Osprey Arcane Large Laptop Backpack

PROS: Looks sharp and beautiful, lovely branding Really nice materials, feel nice to the hand, super robust Very well made, rugged Well padded Just-right capacity for less-stuff people (if used with a separate lunch bag) CONS/NEUTRAL: Metal slide on the shoulder strap scratched the glass on my smart watch Key tether is on the wrong side where its covered by stuff in bag, and where you cant use it without taking your keys off Your stuff can fall out of the organization panel pockets if you set the bag on its back Organization panel is often covered by stuff in the bag, to see it you have to unzip the main zipper to the point your stuff in the main compartment starts to fall out Zipper flap over front pocket gets pulled tight when bag is full, hard to see in or access pocket contents Zipper doesnt go down far enough and opens further on the wrong side Water bottle pocket kind of stinks and is on the wrong side Theres only one water bottle pocket so the backpack is heavier on one side The fabric is a lint magnet, dog hair poked through fabric and wont come out Flat profile means its best for things like binders and notebooks, otherwise you have to stack everything Unisex but still too long for short-torso people, shoulders hurt because the back of the bag is rigid and causes strain if I tighten the shoulder straps enough that the bag doesnt hit my butt Minimal organization with kind of odd pocket sizing/placement No closure on laptop compartment so laptop can slip out, and you cant hang a hydration bladder I tried to carry this bag for a few months. It looked so cool, I liked looking at it. I just enjoyed it as a physical object. But packing it and finding stuff again were too awkward, and it was uncomfortable to wear. I also couldnt wear my smart watch with it because every time I slid my arm in, my wrist would drag over the metal slide on the shoulder strap, which damaged my watch the very first time I did that. I would have to loosen and tighten the strap every time I take it off to avoid that. Its easier to get a nice bag with plastic slides and better pockets.

The laptop sleeve and tablet sleeve should be made with stretchy material to allow snug, but adjustable usage, rather than the tight fit offered. It would also be nice if the right shoulder strap also had a stretchy pocket, like the left shoulder strap.

I commute every day and have reviewed 6 or 7 different backpacks during my daily commute. Ive found that none meet every need but some meet niche needs very well and this is one of those. This backpack is relatively small- it holds a laptop and a few smaller items with a small organizer area for pens/keys/etc. It is relatively basic but is made very well and has the Osprey quality Ive come to know and expect. Additionally, this bag looks great and is incredibly comfortable. Even with my large (heavy) laptop, the shoulder strap is comfortable and fits very well worn either on one shoulder or both. This is not a great bag for a large carry-on or if you need to carry a lot of stuff; however, for a small, minimal type bad, this is a great backpack and I highly recommend it.

Love this backpack! Able to fit my laptop in the fitted pouch and then plenty of room for paperwork and binder! This looks awesome too! Love this purchase!

Overall 4.5 stars - Stonewash black 0.5 star down due to material of backpack: picks up lint easily, and easily marks. I attached a photo where you can see a slight white area on the fabric created by me gently trying to rub/brush some lint off. I was doing this with clean hands, but it was over a charging cable I had placed in the external pocket. Similar to when you are shading with a pencil over something and get that outline / indentation of what’s underneath your piece of paper. Otherwise, great backpack, very sleek/compact, and very comfortable. Exactly what I expected and was looking for (functionally). I was looking for a slim, nice looking backpack with the functionality and space for a daily bag for work, carry-on, and/or as a diaper bag! I have used this backpack for the past 2 weeks, both to work and as a diaper bag. I tend to carry more on the minimalist side of things, and when not overly full, this backpack looks and feels great. For the sake of this review and photos, I tried to fill the bag up to show what can fit. Even then, it was still very comfortable, definitely did not feel the weight like I would when using any other backpack I own. I think this is due to the how little this protrudes away from your back, and the ridged foam back panel that gives it a nice flat surface that comfortably rests on your back. (pic of empty backpack staying flat when I’m holding it up horizontally) Photos are for size and volume. I do not have the best lighting, and the backpack looks much nicer in person. Also, in most photos, I left the water bottles in the outer pocket, which gives makes the backpack look uncharacteristically lumpy. I personally like the J-zip opening, and I do not find it difficult to access everything in my bag. Its actually easier/quicker to open the bag since I know exactly where the zippers will be (if zipped to the water-bottle side). I could see it being an issue for a larger backpack. Inner organization is great: Large padded laptop sleeve ends ~1 inch higher than the bottom of the backpack to help protect it if you are a bit rough when setting your backpack down. The document sleeve is perfect for my iPad. The zippered compartment is nice for thin items (cords, small chargers, etc). This spans the width of the document sleeve, so there is still space within the zippered compartment behind the pen holder and adjacent pocket. I wouldn’t put anything thicker than ~3/4” to 1” or so, because then any folders/binders/books won’t lay flat against the back. Outer pocket is much larger than I thought, and the space above the zipper is usable (see photo). I put 2x 17oz water bottles in the pocket to show the size. Water bottle side pocket is nice and feels very secure - no more worrying that my bottle is going to fall out when bending down to pick something up. It’s large enough to fit my 24oz water bottle if needed. If the backpack is not completely full, the bottle has a tendency to push into the large compartment space instead of outwards, which allows the bag to keep that slick / smooth look. Might need two hands to put a large water bottle in the pocket when the backpack is full due to the tight fit. My wife has one of the popular diaper backpacks, and they just have way too many pockets and compartments for my liking. I like to take a more minimalist and streamlined approach. This bag works great for my diaper bag needs. School/work bag: easily fits my 15” MacBook pro, 11” Pad pro, both chargers/cords, pens, AirPods, backup headphones, 2x 5/8” ring binders, 2x 60 sheet National Chemistry notebooks (as seen in photos). I threw my Nintendo Switch (in case) inside the backpack to show the remaining room. Even after that, I could still fit a compact umbrella and a thin / light jacket if needed. Diaper bag: This fit everything I need for now (baby is 2 months old). Because it’s basically one large compartment - I do use packing cubes / bags to help keep myself organized (color-coding helps too). I easily fit: travel changing pad, 5x size 1 diapers, full pack of 56 wipes, my “go bag” which includes 2x size 1 diapers and 10 wipes for quick diaper changes, 2x 3month sized change of clothes, 1x burp cloth, 1x bib, 1x blanket, 1x pacifier in pacifier case, hand sanitizer, roll of disposable trash bags, and a few ziplock bags. Although not pictured, I can still throw in 1-2 bottles of breast milk in an insulated case, with spare room for a small umbrella and/or light jacket. I imagine the carabiner on the right shoulder strap could come in handy to secure it to a chair or stroller when out in public and not wearing it on my back.

I was expecting that it will have more space. The bags looks really nice and quality product from Osprey.

Sturdily built backpack. Feels good on your back with plenty of padding. The padded compartments give me a good feeling that my electronic devices will be protected! Got a few compliments on its appearance as well!

I love the organization and pockets in this backpack. It’s not too bulky and looks very nice. I got the osprey large pouch and it fits perfectly in the second pocket. The support foam on the back is surprisingly good at keeping the pack upright.

Love Osprey gear for hiking, but also don’t like to carry hiking gear to the office. This bag is sharp and perfect for a commute by really distributing weight easily. Fits my 16” MacBook Pro like a glove.

Bought this backpack for my wife. She loved everything about it. The color, the compartments, and how slim it looked. Unfortunately, we returned the backpack due to how uncomfortable the shoulder straps were. The material between the two shoulder straps the area directly behind your neck dug into her neck way too much. It made the backpack extremely uncomfortable to wear, with or without items inside the backpack.