Altego 16-Inch Coated Canvas Backpack, Black (36300)

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.***UPDATE***6 years later and I still use this bag regularly. It has functioned as a diaper bag, an overnight bag and a travel bag as well as a daily work bag. It looks the same as the day I bought it. Theres no visible wear aside from a paint stain that was my fault. A couple of weeks ago I ripped the front clasp off but was able to reattach it. This is really a great bag.

First of all, I had just returned a previous backpack that was too big for me. Bags are hard to find for me because I need something that would fit my beast of a laptop (Razer Blade Pro, 17.3 inches). My boyfriend found me this bag and I love it! Unfortunately, I cannot fit my Razer Blade Pro in the laptop compartment. It is about half an inch too small. By half an inch, I mean it would still be very tight but would be able to zip up. One more inch would be almost comfortable for the laptop. I didn't take off any stars for this because it clearly says for 17 inch laptop.After messing around with the bag, I was able to fit the laptop into the front compartment. However, this is not the safest as the front side of the bag is not padded and does not provide the same protection as the back of the backpack. So, if you're willing to put your laptop in the front, it can fit!I've also read numerous mixed reviews about 17.3 inch laptops fitting and not being able to fit. To possibly help out other potential buyers, here are the dimensions of my laptop:Width: 16.8 inches /427mmDepth: 10.9 inches/277mmHeight: 0.88 inches/22.4mmI repeat what I previously stated, this bags laptop compartment is about half an inch to an inch too small for my laptop. Although the zipper does not zip up for my laptop all the way at the top, the backpacks straps go over it and provide it some sort of minor protection that I will take a risk with. I will not be carrying my laptop around all the time and when I do, I will make sure to handle it very carefully.I am going to be keeping this back pack! It is very attractive, the material is great and it has a lot of room. Don't hesitate to contact me if anyone has any questions :)

There are many smart touches to this bag. I particularly like the way that it can be expanded by use the zipper that start on the opposite side of the bag. There are well placed storage compartments that are easily accessed too. The thing that really caught my eye was the use of a bright blue accent color used through the backpack. The only real complaint that I have is that the handle that would be used when carrying the backpack in hand could be more sturdy. In summary I don't se how I could have bought a better looking backpack without spending considerably more money.