Brenthaven Pro 15/17 Backpack (2340)

I've been a long-time user of Brenthaven products. But I was a little unhappy with the Brenthaven Professional 17 because the laptop compartment was not as easy to use as other manufacturers. It has a dual-flap system: unzip, then open the velcro flap. So I began to try other manufacturers. I tried pretty much everything, from Kensington, to Tumi, Lowepro, etc. I liked the Kensington Contour line, but seemed a little bulky and not as rugged. I was really happy with the Booq Python XL, until I started using it. The zippers jammed and broke on the very first day of use! Booq's customer service is deplorable, requiring the customer prove ownership by submitting pictures of the defective product (why couldn't I just send it in for replacement?) So I decided to go back to Brenthaven. I liked how this model had a new-style laptop compartment. Well, I've been using it for a while. It's by far the best, don't waste your time and money elsewhere. The zippers are large coil-type and are easy to use and will not jam. The laptop compartment is a cinch to use, just unzip and slip in the laptop. It's well-protected by hard panels and soft foam. The shoulder straps are contoured and comfortable. There are even cell phone connector nubs on the straps (an undocumented feature!) The material and construction is flawless, dependable, and well, the best! If you do decide to get this one, I recommend you get it through Amazon, and not one of the other sellers here. It's a little more expensive, but the shipping is so much better. I have received many shipments from other sellers through Amazon, and they truly suck! Sometimes I get stuff in a torn-up padded envelople, sometimes the item is crushed beyond belief, often the shipper takes a long time to get on the ball and ship! With Amazon, my shipments are always very prompt, and the quality of packing is so much better. This bag came double-boxed with padding and in excellent condition.

A 17" Mac Book Pro or Powerbook fits nicely in this backpack, and there's plenty of extra room for the power supply, spare batteries, cables, thumb drives, EVDO cards, etc.

Brenthaven changed the design a few months ago. My wife has an earlier one, which has a less comfortable handle but a removable inner sleeve that velcros closed.

The newer style does not have the internal velcro closure, and this was a very costly omission for me. My backpack, containing my 17" Powerbook, tipped over, fully zipped, and fell approximately two feet to the floor, with the top of the backpack striking pavement.

Fearing the worst but hoping for the best, I removed the computer and was horrified to discover that it had slid right through the internal flap and taken the full brunt of the impact, massively denting and dislocating the side of the computer and damaging the PCMCIA slot.

Applecare does not cover this sort of damage, so I ended up eating a multi-hundred dollar repair bill.

The backpack is comfortable and capacious, but the lack of protection for a top impact was a deep disappointment.

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I'm a computer consultant and carry my laptop and other gear with me EVERYWHERE. I bought this bag because it was one of the few that would fit my 17" MacBookPro and what a great job it does!

This bag is certainly not going to carry your laptop and several school books. If you're a student, forget it.

The bag has plenty of room for the laptop, in the dedicated compartment. Because I have the 17", I had to pull the 2" thick extra padding from the bottom. I'm able to fit a complete set of tools I use regularly to fix computers in the bottom pocket (screwdrivers, tweazers, ESD strap, extra screws, etc). Another pocket has lots of room to hold my business cards, pens, DVD/CDs, USB keys/jump drives, cable lock, etc. Then there's the pocket for my paper work, folders and enough room to carry around one thick book (as computer books tend to be thick) or several smaller books. Finally, the last pocket has plenty of room to carry my laptop's power adapter, extension cord, wireless mouse and 10-foot ethernet cable.

In short, this one bag carries EVERYTHING I need to be productive at my customers' sites. Is this bag for everyone? No. It's certainly not light. There is so much protective padding, the bag itself is weighty. That's great for me, because I take my machine everywhere and can get a little rough. But if you are not able to or interested in carrying around some good weight, look elsewhere.

Overall, this is a perfect bag for me. I don't prioritize weight over protection or convenience of being able to carry a lot of stuff in one bag. This bag has really held up well for me so far (about 6-8 weeks) and has made my travels with my laptop and other gear much easier.

I certainly recommend this bag for people on the go, who carry a lot of stuff and want to consolidate it all in one place and who don't mind the weight.

My two cents.

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I don't usually write these kinds of reviews but I'm really impressed with this Brenthaven Pro 15-17 Backpack! It costs a little more but it's worth the money. The protection system is awesome. I've dropped this case a few times with my Powerbook 17" inside and have opened it expecting my portable to be in pieces... only to find it's in perfect shape. The straps feel like true backpack straps, very comfortable. And after a few months of hard use, it still looks like new. I would highly recommend this case to anyone looking for a great laptop backpack.

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I first bought the Benthaven briefcase version, figuring backpacks are for the young. Well, turns out backpacks are also for the not-so-young. I'm in a wheelchair and discovered the briefcase design too cumbersome, so in August I traded in the case for the Brenthaven Pro 15-17 backpack and have never looked back. The Brenthaven CORE protection chamber for the MacBook Pro is clearly heavy duty, and it itself is covered with ballistic nylon that allows you to zip closed the already closed protection chamber. (A removeable 2"-thick block of CORE material is also included to create a snug fit for the 15.3".) I don't go around dropping my backpack on purpose, but I also don't worry when it falls a couple of feet.

I've used the pack extensively for 4 months now and love the thing. It has plenty of pockets for accessories and business materials, including a small zippered pocket at the front bottom of the pack that I use for bottles of meds I don't want in checked baggage. I've carried my Macbook Pro 17", all its accessories, my digi cam, digi tape recorder, cell phone, cell phone accessories, meds, writing materials, a day's change of clothing, and I've STILL had room for a couple of books. The pockets are all easily accessible, and two pockets can be locked (baggage locks not included). Even fully packed, the backpack fits easily and safely in a plane's overhead storage compartment. Plus the adjustable straps are padded for a comfortable fit over one shoulder or two.

In the past, a computer case was just a computer case, but Brenthaven hit a home run with this baby. It holds more than I imagined, protects my MacBook Pro, AND looks great. The only downside was its price--I paid $179.00 for mine--but the current price of $118.62 is a steal.