Case Logic 17.3" Laptop Backpack Black RBP217

If I could give this backpack a 4.5, that's what I would do. I had the previous version of this backpack, and I can tell anyone that has had that one, that this one is basically the same thing, but without the silly flaps that were on the previous version. That alone will be enough for the people that bought the previous verison.

It has a nice, very large laptop sleeve that is really just that, a laptop sleeve with a nice amount of padding around it. Roomy enough for my oversized 17 inch laptop and a first generation kindle in the additional tablet sleeve inside of it.

Next down from that is a small compartment that I like to keep pencils and pens in, though it could be a nice glasses compartment.

Next there is a big main compartment that can hold quite a bit. A bunch of books at the very least. Both that and the next down, smaller compartment have mesh bag type things on the walls that you can zipper closed. I like to keep my calculator in one of them. On the inner wall of the smaller compartment there are a bunch of small sleeves that I dont use, but I could see being useful.

The outer vertical zipper is a surprisingly useful compartment. Its shallow to the point where you can't really keep much in it, but I like to use it for chargers or charging cords and whatnot. Things I want quick access to.

There are two side pockets that can probably both fit a water bottle in each. They generally go unused for me, but they have been useful when the rest of the backpack is full.

The last thing is a somewhat concealed zipper compartment behind the lower back padding on inside wall that would be on your back. That is small and would only really fit a wallet or something like that. Ive never used it, but its probably the safest pocket in the backpack for keeping something safe, other than burying something deep inside. In this area, there is a lot of padding all along the back that makes wearing it very comfortable.

There are two straps between the straps that go over your shoulders that lie in the middle of the chest that you can buckle together. Given that the pack itself is fairly big, if there's not much in it or if there's a lot in it, I find these fairly useful in keeping the backpack on my shoulders nicely.

Just as a sense of scale. When there's nothing in it, its probably only 4 inches thick, and it stays very straight because of all the padding around the laptop compartment. But when you need to put things in it, it delivers. A list of things I managed to cram into it the last weekend: 17 inch laptop, kindle, ps3 slim, 2 ps3 controllers, gigantic (probably 3x5x9 inch) computer power brick, 2 days worth of clothes, water bottle, power strip, a bunch of cords for stuff, and i think that was it. a bigger laptop might fit more, but most wouldnt get so small with nothing in it.

My couple minor complaints are that there should be a tiny bit more padding underneath the laptop compartment. There is some, but I wouldnt want to drop my backpack on the floor with the laptop inside of it (though mine is fairly big and it might not be a problem with a smaller laptop). I would like a slightly bigger tablet sleeve (that I keep my kindle in) but for someone with the newer kindles or a tablet, it would probably be big enough, its just not deep enough for the old tablet with a case on it. I wish the shoulder straps were a little closer together, but that's really just because I'm slightly too small for the backpack; so if you're taller than 5'6", you should be fine.