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

I got this last Fall (2015), and it never let me down. First, it was very durable; it never tore up from everyday use (though I found a few strings loose in a less essential part of the backpack). Also, there were no problems washing it (when I did have to wash it after a late-night incident in London). Secondly, it has plenty of compartments to use to your pleasure, with basically a place for everything I ever needed. The laptop-scanning feature was legitimate; the TSA (the United States Transport Security Administration) allows for the feature to be used so long as nothing was in front or behind the laptop when being scanned. Ive made it through Virgin Atlantic, Eurostar, and Air France with this backpack and this backpack fit the size constraints. Plus I got this $120 backpack for $55, so I got my moneys worth (and then some) pretty soon. Short answer: No problems; only good things to say.

I have spent a long time looking for a great work backpack and this is it. My basic requirements were a bag that could hold my work gear; laptop, tablet, chargers, mouse, and most importantly papers and files. Its easy to find a briefcase or messenger bag that has dividers for paperwork, however it was nearly impossible to find this simple, yet critical feature in a backpack. This bag met all of those requirements. In total the backpack has 3 main compartments; one with the usual pen/pencil pockets, a mid size compartment with the file dividers, and finally the laptop compartment. I have a 15 inch work laptop, however there is enough room in the compartment for one up to 17 inches. In additional to the main compartments, there are 2 large side zippered pockets, 2 side mesh pockets, 1 small back pocket, and 1 zippered internal pocket. The backpack has a zipper travel feature which splits the bag in half for faster TSA lines. I was skeptical that TSA was going to let this pass, however I was able to pass the bag through xray machines in two US international airports without incident. Lastly, I have scoliosis which makes carrying bags painful at times. This is the main reason I wanted to switch from a briefcase to a backpack. This is hands down the most comfortable backpack Ive owned and has excellent weight distribution capabilities. I would recommend this bag to anyone who needs a solid, large capacity work backpack.

I dont remember where (or when) I bought this, but the sister to this pack was with me for almost 10 years, maybe longer. I just know, it was always there. It has been my book bag, travel bag, overnight bag and general all-around companion. I carried it with me over the pond as my carry on more time than I can count. Its been to 12 countries and on more flights than most people. Ive tossed it, drug it through airports, taken it camping and generally abused it through countless excursions. And it always held up fantastically... until it didnt. When I realized the should strap was beginning to separate and fray I almost cried. When I found a growing hole in the bottom corner, I did cry. But... it was time to retire the old girl and I came on Amazon to find a replacement. I thought about other bags, but this one is just perfect for every occasion. The back pocket is the right size for my laptop, and the front compartment, my overnight clothes (a change and a bit extra). The front pocket is perfect for cosmetics and toiletries. The side pockets are excellent for a bottle of body wash and a brush. The other inner pocket will hold my sketch pad and pencils and the small front pocket my chargers and headphones. For classes, it fits books exactly as it should. For flights, its amazing and fits perfectly under the seat and is just the right size as a carry-on. You wont do better than this amazing bag. Nothing lasts forever, but as long as Swiss keeps selling this bag, Ill be there. See you in another 10 years!

I have only been using this backpack for a few months but already I can tell it is the best backpack I have owned. Cavernous on the inside. Fits my work laptop Dell M4800 (a large laptop for a 15) with plenty of extra room. Not too bulky. Comfortable to carry even with heavy laptop and charger. Lots of thoughtful gizmos like sunglasses holder, adjustable bottle pockets, carabiner hook for keys etc. Looking forward to many years of service. I noticed that lots of people commented on the ScanSmart feature. Its my experience that the TSA agents are not familiar with or dont care about the rule that you can fold your bag open and put the computer through the scanner. I have tried this with a TSA-friendly briefcase and been told Nope. many times until I gave up. So my $.02 is dont worry about the ScanSmart feature but do get this backpack for its capacity, comfort, creature features, and build quality.

I have held of putting in this review for almost a year so I was sure what I was talking about. I have used this as a every day bag and for hiking, mountain bike riding, off road motoro bike riding, camping and work trips away with laptops etc. I purchased this bag based on several key features, 1. side mesh pockets for keys (Im lucky I live in a town with little crime so not worried about security), 2. large side zip pockets for water bottles or laptop chargers etc, 3. front lower pocket with organiser for pens, eye drops, wallet, meds and the like. Not quit as good as previous bags with the actual pockets, but still pretty good, have found it is more a free for all type pocket 4. top front pocket is good for sun glasses (wrapped in own soft protection bag) 5. Main compartment good for most things. down side is it has two sleeves for keeping books organised, but I find it gets in the way when storing pretty much anything in the compartment, Im tempted to cut them out 6. Two laptop / document storage compartments against the back of the pack, good for 15 HP laptop and also useful for any books etc General comments 1. The top handle flops down meaning it seriously gets in the way when putting anything in the main compartment, I fixed this by zip tieing it to one of the straps at the top of the shoulder straps in a upright position, works well. 2. The shoulder straps sit well on my shoulder and do not clash with my arms when walking 3. It is not the lightest bag but this means it stands up pretty much by itself when it put in on the floor as opposed to falling over like a lighter bag (personal hate of mine) 4. I have used it for some long off road motor bike rides with out problem, nothing even looks like it will fail 5. its not the biggest bag, but that stops me from carring to much, I can get enought in it for a over night work trip away with a bit of carful packing 6. I like the styling, not your average bag 7. Zips are great and take a lot of abuse Summary It took me a long time to find this bag as shopping on line is not the same as in store, I live in town with no bag stores. My research was worth it as I would buy this bag again if it still made and if there was nothing else newer that was better. However I suspect that will be five or more years away as it is very well made.

How do you carry the absolute maximum on an airline that allows one carry on and one personal item?? You use this bag and a 22 rollerboard (if you can still find one). Rollerboards are getting harder to find as spinners are taking over, but in my experience they just dont hold as much. This fits under the seat in front of you and the rollerboard in the bin. This bag and other Swiss Gear backpacks like it are becoming the de facto bag you see see business travelers using - at least those that use backpacks. If you are considering it, go ahead and buy it. Its a good investment that will last a long time.

Love love love this pack! It took me 15 years to replace my old backpack. This backpack is amazing! It’s roomy, it fits all my gear (I’m a USPS carrier) very functional and efficient -highly recommend!! Especially like how you can operate the zipper with one hand. I can fit my lunch and all extra supplies and gear in here and still have extra room. But it doesn’t feel like it’s too big. Perfect!!

This is my second SwissGear laptop bag. The first was purchased locally and lasted about 4 years before the stitching on one of the straps started coming off. I was able to limp along with it that way for a while, but needed to get another before the strap let go. Am hoping that this one gives me some more time. So far Im liking the bag. Not quite as big as my old bag (they seem to be similar size on the outside, so I assume they are comparable models) but this seems to be more an issue of how the pocket zippers run and not an overall size difference. The large compartment zipper makes a narrower opening than Im used to so its difficult to get as much into the pocket due to the opening. Seems to be good quality and should last for a few years. This bag goes everywhere with me...to work every day and on every trip I take.

Used laptop backpacks since 1999, and I have gone through several brands. When I found SwissGear, I stopped changing brands. Pros: 1. Toms of pockets, slots and a HUGE main compartment. Place for mp3 player, batteries, Kindle and all the related electronic stuff you cant live without while on the road. 2. This backpack is significantly lighter than the previous two SwissGears packs Ive owned. 3. Airport security friendly. Leave the laptop in the bag, unzip the back, fold it flat and send it through the x-ray. 4. Comfortable on the back, and easy to hand carry when needed. Cons: 1. The light weight seems to translate into lower quality in a few places. One of the side grommets caught on a seat belt and was pulled out with no effort. 2. Zipper does not go down all the way on the bottom front pocket. 3. There is no divider in the huge center compartment, and small items tossed in there fall to the bottom and get lost. 4. The zipper sections in the main compartment are small. Given the room available, they could have been much bigger. The final comment is not really a Con, but the bag holds so much that you can actually make it too bulky to fit under the seat in front of you on the plane, and make it too heavy to comfortably carry on your back. Now you really can carry all the junk you want to carry with you!

This backpack case is simply fantastic for its primary goal of getting you through airport (or other) security checkpoints quickly, and its great for regular day-to-day use, as well. My backpack usually carries a Macbook, iPad, an old iPhone converted into basically an iTouch, and all of the accessories and power cables and headphones that would accompany those three. I also carry a few notepads, pens, and other assorted productivity and notetaking supplies. On trips it may sometimes also carry snacks, a hoodie or one of my daughters blankets, stuffed animals, etc ... all while still carrying and protecting my electronics. Going through airport security with this has been a breeze. I simply unzip the large main pocket and lay it flat. Im through the line and quickly on to my gate while others are repacking their laptop cases and getting flaps flipped back over and tethered or zipped down or whatever. Its really quick and handy. I do recommend that you prep for the security check by not having snacks, hoodies, blankets, stuffed animals, or whatever else in that large pocket. Think about the fact that youll be laying that wide open for the scan and keep it empty. You can always re-organize whats in the bag after the scan. For regular use, its just as handy. I like the extra side pockets to hold a water bottle or an umbrella, or whatever else. I cant recommend this highly enough. Ive used many laptop and iPad cases over the past few years while getting from point A to point B, and this one is probably my favorite. The one extremely tiny complaint that I could have with this is that its a bit TOO roomy in the storage areas. If there were a slightly (very slightly) smaller version of this bag, I would probably go for that. Even having some sort of adjustable padding to really hold a smaller laptop or Macbook a bit tighter would be great. Also, bear in mind that this is not a hard case and does not provide that level of protection. There is adequate padding around the computer areas for normal protection, but if you toss this around and drop it on the concrete, you will likely have a damaged laptop. Thats pretty much common sense, I would think, but its worth mentioning.