Customer Reviews

Wenger Computer Backpack - Red

5 star:		(124)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got this bag right after finishing school in Dec. Since I graduated I do not need to take a bag with me as much as I did when I was a student, so I haven't used it a lot. I read about people having trouble with their 15" laptops not fitting, I wasn't worried about mine fitting cause I got a 12" laptop, but I tried my parents 15" Fujitsu to see how it fit. Its a pretty thick computer. It was very very tight. Maybe it would stretch out the pocket a bit over time, but it was a real pain to get it in and out. The tags on the bag do say fits MOST 15" laptops.

I came across this bag at Best Buy. Before I saw it I had been planning on getting a Lowepro laptop and camera backpack, since I have one Lowepro camera backpack which I mostly like. Problem with the Lowepro bags were that I couldn't find them in any stores to look at, and the two models I was looking at online were $150-190, and I didn't even really like them that much. Also I don't need to take my camera gear with me all the time, only when taking trips. Anyway, this bag looked well made and it was only around $50. After spending some time online and in stores looking at bags while I waited for my computer to arrive I decided on this one.

I had worried a little about how to pack all my camera gear if I have this bag when I travel, I didn't want to have to take this bag and a camera bag. But as it turns out, the big compartment in this bag is big enough to hold the padded insert from my Lowepro Rover AW camera backpack.

Pros:
- Lots of pockets, lots of space.
- Mesh pockets on the side are good for drinks.
- Seems well made, but I haven't really put it to the test yet, and I haven't owned it long enough to see how it will hold up over time.
- No waist belt. (some might consider that a con...)
- Stands up by its self.
- Compression straps (I think they're called) on the sides.


Cons:
- All my complaints seem to be in one compartment. In one of the compartments on the front, which has slots for various small items, there are no pen slots. I really like pen slots. I put my pens and pencils in one of the wider pockets, but if the bag gets turned upside down they all fall out.
- Same compartment: all the wider pockets are too narrow for anything I want to put in them, such as business card case, electronic dictionary, etc. It could just be me that thinks they are too narrow, but I think other people will feel the same way.
- Choice of colors. I read on Amazon that the gray model is more like silver, so I got red. I would have preferred all black.
- Could use some more padding at the top of the computer compartment.

These things I listed as cons are really minor though. Just the things that could have made it an absolutely perfect bag.

I am sure I will have more to say about this bag once I get to take it on a trip.

UPDATE 3/11/08 - I have had the bag for about a year now. Its held up well, but it doesn't see daily use. I took it on one trip to Korea and Japan. I like the big open pocket on the front of the bag. Its good for holding things you want easy access to. It looks like the bag is available in blue now. Silver and red were the only choices when I bought it last year. My other complains when I first wrote the review are still the same. Also, the bag no longer stands up by its self as well as it did when it was new. I still really like the bag.

This is an excellent backback. I did a lot of research on what I needed in a laptop tote. I wasn't sure about how it would handle as I traveled through the airports. It handled extremely well as I found out.

The great points:
1) Incredible amount of room with lots of pockets.
2) A separate compartment for the laptop which makes it easier to pull the laptop out while going through security. The strap holding the laptop in is also very easy to open and it keeps the laptop from moving around.
3) The open pocket so that you can stuff itinieries and paperbacks in there as you get on and off the plane.
4) The shoulder straps are easily adjustable and very comfortable.
5) The padding is also very comfortable, I sometimes forget that I have it on.
6) Cool little pocket atop the pack for MP3 players or for wallets.
7) Hard core handle up top for easy and confident transfer.

Not so cool:
1) The small doodad bag up front where you are supposed to stash keys, cell phones, pens and pencils does not have a double zipper so it can easily be wide open without you knowing.
2) The second handle on top of the pack is skimpy and makes no sense.

Overall, I love it and I enjoy using it as I travel about. The pack is very well designed and holds some very pleasant and surprising features.

I wanted to follow up the reviewer that said a 15.4" computer will not fit in this pack. Because of this review, I took my HP dv5000, 15.4" notebook to Best Buy to see if this backpack would be suitable for me. My computer fit in it just fine. Perhaps Wenger has made adjustments to the design, perhaps the reviewer got a lemon, or perhaps not all 15.4" screeened laptops are within the tolerances that Wenger desgined for. Regardless my 15.4" computer fit in this pack just fine and I will be buying it.

After wearing a pack for most of my adult life (I'm U.S. Marine), I've searched for the best civilian pack to carry the daily stuff in for day trips. This is by far the best design I've seen yet. I've tried many cheap one, ones that I've rebuild, even old military packs. All either lacked quality of construction or were uncomfortable to wear. Old Military packs are nice but lack style and they are green. No pack seems perfect but this is as close as I've found in a 20 year search. Good points are the padding, the design of the inside pockets and the straps. The only weak spot is the front zipper around the top front pouch.

I absolutely LOVE THIS BACKPACK!!! In the months it took me to find this product I probably tried every other brand of backpack on the market and none of them come close to the comfort, capacity and styling of this bag. It is well built. I fly from Fl to Ca frequently and carry a Fujitsu T4020 laptop, along with literally a ton of books. With my previous bags my back would ache under the weight, but with this one I hardly feel like I have it on. It fits perfectly under my seat even on the small commuter plane. I particularly like the padded compartment (intended for an ipod or CD player) which I use for my digital voice recorders and camera. I also like the way the padding supports the weight yet still allows for the air to circulate -an important factor for those living in hot climates to consider.

I typically research thing before I purchase them, but last year I needed a good bag for my new laptop and bought this on a whim at a local retail store. For once it was nice to have simply stumbled onto an excellent product without all the work.

I've used this bag to walk to the office downtown many times, on my motorcycle for short trips, on many airplanes, on the city buses, in my car, almost anywhere.

First, my only (minor) complaints: the media player pocket is nice and easy to get into to, but the headphones opening is routed very strangely and troublesome. I find myself not using it, i just run the cable out of the zippered opening for the pocket and don't close it 100%. Also, the adjustment straps are quite long on all of the latches and carrying straps, so I used some zip ties to keep the excess folded up and out of the way.

Otherwise, it is great. Very comfortable and has lots of padding. I typically lug my Dell Dimension (15.4 size) around with the associated accessories and it never feels too heavy or uncomfortable. It will snugly fit under the seat of any airplane I've been on, and the laptop compartment is quick to get in/out of for those airport security checks. The front pocket has perfect spots for a wallet, cell phone, credit/security/ID cards, USB memory sticks, and a tethered clip for a key ring. The top carrying handle is either metal inside or a vert strong plastic, it can easily support the entire weight of the bag if needed.

It shows NO signs of wear, but the main compartment zipper is starting to 'stick' in a few spots where the inside seam is starting to buckle out and obstruct the zipper's path. There's no risk of snagging the material into the zipper like on jackets, but it is sometimes hard to get it past that point. The large compartments are double-zippered so you can meet the two at any troublesome spot to avoid it.

I have seen pictures of it online with a cellphone holder that attaches to the back-straps, but my didn't come with it.

I am constantly travelling for work, or living in two different places and this bag goes with me everywhere. If it was lost/stolen I would go out and get another one immediately.

Time and time again, I load this backpack up with 4 textbooks, a laptop, and a 1 liter water bottle. It is easy to carry, and the straps are all spring loaded so there is less of a jerking motion when walking. The pack is well padded and useful for carrying a camera, camcorder, as well as your laptop when it is time for vacation. The zippers are sturdy, and the price through Amazon is great. Best buy was charging $79 for this pack when I bought it.

4.5 out of 5 stars

This is the best notebook pack I have ever used. The quality is excellent: heavy-duty zippers and strong plastic reinforcements at the bottom. The grip is round and comfortable, all straps are adjustable, and there is thick padding on back and straps. The pack is visually very appealing and provides great comfort even when carrying heavy loads. The side-pockets are a little narrow and long and I don't really use them. This is a great business/college/town/shopping/carry-on backpack with lots of space.

I recently bought a brand new laptop after my nephew broke my old one and I wanted a durable backpack or case that would be able to protect it from him.

I did some research online into different cases/backpacks but finally narrowed down my choice to the Wegner notebook backpack and to this day, months after purchasing it, I am still convinced that I couldn't have made a better decision.

The superb construction of this backpack is the first thing I noticed when I got it, I can definetly believe this is from the makers of the original Swiss army knife. You can tell by the quality that it's not going to be falling apart any time soon.

Other great things are the fact that it has plenty of extra pockets that I actually use, such as for carrying water bottles and my cellphone and books. There's also the extra padding around the area the laptop is held, and an elastic strap that holds it snugly in place. In fact, it has so much padding that I almost feel like I could drop it off a 2 story building and have no damage to my laptop (though i'm not going to try it).

Another thing worthy of mention that I don't think any of the other reviewers talked about is just how comfortable it is to wear.
There's extra cushioning on the straps and behind the backpack so it feels really great when you put it on your back. Definetly the most comfortable, durable, and all-around well designed backpack i've ever owned. I have absolutely no complaints.

I must say this backpack is extremely well built, and much more durable than any other brand laptop backpack I've considered (Targus and Jansport).

Padding: The padding for the back is awkward at first, as it seems excessively thick, but I assume in time it will reduce down in size, yet still provide comfort and good shock asorbing. After a day I was used to the padding design.

Laptop compartment: My biggest concern for a laptop backpack is the bottom part of the laptop compartment must be padded and/or built above the backpack's bottom to avoid laptop to ground contact. I usually prefer about 1/2 to 1 inch of padding at the bottom of the laptop compartment, better than spacing. The Maxxum does not have much padding, but has a interstering flap design that creates a diagonal closure with the padded bottom compartment. It is ingeniously designed.

Features: Has many pocks and compartments for other gear. The pockets are nicely designed to fit the backpack, no lose bagging occurs inside the compartments.

Materials: I don't know what the materials are, or want to look up what they are called, but it is very rugged and hard for some crazy durability. The handle itself is crazy hard, and could probably hurt someone if they got it by it.

Weight: This was the one con about this backpack and it is extremely heavy compared to a regular backpack. It says 3 pounds in the product description. Thats ridiculously heavy for the backpack itself.

Overall: I like the design, the quality, and the style ( I got mine in blue and black). It is a very good laptop backpack if you don't mind the weight.