The Good First, let me say that I get many compliments on this backpack everywhere I go. I love the look of the leather even as it acquires scuffs and scrapes as I travel. It has a rugged manly look that many of my colleagues seem to like. This backpack does not have any flex or stretch.The strong leather construction does not allow you to stuff in more than it was designed to fit. That being said I had no problem fitting in my 17in ASUS Gaming Laptop with its power cord along with an IPAD, IPOD and Kindle Paperwhite. The side pockets can accommodate a water bottle and the 5 front pockets can store an assortment of power cords and accessories. 5 Stars for looks. The Bad The main zipper seems to be a strong metal type that you would expect on a heavier weight leather backpack but from the start I have had problems with the zipper not staying closed. After a few months the zipper is almost completely useless. I have not read any reviews that lead me to believe this is common issue with this backpack but for me this is a major flaw as it compromises the security of my possessions since the zipper will pull apart as a carry it and you dont feel it happen as you walk. The outside pockets have a simple strap that runs under a metal loop that keeps the pockets closed. I have found that the straps easily pull out of the loop as you are walking and anyone can easily access your pockets. I think a simple head button stud would do the trick. Unfortunately I travel all over Europe and having unsecured pockets is a deal breaker for me. - 3 Stars for a weak zipper and loose pocket straps that leads to unsure items and a sloppy look. The Ugly Nothing Ugly to report as of yet. I will be contacting the company who handles the 1 year warranty and I will update this review when the issue has been settled.

My wife purchased this bag for me as I was in the market for a new computer backpack since I had been using her Swiss Gear backpack for the past 6 months for work. When she first showed me the order online I wasnt that thrilled as its not what I am used to seeing in a laptop backpack. The day it arrived I opened up the box and was surprised at how well packaged it was for shipping. It was in a breathable cloth bag that was in an airtight plastic bag...nice. Opened the packaging and was immediately hit w/ the awesome smell of new leather, its like new car smell :) which is the best! I transferred all my gear (laptop, charger, dongles, headset, mouse, usb keys, notepads, padfolio, pens, phone charger, medicine, etc) out of the Swiss gear bag into my new bag and found that I had more room in this bag than in the Swiss gear bag! I really love all the pockets on the front as it accommodates all my work gear and is great for organizing it. All my dongles and chargers fit perfectly in the top outside horizontal pocket. The main compartment for the laptop is like a cavern, so much stuff can go in there and it provides more organization with two pen holders and two medium size pockets. There is also a zippered pocket in the inside top, which is great for storing my desk keys and usb keys. You have both a laptop and tablet holder, I use the tablet holder to keep my loose papers in for better organization. Another great feature is that this backpack stands up on its own and doesnt slouch or fall over like every other backpack I have seen/used as its sturdy. I also prefer this over the Swiss gear as when I wear it on one shoulder the bag stays in place, I dont have to hold the strap to keep it from falling off my shoulder, and the bag stays on my back as opposed to falling in between my arm and side like a normal backpack would. All in all you cant go wrong with using this as your laptop backpack, it has great features and organization, its not your run of the mill backpack that everyone at the office has, its well built, and it looks and feels amazing. This bag will hold up to a 17 laptop. I tested with a 15 Dell Precision 5520 and a 17 HP Envy. The 17 is snug and sits right below the main zipper, no issues closing the zipper though. With either the 15 and 17 I was also able to fit a 13 Dell Latitude e7240 in the tablet holder! I was able to fit a 16.9 fl oz water bottle in one of the side holders and a 15.9 fl oz thermos for coffee in the other side holder. Seems to hold up with the weight of two laptops and two drink containers.

(UPDATE: Only a day or two after posting the original review, Polare reached out to me to offer to send a brand new bag with an improved zipper. I obviously cant tell if this will last longer than the original, but I have to say the new zipper is seemingly more durable and well constructed. I very much appreciate Polare for the fantastic customer service. Buy with confidence that if something does go wrong, theyll do their best to fix it. I am leaving the original review intact for context.) The bag itself is constructed well, but one side of the main zipper has never worked properly. The thread typically comes undone behind the zipped zipper, causing the zipper to become caught. Its quite frustrating when attempting to pull out a book or laptop while fighting the broken zipper. The fact that this bag came with a premium price tag makes this unacceptable and I would take your money elsewhere.

Ive had this backpack for 12 days now. The day I got it my first impression was that this was an exceptionally well built backpack. Over the short time that Ive had it some flaws have became apparent which just shouldnt exist on a $170 backpack. First, what I like: The leather actually seems nice. It is the thick sturdy kind of leather and it appears to be stitched together well - hopefully this impression is correct and time wont prove me wrong. The zippers also seem sturdy and well attached. Appearance-wise, I love it. Not much to say here, you see the product photos. The flaws: Notice the U-shaped metal fixtures on the external pockets, through which the leather straps slide? Theyre not metal, they are plastic. But thats not a huge problem, fake metal is the norm these days. The big problem is that they come loose. They are screwed on, and the head of the screw is sandwiched between the leather and a layer of cloth, making it incredibly difficult to screw back in to the plastic fixture. The manufacturer could have picked better buckles for the shoulder straps too. They come loose throughout the day; the left one faster than the right one. I find myself constantly re-tightening them. I have some small gripes with certain aspects of the design itself, but those are more a matter of personal preference so I wont list them as flaws. 3 stars really seems too generous right now, but two seems a little harsh. Ill leave it at 3 for now, hopefully nothing else will come apart for a while.

The product is amazing. Great quality and durability. I have now used this bag for almost 3 months. No stitching issues like I have had with other leather bags. The original leather smell that you get when you first open this product is a simple pleasure of life. For those who do not like it, it will go away on its own (Unfortunately). The leather has held up perfectly. Its supple and strong, yet soft and reassuring. I use this as a daily travel bag to and from work as well as everywhere I go due to being the on-call IT person. It holds my 15 inches Microsoft SurfaceBook 2 in a padded sleeve with plenty more room. Along with 2 notebooks, a 46 mousepad that is folded. I have just about any and everything I will need to do my job in this bag. The front pockets have more than enough capacity. One note on the front pockets, if you overfill them, the front security strap will not stay in place easily. Ive listened to people using a variety of products to help with this, from Bees Wax to Saddle Soap. Both seem to work, however, the saddle soap helps keep the leather. I have had no problems with any of the zippers so far. The side bottle holders are good for small objects, but Ive yet to find a useful water bottle to actually fit. I have also had some small problems with the straps loosening while picking up or putting the bag down. AN easy solution for me was to add a simple stitch to the straps right after the metal adjustment clasp. All of this is in reference to the utility of the bag. Im not huge into the aesthetics of things, however, this bag is more than pleasing. I have received multiple positive comments on this bag along with inquiries on where to purchase.

I bought this for my husband over a year ago. He has carried it back and forth to work every day for a year. It looks brand new. Great product! Update - The bag is in perfect condition leather wise. One of the inside pouches has ripped away so when you put things in it they just fall in. The bag is now 2 years old and is in such remarkable shape after every day I want to have it repaired. Any suggestions?

I used this bag when traveling for work. I was able to put the following into it: a 16” MacBook Pro, an Android laptop, iPad Pro, wireless headphones in a case, portable keyboard, wireless trackball, portable hard drive, Apple 30 watt power brick, Android 3 amp charger, a whole travel bag full of mobile electronic wires, a handheld satellite messenger, a cell phone, and two pens. The weight of these items would make most bags rip, but this bag holds up without issue. The leather is really nice, and I relied on it for daily use. I really like the bag.

I really like this bag. I carry heavy books and it seems to be holding up very well so far. I like the looks of the bag and the pockets are great. The quality of the leather is very good, its perfect for me.

I purchased the DrkBrown original because I wanted all leather. I absolutely love it thus far and I cant wait to field test it since I have a profession that requires extensive travel. The leather smell is extremely strong but I think that most of that will fade in time. This bag passes my vanity test as the appearance is very pleasing and the leather is thick and very heavy. It also can fit my 17 inch Asus gaming laptop (tight fit, as the dimensions 19in). I will update as I travel to see how it truly holds up.

SUCH an incredible bag. Blows my mind every time I use it that I got this for such a low price. Good: INCREDIBLE leather. Really thick and super soft. Highest quality material. Normally leather this nice is much, much more expensive. Love all the pockets. Even has a place for the hard drive. It looks exactly like the pictures. I get so many compliments everytime I use it. Bad: The bag hangs on your shoulders a bit. Not much weight is distributed to your back so your shoulders take all the weight. The zipper gets a little stuck every now and again but this is a very minor issue. Love love love this bag.