SwissGear SA1923 ScanSmart Black Backpack

Perfect for my Sony Vaio 16.4" laptop (2010-08-23) Rating: 5/5
I have a Sony Vaio VPCF111FX/B 16.4" laptop, and I've been looking at this backpack ($79 at Best Buy) and the Swiss Gear Ibex backpack ($99 at Best Buy). I've been to other stores and even online stores and couldn't find many backpacks that can hold a laptop larger than 15" that didn't cost me an arm and a leg. I was lucky to run across this at Sam's of all places (and for only $42/incl tax!). And although it is large enough to hold up to 17" laptop, this isn't extremely large to lug around. It is sturdy but light, and fit quite nicely under the seat of the airplane.

I realized how great the fold-out feature of the backpack is when i flew recently, all I had to do was unzip the backpack and it unfolds nearly in half for screening of the laptop without having to remove it from the backpack. The backpack is comfortable to wear, however I would have put more padding on the shoulder straps, they seem kind of flat to me. The laptop goes in a side entry rather than through the top, a feature I've never had on a backpack before but have found to actually be more convenient.

All in all, 5/5. (Before you buy though, make sure to shop around and see what deals you can find on this! Good luck!)
Best one out there (2010-08-10) Rating: 5/5
I have had it for 2 years now and it is still in allmost perfect condition other the the normal wear and tear. My 15 inch laptop fits perfectly but I dont think a 17 inch will fit inside well. I have allso used this for schooling.
Nice and Big! (2010-07-20) Rating: 5/5
I have one of these laptop backpacks. Actually the reviews here sound like we are talking about two different models that are very similar. Mine matches the pictures exactly, although it was purchased at a brick-and-mortar store.

This bag fits my 17" laptop easily. It is nice that it has a separate laptop section. The laptop goes in the back pocket, closest to your back. The next pocket is actually a huge storage compartment that will easily hold 2" binders. I can fit another laptop (15") and a small printer in this compartment. Of course, I don't usually carry around two laptops on my back, but when traveling by car I let this be my "computer suitcase".

The backpack I have has the internal wiring and the headphone jack on one of the straps -- not a headphone slot-thru like some have described. I do not use the headphone wiring so cannot comment on it.

The water bottle pockets on the sides are a great feature. They hold the big water bottles (1 liter) and are sturdy. There is also a cinch strap that I use to secure the water bottles in place. It works great with the shaped water bottles.

The back and shoulder straps are well-padded. This is a comfy bag to carry, even though it is so huge it is easy to pack it really heavy.

This bag seems to wear very well. I have been using mine for two years and it is not showing any signs of wear so far.

One thing I have noticed is that the zippers aren't the smoothest zipping ones - of course, that might be because they are very heavy duty zippers and have large teeth. I haven't ever had trouble with them, just noticed they aren't super-smooth.
Great Backpack (2010-07-20) Rating: 5/5
I have had this backpack for 3 months now and I absolutley love it. It has plenty of room for my 15.4inch screened Dell laptop. It has tons of space and I mean tons, the thing has room enough for shoes if you need. The side pockets are nice for your brick laptop charger and it even has a cup holder on the side that comes in handy for a water battle holder. So far the only drawbacks I have had is it doesent offer best in class protection for your laptop in a severe drop situation and it may be too big for some people. I have gotten many compliments on it, a friend bought the same one and it has room enough for his 17 inch Toshiba laptop. He also uses it for a travel carry on and diaper bag! I would recomend this backpack to anyone.
very versatile (2010-07-13) Rating: 4/5
I've owned a number of bags, and this is more than a laptop backpack. Nice weight,strong construction, and lots of different size compartments add to the versatility. This is a longtime keeper.