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Backpack for MacBook Pro

A

axu539

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 31, 2010
929
0
I got my 17" MacBook Pro a couple weeks ago to use as a desktop replacement. However, I will, at times, need to take it places. I plan on getting a neoprene sleeve for it as well at some point.

My original thought was to get a messenger bag, as I had been thinking about switching from backpacks to messenger bags. My friend convinced me otherwise, since backpacks do have better balance on the shoulders, and thus less back strain.

I am currently looking at some North Face backpacks (Hot Shot or Big Shot), and I'd like some insight from any current 17" owners with any of these backpacks. I already have a North Face Wavelength, which fit my old 15" fine, but is barely large enough to fit the 17" even without a sleeve.

In the pack, I also plan on carrying some notebooks, binders, and if I'm traveling, I might have my MacBook Air (in a Booq Viper 11) in there as well.

Does the 17" MBP fit inside these bags with a neoprene sleeve on? Can anyone make me a recommendation on one of those bags (a different pack recommendation is ok too)?

Thanks in advance!
 
A total myth, as a top notch messenger bag will be just as well balanced and position things so that the weight gets distributed correctly (bags such as those built by Chrome), although these are pricey, but hey you just bought a Mac. If the messenger bags were so bad on balancing weight, messengers would have given them up years ago.
 
squeakr said:
A total myth, as a top notch messenger bag will be just as well balanced and position things so that the weight gets distributed correctly (bags such as those built by Chrome), although these are pricey, but hey you just bought a Mac. If the messenger bags were so bad on balancing weight, messengers would have given them up years ago.
Click to expand...

What about trying to run with a messenger bag though? I do sometimes need to move quickly to get to class or to catch a flight.

Either way, my main concern is whether or not those 2 bags will comfortably fit a 17" MBP with a sleeve on. Does anyone know?
 
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A good messenger bag, like the one I referenced, will fit tight to the body and not flop around (which is why bike messengers use them, and they move around a lot). My Chrome bag fits tight (it has a draw tight ability to loosen and tighten the fit as needed) and fits just a tight as my Ruck Sack, I used while in the Marine's, and allows just as movement as that one didm(cause it was needed at times :) ).
 
My wife went to our local Sam's Club and got me a SwissGear Scan Smart Laptop Backpack when I started grad school in January. I had my 15" MacBook Pro then, but it was very roomy as well as containing a lot of padding for protection. I recently got the new 17" MacBook Pro and was quite surprised to see how much room remained after putting the larger laptop in my backpack. I could probably fit a 19" laptop in there! I am extremely pleased with it, but forgot how much we paid for it. I would highly recommend this to anyone who desires a backpack for transporting their laptop. What's more, you have plenty of pockets for such things as power adapters, USB cables, external HDDs, etc ...
 
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I got my northface surge laptop backpack on eBay, $40 off retail. Works great for 17" laptops. Has great cushioning and weather resistance, too.
 
Thule

I got the Thule backpack from the apple store (it's also on their website). It got great reviews, and after using it for a few weeks, I concur...it's a great pack for the 17". It looks pretty sharp too. It's a bit steep at $100 though.
 
Coburn said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_6 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E200 Safari/6533.18.5)

I got my northface surge laptop backpack on eBay, $40 off retail. Works great for 17" laptops. Has great cushioning and weather resistance, too.
Click to expand...

Are you sure the surge fits 17" laptops? The North Face site says most 15" laptops. My current backpack is a Wavelength, and it also says fits most 15". My 17" MBP barely fits in there, and will definitely not fit if I get a sleeve.
 
Call me a tool, but I use an Incase nylon messenger and/or a backpack i scored from Craigslist for 15 smackers.
 
I have a Crumpler King Single for my 15", and I love it! They are really good bags, they also make very good messenger bags if you decide to look into that. I have about 5 of their bags for different things and love every one.
 
I have used messenger bags for the last 3+ years with my netbooks, notebooks and MBP.

A good messenger bag is great, perhaps find one with a belt strap that allows you to clip it around your waist, so if you do have to run somewhere, it won't flap about causing strain to you and your MBP.
 
North Face for the win!!!

the-north-face-limited-edition-nunatak-backpack.jpg
 
Oakley kitchen sink backpack fits my 17mbp when I was in College. Side access zipper is a pretty cool feature. Bought mine from zappos came with free shipping.
 
+1 for North Face

I have the Big Shot.
Was returning from a meeting (on foot) along with other participants when it started to pour like mad. Getting back to the hotel all laptops had contact with water, but not mine. Nothing ever got in the Big Shot. Money well spent.

And it is very comfortable and well-thought design.
 
YsoSerious said:
Oakley kitchen sink backpack fits my 17mbp when I was in College. Side access zipper is a pretty cool feature. Bought mine from zappos came with free shipping.
Click to expand...

Love the look of the Kitchen Sink but damn, lifting an empty one already felt like there's a laptop inside:(. I'll go with North Face for the already heavy 17".
 
Coburn said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_6 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E200 Safari/6533.18.5)

I got my northface surge laptop backpack on eBay, $40 off retail. Works great for 17" laptops. Has great cushioning and weather resistance, too.
Click to expand...

This.
The North Face Surge.
Got mine in all black so that it looks slightly more professional for work and I adore it. I'm a consultant and have traveled constantly around the world with this bag over the past few years, so much so that it could qualify for platinum elite with its airline miles. I often carry between 2-3 laptops as well.

I have been through Timbuk2, Tumi, Oakley, JanSport, Filson, LV, Codi, Crumpler, and Jack Spade messengers/backpacks. In my opinion, none compare. Comfort and weight distribution is outstanding and the main reason I love it so much. I've recommended it to my sister's boss at Stanford Medical Center and since then that recommendation has propagated through their staff and saw loads of people with it when I last visited. It all started when I saw it as the bestselling backpack on ebags, so I gave it a go. So glad I did. If anyone has had one for a good duration of time and found something better I'd love to hear your opinion.
 
cvs said:
+1 for North Face

I have the Big Shot.
Was returning from a meeting (on foot) along with other participants when it started to pour like mad. Getting back to the hotel all laptops had contact with water, but not mine. Nothing ever got in the Big Shot. Money well spent.

And it is very comfortable and well-thought design.
Click to expand...

Do you have a 17" MBP, and does it fit comfortably?
 
arctic said:
Love the look of the Kitchen Sink but damn, lifting an empty one already felt like there's a laptop inside:(. I'll go with North Face for the already heavy 17".
Click to expand...

I'm still getting mixed responses from different sources regarding the 17" fitting in these backpacks. A North Face rep told me that he's heard that the 17" MBP will only fit comfortably without a sleeve. With a sleeve it's a little tough. But from other places, some mention using a 17" with North Face backpacks. Do you have any info on whether a 17" MBP will fit?
 
I am picking up a Crumpler messenger bag for my 15" when I get out of the third world. I have gone through 2 bags in the last 4 months, because their straps started to go, and the last thing you would want is a strap to go and your bag with your computer fall to the ground.

The one i like is called Part & Parcel, tailored for 15" computers, has a special strap that stabilizes the bag so it doesn't swing around and strain your shoulder
PP15A_img01_nrm.jpg


There are similar bags for 17" models too, and the strap is designed to hold the computer and all of your external drives and cables without losing structural integrity

http://www.crumpler.com/AU/Laptop-Bags/Laptop-Messenger-Bags.html?LanguageCode=EN
 
I bought my Part & Parcel from the Crumpler store in SOHO NYC. Ended up giving it to a friend as a gift after a few uses. It's pretty solid and I have confidence in Crumpler's quality and durability since I primarily use a 6 million dollar home for my SLR, but just was not a fan of that messenger.
 
Orion025 said:
I bought my Part & Parcel from the Crumpler store in SOHO NYC. Ended up giving it to a friend as a gift after a few uses. It's pretty solid and I have confidence in Crumpler's quality and durability since I primarily use a 6 million dollar home for my SLR, but just was not a fan of that messenger.
Click to expand...

I don't know if they have Crumpler stores in Canada, I would like to try it before I shell out $240 or so. I have had so many laptop bags, I am fed up with cheap things that make me feel like my computer is going to break. Would there be room to put an SLR in the Part & Parcel?
 
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