1

Looked at my trusty 10+ year old Swiss gear laptop backpack today and noticed 2 things:

  1. The stitching on the shoulder straps is failing
  2. I normally carry this over one should and the strap that is over my shoulder has lost all of its padding.

So, time to replace. What are the best out there. I like well padded and only carry the laptop and sometimes my auxiliary screen.

What are the best cases out there right now?

13 Spice ups
2

I think Swiss Gear is still going to be near the top. My first one was a Dell backpack that lasted about two years before disintegrating. Bought a Swiss Gear and been using that for the last 8 years. It has held up very well.

7 Spice ups
3

I like OGIO, I have a small drawstring bag. I have had it for at least 10 years. I use it to carry my tablet.

6 Spice ups
4

I’m still rocking a 2017 Spiceworld bag. Before that my fave was my 2015 VMWorld backpack, unfortunately it got a tear in it from being overloaded by someone I loaned it to. Prior to that, a variety of different Novell Brainshare bags, some of which I still have. Rollers, backpacks, messenger style, etc.

6 Spice ups
5

The only complaint I have with my current Swiss Gear is the fact that the bottom has virtually no padding so they are relying completely on the elastic straps to suspend the laptop.

6 Spice ups
6

The free Dell ones that I get during some Dell events or IT events ?

The it also depends on your needs as I have like 4 diff backpacks in my car for different needs…eg slim one for the lappy alone while the full sized one have like a small KB, mouse, power pack, water…

5 Spice ups
7

OGIO for me as well.

7 Spice ups
8

Had my swissgear backpack for 10+ years and was solid except for losing padding on the one shoulder I used. Its time eventually came to an end when the base wore out (had a decent hard shell on the bottom).

The closest I found that resembled it was a Wenger backpack. Seems to be a clone of the swissgear one (that I had anyway). Been using it for a few years now and its pretty decent just not as much padding on the strap but the back has good padding and airflow and a tough base

EDIT: I tried a KROSER backpack as that had strong reviews but I returned it immediately due to poor quality.

5 Spice ups
9

My bag is a rollable one that I got as a computer-usable carryon like 10 years ago… and it tips over pretty easily, so even though it is very convenient for airports, can’t recommend.

I did find a couple of more recent related articles though, if you are interested:

PCMag – best laptop backpacks 2023

Gearlab – best laptop backpacks 2025

5 Spice ups
10

My current is an OGIO but I’ve had great success with Swiss Gear, too!

3 Spice ups
11

My work gave me an OGIO backpack, which I like but wish there was a little more support with the shoulder straps since I usually lug around multiple laptops. I’ve received another backpack from another company that does have great shoulder support. I believe it’s an Ozuko brand. Both solid bags for daily use.

5 Spice ups
12

I just bought my first Swiss Gear backpack about two weeks ago. Previously my favorite one I had I got at a CompTIA Academic Conference. Unfortunately, I could not find any manufacturer branding on it to try to replace it with the same one.

5 Spice ups
13

The Linus Tech Tips Commuter Bags are pretty decent although a bit pricey

5 Spice ups
14

I still have an old Targus 17+ years ago; but use my North Face Surge when travelling on weekends; and keep my laptop just in case.

5 Spice ups
15

I have an older Timbuktu Swig that I used for bike commuting. it was tough and comfortable and I should reclaim it from my wife.

5 Spice ups
16

FWIW, I been using an Incase ICON Lite (or Slim, can’t remember which) for almost 10 years now and recommend it without hesitation. It’s held up really well and looks quite sleek.

4 Spice ups