Case Logic Security Friendly Laptop Backpack
Published: August 6th, 2010
Category: Accessories
- Executive backpack compatible with most laptops with a 16″ screen
- Security Friendly- Designed in compliance with TSA guidelines so your laptop does not need to be removed when passing through airport security*
- Dedicated laptop compartment protects your laptop throughout the screening process
- Grab ‘N’ GoTM design lets you quickly exit security without having to re-zip your backpack
- Plush laptop compartment helps keep your computer safe from daily wear and tear
Product Description
Separate file compartment stores folders, magazines and loose papers , Smart OrganizationTM panel with soft, nylex lined pockets provides a place for electronics, gadgets and accessories , Luggage strap securely attaches your backpack to most rolling luggage , Adjustable shoulder strap and comfortable, fully-padded leather handles allow for easy transport , Innovative strap management system eliminates messy, hanging straps , *It is up to the discretion of the US Transportation Security Officer whether a laptop case can pass through security without further screening.
Case Logic Security Friendly Laptop Backpack
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August 6th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
The only problem I have with this backpack is that it is a little dorky looking. Very plain looking, all black with matte silver zippers. Other then that, this is a great backpack!
As someone who lugs around a decent sized widescreen laptop, this is exactly the kind of laptop you would like to have. The rear portion of the backpack contains a padded area for you to store your laptop. Padded as to not damage the computer and to not cause you any discomfort also the lining of this pocket is soft as to not scratch any of the surfaces of your laptop.
The bag features a zipper that basically allows you to split the backpack in half and lay it down flat for scanning through the x-ray machine at airports. This of course is nice since you aren’t pulling out your laptop and tossing it in one of those dirty gray bins and getting it scratched, etc..
The front half of the bag contains three other pockets, a smaller one on the front, a slightly larger one behind that which contains smaller pockets for pens, business cards and other small items, then you have one larger pocket which has room for things like power adapters, Cd’s, etc..
A couple of other nice features:
The bag is designed to hold it’s shape and stand up right when set down. The shoulder straps are padded and curved, making them very easy and comfortable to use. And a nice little touch the adjustable straps that normally dangle after you adjust them, these straps have nifty little Velcro pieces that allow you to roll them up and keep them from getting dirty when you have the bag on the ground or getting caught on stuff as you walk around.
Suffice to say, the bag may not be the coolest looking backpack out there, but you can tell that a lot of thought was put into it design, the designers remembered the little things that annoy you about backpacks that you wished you could fix. Glad I have it!
Rating: 4 / 5
August 6th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
This is my second Case Logic “security friendly” piece of luggage, and like the CLCS-116 over-the-shoulder messenger type bag, the CLBS-116 backpack has a lot of nice features but seems to be missing a lot of the every day features you expect with most laptop bags.
Of the many laptop backpacks I’ve owned, the OGIO Metro Backpack and discontinued Samsonite Rafter are my top two favorite, so I use them as a baseline for comparison purposes. Compared to those two bags, this Case Logic is firmly planted on the “Spartan” side of the fence. It’s very low on features, but what it does, it does well. Most of what I said in my Case Logic 16-Inch Full-Size Security Friendly Laptop Case (CLCS-116) can be repeated here for much of the pro’s and con’s carry through to this backpack model – with a few changes.
Pros:
- Non-laptop half of the bag has lots of good segmented and non-segmented compartments. Good for holding gadgets like Blackberries, phones, MP3 players, power cords, pens, books, etc…
- Small semi-hidden “wallet” hole for hiding cash.
- Zipper sliders are metal, not plastic (a big plus in my book). Zipper teeth are mostly plastic with the exception of the front zipper which is metal. All zippers on my bag pulled nice and smooth.
- Holds my 15.4″ laptop like a champ – lots of padding, plenty of room.
- Put my Inspiron 1720 17″ laptop in, just to see if it’d fit. “Kind of” would be a good description – the laptop fit, but only because I removed the battery (Dell laptops have gone to a configuration where the battery hangs off the back end). The 17″ laptop is pushing at the seams of the compartment, so not a whole lot of padding left at the sides. Not bad for a backpack that advertises itself as a 16″ laptop backpack.
- Secondary “stuff” pocket is full sized, extending wide enough to hold a hefty 3-4″ phonebook-sized item.
- Relatively light for a backpack at 3lbs.
- Nice “pass-through” feature which lets you thread the pull bar of rolling luggage through allowing for piggy-backing of the pack.
Cons:
- No headphones hole – thought that was odd for Case Logic.
- Very little padding in non-laptop half of the case – careful with your gadgets!
- No side pockets, mostly because you have to open it up for the security screening.
- Not a whole lot of extension allowance – if your items don’t fit, they won’t fit. The stitch is stiff nylon so there’s not a lot of give.
- The straps are attached by way of two Z-stitches at the top and a double-stitch to an extension at the bottom – if you overload your backpacks a lot like I do, these stitches probably won’t last very long. However if you’re just hauling a laptop, a book, and a few gadgets, this should last a lifetime.
Conclusion:
Since this backpack is a “Generation 1″ of these security bags, I’m hoping that the future will bring more cost-effective and feature rich bags. The cost itself is probably prohibitive enough to bring this backpack out of the reach of most students, and honestly if the only benefit that you’re getting is that you don’t have to put the laptop in the scanning device, it’s probably not enough for most people to purchase this backpack. However if you’re the consultant type who takes semi-daily business trips, being able to fly through the security checkpoint with just your backpack and shoes removed is probably enough of an incentive to grab this bag. Plus the design is clean enough to look professional.
Rating: 4 / 5
August 7th, 2010 at 2:14 am
I regularly travel by airplane and I’m a student, so I decided to try the Case Logic security friendly laptop backpack. According to Case Logic, this backpack will get a person through security checkpoints quickly while fully protecting the laptop and sensitive documents. When approaching an X-ray machine, just unzip and lay flat on the conveyer belt. At the other end, just lift the handle and go.
On my most recent trip, I packed the bag with a 15.4″ Dell Latitude D800, a couple school books, some papers, the usual laptop stuff, and some other junk; all together the bag weighed about 20 pounds. I also travel with a Tamrac Expedition 5 backpack containing a digital SLR, several lenses, filters and more resulting with a bag weighing about 20 pounds as well. Considering these two bags weigh the same, the camera bag with its waist strap and shoulder strap connector over the chest feels much lighter on the shoulders. The additional straps distribute the weight better, but would slow down the removal process. However Case Logic’s luggage strap allows for carrying the backpack on your suitcase while strapped to the handle.
A lot of thought went into the construction and organizational properties of this laptop backpack Even though Case Logic indicates the plush laptop compartment will hold a 16″ laptop, I was able to pack a 17″ HP G70-246US comfortably without any zipper closure fuss; although the top corners could be identified. For screening purposes, nothing but the laptop should be stored in this section. The main storage area has a couple pockets to stash the cord and other accessories while allowing plenty of room for books and papers. The front compartment provides many pockets for organizing and includes a clip to hold a key ring. Plus a hidden passport storage compartment is placed between the two zippered halves.
The pre-screening security officer busily warned people to pull out their laptops, but I ignored him. I took the bag off my back, unzipped the two center zippers and laid the properly packed bag out flat on the conveyor belt. The bag passed inspection without any issues. On the other end, I grabbed the main handle and the bag went naturally back together for zipping even though I chose to do so later. Keep in mind, Case Logic warns “It is up to the discretion of the US Transportation Security Officer whether a laptop sleeve can pass without further screening.” This by far was the easiest experience passing a laptop through security I can recall.
If you’re looking for a laptop bag for traveling which can get you through security check points quickly and hassle free, strongly consider the Case Logic security friendly laptop backpack. The executive on the go would benefit the most, but even the occasional traveler could make use of this sturdy and effective laptop bag. Plus this bag is backed by a 25 year warranty.
PROS:
Sturdy and well constructed
Ample back padding
Manufactured for organization
Luggage strap
CONS:
Feels heavy on the shoulders
Rating: 4 / 5
August 7th, 2010 at 3:03 am
I bought this thing online, so wasn’t too confident– but it turned out to be a fine piece of luggage. Love the non-backpacker vibe, no dangling strings or lacings, no fancy colors– pure urban chic. It’s remarkably light, but strong, too, holds a whole lot more than you’d guess from its sleekness, and shows no wear after two weeks on the road. The few faults: padding for the laptop is very thick and stiff and can not be removed if, for instance, you’re not carrying a laptop. The sort of wide bridge or sleeve piece on the back, through which you slip the pull-bar of a rolling carry-on case, is strong, but since it gets seriously stretched each time it’s used, I think it will be the first part to tear. If it had a zipper on the bottom and on the top, it could serve as a spare slim pocket, always useful, for those times when you’re carrying it by itself. Same thing with the very strange butterfly centerfold! This wasn’t clear online, and I assumed it was a closed space that would zip open when you need to flatten the halves out for inspection. Not the case– just two short zippers, one down each side, and the bottom completely open. There ought to be a single zip all the way around with two pulls, so that the central pocket could be used to carry a few flat things on those days when you don’t expect to be taking a flight, which is most of the time. I’m wondering now whether installing such a zipper would be worth the trouble. Heavyduty stick-on velcro strips, maybe… always nice because pickpockets can’t get them open silently. But all in all, a great piece of gear, whether you’re a business traveler or a day hiker.
Rating: 4 / 5
August 7th, 2010 at 4:55 am
I have tried four scan-through laptop backpacks:
– Case Logic 16-Inch Security-Friendly Laptop Backpack (CLBS-116)
– Skooba R101-141 Checkthrough Laptop Backpack (Black)
– Brenthaven 2095 ProStyle BP-XF for Notebooks up to 15.4 Inches (Black)
– Mobile Edge MESFBP ScanFast Backpack (Black)
and my prime choice is the Case Logic because it is very comfortable to carry and has ample space for other things.
All backpacks have a zipper that makes the backpack open like a butterfly with one “wing” containing the laptop and the other one other items such as cord, binders, papers… I was disappointed that the Mobile Edge and Brenthaven didn’t really fit a lot of items in the other compartment although they are fairly large. The Skooba and Case Logic easily fit a fully stuffed 1.5″ binder and a book. All backpacks seem sufficiently padded although none is padded a lot around the edge and the top, which might damage your laptop if the backpack falls on its top or sides. I usually have my 15.4″ Macbook Pro in the Apple incase so I do not worry about that. I did not try it but all backpacks except the CaseLogic should easily fit a 17″ Laptop although with an incase (like the ones from Apple) it might be a bit tight. I have no experience how well the larger backpacks (Skooba, Brenthaven, MobileEdge) fit under the seat in front of you on an airplane.
The CaseLogic and Skooba are particularly comfortable to carry, the Brenthaven is fine, but squeezed my neck a little (and I am not very tall or large) which might become uncomfortable if you carry it for a long time.
About the Case Logic in particular: I was positively surprised by how much other stuff this backpack holds. It looks smaller than comparable laptop backpacks, but it’s a space miracle! It easily holds a stuffed 2″ binder and some smaller items (power cord, calculator, …). Yet, it remains comfortable to carry for longer periods even when I stuffed it with heavy items like paper/books/water bottle. Two additional features make this handy: You can easily attach it to the bars of a trolley if you don’t feel like carrying it on your back and it is easier to fit under the seat in front of you on an airplane because it’s not so big and not so rigid.
Slight downside is that the compartments are not so well-organised. I wish there was a small compartment for pens. Now I have to dig for them in the flat bag which is a little chaos of iPod, calculator, time clock card and other rubbish. Also there are no side pockets for bottles.
You can argue about appearance, but I find it somehow chic (my Japanese friend likes it ;-) ) and it is not as large as comparable laptop backpacks. So if you are a woman or smaller person and don’t want to look dwarfed by a big box on your back this might be a good choice.
Rating: 5 / 5