OGIO Renegade PRO Backpack (Renegade Pro, Heather Gray), Medium

Only had it a couple of weeks, so I can't speak to long-term durability.Very well-organized laptop pack. Description says a small 17" laptop will fit, but my 17" (1 3/16" thick) engineering workstation fits, albeit snugly. Well-padded laptop compartment.Lots of external pockets for everything I need. Cavernous compartment for files, notebooks etc. My portable 17" monitor just fits in there, along with my notepad, several file folders, an umbrella and my rain shell.I am a consultant and travel every week. There is plenty of room for all the devices and cables that I need. Pockets are designed so that the pack is low-profile and will fit under any seat in any aircraft.Customer service is fantastic. I accidentally broke off my sternum strap, so I called to get a replacement...they replaced the entire laptop case!Very comfortable fully loaded on my back with plenty of padding and comfortable shoulder straps. Sternum strap is highly adjustable and slides up and down on a rail.I'm 6', 200 pounds and I have the shoulder straps adjusted at the full length. Anyone larger might need to extend those straps.If you like to carry a water bottle, it doesn't accommodate them well. I just put mine in the main compartment.

First off, go to their website and check out this bag in more detail to see its features.Now then if there is one, I would call myself a backpack enthusiast. For some reason I love backpacks. As a result I have high standards when I am looking for a backpack. I came across OGIO over a decade ago and have loved them ever since. Their build quality is top notch and their attention to detail and what people actually need is unmatched. They think about how a backpack is used and what goes in it. They then make it to last. My first backpack, an OGIO Metro lasted 5 years. My second, a Metroid, lasted 7 years. Understand this is during my school days when I use it every day, for hours on end. I was lifting and dropping probably on average 40lbs of books and other crap. Their seams never came apart or anything like that. What did happen was the shoulder and back padding was eventually completely flattened from all the weight over the years and it began to sag and lose its structure. The sternum strap's elastic gave out a bit as well but that is no big deal at all. What made me get a new one was the fabric had worn away from the book edges scrapping the cement. A patch would have fixed the problem, but after so many years I just wanted a new one.So after doing dozens of hours of research I settled on either a Thule or another OGIO. But what pushed me to the OGIO Renegade RSS was the number of pockets and compartments. If you want to be organized get a bag with a bunch of pockets. That way your backpack doesn't become a ruck sack or dump bag. Then things don't crush or scratch other things and you know where everything is. Picture what you have and where you will put it, that is how you pick a bag.This bag specifically is very well built and made with good materials. There is a ton of padding in this thing so your stuff will be safe. But it will always look a bit bulky/boxy even when empty as a result of the padding. It is also a bit heavy as a result of the padding but when you are carrying as much stuff as me you don't notice an extra half pound or so. The padding on the back, the part that is against your back, is very poufy and as a result you can get airflow between your back and bag and not sweat as much. You can also use it to set it in a position to where some of the pressure is on your butt and not your shoulders by adjusting the straps. But here is the thing... OGIO dropped the ball on the straps. They are a bit slick / smooth. In comparison to previous straps that had these ridges running horizontally for the plastic bit to "lock" into and hold in place, these are less than ideal. The ridges run diagonally and as a result you can't get them to "lock" in place. The fabric of the straps is also a bit less rugged. So if you go to work or school on a pogo stick, or are a very bouncy runner, the straps may let out and your bag may go down your back. It has not yet been an issue with me but it might be in the future.Another issue people may have is that the straps are rather short, but so am I. I don't mind the short straps, now they aren't flapping around at your sides. But if you are a bigger person it may be a bit tight or high on you. But I got it because I don't have the problem of being big or buff. The pocket on the strap is a joke though. The only thing you’ll want to keep in there is a iPod nano or spare change.My only other complaint is the glasses case. You need to understand that it does take up room in the main compartment. So if you have very tall things in your bag (14.5 inches) will be about your limit in some sections. If you come a little forward you can get in front of it and have about 16 or 17 inches maybe more or less. The other thing about the sun glasses case is the top, the opening, there needs to be some reinforcement because it can get compressed. You can open it to about 2.25 inches, but it can be compressed to about 1.5 inches. Your glasses won’t get crushed but they may get a bit of a squeeze. I keep mine open by propping a Chap Stick tube in there. But the bottom of the case is very much crushproof. The case is also only about 2 inches deep, just a FYI for those of you with big glasses.The last thing I’ll note is the laptop sleeve, the RSS as they call it. It is very well protected and padded. The RSS is a very smart idea to protect your laptop from smacking the ground, but if you smack it hard enough it will still hit the bottom just like any spring. The problem is you are not going to get anything in there that is taller than 14 maybe 15 inches. I’m not talking about the screen size, I am talking about the actual width of the computer. They actually called it the “Renegade RSS 17 Laptop Backpack” for a while claiming it would fit a 17 inch laptop. But for the RSS to work, you need some dead space on the bottom to let it travel. As a result they have changed the name and taken away that claim in some cases but not all. Also because it is reinforced with thick plastic sleeves, you won’t fit a laptop much thicker than an inch. But on the plus side, you can still keep some books in there or papers you want to stay flat, and your laptop can go in the main compartment. If you do use the RSS though, you won’t need a laptop sleeve/sock anymore.Again I am very critical of my backpacks and these are some very nitpicky complaints. Everything else about the Renegade RSS, I think, is fantastic. If I didn’t complain about it, I think it is good. Go check their website to see better pictures and learn about the features. They also have a very good warranty program. I think this is the best backpack on the market at this time, that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.

I use my bag constantly (work commuting, gym, grocery runs (walking or on my bike), carry-on for 30-40 plane trips a year), and have tried several the past few years, and then researched heavily, including wirecutter, and then ordered and tried out several finalists and returned all but one. And man, it was close.I was torn between this and the LL Bean Quad, and alternated them for a few weeks. Broke my heart to return this, because I love so much about it, and for many it would be the right choice, but I decided I loved the Quad more. (Incidentally, wirecutter recommended a similar LL Bean model as best, but I upgraded, for more size and more pockets.)I usually start with pros, but since I returned this product, I'll go right to the reasons why:1. Heavy: At 3.5 pounds, this is the heaviest of my finalists by far, more than a pound heavier than similar bags, including the Quad. (I tried some ultra-light bags 2 pounds less.) I pack a lot, and often have the bag all day, and want to keep as light as possible, and an extra pound starting weight is a big minus.2. Size: this is a hearty size, but about 5 liters less than the 35L Quad. That's about 15% less capacity--not massive, but enough to tip the scale for me.3. No waist strap! This was really the dealbreaker for me, and seems insane. It was the only highly-rated bag I even considered without one. What were they thinking? It DOES have chest strap, which is great in some situations (especially on a bike), but that's nearly always the add-on AFTER the waist strap. This is mostly an issue if you're loading up heavy, and/or for long. The waist strap makes a huge difference in shifting much of the weight from your shoulders to hips. When the shoulder straps start digging into your muscles up there, you will really curse it not being loaded onto your waist.(Also: this bag was about 50% more expensive than the Quad (LL Bean constantly has it reduced from the list price, and then another 20% to join their email list). This was not a huge factor for me, because I decided I've wasted so much on getting inferior bags, and use it so much, I'd pay to get the best solution. It may be a big factor for others.If those are not big concerns, this might be the bag for you.Pros (SO many)1. Spacious (compared to most)2. Great materials, feels solid, and good reviews all around on lasting.3. Soooooo many pockets and great organization! This is a big deal for me, especially on plane travel, where I like to pack all sorts of things that I can get to quickly when I get there, and also which I can pull out quickly while boarding the plane to keep what I need in my seat (book, laptop, water bottle, pen, sometimes notes, snacks, sometimes pills), while stashing the bag in the overhead. This bag actually slightly exceed the Quad. They have a similar number of external zippable compartments (around 10!) but so many I have found it hard to keep track of which is which--(amazing problem to have)--and this one has them in a more systematic layout.4. Great fit, great feel, smart ventilation system, etc. Stands up by itself, at least to start. (Not flopping over makes a big difference in loading it up. Note that many bags stand up at first, but that doesn't last. Some don't stand up day 1.)5. So many extras. There is a hardened small area where you can stash your glasses, sunglasses, phone etc, without them getting crushed or scratched. (Not really necessary for phone--huge for glasses.) The separate laptop zipped area in back is incredible. (This was nearly a deciding factor over the Quad, which also has this feature, but it's has a slightly smaller opening, which doesn't quite fit my 15" Macbook Air. This one zips from above, so it CAN slide in to the same sized space.)I also liked a unique feature: nearly all top bags have water holders on both sides, which is great, because I always need one, but never two, so one is wasted. This bag offers that, but zippable top, so it can easily work as a bottle holder, or another compartment for keys, pills, various small things. Very versatile!In terms of design features, this bag and the Quad were really evenly matched. The Quad has two fleece-lined smallish compartments for phones and whatnot, that are REALLY nice--way nicer than this--but doesn't have the hardened area. There are lots of little design features where this and the Quad rival each other, each a little better on one than the next, but both superb.I would limit the finalists to these 2 bags, and then depending on your priorities, pick one. (Or try both.)

One of my favorite, have a lot of space and very confortable