TechRadar Verdict
The StarTech Laptop Backpack is a great way to carry a load of gear for a day working remotely, commuting to the office, or simply going to a project on-site. This bag is built well, has some great features, and works wonderfully no matter what is thrown at it.
Pros
- +
Built-in accessories case
- +
Large storage capacity
- +
Good internal organization
Cons
- -
Slightly bulky
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The StarTech Laptop Backpack appears to be a laptop backpack designed with the IT professional in mind. It offers ample room for a laptop and tablet, plenty of interior space for whatever extra gear may be needed for the day, and a removable, dedicated accessories case. All in all, this backpack seems to be just about the perfect backpack for functionality for those in the IT world.
First Impressions
At first glance, we agreed that this bag looked sturdy, well-built, and like it could hold quite a bit. With convenient, large zipper pulls, the zippers have been made to last. The StarTech Laptop Backpack sits upright with zero problems, whereas most backpacks often fall over if put in a good position. The pockets are well organized, and the accessory case is beneficial for carrying cables, external storage, or other small gadgets.
Material: Ballistic Nylon
Size: 16.7 x 12.8 x 8 inches
Weight: 3.2 lbs
Design and Build Quality
The StarTech Laptop Backpack has features and little pockets in every section of the bag. Therefore, to best explain the elements in their entirety, we will break down each area of the backpack in a later section.
The material used for this backpack is 1680D Ballistic Nylon, which allows not only sturdy drop protection but is also highly durable. The specific model we tested is the 15.6" laptop model; however, we did notice that if the device computer being stored is smaller than around 13", it can seem a bit too small in the ample space dedicated as a laptop sleeve.
In Use
After using this bag for a week, we got to see just what makes this bag great, as IT workers are usually the people who carry around more than just an ultrabook or a featherweight laptop (like the Dynabook Portégé X30L-K). Usually, such users have a slightly larger-sized device a tablet, a load of cables, and more. Because of this, we found it was ideal for this backpack to have wider straps, helping to disperse the bag's weight. We also learned to quickly appreciate the flat base of the pack, allowing us not to worry about our beloved tech falling over.
Another thing that we quickly fell in love with was the dedicated compartments:
Main compartment
This large section can fit almost anything we need throughout the week. We could quickly load notebooks, a light jacket, headphones, and snacks for our day. This was our go-to pouch to throw anything into, with two zippered portions creating a small pocket for smaller items, a small open pocket, and a place to hang a key, tracker, or the like.
Tech compartment
This padded section is designed for laptops and tablets - and we tried a few devices of different shapes and sizes, confident that our devices were wholly protected. This dedicated space gave us peace of mind that our gear wouldn’t get scratched up by whatever else we carried that day.
Front compartment
This section has several elastic bands to help hold anything from cables to pens, adapters, and more. A zippered portion can also be used to store any loose items. We were able to use this to hold a few pens, a USB-C hub for quick and easy access, and a multi-tool.
Velvet-lined pocket
This section is very clearly designed to hold glasses or any other item you'd want to keep protected in a pocket lined with velvet. Some days we opted to carry a pair of sunglasses in this pouch, however, we also found this pocket to be ideal for carrying a pair of earbuds in their wireless charging case on other days, knowing they wouldn't get knocked around with the other items in our bag.
Accessory case
This section is a fully-removable carrying case measuring 10.5 x 5.25 x 3 inches and sports a customizable inside portion and a zip-off top. Unzipping a lower side flap on the backpack allows this to be entirely removed from the bag. Thanks to the customizable inside, we could modify this case to be a perfect fit for a carrying case for a full-size mouse, external storage, extra headphones, a webcam, hubs, and more. This is an impressively versatile case, as the top flap also zips to open up the inside of the pouch with elastic bands, allowing a customizable storage experience that can easily fit a few cables, flash drives, or small dongles.
Bottle holder
This section is pretty self-explanatory - it's a side pocket that holds bottles or anything else that someone would want to put into it. It has an elastic band around the top, helping to store whatever may be stored inside.
Strap pocket
This section is intentionally designed to hold a phone or any other item you want to keep within your eyesight while carrying your backpack. This can zip open to expand, allowing a larger phone (like the iPhone 13 Pro Max we tested this with) to fit, but then if not in use, can be folded away.
Final Verdict
The StarTech Laptop Backpack is an excellent option for those who often find themselves carrying too much tech from place to place. If you are looking for a bag that doesn’t necessarily need to be slimline and you care about the amount of gear you can carry, this is the ideal bag for you. It’s comfortable, can hold your items safely, and will last quite a while - and as a bonus, it is also checkpoint-friendly at the airport and has a carry-on luggage strap, making travel even more accessible.
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