High Sierra XBT - Business Laptop Backpack, Mercury/Crimson, One Size

Kid used a version of this one for all 4 years of high school and it still looks good. Large middle compartment for books which is what you need. Great build quality. Purchase another one for a rising freshman this year.

I went on Amazon just now because I wanted to buy another of these. Bought my first one in 2016, and it has been everything I wanted. Incredibly strong. Comfortable. Holds a ton. Easy to access everything. I use it for commuting to work (with laptop and gym clothes), but also for travel. The sternum strap is a little low for a woman's chest, but it's still much more comfortable than the other styles I tried. Finally, on a recent trip, when I was carrying about 50 pounds of bottled water, the sternum strap broke. Figured I'd get another one. I highly recommend it!

I shopped North Face and many other backpack brands, but poor organizational design in backpacks seems to be rampant. My old High Sierra backpack finally gave out after 20 years, but I loved the toughness and design, so went back to shopping this brand. Not disappointed. This one is beautifully designed, fits all my photo and tech gear and much else with ease, and is clearly built to endure. If you need a larger backpack I highly recommend!

This is a great back if you can get it to hold up. Plenty of pockets and storage. My replacement for my replacement has started to separate at the seams, in the exact same places as the other two bags. I went with the royal/navy/neon option each time. Perhaps High Sierra just has a bad batch in that color scheme?? I'm very disappointed, at this price I expect the backpack to hold up better and longer. I guess it's a good thing, I don't carry much more than my laptop, charger, and keys in this thing.

Bought as a replacement for my son who is VERY hard on his belongings. His original backpack he got in 8th grade and he’s a senior in college now. He’s had it for several months and so far so good.Quality build which I’m hoping this pack lasts as long as the original.

Not the most durable...the small pouch on top did tear open and I had to sew a fistula shut, though to be fair I stuffed a lot in there. It's weird there are two zippers that go to the same main pouch, but I guess if one breaks there's a backup? It's nice to have a lot of places to store smaller things separately. When I'm using my larger water bottle, it's often difficult to put it in the "ear" netting.

**Update:The more time that passes, the more irritated that the laptop section isn’t in its own section. Turns out that having the extra compartment would make the bag more functional for me. The size is still more than adequate, but having to store everything in one big compartment hinders staying organized.**I work 12 hour—overnight—security shifts at a major industrial site, and at least 1/2 that time is spent either outside, or otherwise exposed to the elements; so I carry a wide variety of items on a daily basis.I need:cold-weather hat & gloves; a storage clipboard for work-related forms/reports; a regular notebook, an all weather notebook, and numerous writing utensils; charging cables and devices; Tylenol, Ibuprofen, an emergency pill box for my prescription medication, medicated chap stick, and cocoa butter for my skin; a thermos for coffee, another for broth/soup, and some kind of sandwich/wrap or a salad; then I have a travel coffee mug, and a 40 oz insulated water cup..At the end of the day, I empty my pockets and belt into my bag, so my toddler doesn’t find (and run off with) daddy’s:Badge, and badge reel; organizer belt sheath with flashlight, keys, pocket knife, and multi-tool; yet another—primary—writing utensil; belt; watch; shirt-stays; and nicotine gum.That’s my daily BASELINE, and half the time I also have to carry a hard hat.This bag has helped me to keep ALL of that organized—and—I’m not even using all the little organizer compartments. There’s still room for me to bring a 3rd thermos if I wanted to (because, why not!?), AND I’d still have room for my hard hat.I have no regular need for a laptop at work, so I don’t normally carry it, but if the need should arise, I’d still (with a third thermos and hard hat) have room for it, and I’m relatively confident it would be safe from impact damage.So there’s the good, meow I’d like to express my disappointment, and the reason it only gets 4 stars. This same bag, was redesigned for airline travel, and has a dedicated tech compartment for your laptop & tablet. Its padded in the front and the back, and it zips all the way open so you’s can lay it flat on the scanner belt.I thought that redesign was the extended zipper so that the separate compartment would lay flat. Turns out it’s the entirety of the separate compartment. This bag has one main compartment, and a smaller organizer compartment on the front, not four. The third zipper on the front is an expansion for the smaller front compartment, and the fourth zipper behind the carrying handle is just a second opening for the main compartment. 😒. Not just let down; irritated.Overall, I’m still thrilled that I picked this bag over some of the other bags that I was comparing it to, however my runner-up lost because it is laid out in the same manner: a main compartment for your gear, and an organizer pouch up front, except that bag has the third compartment specifically for your laptop. It also had a place for a power bank and a usb connector.

I use backpacks for travel and for carrying my things to a local game store and occasionally when just out walking about. This does all of those things very well. Extremely versatile and sturdy, above and beyond every backpack I have bought in a brick-and-mortar store. Highly recommend.