I'm loving this bag much more than I expected to! I'm not typically a "frequent flier", but with my daughter attending college 1,000 miles away, I've been making a lot more weekend trips. This bag has everything I need for these trips and has become my only "must-have" when packing.The materials are more solid than expected, both inside and out. The zipper pulls do seem to be oddly large, and occasionally I find I have to fiddle around with their position in order to open them (the seams and actual zippers themselves are fine though). The shoulder straps have a decent amount of padding, and it's very comfortable to wear, even for a few hours.Weight distribution is good... It does tend to feel a little "bottom-heavy"; I wouldn't want to hike with it all day, but for a few hours in the airport it's fine. After 4 trips with it, I've never once felt that I needed to use the chest or waist buckles (the latter actually tuck away nicely in the back panel so they're not hanging or in the way at all). As a geek, I would love to have the laptop/tablet sleeves behind the main compartment (between my clothes and my back) for more impact protection, but since this is designed to be an air-travel-friendly travel bag, I completely understand why they're positioned on the outside (they should make an alternate "Pre-Check" version for those who don't need to remove electronics for security scans lol).The best feature in my opinion is the main compartment. I stopped using the cube inserts (see below), and I've found that the main opening combined with the netted pocket is more than enough storage for 3 or 4 days of clothing. Better yet are the cinch straps on each corner of the bag - they are positioned in a way that allows you to really "squeeze" the bag tight without putting any stress on the laptop/tablet sleeves. I've found this makes a HUGE difference, especially if you plan to stow this under an airplane seat! It also gives your packed bag a much more compressed, "solid" feel that makes it easier to put in/out of trunks or overhead compartments. The buckles are easy to tighten and hold their tautness amazingly well. They're also super easy to release, either by squeezing the snap buckle or simply lifting it on an angle using the back tab.If there's anything I don't necessarily love about this bag, it's the design of the outermost "front" pocket. It seems like the most logical place to stash your passport, ID, boarding pass, etc... while it does work perfectly in this regard, I found myself constantly worrying about "losing" my most important stuff. There's no security on the pocket, and it's only a single zipper, so it doesn't even allow for a zip tie or small padlock. Also, because the bag is designed to be used in different orientations, the zipper opens on three sides, making it easy to lose anything in that pocket if you forget to close it (or someone shady behind you decides to open it). I realize this is mostly me just being a paranoid traveler, but I would like to see some type of security mechanism there. I eventually found that I was more comfortable using the side "bottle pocket" for my passport when I had to have it in my bag. Another great use I've found for the bottle holder is stashing a portable charger in there - it has plenty of room for a charger and cable, and allows you to easily pull the connector out to your device (even while wearing the bag).It only took half a trip with my wife for her to see how perfect this bag is for weekend trips. She actually ordered a second one for herself before our return flight, and is equally happy with hers! She seems to love the included "packing cubes", although, in all honesty, I really haven't found them to be useful at all. Unlike the bag itself, the cubes are a very flimsy nylon material that do not hold any shape of their own when empty. On the two trips that I used them, I found myself having to strategically pack items based on which cube they'd fit in, and in the hotel, they became just another zipper to open to find what you're looking for. For me, just using the main compartment is much more versatile and convenient. I do bring the [empty] large "cube" with me, however, and use it to separate "dirty" clothes from things I've not yet worn. In this role, it doesn't always have enough room to hold everything you've worn, but can still be used as a barrier between your clean and dirty stuff during your trip. That being said, I honestly can't say it offers any real advantage over the plastic bag that I'd typically use for this purpose.As you can likely tell, I am VERY happy with this purchase, and would highly recommend it for any "less-than-a-week" travel! I was happy to find that it's well-made and had the features I needed, but I never expected it to actually improve my airport experience as much as it has!Great for travel. I was able to use this and a carry on for a month long trip. I loved that it opens up and lies flat so you aren’t just cramming stuff into a backpack. I used the straps to cinch it down and was able to fit it under the seat on the plane so it counted as a personal item. It is very sturdy and looks nicer than just a backpack. Get this for your grown up travel needs. You won’t regret it!I have taken this pack on some international adventures. My biggest problem with it- it doesn’t have a luggage strap. If it could ride gracefully atop my suitcase, I would love it. The pack works well if you want to use it as your carry on (I’ve done that on the way back from Colombia). It gets pretty darn big if you stuff it full, but you can still jam it under your seat if you don’t need room for your feet. I think the outside pocket could be designed a bit better as well. Stuff falls out easily if it is open, and if you are using this as your underseat item, the front pocket isn’t easy to access. This holds a ton, so it gets heavy when it’s it on your back.Love it for travel, packed for a week and it fit in every plane.Bought this bag 3 weeks ago. Filled it and went off to Europe for 2.5 weeks. It fit in the overhead bins in the plane without issue traveling Delta and Aegean Airlines. The bag expanded nicely when needed. The two handles (top and side) options were helpful. The waist and the chest straps helped distribute the weight, especially when standing or walking around. I recommend this if you prefer to avoid checking in luggage. It held 3 pairs of shoes, toiletries, hair straightener, clothes for 1 week without issue. Plus a few odds and ends. It's a keeper.Solid construction, and decent to wear, but not comfy. Better than rolling a carryon.I've traveled multiple times to the EU with this bag. Now I am not a long-haul backpacker - I am interested in combining the contents of my typical briefcase (laptop, chargers, personal stuff) with additional packing for clothes or shoes. I am mainly wearing it through the airport and to my hotel. It is not the only bag I take. For this it works great. You can even pack it empty into a larger suitcase in order to have more packing space for the return. Works as a carry on no problem. If you want to check it, the straps zip up into a pocket and the side straps allow you to tighten things down if the bag is not full. Maybe it's not as good as some $200 bag, but it's cost effective and it works and hasn't broken on me yet in 3 years and counting.It’s not a cheep bag and in the description I thought it would be the size like a small carry on that I can take for a flight but it was much smaller so I didn’t like it but it feels well made thoughGreat backpack! Bought two of the 40l backpacks with packing cubes for our 6 week trip to Europe. Tons of storage space and much more durable than expected. We filled our bags to about 75% of capacity and weighed about 17lbs, had zero issues getting these bags on any airline across our trip (including ones like Ryanair with baggage restrictions). The backpack isn't the most comfortable for long periods of time as there isn't much padding in the straps and having no waist support puts all the weight on your upper back. However, if you don't have to walk between places for more than 30-60 minutes you shouldn't have a problem. The side adjusters were life savors for getting the bag nice and compact! We absolutely tore on them for 6 weeks and didn't have a single issue with quality. The zippers are in great spots and we were able to insert a lock through all 5 zippers and feel comfortable leaving our bags behind. For the price I would recommend this backpack for anyone! Especially first time travelers who don't want to spend a fortune on a backpack or even as an everyday carry-on back pack. Super impressed with this bag.Like many others I bought this bag based on all the reviews but I have mixed feelings after using it on a 3-week long trip to Europe.Pros:- Relatively inexpensive, but should be cheaper given the overall quality in my opinion- Exterior material is good quality- Main compartment zipper is good quality- Easily fits overhead carry-on restrictions on all but the smallest planes- Chest strapCons:- All zippers except for the main compartment are extremely cheap and feel like they will break at any moment- Interior materials are very cheap- The harness is very basic, thin straps, has minimal padding, and is only useful for short hauls. This is NOT a pack you want to be wearing for any length of time. Definitely not a pack to go backpacking all over Europe with, but more of a traditional carry-on to ferry your things between airport and hotel.- There is no waist strap, so you will be carrying 100% of the weight on your shoulders, which again is a huge oversight in my opinion.- The water bottle holder is not elastic at the bottom and is of limited use- Cheap plastic is used instead of metal for where the straps attach onto the bottom of the bag - I would not trust this bag with a heavy load, and previous reviews indicate this is a common point of failure.- Laptop compartment is on the front of the bag which is not ideal, and runs all the way to the bottom of the bag, which allows for damage if the bag is dropped or set down roughly. On higher end bags, you will notice the laptop compartment is on the rear of the bag against your back, and it ends about 1" from the bottom of the bag to protect it when you drop the bag or set the bag down. An unnecessary corner to cut in my opinion.I spent weeks researching backpacks before I bought this one, and you can definitely get better built bags that are designed better for only slightly more money. This bag is fine for weekend trips or if you won't be doing a lot of walking with the bag, but this is not something you will want to wear for extended periods or while backpacking. If you are going to wear this bag a lot, spend just a tiny bit more money and get something with a proper harness, good zippers, and a waist belt.I own a timbuk2, and I find it has superior quality, but it's a bit too big to fit on some of the smaller airlines' planes. I picked this up as a friendly little alternative that would still (hopefully) allow me to travel without checked luggage. The straps on the bag are pretty thick, making them more comfortable than some of the alternatives. They can easily be tucked away using the clip releases. The bag also comes with somewhat flimsy, but still helpful waist and chest straps. The zippers are good and thick, and the lining doesn't seem to get caught in them, which is a super-important feature to me. The bag itself is made from high quality material, and the stitching seems to be pretty good. The main compartment is rectangular, which makes packing really easy. I am packing for an all-inclusive, and found no trouble fitting in a light pair of PJs, a bathing suit, and a few changes of clothes with my hefty bag of toiletries, making me feel safe enough to not worry about lost luggage. The front compartment's laptop sleeve is a medium thickness. It also has a small tablet sleeve pocket that is lined in fleece-like material. I expect it to easily hold a binder/textbook, and most of my peripheral cables. There's one mini-compartment on the front that is perfect to house your tickets, travel wallet, and a pen. There's also a side pocket, which can be used for a water bottle, or in my case (most likely) a speaker. The material on the outside of the bag seems rugged. The inside lining isn't quite as nice, but for the price I don't think you'll find a better bag. I prefer wheel-free carry-ons because your mobility is drastically improved, and it's lighter luggage to pack away extra heavy treasures on your way home. There are only two ways this bag could improve: have a panel on the back to slide over your wheeled luggage handle in case you don't want to wear it, and find a way to attach a side-strap option to use it as a briefcase instead of only as a backpack. It has a handle, but something to go over the shoulder would look a bit more "professional" in a pinch. All of that being said, I'm very pleased with the product.Update: First UseI just updated the rating from a 4 to a 5 now that I've tried out the bag. I used it on a recent trip to the U.S. and found the bag a perfect size for a two day trip. In fact, I could have even piled in more clothes for a longer trip. I took along my laptop and found the bag made a perfect work backpack while on the business trip. I've been searching for the perfect case for short business trips. This comes really close. The only thing that is missing is a messenger bag strap along with the backpack. This addition would make it the most versatile case.=== Original postI really like buying travel luggage. I'm a frequent traveler who is always looking for the perfect carry-on that allows me to travel without having to check my bag. Most of my flights right now are on small regional jets and prop planes. The overheard luggage space is quite small. You either a) do a gate check with your bag and then wait on the ramp to get your bag back, or b) carry a bag that is large enough to carry a couple of days of clothes, and yet small and flexible enough to squeeze into the overhead. I think this bag may be it. I'm writing this review without having actually tried the bag, so I don't know if it will work or hold up well (since there appears to be a few complaints about the quality of the straps, etc.). Overall, however, the bag looks well made. The zippers move smoothly, and the bag material and stitching looks like it will hold up. My only complaint at the pre-flight point is that the material used for the dividers (i.e. the internal pockets, and laptop holder) seems to be a little thin. I can easily see it not fairing well for wear. I've given the bag a 4 star until I see how it holds up. At that point, I'll update the review.I bought this bag a while back. I wanted to use it for some time before posting a review. Here it is...Purpose: Overnight business travel (1-2 nights)Frequency: Every 3 weeks.What I pack in it (at the same time, per trip): 1-2 pairs of shoes, 2 dress shirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 1 short sleeve shirt, 2 underwear and 2 socks, toiletries, 15.4" laptop and cable, pajama, water bottle.My opinion: I really like it. It fits everything comfortably without stuffing it. The extra pocket for the laptop is very handy at the airport (I can remove and replace the laptop quickly). The smaller pocket on top of the laptop pocket is handy for my phone and keys (easy to access them without opening the rest of the bag). The straps inside hold everything down nicely, and enables me to compress the bag. Even with all of these things inside, it easily fits into the overhead storage on small regional jets (no need to check it). I like the water bottle access on the outside, and the little strap keeps it from falling out. The bag also looks nice and professional, and feels like good quality.Cons: The shoulder straps and general balance are ok, but they aren't the most comfortable I've tried, so I wouldn't use it for long all-day hiking trips. However, I don't think it's designed for that. I use it quite comfortably from one airport to another, on the bus and subway, and to final destination at work, which involves a fair bit of walking. However, I don't see it as a "wear it all day on my back" pack.Final thoughts: My first bag had a manufacturing defect that revealed itself after about 10 day's worth of use (but over a period of a few months). I contacted the company and sent photos. They offered 2 solutions without any hassle or argument, and I picked the one that suited me best. Outstanding customer service from a company that clearly stands by its products. Thank you Nina for handling the issue so professionally.I have no hesitation recommending this bag for overnight business travel, and I have a high opinion of the company and its warranty as well.