SwissGear Travel Tech Elite Laptop Backpack – Fits Laptops up to 16” – ScanSmart TSA-Friendly Backpack with USB Port, Shoe Compartment & Organizer Pockets – Black

Been using this bag several weeks now and have been pleased. The layout engineering is top notch, you can access your laptop, mouse, & charger within seconds & there is plenty of room for a packed lunch, light change of clothers, and lots of books. That said, this is a commuter bag, don't expect to do any rucking or outdoorsy stuff at this price point. The materials and zippers are sturdy but not built for abuse. It won't fall apart on you but would definitely not hold up if repeatedly exposed to the elements. One livable flaw which I have seen other posters comment on; the zippers for the main laptop compartment can and WILL give way if not positioned properly, allowing the whole bag to flip open and potentially spill whatever is in the tablet pocket. The laptop itself is ok when this happens since it stays upright on your back while the rest of the bag clamshells backwards in an awkward/embarrassing position (and always at the WORST time). The key is to never position both zippers at 12 o'clock and instead leave both of them at one of the corners, then you will not have this problem. It would be nice if there was a warning for this but it can be easily avoided through conscientiousness and a minor change of habit. All said this bag is sturdy and hard to beat for for weekend or business travel. The blackout version is also fairly discrete and does not scream to everyone "EXPENSIVE LAPTOP INSIDE!!!!" Highly recommend.

I've always been a buy once, cry once kind of guy when it comes to things I know I'll use daily or often. My last backpack I've literally used since I was in high school, and through college, then through random use for all the years since then. It's served me well and is still totally usable but it just looks old and beat up so figured I'd finally get something new. This is just a day one review, haven't actually put it to the 'test' yet but just instantly its apparent the difference in quality from everything from the materials to the zippers this backpack is great. I love the functionality of it. I started going to the gym this year and was considering buying a gym duffle so seeing that this actually has a dedicated collapsible shoe compartment (it's like a bag hidden in a side pocket that expands out when in use so if you're not using it its not taking up space in the backpack) is awesome and such a great idea. I was also surprised to see the side pocket for carrying cold/hot items. A thermal pocket is such a good idea in a backpack. It won't stow any large thermal cups, it's more made for like a standard plastic bottle of water but it just such a good idea. Anyways I could mention something I like about every single pocket but at the end of the day this thing has everything I wanted, the price of 70ish dollars on prime day was fantastic and I'm completely satisfied. PS my 17.3" laptop fits barely but the zippers have no trouble zipping. It's tight but not so tight you have to struggle to make it fit it's just snug. 18" would probably be the breaking point. (The description only says it fits 16")

I originally ordered 5 other bags in an attempt to save some money. I returned 4 immediately and the 5th one after use on one trip because arriving was coming apart in multiple places. I decided to just get a Wenger bag because I'm familiar with their quality. Luckily picked this up used for about half price however after seeing it compared to all the others I ordered, it's well worth full price. It checks all the boxes with the external USB port, sternum strap, elevated laptop section for max protection, TSA/scansmart feature, bottle holder and large main storage area. Someone in another review said the shoe compartment was very small but this is not true (I was actually able to fit 2 pairs of size 11 Hey Dudes in it). For a test of it's capacity I packed it up as of I was going for a weekend trip. Below is everything I fit in it... TSA section - Laptop, charger, wireless mouse, network cable Sunglass/Quick Access pocket - spare battery pack, tic tacs, ear buds, ear plugs Main section - 2 tee shirts, 2 pairs of shorts/socks/underwear, very large battery pack connected to the external USB port, charging cables. Shoe compartment - I don't often travel with extra shoes so I used this for my shave bag which includes all the typical stuff including a head shaver and an electric razor. This way, I could have access to it without needing to unpack the clothes on top of it. Organizer pocket - pens, lens cleaner clothes, business cards, hand sanitizer. Still had a lot of room available. Front pocket - this is the one with the vertical zipper. I didn't put anything in it but it works be perfect for snacks. I had all this packet up and I weighed it to be about 17 lbs. I wore it around for about 15 minutes and it was extremely comfortable. I could feel the elastic in the chest strap and the suspension feature in the shoulder straps doing their job. Had zero shoulder or neck strain. About the only negative thing I could say is that if you put a water bottle in the mesh pocket, it great reduces anything you could put in the insulated pocket. I looked at about 10 other bags between ones I had ordered from Amazon and checked out in stores and this is by far the best one.

An excellent and practical backpack for traveling! It has zillions of pockets for all purposes to make sure that everything has its own place to go! Loving it.

The pocket layout on the new ballistic colorway is a definite improvement, but make sure to inspect the stabilizer straps for defects. The stabilizer straps are the small straps with the little arrows on them located at the top of the shoulder straps and their purpose is to keep the elastic from overstretching. If they're too long like the ones shown in the images then they won't be effective. Thankfully they were the correct lengths on the replacement, which is why I suspect it was just a defect and not a design choice. I spotted the defect when comparing it to my old backpack, but you can test for it yourself pretty easily without needing another pack to compare it to. Start by gripping the shoulder strap at either side of the elastic with both hands then pull it tight. If the stabilizer strap fully stretches out like the first ones shown in the attached images, then the strap is the proper length. If there is still a lot of slack remaining on the stabilizer strap however then it's defective and I suggest you return it for a replacement (although it might not be too hard to fix yourself if you know how to sew). Now that I've covered the defect issue, and the reason I'm only giving 4/5 stars, I want to say that I've been very happy overall with this backpack over the past 3 years, but I was never very thrilled with the layout of the interior pockets. I'm glad to report however that they've addressed that issue with the new interior layout on the ballistic version, which is very similar to the limited edition version from 2018 that I missed out on. They've also recently added back the side mesh pocket over the drink compartment. You'll notice it's missing this pocket on the product images, but both packs I received had it, as well the navy blue ballistic version someone else reviewed. Other notable changes is the addition of a document sleeve and a large interior zipper pocket in the main compartment. The adapter pouches were moved to the secondary compartment and placed higher so that they sit above the laptop sleeve. This all results in the backpack being slimmer when fully loaded, and it also makes accessing the main compartment easier. The USB port has also been moved to the side just above the shoe compartment due to the battery pocket being relocated. This is another change I like as well, because the only time I ever used it to charge my phone was when I was sitting down with my backpack next to me or when I had my backpack on top of my suitcase. Probably just a matter of preference as I'm sure there are people who preferred it on the strap, which was a unique location, but I definitely find the new location easier to use. I don't write a lot of reviews, but I wanted to make you aware of the stabilizer strap defect so you know to check for it. I also had to spend a lot of hours researching the new version to decide if it had enough improvements to justify upgrading, so hopefully my review helps you with your decision I think the only major flaw with this backpack, is the mesh pocket is pretty short. It holds my 24oz water bottle fine, but only just barely. It also doesn't have a ton of smaller compartments, but it's size, shape, and features suit my needs perfectly. It slides easily under the seat on airlines, it's comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and the shoe compartment is perfect for stashing my laptops power adapter and wireless mouse. I probably wouldn't recommend this backpack to anyone looking for a dedicated school backpack due to the lack of built-in organizational features, but you know your needs better than I do so don't let that dissuade you.

I bought this bag after two of my Amazon Basics backpacks fell apart after several trips. I travel extensively and so far this bag has been great. Very good stitching, it holds a lot but even full to the brim it fits under the seat in front of you, the laptop compartments opens flat although more and more airports don't require you to take electronics out. It has an insulated pocket for keeping drinks cool, another zipped side pocket with a bag extending in for shoes (no cheap mesh pockets for drinks), a sturdy top plastic pocket for glasses where I can fit both my reading and prescription sunglasses in their cases and they are easily accessible. The plastic glasses pocket is both useful and a little annoying because it makes the compartment underneath shorter and if your glasses are already in cases you really don't need it and it's not removable. But it's another way to protect some of your valuables and bake them easily accessible at the same time. There are side straps to make the bag smaller if it's not full. The shoulder straps are comfortable. The front pocket has a little strap with a plastic carabiner to keep your keys or something you need quickly, which is a very nice touch. The handle is strong, the bag itself, when empty is not too heavy but the material is thick and sturdy. I have yet to put it into the wash so i don't know how it'll hold up. The best feature in my opinion is the strap on the back that lets you put through the telescopic handle of your roller bag so the backpack can securely roll with your carry-on instead of having to be carried on your back. When this backpack needs to be replaced, I'll repurchase it.

This is my first SwissGear bag, and I have to say that I'm impressed. For decades, I've used a few packs from other vendors, both "professional" bags and "sports" packs that had laptop pockets. I've often found those other packs to be merely sufficient, but not check all the boxes that I'd like to see. But, I didn't think anyone made the perfect bag, so accepting mediocre products was my fate. Fast forward to now, I wanted to replace my well-worn pack (over 1M travel miles on it!) with something that was small, durable, and which had sufficient dedicated storage space for the smaller items I need to carry in addition to my MacBook Pro and iPad. After searching for a few weeks, I came back to this pack, which was on sale for a fantastic price, and decided to give it a try with the thought that if it didn't work out, I could just donate the thing. To my surprise, this pack is absolutely perfect and meets or exceeds all of my expectations. The pack has plenty of little pockets to hold the bits and pieces, but ample storage room for books, a light jacket, etc. Also, an armored glasses pocket and a really cool side-load sleeve for shoes or jackets. There is a place for everything, and I'm putting everything it its place. The pack is quite light but with the 600 denier nylon construction and it just oozes of durability and quality, I'm expecting that this thing will last for at least a decade. Plus, this pack holds its shape and is a joy to use and to look at, unlike the bag (from a well-known Swedish company) that it is replacing which was permanently crumpled and difficult to put on and use, and was quite void of the little organizing pockets I value. As my first SwissGear bag, I'm completely stoked with this purchase and now regret not having looked at these bags or this brand earlier. Now that I'm enlightened, I'm going to explore more of the SwissGear products to see what else they have that might be of value to me and my family. Recommended without any hesitation.

5 years of use and still going strong! This is an extremely well constructed bag. This was my daily work backpack for a few years before leaving that job but i still use it for my current EDC set up I'm a gamer so my EDC is potentially bulky. I carry a Lenovo Legion 7 Gaming Laptop and its charger, An iPad, Corsair Gaming Headset (With the Corsair Case) a Logitech Mouse (with a mouse Case), and also an Xbox controller. The front pockets hold Misc. items like handheld emulator and other accessories like phone chargers and the like. If i need a quick overnight bag and i know i will not have a chance to game i will take out gaming accessories and i am able to pack a pair of shoes in the allotted compartment and a couple changes of clothes and the toiletry bag. I do travel with this quite frequently. I will say that the only negatives after 5 years is that the 180 Degree TSA opening is not at all used for TSA. I've flown through at least 5 domestic airports and I've either had to remove the laptop completely or just leave it sealed. (but it does provide quick access). The Insulation for the drink pocket has started to tear away and i believe that was around year 3. I never leave reviews for products because frankly i don't usually care enough to, however this one is different. The only reason i came back to this item is because i like it so much that i want to buy another to save for when the one i currently use eventually gives out (i feel i still have a long wile for that). Let that speak for how much i trust this bag. i would buy it again 10 times over.

Good Product

Bought it because I am a frequent traveller, enjoying it everyday! it fits 6 boxes for watches!!!

Muy buen producto. Llegó en tiempo y cumplió con lo deseado, muy buena durabilidad

De momento buen producto, llegó en tiempo y en buen estado.

Good size and looks sturdy for international travel. Will update once I have actually taken through some travels where I might not take hard-case carry on luggage.