It can perfectly fit my 15 inch laptop leaving a bit of space so I guess it can accommodate up to 17 inch ones. It has 3 main compartments and 2 small ones on the sides for bottles, therefore this bag is very easy to organize. I’m no big fan of those bags which have tons of small pockets on the outside – they all look alike: shapeless and I never get the right pocket when searching for my stuff.

The inside compartments of this laptop backpack are very well organized, there’s a padded computer pocket in the large back sleeve, but there’s also plenty of room left for other items I happen to bring along: files, books and magazines, laptop adapter and cable or other accessories. The second compartment features a few other pockets, one for cell phones, another one for media and that’s where I usually keep my blackberry and few small sleeves, wallet-like, perfect for credit cards, id card and spare change. The last compartment is located in front of the backpack and is a lot smaller, but provides easy access to things you’ll store there; I honestly never used it since the other two are more than enough for my daily needs.

This SwissGear Computer Backpack very light on my shoulders even after I packed it with all the things I needed and that’s incredible. Those padded shoulder straps help a lot, together with the airflow system on the back of the bag (that’s quite useful on a hot weather).

I searched with no luck all the local stores for a bag that could meet my standards, when a co-worker suggested I should to try out SwissGear backpacks for laptops. Next day I googled it and checked many of SwissGear computer backpacks till I decided for this one; product description and its design and with insurance from my co-worker about the quality of this brand’s products were enough for me; in worst case I could always return the product.

It arrived in two days and I immediately started my examination. It’s made of high quality waterproof nylon as the description says and the colors are exactly like in the picture; it is soft at touch with easy access to its pockets.

The main computer sleeve is secure and perfectly fits my laptop and most of the cables that I need; the secondary sleeve contains a media pocket on one side, which I use for my audio player and 2-3 spare batteries for my equips, a zipped mesh pocked in the other that can fit the rest of my cables and accessories, and the main compartment where all the rest fits. The outside smaller pockets are useful to store snacks, but when I’m in a rush I just stuff everything at random with care for sensitive equips and sometimes I even have extra space.

Be careful tho with all that weight. Since SwissGear Computer Backpack is so spacious you’ll be tempted to bring along way too much stuff and despite the comfortable padded straps, you will start to feel all that weight in a couple of hours.

One of the reasons why I bought it is because it is less conspicuous than this regular type of bag, it doesn’t draw much attention and it’s proper for various occasions. The bag is water resistant but not water proof, so I usually make sure I don’t push it to its limits when it rains heavily (and that’s a serious drawback).

The bag has two dividers in the front compartment so you can keep things organized. I usually stuff them with small things like notebooks, iPod, cables. It also has an additional pocket on the side, for various-sized water bottles. It also has an easy accessible and removable mobile phone pocket, placed on one of the shoulder straps, but I’m glad it’s detachable, as I’m no fan of such feature. Now the inside: there are two large compartments, one for the laptop (it can accommodate my 15-inch laptop or an ultrathin one, however I haven’t tested it on a 17-inch widescreen yet) and the other one for any other items you might use, even bulky ones, such as a blouse, multiple textbooks or magazines.

After using it for three months, I can confirm it is made of a top quality nylon, so it’s very durable, impact-proof due to all that padding on the shoulder straps and the back of the bag and thanks to that my laptop hasn’t suffered any damage, not even a minor scratch. My own back hasn’t suffered any damage either and this is how I got to really appreciate the thick padding system of this SwissGear laptop backpack.

Another pro for this pack is that it can hold my laptop, my usual three textbooks, pens, mouse and any other accessories I happen to need that day. It has a lot of storage room and even if I drop it, my laptop doesn’t feel the impact at all. Of course, I wouldn’t throw it in front of a car, but I’m glad it survives my daily haste.

Well, I admit I was very inspired when I went to the store searching for a backpack, as I brought my laptop with me. I have an IBM t500 and it perfectly fit inside the computer pocket, I tested it right there in the store. The only drawback is that, despite the product description, some 17-inch laptops might not fit, even if mine did. Oh and another thing: I haven’t tested it on a rainy day, so I’m not sure whether it really is waterproof as it should, but I have high hopes.

To put it in a nutshell: trendy design, comfortable, spacious and great fabric and zippers quality! This SwissGear wired laptop backpack for 17-inch was a good investment for me and I don’t regret it. I recommend it to all comfort lovers and, why not, to all those who love to carry half of what they posses when going to work/school.