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

I read many of the reviews and decided to buy it in the end when there was a great deal on it for over half off. ($59) I have actually seen the price on this fluctuate before so I just waited and hoped it would go back down... And to my luck it did after a few months. As many other owners of this bag have said, I agree that it is probably the nicest backpack that I have ever owned. The material that it is made out of is thick and seems very durable, it has metal pull tabs, and is well sewn for a sturdy product. It is also sturdy enough to stand upright on its own when I set it down, which is nice in my opinion. The handle at the top seems to be made of quality, hard rubber and is extra reinforced to ensure it can stand up to heavy loads. The material seems to be very water resistant. I tested this by making puddles of water on the fabric to see if it would absorb it. After a several minutes, the puddle remained and the inside was dry. I did this with the padded parts too which do absorb water, but even so, after minutes of letting the pool of water sit in the drenched fabric, the water still was unable to penetrate through to the inside. I went further and tested the inside lining and it seems even more water resistant than the outside material. I don't say that any of this is water proof because after wiping up the puddles, the fabric remains slightly damp (the inside lining was nearly dry) but the fact it is able of hold a puddle of water for a long period of time without getting through the other side proves it is difficult for water to penetrate all the way through. Therefore, I trust that it would hold up in rain just fine. I can't accurately test if water will easily seep through other parts of the bag (zippers, seams, etc... Just don't go swimming with it) but I know water won't be getting through the material itself. The only part of the bag I'd be concerned of water getting through to the inside is the side pockets as there are ventilation holes, but other than that I'd say this bag is weather resistant. Wearing this backpack is very comfortable, with ample padding for the back and well fitting straps, I can imagine I will rarely feel too uncomfortable wearing it for long periods of time. I can feel the gap that they leave open along my spine which allows me to assume it does actually let air flow through keeping my back cool, which I look forward to as my back tends to sweat a lot while wearing backpacks. The adjustment straps are also easy to pull because of the plastic loops they added to the end of them, making it easy to tighten and loosen while wearing it. The shoulder straps have a few extra loops for accessories as well. The one loop on the left shows that it is for sunglasses. There are two towards the top of each shoulder strap with an image of arrows pointing up and down... I don't know what these are made for. There seems to be a lot of discrepancy in the size of laptop this bag can hold so I would like to try and clear this up. The bag actually comes with a tag saying it is made for a 17" laptop. Laptops, televisions, and most other things with digital screens are typically measured diagonally. That being said, it holds my 17" (14.75" x 9.5" x 1.125") laptop just fine with quite a bit of room to spare (about 2" of extra space on both top and side). The padding is nice around the sides and top of the laptop, but just like some other reviews, I feel there isn't much padding on the bottom (most backpacks don't from my experience) but there is a little as the material the bag is made of in general is fairly thick. Because of the extra space though, I solved this minor issue by rolling up an old medium sized T-shirt and stuffing it on the bottom of this compartment. It makes my 17" laptop fit snugly and now I have no worries of damaging anything when I set the backpack down. This compartment also has fuzz along the sides for a padded velcro strap to securely strap the laptop in place as well. With everything I've said so far about the laptop compartment, in theory, a 19" laptop might make a tight fit (you'd be cutting it close if you tried). I can't guarantee that claim though because laptops can vary in style and size. The zippers next to the laptop compartment unzips all the way down so the back of the bag, where the laptop resides, can flap apart from the rest of the bag which is how the smart scan feature functions. There is a thin divider for a few papers here as well. There is ample space in the main compartment to hold plenty of things. There is a small pocket to hold your phone or music device and a well covered slit above it for headphones to be slipped through so you can listen to music from the device. There are built in file dividers to separate documents. There is also an interesting piece of padding sewn along the bottom, back end of the bag underneath the separators which allows it to flap up and down... I just push it down so it lines the entire bottom of the bag which also allows the bag to hold its shape and may protect anything in this compartment from impact (they should've had similar padding in the laptop compartment...). I guess if I had important papers along with clothes or books in the bag, I could also lift the flap up against the dividers and it would prevent the clothes, books, or anything I put in the main compartment from wrinkling my documents in the dividers. Other than that, I don't know why the bottom padding is allowed to flap around. There are two smaller compartments in the front of the bag. The one on the top is narrow and can fit a graphing calculator or a DVD box... or perhaps a sandwich (though it might flatten the sandwich out). The bottom is nice and spacious with multiple small dividers and pockets to hold various things like pens, pencils, post it notes, an ID card, and a bigger pocket in the back for a planner/organizer. There is also a detachable key ring as well. The side compartments are very spacious reaching up to almost 3/4 the length of the bag. A small umbrella, liter water bottle or a large rockstar energy drink could fit in either pocket. You might want to avoid putting water sensitive items in here because they are vented by two holes, but honestly, the holes are small enough that I wouldn't worry too much about water getting in unless it's pouring (I put my laptop's charging cable in here). Along these side pockets is an elastic pocket for a liter sized water bottle or canister. There is a clip strap to hold it in place. Note, if you do decide to put large water containers in these pockets, it makes it difficult to fit thicker items in the zipped compartments (and vice versa). This is a great backpack and I am very excited to use this for the years to come.

Had this for about 8 months and so far it has performed well.No problems to report. I use it for work and travel for work. It holds my laptop easily. Had a 15" laptop and it held it no problem. Now I have a smaller one and it swims in the pocket. Can easily fit a tablet or even 2 laptops. Haven't tried the TSA friendly feature as I have pre check. There are enough pockets for for all of the stuff I carry. One thing I might change are the side mesh water bottle holders. When there is stuff in the zipper pockets next to the mesh pockets, it is hard to get a large water bottle in there or a thermos. Smaller water bottle fits ok. I'm happy with it. Update: Been using this backpack now for 5 years. Traveled past 5 years for work with last 2 years solid travel and after several hundred flights and 3 continents, this backpack is still going strong. Showing very little wear. Zippers all in good condition, handles still secure and attached. Easily holds my laptop and an iPad. Still haven't tried the TSA feature as I've always had pre check. I honestly did not expect to still be using this after 5 years but I think I will get at least another 3 years out of it before I simply get tired of it and buy something new just to buy something new. Can't ask for too much more out of a backpack than I asked of this one. Update 2022: This backpack is still going strong. I added a new continent in 2022 with 2 trips to Australia, one to Korea and several trips to Europe. It is only showing the slightest bit of wear and only on the inside. It must be nearing a million miles of travel by now along with daily trips to the office when I’m not traveling. I don’t know if they still make this model but if they do, it’s a great durable everyday travel backpack Update 2023: Took the backpack to Germany, Austria, Czechia, Thailand and Malaysia. Started noticing some wear on the bottom right side of the backpack. Still sturdy but is starting get a little worn for travelling for work. Might be time to interview other backpack candidates in the near future if it starts to spread. This thing is a trooper. Money well spent. 10 out of 10 Update 2025: Wear is increasing a bit on the bottom of the bag but still holding. I've used it now for 10 years and am nearing retirement and debating whether I can use this for another few years or is it finally time to replace. Every other aspect of this backpack is holding strong. Zippers all work, no holes, still looks good. I use it everyday and have travelled with it for hundreds of thousands of miles. I just noticed the handle at the top is starting to tear a bit. I think I'll need to replace it.

I can't 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. It's 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. It's the most interesting bag in the world and has been the best backpack I've 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 it's outlasted any other bag I've owned: Pros: Durability: Seriously, over 150k miles I've traveled with this bag... It's still intact. And I didn't buy it, I found it on the side of a rubbish bin full of junk from China. So yeah, don't judge me for dumpster diving when I saw something I knew would be awesome, despite it's 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 didn't make my back all sweaty carrying it all day on a hot late spring afternoon wandering the streets in Amsterdam. It's also very comfortable to wear and didn't 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 it's 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 wasn't 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. (It's endured at least 3 washing machine visits since I've 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 didn't 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.

I'll start by saying that I take my 13" MacBook Pro with me everywhere I go. I use it and my iPhone to run my business when I'm not in the office. So, having a good bag to carry everything I need is a must. I've been using a Case Logic VNA214 14.1-Inch Laptop Attache (Black) for several months now, primarily due to the fact that it's small and lightweight, but it doesn't hold very much, and recently, the pad on the shoulder strap completely separated from the strap. But, back to this bag... I like the fact that the laptop slides in from the side instead of the top. It makes it a lot easier to insert and remove the laptop. There is also a LOT of padding in there, so you don't feel the hard laptop against your back, nor do you have to worry as much about your laptop being damaged. The rubber grip on the handle is nice too. It gives you a good, sturdy point to carry the bag when you're not wearing it as a backpack. I also appreciate the fact that the shoulder straps are long enough to be very comfortable on a large framed person. A year ago, I was pushing 300lbs, and always had a hard time finding a bag with straps to fit my large frame. I no longer have that problem, but I can tell that this bag would have easily fit me then. If you travel a lot, there are a LOT of small pockets on this bag to hold all of your stuff, especially when you're going through security. There's a small pocket at the top that's perfect for your change, watch, rings, etc. There's also another larger pocket on the front that has a key ring for your keys, and has plenty of room to hold your pens/pencils, business cards, and smart phone. There's also a quick access pocket for your music player, that can also double for holding your smart phone. There is a large area that's great for holding your standard accessories (power cables, ethernet cables, usb cables, etc). You can't load everything you own in there, but it's plenty sufficient for the stuff you need. A really NICE feature is a small rubber "clip" on the strap to hold your glasses. I know this is intended for traveling, but since I wear prescription glasses and have prescription sunglasses as well, this is PERFECT for holding my regular glasses while I'm wearing my sunglasses. And of course, the case clamshells open to run through the airport x-ray without having to remove your laptop. There's only one thing that I don't really like about the bag - the pocket for holding your papers and files is the same pocket that completely unzips to clamshell the bag. This means that if you're taking the bag through the airport security line, you either can't have a lot of stuff in that pocket or it'll be loose and exposed when you go through security, or you'll just end up having to remove the laptop from the bag and not worry about clamshelling the bag to go through security. This isn't a big deal for me as I only fly maybe 4-5 times a year, but for the air warriors, this is something that must be considered. Take all of this into account, and consider the fact that the bag has a 5 year limited warranty, and you really can't go wrong with this bag!

I purchased this backpack for travel. After coming back from five weeks overseas, I really put the backpack through its paces. I used it for packing through the airport, to-and-fro the office, as well as a few side hikes without electronics. So far, no signs of stress on the seams or other stitched parts. First, the SmartScan feature is amazing. This is definitely a time saver in the security line where a few extra seconds can alleviate some serious headache in the masses. Even through international security lines, no one ever said anything and the pack went straight through the scanner. The side-load of the laptop is definitely something I am not used to or have seen before, but it actually worked great. This is one of those "don't knock it 'til you try it" type things. The backpack has plenty of storage and organization, overall. The mesh pocket inside is great for passports/documents and the "mp3 player" pocket is great for packing along an external hard drive. The lower front pocket has plenty of space for pens, documents, phone(s), business cards, and includes a nifty keychain that you can snap your keys to. The tall, zippered side pockets are perfect for a glasses case or something like that. I also slipped my mouse in there too. Here's the problem - the mesh pockets are fairly tight and not prone to stretching as far as other SwissGear packs of the past. So, if you load up the zippered pocket, you may not have room for a water bottle; maybe some gum or throat lozenges. If that zippered pocket is empty, don't even consider a Nalgene. You can hold a 20oz water/coke bottle at best. Lastly, on the storage parts, the main compartment is very well thought out. There are some complaints about how access is a little tight, but I had no issues. The good part about this is that the sides of that main compartment create a good shroud around everything you have in there. Here's that bad news - two parts. If you have read other reviews about padding on the bottom and the zippers, those are totally accurate. SwissGear could have added something ever-so-slightly to pad the bottom of the laptop better. There is plenty of room in there to add that in, even with a 17" laptop I had stowed. Then there are the zippers - ooooh the zippers! This design is clearly a product of the economic downturn design budget there at the head office! They look somewhat rugged. The zipper tags feel rugged. However, the zippers are prone to skipping teeth and you have to be somewhat gentle with them. Basically, you have to watch it when zipping to make sure it's okay. You cannot just zip it quick and run out the door. What is needed are some of those trusty YKK zippers we all love. Don't get me wrong, though. Once they are sealed, you're good to go. All that being said, I would definitely purchase this again. Overall, it worked perfect for what I needed and everything has held up well. Don't go for the $80 price this bag has sometimes. Add it to your Amazon Wish List and wait for a price drop in the $50-$60 range. An easy 4 Stars (5 if they fix the zippers).

Swiss Gear Lightweight ScanSmart Laptop Backpack SA1923 When I started school, I had an old, beat-up Messenger Bag that had been with me for as long as I can remember. That lasted all of about 60 seconds when I realized I'd need something, newer, bigger and better. I spent some time researching and asking around and finally decided on the Swiss Gear Lightweight ScanSmart Laptop Backpack SA1923. ATTRIBUTES: -It's HUGE! -Multiple pockets to satisfy my need for carrying everything and having it all sorted, just so. -Reinforced seam stitching. -Rubber reinforcement on top grab handle. -Many, many zippers. -Dual water bottle holders. -Large, laptop compartment with extra padding. -Zips in half for use in X-Ray machines at airports, and to separate laptop compartment without actually removing it. -Easily adjustable shoulder straps. -Small pouch for MP3 player with external cord port feeder hole. -Sunglass loop on left shoulder strap. -Metal zippers with rubber reinforcements. -Zipper holes are large enough to accommodate a lock. -Double zippers on each pouch opening. -Padded shoulder straps. -Stylish. That means it's black! -Dividers in main pocket for even more organization. -Built in mesh pencil pouch for smaller objects. -Finger holes on bottom of shoulder adjustment straps. PROS: -Durable. In the four months I've been using it, there's no seam rips, no wear marks, not even on the bottom. I use this bag daily, even on the weekends to carry on average 30+ pounds of books and various other school supplies and it still looks brand new. -Stylish. It's black, with red and gray accents. And the gray pin striping is actually reflective, making me easier to see in the dark. This is a good color combination. -Comfortable. The padded shoulder straps make this bag, even with as much as I carry in it, comfortable. -The finger holes on the bottom of the shoulder adjustment straps make this bag easy to adjust so that you're wearing it correctly, which ads to its comfort. -The padding around the laptop compartment is so ample, I have no concerns about my laptop being battered or bruised. -Even the smaller pockets hold a lot of stuff and they make it easy to access items more quickly. Pens, thumb drives, etc. -Limited Five Year Warranty CONS: -The padding on the bottom of the laptop compartment seems a little light compared with the sides. This means I don't ever drop my bag with my laptop in it. -It's front heavy and falls over. Maybe that's because I have too much stuff in it. -Due to the tapered design, if you have it crammed full, there's not a lot of room to get to the lower portion of the main pocket without fully opening it. -No belly strap. OVERALL IMPRESSION: -This bag is surprisingly durable, well reinforced and extremely useful. It has numerous useful features that make it well worth the money you'll be spending. RECOMMENDATION: -If the last four months have been any indication, this bag will last me the rest of my school career. To anyone looking for a one-time purchase of a good looking, durable bag, I highly recommend the Swiss Gear Lightweight ScanSmart Laptop Backpack SA1923.

I have held of putting in this review for almost a year so I was sure what I was talking about. I have used this as a every day bag and for hiking, mountain bike riding, off road motoro bike riding, camping and work trips away with laptops etc. I purchased this bag based on several key features, 1. side mesh pockets for keys (I'm lucky I live in a town with little crime so not worried about security), 2. large side zip pockets for water bottles or laptop chargers etc, 3. front lower pocket with organiser for pens, eye drops, wallet, meds and the like. Not quit as good as previous bags with the actual pockets, but still pretty good, have found it is more a free for all type pocket 4. top front pocket is good for sun glasses (wrapped in own soft protection bag) 5. Main compartment good for most things. down side is it has two sleeves for keeping books organised, but I find it gets in the way when storing pretty much anything in the compartment, I'm tempted to cut them out 6. Two laptop / document storage compartments against the back of the pack, good for 15" HP laptop and also useful for any books etc General comments 1. The top handle flops down meaning it seriously gets in the way when putting anything in the main compartment, I fixed this by zip tieing it to one of the straps at the top of the shoulder straps in a upright position, works well. 2. The shoulder straps sit well on my shoulder and do not clash with my arms when walking 3. It is not the lightest bag but this means it stands up pretty much by itself when it put in on the floor as opposed to falling over like a lighter bag (personal hate of mine) 4. I have used it for some long off road motor bike rides with out problem, nothing even looks like it will fail 5. its not the biggest bag, but that stops me from carring to much, I can get enought in it for a over night work trip away with a bit of carful packing 6. I like the styling, not your average bag 7. Zips are great and take a lot of abuse Summary It took me a long time to find this bag as shopping on line is not the same as in store, I live in town with no bag stores. My research was worth it as I would buy this bag again if it still made and if there was nothing else newer that was better. However I suspect that will be five or more years away as it is very well made.

For a while I had a messenger bag to cart around my laptop, but as I traveled around the country, I found my back and shoulders getting increasingly sore. Asymmetrical loading, as it turns out, is bad for your body on long trips through an airport. With that in mind, I knew I needed to find a more traditional carrier, like a backpack, but it needed to be well padded if it was going to haul around my Mac Book Pro. When it comes to fixing that checklist, the SwissGear SA1923 ScanSmart Backpack has exceeded by expectations in almost every way. Pros: + Really good capacity. With a laptop pocket more than big enough for 15 inches (it fits up to 17), a main compartment, two sides, and two small fronts pouches, there's plenty of space. Plus, you can also squeeze a tablet in the little pocket in the Scan Smart section. All that means you can keep a laptop, some electronics, and a couple days of clothes in there. + If you travel, the Scan Smart system is incredible. You can just unzip, lay it flat, and run it through the metal detector. No TSA trouble at all, and no extra bins + The padding is really thick and cushy. I don't worry about putting it down, or it riding through turbulence. + The price is really good for the main features of the bag. + It's comfortable and adjustable. The fiber in the back will let your back breathe. + It looks good too. Clearly less kid like than grabbing an ordinary backpack out of the local retailer. Cons - The only thing that I can really say is that it doesn't take two years of almost nonstop air travel well. The mesh is worn out and tearing. Most bags aren't designed for that kind of abuse though. So it's more of a nitpick, as it's still fully functional. - The water bottle holders on the sides have a tendency to not hold onto liquids that well. A few times strangers have handed me things that fell out on my trip through the airport. Overall though, I love this bag. It's been very comfortable, protected my stuff, and fits almost anywhere on a plane. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Excelente mochila! el diseño, la calidad de los materiales, la cantidad de compartimento...que mas puedo decir? fue una grandiosa compra y estoy seguro me durara bastante (ya que aburrirme de ella no creo llegue a pasar). Tienes dudas? pues te digo que es una excelente mochila, a mi me encanto (se nota?)

Es una mochila robusta, de material grueso y resistente (y hasta el momento impermeable), con mucho espacio al interior. Las líneas blancas son de material reflejante. El compartimiento para la laptop de hasta 15.6" tiene cierre lateral, el cierre que sigue después de este es para abrir en su totalidad la mochila a fin de mostrar el equipo en la revisión de los aeropuertos y también tiene espacio para acomodar folders o libretas. El cierre siguiente es el que tiene más espacio, tiene la bolsa para el reproductor o celular y tiene en el fondo el elemento acolchado que cuando lo bajas permite que la mochila permanezca parada así como una bolsa de malla con cierre en la parte superior del compartimiento. Por último dos cierres más al frente en el exterior de la mochila; uno en la parte inferior para guardar lapiceros, colgar las llaves del gancho incluido, memorias, etc., otro en la parte superior un poco más pequeño. En el exterior de la mochila hay dos bolsas laterales con cierre en donde caben perfectamente los cables de la computadora y a cada lado de estas bolsas la tradicional bolsa de malla para transportar bebidas. En los tirantes acojinados encontrarás un elemento para colgar tus anteojos. El asa superior viene reforzado y al frente encontrarás un gancho para sujetar tu chamarra o cualquier otra cosa que en tu viaje cargues.

Perfect buy. Right overall size. Pockets galore. durable design.

Bag's weight distribution physics is awesome, but surely the company has compromised in quality standards overtime. My earlier bag of same company I purchased in 2008 is still good, but out of use due to totally my fault and rash use, but I don't think this bag is going to give me that satisfaction level even at better humanly use

This is a well made backpack as it should be for the price of it. Lots of storage/pockets.