I just received this bag today and was instantly pleased. Please forgive any redundant information with regard to previous reviews but I'm sure anything I duplicate bears repeating.
Out of the box I noticed that one of my concerns was quelled: the color. Photo flashes make this bag look much lighter and shiny than it actually is. The coated canvas has more of a slick, dark matte texture than is evident in pictures. That said the cyan is just as vibrant as in the images.
The stitching on this bag is clean and looks as though it's very tough. There are no evident thread pulls.
The material itself has a very strong feel. It alone gives the impression of lasting durability as do the reinforcements along the bottom, without being bulky.
Something that's been a disappointment in other bags that I've bought and subsequently returned are zippers. Not a concern with this bag. They're solid and have a smooth but sturdy pull. The dual-zip function for space expansion is pretty brilliant and doesn't make the bag look messy at all.
The pocket and handle on the front of the bag are very functional. It can easily hold your average sized smartphone, keys or whatever else you might want to have immediately on-hand. There's also a neat little pocket for the zipper pull on the front pouch so that it doesn't dangle -a nice little accent.
The straps are sufficiently padded and the width makes them very comfortable with a full load. The blue strap accents and clip are visually pleasing and don't feel like an afterthought. The plastic they are made of is thick and durable. At the top of the straps, where they meet with the unit itself is a handle cut-out which again feels durable and functional and not like a visual afterthought.
The top flap is latched with a cool little twist buckle that closes itself. So many of these have broken off of other bags but I don't think this one will go any time soon. The flap expands by unsnapping it from the top of the bag. Over all the flap seems like a good bit of extra protection.
Moving inside the bag; there's a surprising amount of room. The bag unzips to about 3/4 the height of the bag so you won't have to really fish around in it for anything that might be at the bottom. You wouldn't really need to have loose things kicking around in there anyway with 2 pen pockets, a single pocket the width of the 2 pen pockets, 4 mesh pockets (large enough to hold a standard sized wireless mouse snugly but not restrictively or your adapter and power cords) and also a padded pocket that will fit a tablet comfortably. There's also a large pocket on the front side that runs the width of the bag. Being an artist I tend to carry a lot of little things and being a neat freak I'm not worried that I'll be trying to keep everything organized in separate containers. There's ample room in here to organize whatever you might be carrying.
Lastly there's the Laptop enclosure. I am more than pleased with this. I have a 15.6'' laptop that fits with room to spare however it's not loose by any means. The padding is thick and fabric plush creating a secure hold. The most brilliant part is something laptop bag makers tend to overlook. My laptop has gotten dinged more than once simply by setting my bag down because there's no padding on the part of the bag that tends to take the most abuse: the bottom. Altego, smartly, padded the bottom of the bag and added an extra, removable strip of padding attached by velcro. That feature just shows the thought put in to this product.
So in the end it's the little things that count with this bag in addition to the solid stature overall. Extra padding in the laptop area, expansion without visual bulk, zipper pull hideaway, strap handle and secure but spacious pockets make this bag worth the lengthy review. Altego went out of their way to bring form and function together.
All of that said, this backpack just looks the part. Slick hipster stepping out of a trendy coffee shop or sci-fi geek stepping out of a giant mech, this bag's going to carry what you need, protect your tech and look badass at the same time.
If your 17" doesn't fit:
I bought this for my HP Pavilion g7 which is a 17.3 inch screen. I tried to place the laptop in the compartment but it did not fit. I was distraught and started looking around for a different backpack that looked this good at this price. Finding nothing I started examining the backpack to see if I could alter it to somehow fit my laptop. I found a 1/2" thick foam pad on the bottom which was velcroed on. After removing it my laptop fit perfectly.
Material Quality:
It has a coated (almost painted) canvas exterior with a nice standard nylon-like interior. It resembles the picture accurately and looks very cool by both standards of myself and the spouse. The twisting lock is quite nifty and is made of metal. What it does not demonstrate in the picture is you need to press down on the lock with the hole in order to push the spring lever down. In other words to open you need to turn the latch 90 degrees. To close it you push the top flap into place firmly and the spring locks it for you. It handled the light snow/rain that fell on it getting from the house to the car which shows promising water resistance.
In comparison:
I have used a messenger bag, a larger Oakley bag and countless jansports and other brands. This backpack is thin enough to be more messenger bag style but could fit a few (2-3 at around 300 pages each) textbooks alongside the laptop. The quality of materials (seams and sewing included) is worthy if not exceeding the price. I don't see anything that I don't like about this backpack. If I do I will update my review and take some stars off.
UPDATE: This backpack was stolen about a week later from a church I was in. So looks like the only downside of the backpack is it is tempting enough to steal.
Buy Altego Coated Canvas Cyan 17-Inch Laptop Backpack - Black (36300) Now
This backpack, you guys. This backpack.
It is the greatest backpack that I have ever owned.
And that's why this is a tragic review, people. I bought this backpack to try with my Asus G75VW, and it's important to note that while the case will hold a 17" Macbook, it cannot contain the beast that is the G75VW. That computer's got a badunkadunk.
So I returned it, and I may have actually cried a little bit. The colors are great -the laptop compartment has padding to adjust it -it feels really sturdy -the front flap clip will lock itself when you close the flap -the thing's waterproof -it has thoughtful pockets, and the chest-strap (going between the two shoulder straps) slide-adjusts to the proper place. I have a small frame (small enough that carrying around my laptop looks a bit like Bilbo Baggins trying to wield a claymore), so little details like this aren't just "hey, that's nice" things, but big differences.
And the thing just *looks* cool.
This is a good-sized, well-thought-out backpack. It'll work if you're really small, it'll work if you're not small, and it'll work with pretty much any laptop smaller than a G75VW. I'll be keeping an eye on it for if I get another laptop someday, far in the future.
And until then, I will dream.
Read Best Reviews of Altego Coated Canvas Cyan 17-Inch Laptop Backpack - Black (36300) Here
Quite happy when I got the bag and the color looks really awesome. A little disappointed with the mould found on some parts of the bag though it was packed in a plastic wrap. They were quite easily cleaned off with a damp cloth but who knows if it'll grow again when left in a cool and moist place.....
Well, the laptop compartment is quite nicely padded but it seems that the bag does not come with too many compartments to sort out my stuff from the previous Targus bag that I was using. I had read some of the reviews saying the same thing but I thought those were just words from people who used to have a larger bag. Although all my stuff can be put inside the bag, there're just all lumped into the middle compartment.
This bag is good for travelling and perhaps people who carry simple stuff to work. Overall feel of the bag is quite nicely made although the shoulder straps could have been thicker.
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I bought this bag to help myself through the airport and I fell in love with it! It's comfy, has a lot of space in it and protects my laptop properly. I'd recommend it !
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I was a little concerned this would be a small, lightweight backpack which are often made just for kids. Surprised to see college size pack with sturdy seams and fabric, should keep up with my rough and tumble son. Looks great dark color not to show every stain, nice label placement. Very pleased
