or two. It is well constructed and has the perfect combination of organization pockets and large open areas for bulky items. It fits nicely under airplane seats and is easy to maneuver so I can get what I need while I'm flying.

The good: It holds a lot, and it's sturdy. The laptop section is toward the middle of the pack, for added protection in case I drop it. There are all kinds of handles on this thing to lift it when I have to.The bad: The front pocket is low on the pack and very deep; I am constantly digging for my phone or Chapstick. It doesn't convert easily between straps and wheels. This is actually okay because when I tried wearing it, the pack sat funny - it pushed into my lower back, and wasn't touching my upper back at all. The wheels are EMBARRASSINGLY LOUD. Seriously. I sometimes see people looking up in the sky for a jet when I pull this thing over rough pavement.This backpack expands a lot, which means if you pack it as full as it gets, you won't be able to fit it between bus seats, in a school locker or under airplane seats...but that also means you can pack a lot of stuff.Overall, I recommend it if you have a lot of things to drag around, and don't mind the noise.

It hurt a little to only give 3 stars. This is a fantastic backpack with a great feel & features....BUT I want to rip my hair out! Unfortunately I can't because people are already staring at from the NOISY WHEELS!The wheels, which I thought would be soft rollerblade-type wheels are not only hard, they have tread like a toy truck which makes it not only noisy, it vibrates as you pull it along. I would replace them but they are installed with rivets and can't be easily removed as far as I can tell.Wheels aside, great backpack, very well constructed, with nice smooth handle, and probably the BEST zippers I've ever zipped... and unzipped.

Pros:Inexpensive (compared to many other rolling backpacks sold on Amazon)Good organization pocketsMain pocket is a good size - plenty of room for my laptop in the sleeve and still fit all the other goodies I lug dailyHandle is sturdy and telescopes easilyCons:Wheels are rather noisey on the sidewalk (just a personal pet peeve)NOT AT ALL WATER RESISTANTI got this backpack for my 1.5 mile walk to and from work. It easily fits my laptop, papers, heels, lunch, umbrella, and whatever other goodies I need to bring on any given day. I'm happy with the amount of space the bag has and the organization pockets. However, this bag has NO protection at all from rain or wet conditions. After my 20-ish minute walk to work when I arrived at work the backpack was totally soaked through and there was some water pooled in the bottom of the main pocket. Luckily the laptop sleeve is raised slightly above the bottom, so my laptop was undamaged, but my notebook and stack of papers that had been in the main compartment were quite damp. Full disclosure, my umbrella did not quite cover the backpack as I wheeled it behind me and I did have to roll over some shallow sidewalk puddles (no deeper than maybe an inch), but I was very disappointed that it had soaked through COMPLETELY.For light use (shorter distance commutes, not in heavy rain or snow) this backpack would be just fine, but if you expect to have any contact with wet conditions for more than a couple minutes I wouldn't recommend.

I think you should only buy it if you need wheels. Apart from that I don't find any reason to buy this. This backpack is double as heavy as normal backpack. The space inside this bag is quite ordinary for its size. I wouldn't recommend this unless you absolutely need wheels in backpack.

I'm upset I didn't get to use this because right away I noticed how heavy it was. It's 4-5 pounds alone, and adding in the weight of my other things would kill. I wanted something light but sturdy enough to carry a small laptop, water bottle, and some notebooks. That sure doesn't sound like much but by the end of the day, walking around with all those things for hours on your back really does cause pain to grow.Plus, it's ENORMOUS. I'm 4'11 and it covers my entire back and more..don't recommend for petite people or kids.The straps are ridiculously flimsy; whoever designed this bag must have assumed that it would always be used in rolling-form and never be carried on the back. No back support, padded straps, anything and the straps might slide off your shoulders if you have small shoulders.I'm sad because I really wanted to use this backpack now that college has started. I'm looking into High Sierra backpacks which seem to be only slightly lighter. The quest continues.