Thule Crossover 2 Laptop Backpack, 30L

Thule makes some truly epic gear, whether outdoor peripherals for your car, hiking packs and yes, regular backpacks too. Both my wife and I own Thule hiking backpacks that weve used for years without a problem and love the brand. After spending the last two weeks using the Thule Crossover Laptop Backpack I can safely conclude this is another excellent product from the brand. So a bit more about how I tested this backpack - I use a backpack daily to commute to/from work and Ive done so for over 10-years. Ive tried other types of bags - satchels/shoulder bags and traditional laptop cases, but nothing really has the all-around portability and practicality of a backpack, so thats what I use even well into my 30s. ► How I Use the Crossover: The Thule Crossover pretty much has it all whether youre a student porting your laptop, books, and gear or a worker like I am that throws everything in one bag. For me, that includes items like my 13 laptop, usually a notebook (or two), a 1 3-ring binder, a few pens, mechanical pencil, building access badge, cables and charging adapters, and typically my lunch. You get the idea - a lot of stuff. The Crossover has room for it all without looking like youre a Sherpa on the way to summit. ► Overall Thoughts After Two-Weeks: The most surprising aspect of this backpack is the rigidity of it. Most backpacks Im accustomed to (the non-hiking variety anyway) are generally relatively soft and well, not rigid. The Crossover, on the other hand, has quite a bit of rigidity and in my pictures, for example, is mostly empty but stands up easily on its own. Most certainly the rigidity is on purpose and thanks to the extra protection in specialized compartments - the safe zone - that are designed to keep your expensive gadgets and accessories safe. The front pocket, with the safe zone tag, for example, is quite rigid and perfect for storing items like sunglasses. The laptop pouch which is the furthest back and close to the shoulder straps is incredibly well padded and also has a semi-rigid backing in addition to the usual padding. Id describe this as the perfect traveling/commuting backpack because I wouldnt hesitate to place this backpack under an airline seat or in overhead storage, even with fragile electronics inside, thanks to the padding and overall rigidity. That said, there is one trade-off and that is the overall comfort of the backpack. Even after two weeks of daily use, I can still notice the Crossover is on my back if that makes sense. With my old backpacks, they sort of went unnoticed and Im hoping that as I adjust to the different feel of the Crossover it sort of just becomes the new norm. ► Thoughts on Quality & Style: I have the Crossover in the black finish and it looks great! The small white dots all over the backpack really look better in person than in the product pictures and give the backpack a cool, textured look. The inner compartments are lined in a beautiful blue color making it easy to find dark colored peripherals and is a nice contrast to the outer color. Quality-wise the Crossover has the same quality Ive come to expect from Thule. The bag arrived in perfect condition without an errant string or thread. Zippers feel heavy-duty without looking like it. The backpack just sort of exudes a sense of durability and quality. ► Closing: Prior to purchasing my Thule outdoor hiking backpack, my wife questioned my choice simply because she felt the price was excessive. However, after taking the backpack halfway around the world - multiple times, and on various outdoor adventures, shes come around. Buy quality, buy once. Thats how Id describe this backpack - one that Ill be able to use for many years to come. If youre looking for a top-notch backpack, youve found it. Recommended!

Love this bag. Use it for my flight back so it gets thrown around quite a bit and holds its form, protecting sunglasses and electronics well.

Ive been using this for over a week now and Ive really grown to like it. At first, I had a few issues with it b/c its thin (by design) and theres no real room to spare. However it really does have the space you need, even if you have several peripherals, you just need to pack it differently than wider backpacks. To put it in perspective, I keep my IBM Thinkbad, a logitech trackball, a hyperdrive USB hub and a 1TB usb Drive, along with the charger and cable. In addition I keep a few pens, business cards . The outer pocket has one seperater in it and lets you pack away pens, business cards, a few extra phone charging cables and small items. Its great. Also, the outer part of it is reinforced so its quite strong (but also padded so that you get a good bit of extra protection without having to worry about it being too rigid. You can slide your computer in the primary pouch and unless you have an oversized laptop itll probably be just fine. Id recommend just double checking the size before ordering. It also has two pockets on the sides that will let you keep your chargers, USB drives, extra cables and the like. Once you get used to it, you can quickly pack and unpack it very quickly. In addition, Id just note a few general items about it. The zippers are really strong but they are still easy to open and close. They are really strong. There are four pockets outside of the primary one but they have compartments in two of them to let you keep things organized. Its thin compared to most backpacks but the straps are very sturdy and are really comfortable. It took a little getting used to it but Ive really been glad I switched.

This is a sturdy and well protected backpack. It will keep your tech safe. However, it doesn’t have much adjustability. So, if you need to put your camera in here, too bad. It really only fits flat tech and maybe a couple of books. The capacity is pretty low. If I’m only carrying my laptop, iPad, phone, and planner— all is fine. If I need more, it just doesn’t work.

This THULE backpack delivers incredible quality, most notably the laptop area and the crush proof compartment. Lots of very well thought out features. The more you use it the more you discover. Once you have a THULE backpack it is hard to imagine living without one.

Compared to other 30L backpacks I have, this does not hold anywhere near the amount of stuff. An Underarmour Huey (30L) backpack literally holds 2X the stuff. The water bottle pouches on this Thule are small and it is near impossible to zip up the water bottle pouch with an actual water bottle in it. if you have your bag full, forget about it. If you want a small 30L bag. this this one if for you. You will be forced to be a minimalist.

Love these back packs. Had a previous Thule and that went to Arctic circle and back multiple times with me. The only reason I changed was because the zipper handles were plastic and broke off after about 4 years. Would highly recommend!

Lets cut to the chase - this is a solid, well designed backpack that rocks. I researched a ton of backpacks that have a structured exterior style and after owning this one for about a year, it has not disappointed. I dont write a ton a reviews but feel I had to on this one. It wears well for a tall guy and it has a padded back that makes it comfortable for wearing a long period of time. You can really fit a lot of stuff into 4 zippered areas. I was concerned the 30L would be too big for under the airplane seat in front of you, but this has been the best aspect fo the bag. It fits under the seat perfectly and when you pull it out to access items, all 4 zippers are easily accessible. Also the water bottle sleeve on the side and wallet/keys sleeve on the other side are pretty handy. And lastly, yes...it is durable. I wore it at Disney with all my familys stuff (4 water bottles, ponchos, spray fan, snacks, change of kid clothes, cell phone chargers, etc) and when I loaded onto the Space Mountain ride, I put it between my legs figuring it would be fine. About halfway through, a sharp dip and tight turn, and that sucker flew right out! I definitely heard it hit some metal bars or some sort of scaffolding. Not a good feeling to lose it, but they found it the next day and when I picked it up from lost and found, no scratches, and all items inside were intact. Pretty good stress test!

I bought this bag to use as my carry on bag and for day trips. The color I bought is absolutley beautiful and they thought of everything. The quality of this bag is astounding. Extremely well made. Has the pockets in exactly the correct places and the padding and zippers are all of extremely high quality. I own another Thule and have had it for many years. I have taken it all over the world. I also used it as my carry on and for day trips. That one was also very well made. In fact, it is indestructible. The old one was a bit more bendable and soft, but I have had it for years. I just received this one it so it may soften up with use. Overall, this is a terrific product and you will never find a better made pack. If I were a student I would buy this. You would never need another bag for your whole college career. As parent it would make a fabulous gift for a student and would also prevent them from damaging their expensive lap tops and electronics. Especially since we likely we have paid them all. It would be a great way to protect your investment. I highly recommend and I would look would look no further. Safe Travels!

On paper, this backpack has most of everything I wanted. I wanted the protective case for my glasses, a luggage sleeve and a water bottle area sturdy enough for my Hydroflask. I ordered the blue and the color is perfect. The bag is sturdy - too sturdy. I had a difficult time putting my glasses in the protective case, let alone my phone. I had a difficult time opening the bag to get things out of it. And the luggage sleeve - it was such a snug fit over my suitcase handle that it took 2 hands and some struggle to get it off. Perhaps it will take some time to soften the fabric, but I dont want to wait months. I am returning my 30L Thule and having to resume my search.