The biggest advantage of a backpack laptop bag is that it carries lots of stuff. For students especially, it offers ample room for laptop, accessories, books, notebooks and everything else. But while backpacks with one central zippered space and a front zippered pocket are great for general use, they aren’t suited to carrying laptops.
The laptop needs its own isolated space within the backpack, a space that is well padded and includes straps to secure the laptop, suspending it above the bottom of the pack so it won’t hit bottom and get damaged. The protective space should cover the entire laptop and include a fastener at the top so the laptop can’t slide out.
A common complaint about laptop backpacks is that they are either too small to carry everything or large enough for a week-long hike. But the hands-free advantage, inherent cool of a backpack and ample space make backpack laptop bags a top choice. Especially for stuff that varies in size and shape, the backpack may be your best option.
With backpacks, it’s important to check whether the straps across your back are padded and comfortable. You may want to try some on at stores adding your laptop and a few books to make sure it’s easy to carry. Some backpacks even have padding on the back, so the part that rests against your back is soft.
Remember that with backpacks, contents other than laptop will flop around and some jumbling is inevitable. If that’s a problem, keep smaller items in small, soft cases within the backpack and find a backpack with enough pockets. As long as your laptop is protected and contained, the jumbling will not hurt anything and is actually the key to greater space. Some backpack styles include a plastic drawer on the bottom to hold cables and cords.