I have used a Targus backpack for 10 years to carry my laptop and electronics for work. It has room for everything I've ever needed to take with me but I've gotten tired of how heavy it's gotten when I travel. I fly about once a month for 2-4 days at a time and it can get tiring to walk around the airport with a 30lbs. bag on.
This Thule backpack has been fantastic so far. It is smaller than the Targus so it has forced me to think about what I really need to take with me when I travel (this is a good thing). What I've noticed, though, is that I really haven't had to leave anything behind when packing for a trip. It has enough room for a laptop, an iPad, a Nook, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, folding bluetooth keyboard, travel USB mouse, a music player and headphones, my glasses, and all the cables, connectors and chargers I need to keep everything running. I still have room to put in folders for papers and a book.
The design is high quality. There is a handle on the bottom of the bag for pulling it out of a space that you've put it in. The crushproof pocket at the top of the bag is perfect for those items that you need to protect while you're stuffing the bag under a seat or into a compartment. The buckles, straps, and zippers are well made and the material of the bag is water resistant.
If you're looking for a rugged, stylish, and smaller backpack to use for travel, this is the one to get. You might find a similar sized bag for less money out there but you won't beat the durability and functionality of this one.
UPDATE 2013-02-01 I have now used this backpack for two years of business travel. My original review still applies: the durability and functionality of this backpack are exceptional. It still looks like new and I have not had any loose strings or frayed ends or zipper problems. My only quibble is that I wish it had a waist strap; other than that it has been fantastic.
I have to admit, normally backpacks aren't something I would consider investing in. Go to any major big box store, find a mid-range backpack, the end. But now that I've used this Thule Crossover, I finally see the light.
The pros:
designed incredibly well: it's easy to get organized using this bag. There's a lot of different pockets and slots, but not so many that it becomes fussy. It's just easy to thoughtfully pack the bag and then *keep* it organizedunlike regular briefcases, large backpacks, and messenger bags, whatever you put in the Thule does *not* migrate to the center pouch over time.
sturdy and fairly weather-proof: even the zippers are guarded by coverings so that whatever you stash in this pack is well protected.
good protection for electronics: there's a padded sleeve in the main compartment that 17" MacBook Pro fits in perfectlyit slides in with ease, but does not move once placed, meaning as you walk around with this backpack on, the weight doesn't constantly shift and jiggle and bump into your back.
thick padding on the back of the pack: feels great to wearthe weight of the contents are evenly distributed thanks to the thoughtful design of the components, and then there's a layer of thick padding in between the pack and the wearer's back so the bag is incredibly comfortable to wear.
Some other cool things about the Thule:
at the top of the bag is a hard sided compartment, perfect for glasses, small electronics, iPhones, etcit's basically crushproof, so you can stow your delicate items in there without worrying they will get smashed or damaged by regular use, tossing your bag off to the side, travel, or shifting weight of the other contents of the bag
all the bag accessories (zipper pulls, buckles, clasps) are very high quality. All the buckles are metal and all the zippers are clearly marked with bright blue pulls so you can easy grab them and open.
love the fact they have not only a "grab" handle at the top, but ALSO the bottomgreat for packing in cars or for grabbing off the baggage carousel at the airport
The only thing NOT great about this bag is the giant silver "THULE" logo on the front of the bag. It's silver, so it might be reflective, but it's still quite large.
Anyway, this bag is amazing. Compared to other backpacks we own, from the super cheap to the kind made for camping and traveling, this is far and away the best one we have. I certainly understand why someone would invest in one, especially if you commute to work and your current bag isn't working for you. Totally recommend it!
Buy Thule Crossover TCBP-117 Backpack for 17-Inch Macbook/Pro/Air (Black) Now
I'm a college student and I've always bought backpacks based on their price, I've had a cheap $30 one for the past few years. The last one I had was just killing my back, and I didn't feel like my MacBook Pro was well enough protected (It probably actually was, I keep it in a hard case, then a soft case, then the sleeve in the backpack, but I'm paranoid about it, it was so expensive!) because the sleeve just felt flimsy on the inside, like popped bubble wrap. I decided it was time for an upgrade and I looked at the backpacks at the Apple website, and fell in love with the pretty blue color on this one. I searched for it on Amazon hoping it would be cheaper, unfortunately it wasn't much cheaper, but I think that's a sign of the quality of the backpack. It is literally the best backpack I've ever owned. It has a really thick cushiony back panel, which almost fixed my back problems the other pack was causing me. The zippers appear to be very sturdy, as does the fabric that the pack is made of. It really just feels like a great quality backpack when you touch it. The straps are awesome too! My campus is huge, and walking from one side to the other during the summer in a backpack with non-ventilated straps just kills, these ones leave me virtually sweat-free. The laptop compartment inside of the backpack is really thick and well-padded. Even if my laptop wasn't wearing a hardshell case and zipped up in a neoprene sleeve I would feel safe just having it in my Thule. There are a ton of little compartments that can fit anything you possibly need, and the crushproof container on top is AWESOME for tossing in your cell phone, student ID, glasses, gum, for easy-access. It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but on the bottom of the backpack there's an extra handle, which is great help for safely loading a textbook-filled backpack into/out of your car.
The only thing I was worried about when purchasing this was whether or not my water bottle would fit into this, and it does! Kind of strangely, but it does! I use an insulated CamelBak better bottle, and although the small side zipper compartments would never be able to hold it on their own, if you look at the picture there's a strap just above it that goes from the back of the pack to the front side, I just tuck the top of my water bottle under that strap and it's completely secure! My bottle has never fallen out.
My only complaint about this backpack is that it's not as big as I was expecting. I thought I would be able to fit more books than I could in there, but I think that turned out to be better for me, because it's not great for your back to lug around 5 thick textbooks.
All-in-all this backpack is has become a necessity for me. Although I've only had it a few months, I'm extremely confident that it will last way past college and into my professional life. I don't like spending a whole lot of money, and when I do I hardly ever review the products, so that should tell you how much I love my backpack. Plus, you just really can't beat that pretty blue color. Up close it's like a teal color with a very pretty sheen.
Read Best Reviews of Thule Crossover TCBP-117 Backpack for 17-Inch Macbook/Pro/Air (Black) Here
I have a Thule rolling carry-on that I love. I expected to love this backpack, but I don't. It seems to be well-built, though it is made in China, but it is not comfortable at all. The whole thing is very boxy. When wearing the backpack, the laptop compartment sits right on the back. It is very stiff, and flat, and does not contour to the back in any way. The straps are really wide and stiff, without any padding, also. They dig into my arm pits, causing quite a bit of pain, especially after wearing it for a while. The straps are also not that easy to tighten and loosen while wearing it.
I had hoped this would be something I could use while hiking, but there is no way. The stiff, boxy design would definitely be a problem.
Want Thule Crossover TCBP-117 Backpack for 17-Inch Macbook/Pro/Air (Black) Discount?
I'm a graduate student, so I bought this backpack to carry around a 15" MacBook Pro along with one or two textbooks and some general school supplies. This is my first time buying a backpack in this price range, but I've recently been traveling a lot and wanted something more solid that would provide better protection for my laptop.
What I liked:
1. The backpack is very well made. The fabric is high quality and all the stitching looked very secure. All the zippers are very nice and have sturdy zipper pulls in a contrasting color. This bag is definitely worth the price tag.
2. There are two side pockets that open up to hold a water bottle, and they are HUGE. Since there's a zipper, you can adjust the size to fit whatever size bottle you have.
3. There is a handle on the bottom that would make it very easy to pull out from under a desk or an overhead compartment from either end.
Other interesting features:
1. There's a hard compartment where you can store items you don't want to get crushed. It's big enough to hold a big pair of sunglasses and a large cell phone, and also has a loop so you can lock the zipper shut. The lock won't hold up to a good pair of scissors but at least the casual passerby won't be digging in there. The hard shell is also removable in case you don't want it. I thought this was a neat feature, but the location of the pocket (on the top front) makes the bag look a little lumpy when you don't have a lot of things in it.
2. There is a strap that goes across the chest. It has an elastic band on the long side so when you're not using it, it holds it to one side. It can also slide up and down for your comfort. Being a female, I couldn't get this strap to sit in a position that I was happy with, but I didn't plan on using it anyway.
3. There are straps on both sides that reinforce the bag. This prevents you from opening the main pocket fully, but they unhook. I have mixed feelings about this feature. I wish there was a way they could be unhooked but not just dangling to the sides. Since I don't overload my backpack with tons of heavy books, they aren't particularly useful to me.
What I didn't like:
1. There isn't really a lot of padding on the bottom of the laptop pocket. It's really just a small sliver of foam and isn't very thick.
2. The pocket on the front of the bag is kind of awkward. The zipper opens vertically and inside there's a horizontal pocket. If your bag is stuffed it will probably be a little trick to wedge stuff out of there.
3. The listing for this bag specifies 25L and the one I received had a tag that said 20L.
4. This backpack is NOT made to fit a woman's frame. Actually, that might not even be true because my boyfriend also thought it was uncomfortable. The straps are really sturdy but also very STIFF. The spacing between the straps at the top is too narrow, and it makes the straps sit right on the base of your neck. Within minutes of wearing this bag with all my things in it I felt like I was giving a piggy-back ride to a cow, and one with very stiff legs. For this reason I decided to return the bag. No matter how nice it is, comfort is the most important thing on my list.
As a note, my boyfriend ordered a different backpack by the same manufacturer: Thule Crossover TCBP-217 Backpack for 17-Inch Ultrabooks/Macbook/Pro/Air Laptop and iPad (Black). I thought this bag was a little too big for my purposes, which is why I didn't get it too, but it is WAY more comfortable than the TCBP-117. The straps seem a little more flexible (but not any less durable), so they form to your shoulders more. He is incredibly happy with his purchase and will keep it.
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