Wenger Synergy Laptop Backpack, Fits 16 Inch Laptop, Men's and Women's Laptop Bag, Black/Grey

This so far has been the best backpack I have ever purchased. And this particular brand of backpack has a small following at my local college. My friend had purchased the "pegasus" version of this backpack, which is intended for 17" laptops and is almost identical to this one. I really liked the design styles on the backpack. I appreciate when something I use every day is built with quality because the last thing I need is for it to break down. I like that the handle on the top of the bag is actually a steel cable that is bolted to the material of the bag. It's covered in a plastic sleeve and a padded handle so that it's also comfortable to lift the bag from that durable handle. That has to be the most durable handle I've ever seen. A steel cable is overkill, but I like overkill. There are pockets out the wazoo on this thing and I'm not sure if that's a bonus to you, but it's a bonus to me. Lets see if I can recount all the pockets. There's the back-most pocket which is intended for storing the laptop. There is a padded sleeve inside the backpack to which you slide your laptop into, you can then strap the laptop more securely into the sleeve using an elastic Velcro strap. This brings me to my first and only gripe about the backpack. An acquaintance of mine has an older model of this backpack and the strap for securing the laptop in the sleeve actually has a very durable plastic clip. This model uses Velcro instead of a clip. Personally I would prefer the clip since Velcro only has a limited lifetime and also likes to cling to dust and other debris, and that bothers me. Even still, I could care less. If the Velcro strap becomes a problem I'll just cut it off and do without. There is an additional mesh pocket in the rear-most laptop pocket which is seems like it's intended for pencils or something but I use it to store my full-size desktop mouse as well as a USB flash drive for use with my laptop. There is a small amount of extra room in that pocket which can be utilized for a small - medium folder or perhaps 1 large textbook or two small textbooks. It's really up to you. I use it to hold a single small textbook which I actually keep inside of a bubble-wrap envelope to protect the edges. The next pocket as you move forward is a very small ( yet cozy ) pocket. The fabric inside that pocket is a red color and it also appears padded. This pocket is intended for an mp3 player but since it's about 7 inches deep you could even put a small cdplayer in there with extra cd's. I mainly use this pocket to hold my business cards, I put them inside the small sleeve intended for the mp3 player. I also store various drugs in there for easy access (OTC). P.S. this pocket is usually very skinny when your backpack is filled to capacity since there's no room for it to expand. The next pocket as you move forward to the front of the bag is the main pocket. This pocket is massive and this is pretty much the only pocket you have for storing your school supplies other than that rearmost laptop pocket. There's a small padded flap in there that you can either put up ( to make the bag appear slimmer ) or put it down ( to widen the pocket and provide a more stable base to keep it from toppling over ) I personally cram my backpack to capacity so this flap is always down. I keep 4 1" folders in there and 3 small manilla envelops filled with paperwork. Those three together come to about 1/2 inch. And I still have room for a large textbook. If I were to put in a large textbook,( for example a biology textbook ) I would expect that this pocket would no longer be able to fit any more stuff. However inside this pocket there is a rather large mesh pocket. I have no idea what you're supposed to store in it. I leave it empty, and if your backpack was stuffed to capacity it probably wouldn't be of much use. But if your a slim backpack type student I'm sure you can make use of it for something. There is also a sleeve in the back of the main pocket which I use to hold my three manilla envelopes separate from the rest of the cavity. Moving forward from the main pocket there is a smaller sized ( cozy pocket ) I say it's cozy since I love sliding my hand into it and filling the smooth cold fabric which is thick so it appears padded. I'm not sure what you could store in this pocket. Some spare papers or another manilla envelope type object. It's a very thin pocket. More like a sleeve with a zipper top. I use this pocket to store additional drugs (OTC). Moving forward from that there's the "main utility/pencil/calculator" pouch. I'm not sure what to call it but that's where I keep my pencils erasers and whiteout. Inside of that pouch theres a zippered sleeve in which I keep my spare erasers, three-hole-punch-paper-reinforcing-stickers, and also all the warranty cards for the backpack. I use the mesh sleeve to hold my pencils and pens. (Note: there are no pencil sleeves. You know, the kind that hold like a single pencil or pen. Personally I'm kind of happy about that since I usually carry like 5 pens and two pencils.) The mesh sleeve is ideal for it since it provides room for about a dozen pen/pencils and they can all clip onto it and stay put very well. There's a clip in there you can use to store your keys, so they don't stab your leg through your inferior pocket. There's a couple of knife-holder pockets in here as well. One of them I use to store a utility-knife/needle-nose-plier. Another I use to store 4 of the fate dry-erase markers. Most the other tiny sleeves in there I leave empty since they seem to be meant for business/credit cards/ids and I don't need those since I have a wallet. P.S. this is a padded pocket as well. Moving forward one last time there's another smaller pocket which is also padded which I don't use for anything. Now on each side right and left there are two sleeve pockets. 1 zippered sleeve pocket and then over that one there's a mesh sleeve. I don't use the mesh sleeves for anything except sometimes those travel-size kleenix pouches. The zippered sleeve on the right I use to store my laptops charging cable. And the zippered sleeve on the left I use to store my Ti-84 Graphic calculator. So all in all there's 9 zippered pockets if you don't count the mesh ones and there are 11 zippered pockets if you do count the zippered mesh pockets. and many more than that if you count all the sleeves. I use to carry 2 backpacks. Now I carry 1 backpack! This purchase was extremely worth it for that reason alone. Padding out the wazoo. Pockets out the wazoo. Durable to last to... the wazoo. Highly recommended.

I bought this backpack in February 2007 when I was in school doing my Masters. I needed a bag which can hold my 15.4" Vaio with extended battery (total weight ~ 6 lb), 1-2 textbooks and 1-2 notebooks. And also some stationary and all stuff. I did not have any other gadgets at that time. :( First Impression: - When I received this backpack I was completely amazed by the build quality. There are gazillion pockets and each of them are designed and placed very thoughtfully. - Separate compartment for laptops has sturdy pocket to protect the laptop and there is a small pocket to hold all the power cables of the laptop. The strap on the laptop pocket holds laptop securely in place. - The back side of the backpack is designed very well for the air ventilation when you are carrying it. The cushions on the back are so comforting and will never make you feel like you are carrying so much of weight. - The shoulder straps are fully adjustable and also has cushion on them. - The main compartment can hold a big (really big!!) book (or 2 medium books). It has a pocket to hold some loose papers or notebooks. - Then there are on big, one medium and one small compartment for stationary and stuff. In the medium compartment there are again a few pockets and compartments to keep things organized. - There are two side pockets to hold water bottles, coffee cups, etc. - Right beneath the handle of the bag there is one compartment for MP3 player or smartphone. You can leave your phone, player inside and run the headphones through the designated headphone hole. It was amazing thing in 2007 :) How I used it for over 5 years: - I was doing my masters when I bought this and my primary use of this was to carry books and laptop. - As I started using it, I realized how much this backpack can hold. After a few months I saw myself stuffing it with all kinds of things. On a typical school day you would find: Textbooks, laptop, a notebook, a lot of stationary (around 25 pens and pencils ;) ), 2 flash drives, a diary, a water bottle, a soda bottle, some snack (chips or something), hot chocolate powder and few other things. I can say this: If I were to lost in a jungle, I would easily survive few days there. You get the point. - My current use excludes some food items and textbooks but includes few other gadgets like tablet, hard drive, headphones, etc. - Overall after 5 years it's still going solid. This backpack is the sturdiest from every angle and at every inch of it. The zippers are same as they were in 2007. Not a single thread or anything has come off of the backpack. It looks as if I have just bought it. (Well I take care of my stuff pretty well so that counts too) Only thing I wish I could change: - The only thing I wish I could change is the look when I am carrying it. Because it's able to hold these many things, the backpack has a wide base. So that it stands on its base. So when I am carrying it, it won't look too cool like some other backpacks. It's simply designed that way so that one can stuff whatever is needed. So unless you are looking for a cool looking backpack this is the BESTEST backpack you will ever buy. Price: - When I was thinking of buying a good backpack I researched for 1-2 months and decided to buy this backpack. Then I watched its price for another 2 months and it never fluctuated a bit. I bought it for 60 bucks in 2007 and I was watching the price even all these years. It is always varying between 50 - 60. So trust me on this one. Price is not going to go down dramatically one morning even if it has a newer model. Conclusion: - If you are like me who needs a backpack which is solid in design, holds a small studio inside and lasts forever in commute, I have two words for you: BUY IT!!

I'll admit, I was skeptical about buying another "laptop backpack" after my old Northface backpack nearly crushed my laptop. But after scrolling past a dozen or so glowing reviews on this site, all praising this bag for its functionality and, not to mention, adequate padding, I knew I had to give it a shot. I purchased it in early august of this year, and all I can say is that it DELIVERS. I can't express how much I love this bag- but since there are already 326 reviews here, I'd assume that most of what I will say has already been said. So to avoid redundancy, I'll just mention several features of this bag that I absolutely cannot live without. 1.The sexy top pouch. This is the most easily accessible pocket located on the very top of the bag, and it has saved me from having to search my bag every time for things that I frequently use. I keep a small moleskin notebook to record assignments, and in the past I've always dumped the notebook into my old north face bag along with all my other textbooks, and I've lost count of how many times I've had to completely unload my entire bag just to find the damn thing. I also use a wireless mouse for my laptop, so before I got the synergy backpack, I couldn't really put it anywhere except my coat pockets without crushing it. Now, I just drop it into the pouch along with my pens, notebooks, and everything else that I need easy access to. I love it. 2.Laptop compartment I look for two things in a bag. If it's a backpack, it sure has hell better be able to hold on to my 14.5 inch HP pavilion, and it better be able to do so without crushing it under the full weight of my business law textbooks. Sadly, I discovered one morning that my old northface backpack could only do the holding part, when I found my laptop screen flickering black and white. I had the bag all throughout highschool(without a laptop), so it was tough to let it go. But I did it, and it was the best decision I've ever made. The Synergy backpack has a elevated laptop compartment, so you can be sure that your laptop is safe even if you happen to accidentally drop your bag on the ground. Also, I found out that when you're wearing the backpack, there is a good amount of space between the laptop compartment and the back of the backpack. Why does this matter? Because I like leaning on places- walls, trees, bros, chicks. So unless there's some room between your back and the location of your laptop, leaning on anything can guarantee guarantee you a cracked screen. But because there's room, and a slight "tilt" on the bag that creates a nice separation between your back and your laptop,anytime you're leaning against the wall with your bag it pushes against your BOOKS first(or anything in the front compartment) before that force has a chance of reaching your precious PC or MAC. Finally, a bag I can trust in. Thanks Swiss!

I read hundreds of reviews for backpacks for my MacBook Pro 15". I bought this one after a lot of thought and comparison shopping. I've had it since May of '07. I've used it for two week-long trips on planes and with lots of walking. I've used it for a 12-day conference on Stanford University's beautiful campus where I walked to every class/course and dining halls and events, etc. Typically I was carrying my laptop, a binder of papers, a notebook, pens, laptop charger, a sweater, calculator, ipod, phone, a few books, and some junk I carry around because I think I need to be like a boyscout and always be prepared for everything. Other than that, I've also used it to carry around my son's sports gear during a 2-day tournament along with things I needed to survive the 2-day event. COMFORT Incredibly comfortable. I hate carrying stuff around and yes, slung over one shoulder this thing is heavy. It's a big sturdy, well-crafted, back pack. It expands to atleast twice it's depth and holds a ton of stuff. BUT, once you actually put it on your back and fasten it and size it properly, it really doesn't feel heavy at all. I've walked miles and miles comfortably with it stuffed full. BUILD Very well built. I don't intend on taking care of it either but it still looks like it'll last years and years. Strong seams. Every place where rubber meets fabric and the zippers sewn in look made to withstand abuse and stress. It also held my laptop in place nicely. The laptop isn't position right against your back or on the outside layer so it has protection just by the nature of the laptop placement in addition to the padding provided. LOOK Looks like the pics. :) FILLABILITY Pack this thing full! I can put a 3-day weekend's worth of clothes, including extra shoes, and my toiletries (no bigger than 3 oz for flying!), a nice camera, hair dryer, etc. It has nice compartments for little things and bigger things. Has a cool mesh net zipped compartment for cables and such, and a special place for your mp3 player with a notch for your headphones. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I've been surfing for months off and on for a good combination computer + general use backpack. I never seemed to find the right combination of features I wanted. The ones that had all the cool pockets and extra storage areas I like were backpacking models that lacked the good, well-padded computer compartments I needed... and vice versa. This one has it all, and at a very attractive price. PROS: - Good pull straps. - Outside pockets mesh on the bottom on both sides for water bottles, etc. - Extra low-silhouette deep outside pockets molded into both sides. - Hidden, half-height red-lined storage compartment up top for those little things you need fast. - Solid, well-padded body-molded straps - Padded buffers across the waist and shoulder-blade areas for heavy loads - Loops on the straps for glasses, earbud cords etc. - Solid, well-padded computer compartment - Additional middle compartment for extra items -- that makes 4 main compartments (not counting the hidden half-height quick-draw one on the top) - Very sturdy carry handle wrapped around metal cord core - Fold-down semi-rigid "floor" in middle compartment to create expanded area for extra large loads - Lots of small, well-organized mesh pockets through-out to hold all those little items that end up rolling around in the bottom of most backpacks CONS - It's a little large -- top to bottom, you'll need it for a 15" monitor. Front to back, because you really have 4 main pockets (I'm used to 3). All of which is to say, someone really thought about this baby. I even think maybe the designer(s) wore it around and used it for awhile (which too often seems like it's not the case with other backpacks that look great on the wall but are a disaster once you try to put them on and use them). So why are you still reading this? Don't hesitate -- buy it! ====== UPDATED REVIEW So after living with this for a few weeks, I have some additional thoughts. Mostly on the CON side. I use my backpacks to haul around a lot of stuff, including for my grocery shopping. I'm used to a 3-packet backpack with a large roomy main compartment. That's not this backpack. The main compartment is so narrow it's not going to fit much more than something laptop size. The "big" compartment size-wise is the second one (with the little fold-down floor), which is roomy front-to-back but a) not large top-to-bottom or around the edges because it falls well on the backward sloping curve of the the backpack and b) a little awkward because if you fill it up with stuff it places all that weight away from you. I really wish they had offered the fold-down floor option on the main compartment, in case you had a lot of big stuff.

This backpack is amazing. When you consider the price it's even more amazing. I got this backpack for school (college). And it works really well and is extremely comfortable. In the past I've usually just gone with your standard backpack, like jansport. Unlike any of those, this thing is solid. It retains it's shape. That's because the materials it is made of are heavy duty. You know how with other backpacks if nothing is in them they will slump over or fold in half? They seem like they're made from fabric. Well this thing is nothing like that. Whatever they make this thing out of is really solid and high quality. An example would be that this backpack can stand upright when it is completely empty. This helps protect the contents of the backpack from being damaged in anyway (normal ways at least). It also has this great laptop compartment, which can be taken out. This backpack has lots of space. It has a main compartment, and then a secondary compartment and then two smaller compartments on the back and two more smaller compartments on the side. AND another small compartment at the top of the bag. It also has to bottle holders, which is great. Just tons of space. Possibly the most comfortable backpack I've ever used. The padding on this backpack works really well. Much better than the competitors. Fully loaded it just feels like a really heavy pillow. It doesn't use gimmicky padding like other backpacks, where the straps have air pockets in them to make it look like it is comfy and turns out not to be. This thing is truly comfy. I haven't used any backpack that was even in the same league as this thing. Nothing can touch this.

This is simply the best backpack for regular airline travellers. Build: sturdy, thick nylon case. Easy to use, heavy-duty zippers with big clasps. A steel cable carrying handle, and wide, easy-on-the-shoulders straps. Comfort: excellent, especially with the width of the straps, their padding, and the design of the rear, which minimises the contact area with your back, thus making it cooler to carry for longer periods. The bag itself is not very heavy so does not contribute to the overall mass on your back. Storage: I am still finding pockets, to the point where I can forget where I put everything. I do not travel with a laptop, so I do not use the rear-most compartment save for extra clothing. It has good padding to protect a computer, but the main compartment is more than sufficient for a tablet. The best feature storage-wise is definitely the mini-pocket at the top of the bag, approximately 6 inches deep by 8 inches wide, which is perfect to fit your passport, watch, wallet etc for passing through multiple security checks, yet keeping it away from sticky fingers in the little plastic baskets supplied. There are also two water-bottle nets on the side, with two further deep pockets above them - I haven't figured out what will fit in there yet, so far gloves and scarf. Fit: fits under most airline seats (I have the 15"...the 17" may be bulkier) but really takes up all the room, so leg-room gets minimized. General: the bag has a flat-base so can be put down on the floor and won't topple over so waiting in lines are much easier if you wish to carry it by hand. Due care: it is a VERY popular bag so I suggest getting a very prominent tag or you could easily walk away with someone else's. Cons: Pricey, and the cost wildly varies from one store to the next. The website cost is about $20 more than Amazon, and Macy's had an inferior model for $40 more than that. To put a padlock on the zips is not as easy as they could be, and you will need a very thin lock if you do. Only the larger models have the feature to unzip the laptop-section all the way to the ground so the bag can be unfolded completely like a book, negating the need to remove you computer for scanning (supposedly).

I bought this SwissGear Backpack originally because I wanted something I could take with me to school, on trips, or anywhere else I needed to protect my laptop and carry additional items. I thought that the backpack would probably last a few years, but surprisingly enough I still use it today. I have always used it to carry a Macbook Pro 13" or a Macbook Air 13". Either one has fit with plenty of room. It could definitely fit a bigger and thicker laptop, but I've never owned one. I will also store my iPad in the main pocket as it has a thin flap that fits the iPad perfectly. The handle and straps always felt very secure and I never had a fear of them breaking to cause my laptop to drop and fall. From the long years of use, here is what I have come to like and dislike about the backpack. What I have liked: - It has a lot of pockets of various sizes for storage - It worked well for carrying a laptop plus multiple school items including several heavy books. - The structure and fabric quality is heavy duty, and I haven't had any of the sewn seams come apart. - The straps are adjustable and clip together to help balance a heavy backpack. - The side mesh pockets work well for easy access to a water bottle or drink. - The bottom includes a vinyl water proof material for protecting your laptop from ground moisture. - On the back of the laptop by the straps, it has extra padding to make it easier to carry. What I haven't liked: The quality has been good overall, but there are a few issues I've had with it over time - The front most pocket used to carry pens and pencils came apart probably 4 years into using it. It had troubles zipping before then, but stopped working altogether. The pocket just hangs open now. - The plastic clips that can be used on the straps to help with a heavy backpack seemed to break fairly easy. - The padding in the laptop storage area on the bottom seems a little thin. If you drop your laptop in and your backpack is resting on a hard area, it will hit pretty hard. You just have to ensure you carefully place it in rather than drop it in. The padding front to back is great though for protecting your laptop. Other than the front pocket zipper coming apart, after 8 years of using it you wouldn't know that it's 8 years old. There are no major snags, tears, or wear to make it look like an old backpack. It's been great and I still use it today.