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

This fits my 15 inch laptop comfortably in its own compartment. I also have a legal sized portfolio that fits comfortably in another compartment. Then there is a 3rd (main) compartment. This main compartment has various pockets for various small things like pens, pocket knives, erasers, and what-not. There are a couple of zippered pockets inside. I wish more of these pockets had zippers or Velcro closures. The only thing that has cause me real problems is the pocket for your music device/cell phone. This pocket is inside the main compartment near the top center, near the cable exit hole/flap. My MP3 player is tiny and its clip does not grip well on the smooth slippery material. My player has slipped up and out of the pocket a couple of times. I thought I lost my MP3 player, but I found it later that evening at the bottom of the main compartment. After this happened twice, I just decided to stop using that pocket for anything. It would be nice if there was some sort of grippy/rubber/textured material inside the pocket, or there was a strap, or a zipper, or a flap held shut with Velcro, or some sort of closure to help secure ones device in this pocket. That handle on top of the bag feels beefy and securely attached. The padding in the straps could be more substantial. Although I have a complaint about the MP3/Phone pocket, I am still giving this 5 stars because everything else about this bag is awesome.

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.

I have been using this backpack for almost a year now and I am really happy with the purchase. Swiss Gear makes great backpacks and is well worth spending the extra money to have a durable backpack that will last you for a very long time. I can manage to fit a lot of things in it without any issue for school or when I am going out on a trip. There is a lot of space and can put an extra laptop or device in it. There are plenty of compartments to it.

This backpack was exactly what i wanted. The construction is very sturdy; it seems like a very well made backpack. I have carried my laptop plus several textbooks to school; this pack has taken lots of very heavy loads and havent seen any tearing issues at all. I have a 17 inch laptop, it fits a bit snug but it fits. Theres only 2 minor things i dont like about this pack. There is no foam or padding to protect the bottom of the backpack, so dont slam it straight down when youre carrying your laptop. Also, I bought TSA approved locks at the same time so i can lock my laptop; dont bother as each zipper lining only has one zipper not doubled, so you cant lock it. This is the only reason i am deduction 1 star

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.

Been very happy with this bag. its a good size for a laptop computer, and has a nice padded compartment against your back for carrying the computer. I find the side-opening zipper of the computer compartment convenient and easy for slipping my iBook in and out. There is enough space in the other compartments to store cord/charger, thumb drives, and assorted things like pens and notebook. I especially like the sturdy top handle for carrying the bag in hand, rather than on my back. The one complaint I have about carrying it this way, however, is the length of the straps. The adjustment straps for the shoulders are long enough that when I carry the bag using the handle, they drag on the ground. There is no place to secure them other than maybe knotting them around each other. But in that case, you cant really fling the bag over the shoulder. The bag is a little bit on the heavy side - but this is a byproduct of the sturdy build. The zippers have functioned well, and overall, the bag is comfortable on the back, or in hand. I feel that the computer is protected and secure. And it doesnt really look like anything other than a knapsack, so presumably, not a target for would-be thieves. Like the size. Big enough to carry the stuff I carry when carrying my laptop, and has enough space to bring along other necessities when traveling on a plane as a small carry-on. But not so big that it becomes cumbersome.

I have been using this backpack for about an year now and personally, its an amazing backpack for me. I was in school when I bought this and now I am working, so it has seen all kinds loads from just a tablet in it to a overload of camping items. The bag kind of has only one useful big area to keep your books and stuff. The laptop zip can fit a 15.6 inch laptop (Mine is a 15.6 Lenovo Ideapad). But anything bigger than that will not fit. It has a very convenient welcrove supported holder for the laptop. I have used this bag to overload it with items while I was relocating, so having a smartscan zip was very convenient in the airport. Whatever is grey in front, glows in the dark, so it works as a reflector if you use a bike to commute. Overall, I am very happy with the bag and the load it can take.

I cant tell you how excited I am this bag is in the Gold Box on Amazon! Totally getting a new one despite trepidation to retire the old one... I travel a lot and have had a bag nearly identical to this model 1923 for a while. Its been all over the USA and throughout the World with me. It is not only incredibly durable but has easy to reach pockets for everything. The ScanSmart is great for airports who allow it. The trim is reflective which am pretty sure saved my butt when I was walking through a back alley in France last month... blasted scooters. This bag has stories, many stories. Its the most interesting bag in the world and has been the best backpack Ive ever owned. After years of severe abuse; here are my notes on this bag: Note: I give this 5 stars on account of the fact that its outlasted any other bag Ive owned: Pros: Durability: Seriously, over 150k miles Ive traveled with this bag... Its still intact. And I didnt buy it, I found it on the side of a rubbish bin full of junk from China. So yeah, dont judge me for dumpster diving when I saw something I knew would be awesome, despite its likely use in an Asian drug deal or hostage exchange! It gained a new life as my travel companion. The Small top/outer pocket: This little bugger will hold 82 Euro in change with room for train tickets and is still so easy to get to you can grab a Euro on the fly without removing the pack and the zipper prevents loss of contents. (Actual reach ability will vary on your flexibility and length of arms) Airflow: It didnt make my back all sweaty carrying it all day on a hot late spring afternoon wandering the streets in Amsterdam. Its also very comfortable to wear and didnt give me trouble despite many long walks and hikes including a 35 km jaunt around Paris holding 2 days worth of clothes, trinkets, laptop and a large camera. Pockets galore: The little pocket inside, labeled as an MP3 pocket is a flap pocket that very nicely holds anything you want to get at easily... such as headphones like I use it for. Especially useful when in tight spaces like a tiny plane seat where disturbing the large smelly man asleep next to you on an Inter-European commuter flight could result in disastrous consequences. Yet another time this bag likely saved my life. Rugged handle: The Handle at the top is not only useful for lifting the bag and easily retrieving it from overhead bins, It will save your life by providing something for someone to grab onto when you slip on a gangplank exiting a channel ferry in Belgium and prevent you from entering cold icy waters of the Rhine in mid winter. Cons: Zippers: While the actual pulls are metal and will last a million years the tracks are plastic, very durable but after an encounter with a rogue hatch on a train in Germany, the zipper on one of the pockets would stick on the track. This was abuse, not manufacturing defect. Any other bag would have be unusable at that point, I just stopped opening the pocket all the way until it finally came undone in LA leaving only one of the two pulls on the track. (Looking forward to the new one to use that pocket again!) Inside Liner: After its encounter with a garbage bin which brought this pack to me, I had to wash it. The inside lining of the bag came apart. Maybe a toss through the industrial dryer on high wasnt a good idea despite the germ/smell killing benefits. If you get dumpster residue on yours; it will take a wash, just hang it up to dry as I did on subsequent washes. (Its endured at least 3 washing machine visits since Ive had it) Bottle Pockets: The mesh pockets on the side are great but the elastic will fail eventually and cause you to lose your water bottle somewhere in Paris and leave you parched after that amazing ham and cheese street-crepe, curse you worn out elastic. The above mentioned dryer encounter likely didnt help the elasticity. Summary: Buy this bag! It will save your life several times and endure some of the most harsh beatings you could ever imagine while containing all of your vital travel items and mementos on the way and at the same time protecting your laptop. I hope the new one will accumulate as many stories and adventures as the old one has.

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.

After many types of messenger bags I decided to switch out to a backpack for a lot of my work. I did some research online, checked out the reviews and decided on this SwissGear SA 1923. Good bag. its a very well made back and so far has held up to a lot of my punishment. Its easy to sling over my shoulder and when I have to carry something large I can wear it proper and not worry about it slipping off. It has ample storage space and a lot of compartments to store the odd bits. In the main computer compartment I store my Lenovo 14 laptop. The only addition I did was put a piece of foam at the bottom of the compartment from a Targus bag to keep the bumps from hurting anything. The bag is made to TSA specs so the next set of zippers inwards will cleave the backpack in two. In normal mode it allows me to store my iPad or bluetooth keyboard in a webbed compartment. Oh, quick hint. At the top, where all these zippers meet, theres a loop where I put a carabiner. All these zippers have a hole at the end where theyll easily fit onto a small carabiner. Do this or the weight of the laptop will pull the zipper down. No problem unless youre wearing the backpack, driving down the road on your motorcycle. VERY close call. Side pockets allow me to separate out my AC adapter and small amount of tools. Theres a large central compartment for my notebook (paper) and iPad and a front pouch that gathers all of my other bits and pieces. Oh yeah, theres a top front pocket, by the handle, thats perfect to hold quick to get at items. Great for drink mixes or granola bars. The material seems tough, it stores a lot of my junk and is pretty easy to carry around. Exactly why I purchased it. Easy to carry by the handle as well as one or both shoulder straps. Plenty of pockets and carabiner attachment points. And, is TSA compliant. But why not 5 stars? I only had two problems with this bag, both relatively minor. First, it will fall FLAT ON ITS FACE! The way the bag is made causes the bag to flop over onto its face no matter how its loaded. Not really a problem but I like to put my bag down so I can get at the pockets and the first time I did this it took a header off a chair and crashed onto a concrete floor. Kind of a pain to always have to hide away the pockets when you put it down. Second complaint is the lack of storage for small items. I have a lot of cables, adapters, and other small do-dads. There really isnt a good small item dividers. Like I said, small complaint but important to me. Ive gotten around it by purchasing other small zippered storage bags that I can stuff into the larger compartments. All in all a good bag. Glad I purchased it and would recommend to others but with those two caveats.