Bought this bag for use as a personal item on United airlines. The 17" bag is the exact size they specify and it fits well on top of my rollerbag and feels stable with the trolley sleeve over the handle. Although it feels small, it does hold quite a bit and unless I over pack, which I sometimes do, it slides on and off the handle of my rollerbag fairly easily. I liked it so much I also ordered the 18" size for when I'm feeling bold or checking the other bag (or not flying United). I ordered red for both but the 18" one is burgundy, which I actually like better because it matches my rollerbag. The bags look well made and have enough pockets to stay organized but not so many that you can't remember where you put things. The two larger compartments have double zippers and the main compartment opens completely, like a suitcase and unlike a typical day pack which makes it easy to locate items and unpack. If you're looking for a bag that qualifies as a personal item but has the versatility of a day pack, get this bag; you won't be disappointed.
What a great personal item sized backpack!I need to travel back and forth between MI and CA this year quite often, so I bought an annual pass on Frontier. Since I’m flying from one home to another, I don’t need to pack any clothes but I do need to take my office equipment and materials…. My laptop, Mac Mini, some files and various other items.The first time I flew Frontier (From MI to CA in early June) I didn’t yet have this bag and instead I bought an adjustable size cardboard box and cut it down to be 18 in x 14 in x 7.5 in. When I got to the airport and tried the Frontier bag sizer I could “barely” get it to squeeze down into the sizer a few inches. I knew if I stuffed it down in any further I’d never be able to get it back out so I asked the agent who said she could see it met the 18 inch width and 8 inch thick specifications. She had me take it out and put it in front of the sizer and she could then see it met the 14 inch hight specifications and said I could take on board without having to pay the carry-on bag fee.The Frontier website says the personal item can be 18 x 14 x 8 but I’m convinced their sizer does not accommodate an 8 inch thick item as I specifically cut my box down to 7.5 inches and it barely fit (and the 18 inch width barely fit and I had to crush the box down just a wee bit to make it fit).Needless to say, lugging around a cardboard box is not fun so I went on the hunt for a bag, which I found with this wonderful backpack! I ordered it (in Grey) and used it for the first time in early July, when flying back to MI.I knew the items I would carry in the bag would bump and scrape each other as the bag is soft sided and probably wouldn’t keep its shape (with these types of bulky, clunky items), and it needed a little support. Before flying back to MI, I took my box and modified it once again. I had to modify all three dimensions for the box to fit inside the backpack. I had to be a little creative in figuring out how to do this, making adjustments as I went along to get it to fit but with the help of some strong gorilla tape it came together and eventually fit, snug inside the bag. After making the final adjustments the width was cut down to 16.5 inches, the height to 12 inches and the depth to 5.75 inches.I didn’t know if I should attach flaps to make a top for the box, and eventually I settled on simply cutting a new piece of cardboard to lay on top of the contents of the box once packed. A simple solution that worked out well!When I got to the airport, it was time to see if the bag with box inside would fit in the sizers. I first tried it in a Spirit bag sizer, and the packed bag easily slid right down into the sizer. And right on the Spirit sizer it lists the personal item size as being 18 x 14 x 8. I next tried it in the Frontier sizer, which “doesn’t” list any dimensions, and it was much tighter “but” it still slid down into the sizer. With this back-to-back comparison, I’m convinced the Frontier personal item sizer is smaller than 18 x 14 x 8 (I think it’s slightly less than 18 and slightly less than 8 on those two dimensions).At first, I carried it through the airport using the handle on the side. I had read a review about the strength of the stitching, and while my bag was heavy it held up. I didn’t want to push it and eventually switched to carrying it by the handle on the top. It was a long day of travel with two layovers, and while at the Dallas airport (DFW) my gate and terminal kept getting changed (long irrelevant story, but this was an American Airlines flight, not Frontier) so I decided to give the backpack straps a try. They worked great and it made the job of carrying the heavy load so easy!I eventually made it to my destination where my wife picked me up. She liked the looks of the bag, and commented on how heavy it was when she tried to pick it up.These are the items that fit into this backpack:Dell Laptop with chargerMac Mini and power cordMac KeyboardMac Magic Pad2 Large Office FilesPhone Diary and a thick stack of other papers and a few mail itemsStamps, Credit Card Receipts, Costco Receipts, etc.Copy stampExternal Solid State Hard DriveWall Plug-In charger brick with cordSonic Care with base charger2 Bungie CordsBon Appétit MagazineSamual French playI’m very happy with this personal item sized backpack! Sturdy and with enough room to carry my office equipment back and forth with ease. I highly recommend!
I bought this backpack because its 17×10 ×9 dimensions matched United’s personal item size limit. I used it on my trip to Aruba, and it fit perfectly under the seat! It was so convenient to have everything right in front of me and easy to reach during the flight.I brought this along with a carry-on suitcase, and between the two, I packed everything I needed for the week without checking a bag. I love all the pockets (especially the easy access top pocket) because they made it easy to keep smaller things organized instead of digging through my bag whenever I need something.I also liked the luggage strap. Being able to slide it over my suitcase handle made getting through the airport so much easier. It’s a really useful size for travel. roomy enough to hold plenty, but still convenient to keep under the seat. Really glad I bought this!
Plenty of separate compartments to keep things organized. Used a long usb cable stored in in the spot holding a USB powe supply to power my phone while the bag was under the seat in front of me. Plenty of straps to compress the size of the bag.
My laptop (17" diagonal) fits easily in this bag. Plus the strap for sliding over a rollerbag handle is plenty wide enough to slip on and off easily.
I am just using this now - getting ready for a 21 day cruise. I needed a backpack I could use for under the plane seat and this one fits those specs. I'm amazed at how much room is in it considering that it will fit under the seat. My tall water bottle fits securely as well. I love the strap to hold it in. It is nice to be able to put a few clothes and shoes in in addition to my tablet, chargers, etc.
Just used this during my travel to Europe. It was great!
I traveled to Tennessee with this backpack full of clothes that were vacuum sealed and it wasn’t hard to carry, I made it thru TSA with no problems and I boarded the plane with it easily but i carried it by the handle down the isle cuz it can be a bit tricky to get it off your back and get it out under the seat quickly although it fit perfectly under the seat.It’s Really durable and I definitely put it thru it on my trip.
awesome ! can’t say enough good things about this pack can be used in so many ways ! and fits under plane seat so works as personal bag . loaned it to my sister in law for europe vacation and she came home and ordered same one!
Great travel backpack! I stuffed it to the brim for a 2 day trip and was still able to fit it under United Airlines seat. Lots of pockets for packing. Worked very well to not pay baggage fees. Win win!
I love this backpack. It’s roomy with loads of pocket and sections for organizing my stuff for my trip. Comfortable, the straps are good, and the water bottle pocket is long and slightly elasticised at the top so my water bottle did not fall out.I would totally recommend.
Honestly great bag. Fits a good amount of stuff and fits under a plane seat perfectly. I really only have 2 gripes:1. The sides get a little floppy when packing which is mildly annoying.2. The water bottle holder is only on one side, the left (when it's on your back). I wanna say it's cause I'm a lefty but I'm used to pulling the left strap off so I can use my left hand to place and remove my water bottle. This makes things a little tricky.
I ordered a couple other backpacks before settling on this one. I have been using this it for over a year & very happy with it. The main large pocket can hold a lot of bulk. My favorite part is the small zippered pocket at the top: I place my travel size wallet in there so it’s easily accessible when needing to take my ID out for TSA security. The only thing I would change is having a pocket for water bottles on both sides. Otherwise, this is a great backpack
Perfect travel backpack. I normally use a regular backpack but found it wasn't large enough so I upgraded to to this suitcase type backpack and was very happy with my first use. It fit in the overhead compartment on my plane and also under the seat. I got the 18" (middle size) and it is a little tight under the seat but worked. It has many pockets and I loved that it opens like a suitcase, so it was much easier to find what I needed. All the straps held great, seems very durable, love the color (actually matches my suitcase). The only thing I wish it had was hip strap. It does get a little heavy when loaded and having a hip stray would take a lot of weight off your back & shoulders. I have a backpack like this and it's great but that's a bonus hard to find.
We just took this bag on a 2 week trip to Europe and it worked perfectly for what we needed it for. We used it to pack toiletries, shoes, and extra clothes, as well as a lap top, cords, and other items for use on the plane. It fit perfectly under the seat on both the flight to Europe as well as on a short domestic flight to a regional European airport on a much smaller plane. The water bottle holder kept our bottle secure and the zippers are sturdy. The front pockets helped keep our documents and important items organized and easily accessible. It is a bit floppy and doesn't stand up very well but those were very minor issues and did not impact our overall satisfaction with the bag. We will definitely be using this bag on future trips!
I bought one of these backpacks to use as a "personal item" for domestic flights and I liked it so much that I bought three more so my whole family has them now. They are the perfect size to maximize the amount of items you can pack while still meeting the size restrictions for a "personal item". You should check with the airlines that you fly on and compare their requirements to the dimensions of this backpack before buying it, but I have not had any issues with it on domestic and even a few international flights. We use these as personal items and small roller suitcases as or carryons.If you look at other travel bags and backpacks, many of them are slightly larger than the personal item size for many airlines. I don't know why manufacturers make travel bags that are 1 inch too tall or 1 inch too wide to for airline requirements. You can probably use those but you never know when you are going to get the one airline rep who insists on strict size limits.Anyway, more about this backpack - There are more pockets in the backpack than I had expected. The backpack has a large main compartment which takes up most of the backpack. It can unzip it to open like a suitcase, or you can just unzip it part way to load it from the top like a regular backpack. Because it can open up all the way, there are straps on the side of the backpack that keep it from opening up by accident and these can be used to tighten the backpack if you are trying to make it thinner.There is also a laptop/tablet pocket at the back, a pocket on front of the backpack, a smaller pocket on top of that pocket which is designed to hold a charger, a thin pocket at the front which is almost as tall as the backpack and is perfect for paperwork such as hotel confirmations, tickets, etc., a thin pocket inside the main compartment which is also pretty tall and a small pocket on the top of the backpack near the laptop pocket that is great for smaller items such as keys, a wallet, etc.There is also a water bottle holder on the side and a strap on the back that holds this on the handles of another luggage or carryon roller luggage. The one pocket that I generally do not use is the one on the front that is designed to hold a charger. It is thin and on the front of the backpack so it would add to the thickness if I put items in there. I use all of the other pockets.These backpacks seem sturdy with a good material and I've taken mine on several flights so far, with no issues with quality or wear. The zippers work well and these seem like they will last for many years to come.One thing to note is that the backpack is relatively roomy but it is smaller than regular carryon dimensions so I would not use it as a carryon bag all by itself.Overall, a great personal item for airline travel.
I've had good backpacks going back decades, starting with a Jansport. Very adaptable. However, a recent plane trip forced us to take out the tape measure on all of our packs, including small gym bags, to discover that they were all too large in one dimension or another for the United Airlines 17x10x9 requirement for under-seat bags. The Ecohub 17" fit the bill. Not only is the material as good or better than my high-end old Jansport, but it's adapability of storage is amazing. A large center pocket carried spare clothing in case our checked luggage got misplaced. Numerous front and back pockets held our travel accessories, documents and reading material. A padded back pocket help my iPad (it could have easily held my 16" MacBook). And so many other slots within the pockets to sort the accessories and even a not-so-visible zipper pocket that held my extra cash and other valuables. It was lightweight and just the right size to easily carry. The outside mesh compartment for a bottle, etc is tall and easily holds a glasses case secure. One note: altho the dimensions are right for United Airlines, if you over-pack this, fitting under a United First Class seat was a challenge. I would guess this bag would fit just fine, even stuffed, in the regular coach seats, which have no electronics or motors to recline the seat as in First. Ah, trade-offs.I would definately recommend this backpack to travelers who want a good thing in a relatively small package (not too small, though) and I would purchase this again. Last, I found the quality to be just fine and durable, so I don't understand those lower star reviews.
This is an excellent travel backpack. It was comfortable it fit under my seat. It had a reasonable amount of room in it a decent water bottle holder. It doesn’t stand up very well, but I can live with that for the price. It fit my personal use Lenovo yoga. But I had to really squeeze my work, Lenovo in. Love the top access pocket for my valuables and the back concealed pocket. I generally prefer a traditional style opening for a backpack, but I can work with this. It’s sort of the Goldilocks. Enough compartments, yet lightweight enough, and spacious enough on the inside that I can either throw in things randomly as my husband or Kids, forget that they didn’t put something in their suitcase. But also great for short trips while using organizer cubes. I’m actually considering getting a second one to use as my work bag.
I love this backpack. It is so well organized, pockets are large enough so they actually work. So many backpacks have flat pockets and you can't get anything into them, especially if you have the main section full of clothes. I really like the laptop compartment because it has a Velcro strap to keep the laptop secure and also pockets for your cord, mouse, etc. It has a front pocket where you can put your power pack and a charging port to slip the cord through, a small compartment at the top for your phone and things you need to access quickly. I think that one is quite secure because the zipper is facing the back of your neck. In addition to all those, it also has another pocket on the front for things like pens and could be used for snacks, books or even your wallet. It is deep, so things would be quite safe. I think you'd know if someone tried to pick it. Some of the pockets open with 2 zippers so you can secure them with a double carabiner clip for added security. The fabric seems strong, it's water resistant and the bag is light weight. I think it is perfect for a smaller person. My compression bags fit well in the luggage section, which also has two large pockets for added organization. I like the water bottle pocket which expands. There are compression straps on both sides. Another feature is snaps on the body straps so when you aren't wearing it, the straps don't drag. My 15 inch laptop fits perfectly. I think they've thought of just about everything.The only things missing are a hidden pocket on the back side below the luggage strap and a chest strap, otherwise it is perfect. I bought the larger one for comparison and decided I liked the features of the smaller one better. The 18" one has the hidden pocket but doesn't have as nice a laptop section. It doesn't have the Velcro strap or the small pockets for the mouse, etc. I found them more valuable than the hidden pocket.The size meets the size requirement for personal items to put under seats on nearly all airlines. An 18 x 14 X 8 one, or anything larger, no longer meets the airline standards and they are starting to crack down on even being over by 1/2 inch.This is an attractive backpack that won't disappoint you if you are looking for a clam shell style one. It will keep you organized without confusing you about where everything is stashed.