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

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).

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!

This bag has much larger capacity than the other SwissGear backpack that I was unhappy with. I needed a bag that had a dedicated and padded area for a laptop, and large compartment to fit my work cloths and lunch for when I go to the gym, and this does the job. My other requirement was a side buckle so that I can attach wet flip flops to the outside, and this works adequately. I keep my lifting gloves in the mesh pockets and they stay put, even on motorcycle rides. I dont ever use the 2 side zippered pockets, but others may find a use for them. So far Im happy with the durability over the past 6 months of daily use. I dont expect problems so early considering my previous Outdoor backpack lasted 10 years before the shoulder straps began to tear.

I bought this to replace my laptop bag for to/from work and business trips. Because my laptop and other gear was so heavy the bag put a strain on my shoulder and back. I wanted something to distribute the load evenly and wouldnt wear on me during long jaunts through airports.After a two day search on the internet I came across this backpack and after reading reviews decided to buy it. I wasnt disappointed! The pack is well made and has plenty of storage space and compartments. A must because i take a lot of gadgets with me. The side entry for the laptop is easy and fast. The Scansmart is nice but if your using the compartment for storage everything will fall out when opening. That being said the side entry for the laptop is just as fast in my opinion. It would be nice to have some extra padding between my back and the laptop. With a laptop in it, it feels like a board is strapped to your back. Thats the only reason I gave it a 4. All in all I am very pleased with the purchase and would buy it again if I had to do it all over.

At first, I liked the pack a lot. It seemed well-built, has pockets everywhere, plenty of room and is TSA-friendly. (No more removing the laptop through the scanner). Theres plenty of room for my 15 MacbookPro which is stored securely and is well-padded. After daily use for about 7 months the pack is showing its age. Im constantly forgetting to close all the zippers (its hard to tell when theyre open with the black-on-black color). It no longer wants to sit upright, but is always falling over. A couple of the zippers dont glide smoothly any more, but get hung up. Finally, some of the interior pockets are getting loose and floppy. Even so, its a better pack then I had before and Ill probably keep using it until it falls apart, but I cant say if this is one of the better SwissGear backpacks. SwissGear packs seem everywhere and I expected a little better quality. The pack is reasonably lightweight and I got it at a decent price. I would call it a good, but not great backpack.

I was skeptical about this purchase with the myriad of complaints about quality in the reviews. So far this pack has held up well to both urban and camping usage. I can carry a decent amount of weight in it without strain. I loaded 35 pounds in it and took it on a 4 mile hike with my dog - no sweat! It has LOTS of compartments that are well designed for all the various electronics used today and various items I like to carry The straps are comfortable and easy to adjust. The handle is sturdy. And so far, every bit of it has held up to some abuse. My only complaint is the zipper design. They are all curved in a way that is pleasing to the eye and helpful in how much you can open each compartment. BUT because of the curves, its been impossible for me to close any of the zippers with one hand. I get annoyed when I reach for something and then want to close it back up and have to set things down so I can use both hands.

So as the title says, I would like to specifically address the topic of the size of this backpack. Ive read MULTIPLE reviews that say it will fit a Dell XPS 17 (which is about 17.4). Within 10 mins after I post this review, I should have two pictures up for you, showing you the fit of the XPS 17 and another of the tag that says Fits up to a 15 laptop. So, if you are willing to struggle a bit, it actually will fit the Dell XPS 17 laptop, but this is EXTREMELY tight. Its just trying to squeeze that one last corner. If you have a laptop that is just 1/2 an inch or more smaller, I feel positive it would fit. Sadly, without a struggle and the risk of breaking the zipper or scratching the laptop corner, I just cant safely say youd want this backpack for a 17 laptop. Now to confirm the other reviews, it is a great backpack. It feels sturdy, strong, and has plenty of space. It fits my large 32 oz waterbottle in either side as well. Two small pockets on the front, one with place for ipod and the other with spaces for pens/pencils. Two pockets on either side, underneath the waterbottle holders. These pockets are about 3/4 the height of the whole backpack, so nice to fit many things. Then three main pockets, one for the laptop, one thin one, probably only paper/folders would fit here. And then the last one is fairly big, enough so to hold a large textbook, binders, etc. So a great backpack for anyone with a laptop under 17.

Ive held off on writing a review for this for about five months now as I wanted to give this bag a chance to get some wear and tear. Now after two trips over seas, daily use, and a couple of rainstorms Ill finally toss this up. This bag has held up remarkably well for the abuse Ive put it through. I do some travel for work and I had to find a bag large enough for my ASUS laptop and this was one of the only ones I could find. I was a little hesitant to purchase the bag as it was pricey and some of the reviews were not that favorable of it. The biggest concern I had was the reported zipper issues, that almost kept me from getting the bag itself. Now after five months Im extremely pleased with this bag and its durability. Ive had zero issues with the zippers so far and its taken a beating in the London Tubes, the plane rides over the pond and back, and while wondering around London during my downtime. Ive been hit by a few random downpours and the bag has kept my belongings safe and dry inside. The abundance of pockets gives me room to store all my computer related peripherals so I dont have to worry about them loose inside the main pocket. The scansmart feature is wonderful for going through security at my local airport. Before it was incredibly nerve wracking time as you had to unload all your electronics from the bag and put them in separate bins. Now I can simply unzip the bag, lay it flat, and send it through. That being said, over seas you still have to pull your electronics out. This bag is only recognized by the TSA not world wide security. My first trip over I watched a couple with the smart scan bags arguing with British security about it, so keep that in mind when ordering this bag if you do. Ive enjoyed this bag so much I showed one of my coworkers who does a lot of traveling for the company as well and he ended up purchasing another SwissGear ScanSmart style bag.

I use 2-3 backpacks for work and out of the last few I purchased, this one is my favorite so far, The compartments are well placed and hold what I need. This is well made, the zippers have held up for 6months without issues so far and the bottom is not sowing too much wear from beaing dragged across concrete and gravel while working. The best thing is that I can carry 2 14 laptops in the back compartments easily and well protected. The shoulder straps are comfotable even with the weight of 2 computers, cords and misc crap in the other compartments. I also have a small camera case and some tool bage clipped to the various attachment points on the pack. There are 2 elastic net type side pouches that fit a bottle of water in each. Fully laden for work, I probably have about 4lbs of stuff in this and have no problem going up stairs, ladders etc. Really just cant say how much I enjoy using this & on occasion, I have emptied all my work stuff out and used it as a week-end bag too. I would definitely buy another one when it is time for a replacement, but I dont see that happening soon. Maybe Ill buy a spare, just in case they stop making this exact model of backpack....

OK, so that may be a bit dramatic. I looked for quite awhile for a bag reasonability priced with pockets, bottle pockets, key pockets, kleenix pockets, eyeglass case pockets, book pockets, laptop phone and cord pockets and so on. I commute many mornings via Park and ride into work and need a bag that is easy to carry, pockets for bus pass, phone, Kindle, paper files, pens, keys, glasses, lunch bag, rain coat, and wow. This bag has it all. I am quite satisfied. Sturdy construction. Zippers tough and hold up to my every day use. I have been using for a couple months (or thereabouts) and have nothing about which to complain. Side pockets, one on each side, easily handle my 22oz thermos and coffee cup. The front pocket has slots for pens, markers. There is a attached key clip thingy that easily releases and re-clips. I dont use the padded laptop pocket much - it is large enough for a 15 - 17 screen. My wife things it larger than necessary, however, she isnt the one on the bus in rain and or snow wanting an easy one hand or over the shoulder bag. I do recommend it! Did I mention it has pockets? 22Oct2013 update - I continue to really enjoy this bag. This week (no kidding) I have seen this same bag over the shoulder of a fellow bus commuter, and a gentlemen who belongs to the same wellness center. I have take work out clothes with me to work using this bag so that I could stop and workout on my way home. This is ideal in my book.