Swiss Gear SA1923 Black TSA Friendly ScanSmart Laptop Backpack - Fits Most 15 Inch Laptops and Tablets

I bought this backpack for school. After an exhaustive search online, in local stores and across campus, I can definitively say that this is hands down the best laptop backpack you can buy! Pros: 1. Tons of space and usable compartments: - 1 padded laptop compartment - 1 thin compartment that can be used for papers and folders - 1 main compartment that contains vertical dividers to keep things organized, a smaller interior mesh pocket, and an ipod/cell phone pouch that leads to a slit in the top of the backpack for a headphone cord - 1 decent sized pocket on each side (I use 1 for my laptop charger and accessories) - 2 stretchy water bottle pockets big enough for the big 1 liter bottles (good for umbrella too) - 1 small pocket on the top front - 1 pocket on the bottom front that contains a bunch of small organizer pockets found in every backpack that nobody ever uses 2. Comfort: padded, shock absorbing arm pads, padded back, and a comfortable handle on top. 3. Appearance: In my opinion, this is one of the best looking backpacks out there, but I cant argue with taste so if you have one of those ugly backpacks, thats fine with me. 4. Price: Phenomenal deal! ($50 when I purchased it) Would have gladly spent more (dont tell amazon) Cons: (there really are none... Im nitpicking here) 1. The opening for the laptop is on the side (not the top) which makes it a little awkward to get in and out. Not a big deal though. 2. I would have liked a little more padding underneath the laptop. The amount of padding is pretty similar to most other laptop cases though. You just need to be careful about setting it down to hard. 3. The size was perfect for my 15.6 widescreen. I havent tried a 17, but Im guessing it would be too big (if you could get it to fit inside, it would be VERY tight)

Replaced an older model with this one. The old model lasted about five years with rough use and this one seemed like it would be tougher. The shape and location of the zippers/pockets took a little getting used to but after some time, I do like this bag quite a bit. It DOES seem much tougher than the old one I had. The big critique is it seems to tip over to the front very easily. The obvious solution is to not put anything with weight in any of the front compartments, but then that also sort of defeats the purpose of having multiple storage spots.

I purchased this backpack for travel. After coming back from five weeks overseas, I really put the backpack through its paces. I used it for packing through the airport, to-and-fro the office, as well as a few side hikes without electronics. So far, no signs of stress on the seams or other stitched parts. First, the SmartScan feature is amazing. This is definitely a time saver in the security line where a few extra seconds can alleviate some serious headache in the masses. Even through international security lines, no one ever said anything and the pack went straight through the scanner. The side-load of the laptop is definitely something I am not used to or have seen before, but it actually worked great. This is one of those dont knock it til you try it type things. The backpack has plenty of storage and organization, overall. The mesh pocket inside is great for passports/documents and the mp3 player pocket is great for packing along an external hard drive. The lower front pocket has plenty of space for pens, documents, phone(s), business cards, and includes a nifty keychain that you can snap your keys to. The tall, zippered side pockets are perfect for a glasses case or something like that. I also slipped my mouse in there too. Heres the problem - the mesh pockets are fairly tight and not prone to stretching as far as other SwissGear packs of the past. So, if you load up the zippered pocket, you may not have room for a water bottle; maybe some gum or throat lozenges. If that zippered pocket is empty, dont even consider a Nalgene. You can hold a 20oz water/coke bottle at best. Lastly, on the storage parts, the main compartment is very well thought out. There are some complaints about how access is a little tight, but I had no issues. The good part about this is that the sides of that main compartment create a good shroud around everything you have in there. Heres that bad news - two parts. If you have read other reviews about padding on the bottom and the zippers, those are totally accurate. SwissGear could have added something ever-so-slightly to pad the bottom of the laptop better. There is plenty of room in there to add that in, even with a 17 laptop I had stowed. Then there are the zippers - ooooh the zippers! This design is clearly a product of the economic downturn design budget there at the head office! They look somewhat rugged. The zipper tags feel rugged. However, the zippers are prone to skipping teeth and you have to be somewhat gentle with them. Basically, you have to watch it when zipping to make sure its okay. You cannot just zip it quick and run out the door. What is needed are some of those trusty YKK zippers we all love. Dont get me wrong, though. Once they are sealed, youre good to go. All that being said, I would definitely purchase this again. Overall, it worked perfect for what I needed and everything has held up well. Dont go for the $80 price this bag has sometimes. Add it to your Amazon Wish List and wait for a price drop in the $50-$60 range. An easy 4 Stars (5 if they fix the zippers).

This is my first experience of using a back pack so I carefully selected one for my needs. My job as a golf ranger requires me to carry a variety of necessary items for work and nourishment. This pack has lots of convenient pockets inside and out and is well suited for work and travel. The zippers are to my liking and I actually returned a more expensive pack because of the zipper action. I like smooth and substantial with generous pulls for ease of operation. I live in Arizona and black is not a good choice of color for being in the sun and I can see a slight fading starting but the sun is harsh and nothing can last in it for long unless it has thorns. This is a cool looking pack and I recommended it unless you dont like cool.

I tried the following bags before settling on this one: SwissGear 1900 – tablet sleeve not useful for my purposes Under Armour Storm Hustle II – nice lightweight bag but not sufficient number of useful pockets (internal zippered or velcroed) KAKA waterproof – roomy and well constructed but no internal zippered pockets SwissGear 1908 – not bad but the SwissGear 1923 had more pockets / stitching seems weak Amazon Basics Adventure – fair construction / good weight / not enough useful zippered internal pockets – I liked that laptop compartment had anterior and posterior padding SwissGear 1923 – has one internal zippered pocket in the bag’s flap. Zippered side pockets and front carabineer are also useful. The backpack handle would have been better if it were more rubbery and flexible instead of hard plastic. This bag weighs a bit more than some of the other comparable bags.

I had L.L. Bean backpacks for years, so when I was leaving for college three years ago I ordered their newest model with laptop sleeve built in. After only a few years of use, it was fraying at the edges and the zipper began to tear off on the main compartment. I returned it for this one, not knowing if Id like it. I really like the seperate laptop compartment on the back. It makes getting to my computer -- what I reach for most of the time -- quick and easy. The front compartment door could be a little larger but other than that I love this bag! Looks new to this day. UPDATE: after about a year with the bag, the left shoulder strap began to tear at the top where it attaches to the backpack. it looks like its a problem with the stretchy shock-absorbing component of the strap. Ive sent the bag into Swiss Gear for warranty repair, so well see if/when I get a replacement what happens. even with this Im still pretty happy with the bag, as its very functional and good looking. just wishing the straps were a little more heavy duty...

Love this bag very strong and well built for rain resistance as well with two side water bottles holder

After an exhaustive search of backpacks online and in-stores, I ended up buying this one for school. It looks a bit bulkier than expected-but Im not complaining. For those of you wondering about how the backpack will look like on you and need a reference on height, I am 55. This backpack has no problem fitting in my 17 MacBook Pro (including its Vera Bradley Case) in the laptop compartment. On days I dont bring my laptop, I store a 1 inch binder in the laptop compartment. It also has an additional pouch across from the compartment for storing a tablet in which I use to store 3 or 4 regular sized folders. The main compartment of the of the bag can be used to store up to at least 4 binders and a textbook. For those of you who dont have a laptop, you can also store 2 more binders in the laptop compartment. Or, you can store a 2 inch binder, two 1 inch binders 1-5 folders, and still have room for a book. The main compartment of the bag also has an attached mesh zipper pocket across from it that can be used to store your chargers and what not. (Ive also packed the bag varying ways of how to hold your supplies for those of you who were wondering about storage.) I use the side compartments hold my glasses while I use the other to hold a hairbrush. I would prefer the straps to have a bit more support like the Jansport bags have - other than that, I have no complaints :)

Very nice bag. I returned it as it was a bit big and bulky for a 15 inch laptop bag. Will be good if you plan on putting a lot of stuff in it. But it was just too much bag for what I travel with as I dislike bulky things.

Extremely well made backpack. This is my third one. The first one I bought about 5 years ago. I bought a second one about 3 years ago and gave the first one to my son which he is still using. Im still using the second one. The only reason I bought this one was it was such a good price (Amazon Deal of the Day) that I just wanted to have it in reserve in case the one Im using ever does tear up (which I doubt) or gets too ratty looking (could happen). I travel a good bit and the Scan Smart laptop section is great. I just leave the laptop in the backpack and it always goes right through the TSA scanner. In probably 200 airline trips, TSA has taken my laptop out of the bag only one time. I use this bag every day. It goes with me everywhere. Just to give you an idea, here are things I keep in the various pockets: Main/large pocket - file folders with work papers and personal papers, reading book, plenty of room left over to put food or other items in here to take to work. Zippered upper pocket inside Main pocket - Prescription drugs. Lower zippered pocket inside Main pocket: portable hard drive and other electronics if I am traveling. Pocket inside Main pocket designed for MP3 player - I keep my work security badge here, extremely handy and I always know where I put it. Front lower outer pocket - pens, pencils, personal grooming items (floss, comb, nail cutter), mini-maglight, eyeglass repair kit, business cards, etc. Front upper outer pocket - ear buds, usb cord, 110v to USB charger adapter, 12v to USB charger adapter. Side zippered pockets - eyeglass cases, laptop mouse. Side mesh pockets - laptop power cord when Im traveling I ride my bike to work alot. I unzip the Scan Smart zippers lay my neatly folded cloths in that section, rezip. and when I get to work my cloths are still nice neat and unwrinkled. As you can probably tell, I really like this bag and I highly recommend it.