In short:
The bag is the best value for money (30€ - 07/2023), surpassing even more expensive bags in functionality. Incredibly practical, spacious with useful features, plenty of compartments/pockets, visually appealing, and relatively comfortable. Perfect for travel, especially for the airport. It is not waterproof, but it can withstand some light rain. The side pocket is not elastic (observation "3" below).
In detail:
EXTERNAL
(I have numbered the external pockets in the photos, and I use Latin characters to indicate the functional parts)
The bag is very beautiful, deep blue with beige zippers. The zippers have rings for the possibility of locking with a padlock.
1) Top pocket, fits a pair of glasses (but I do not recommend it because it is not hard).
2) Front pocket, A5 paper size, slim, also not hard.
3) Side fabric pocket. ATTENTION: It is not elastic. Placing a bottle - although it fits - will reduce the internal space of the bag instead of protruding from the bag. Personally, I do not carry a bottle with me, so I use it for wet wipes/tissues or something similar and thin.
4) Hidden back pocket, perfect for passport, airline tickets, or a slim wallet as no one has access to it when you wear the bag. It is not for anything thicker than that because it would be uncomfortable on the back. It also includes RFID protection!
5) Small pocket on the strap, the size of a bank card. Maybe for something that requires immediate access like banknotes or keys (without keychains). Although it has the exact size, I would not put any card there as it may get bent.
A) Strap for passing through the telescopic handle of a suitcase (many expensive Samsonite bags do not have this).
B) Reflective elements on the straps, useful for the evening [update: the cords on the zippers are also reflective, so you are covered from behind as well].
C) Straps with clips to prevent the straps from slipping off the shoulders.
D) Opening for a cable such as headphones or a charger.
E) Straps with clips to reduce the volume of the bag(?) ATTENTION: They are not above the zipper, so they do not prevent the bag from opening in case the zipper breaks/opens. They are only on one side of the bag.
F) Side handle (again, many Samsonite bags do not have this).
G) Perhaps the most important, the bag has an additional zipper that, when opened, increases the internal space of the third compartment, providing a few extra liters.
INTERNAL
The bag consists of 3 compartments.
- The first one (closest to the back) is thin, with a divider for the laptop (protected by foam material and does not touch the bottom). Along with a relatively thin laptop, it can fit an A4 notebook and a tablet.
- The second one is even thinner and shallow, located in the middle, and can only be accessed internally through the zippers of the other 2 compartments. Good for valuable items as it does not open from the outside and is protected by the other two compartments.
- The third one is the most spacious, without dividers taking up unnecessary space. It includes various pockets and elastics on the inside perimeter. For me, the most important thing is that the zipper opens from top to bottom, providing access to the entire front space without having to remove the items placed on top to access those at the bottom (perfect for airport security check).
I have never come across a better bag at this price - if not in more expensive categories - that is so practical, beautiful, spacious, and branded (made in China, of course, but at least it's from HP and comes with a warranty). For those interested, the bag is made from 13 plastic bottles - it's not something significant, but definitely better than nothing, I suppose.
Update: To give an approximate idea of the bag's capacity, on a recent trip where I needed to utilize the entire space, I managed to fit:
- 1st compartment: 13" laptop, 10" tablet, A4 spiral notebook.
- 3rd compartment: Conference folder (260x380x20mm), DJI Mini drone case (262x188x80mm), toiletry bag of the same size, over-ear headphones, classic Eastpak pencil case. These, along with various small items (power bank, wallet, mini pharmacy) here and there.
Certainly, it wasn't the most comfortable mid-sized bag with this weight, but with everyday load, it's perfect, plus with the strap on my back, I had it attached to the handle of my suitcase most of the time.
I highly recommend it without hesitation!