eBags Downloader

eBags Downloader

The eBags Downloader is a fairly cheap laptop backpack (you can regularly get it for less than $40 on sale) with two primary compartments, plus side pouches and a small additional pocket on the back. One of the side pouches can be used as a water bottle holder if left open. It has a small water resistant opening to allow headphones out of, and a lot of internal organization pouches. The laptop sits in the largest primary compartment and has padding on three sides. The back padding is reasonably comfortable. I managed to squeeze a 15″ Dell D820 into the laptop compartment but it fit really tightly against the top and had no padding on the upper portion. I’d recommend 14″ and smaller machines for this pack.

This is probably a good bag for a student who carries one or two text books with them plus a laptop. It does fill up very quickly though, and can be a bit uncomfortable when full. The audio holder can hold a portable CD player (are those still made), and as MP3 players slide around a lot in it. It worked for me on a day to day basis, but just wasn’t accommodating enough for travel with all of the stuff I carry. I was making a decent number of compromises, and the straps wore out pretty quickly with the load I usually carried.

This is definitely a “value” bag, where they tried to offer nice features, but cut corners doing so. The zippers are exposed, rather than having a small flap covering them, and aren’t great quality. The straps are entirely mediocre- some more padding and sturdier material would have been welcome, as would a sternum strap. It has some laptop padding, but not all around.

Pros

• Very Reasonably priced (eBags has it on sale fairly often for around $40, and you can get it for $30 at the right sale)
• Offers a fair amount of organizational pockets within each compartment
• Nice bright colors

Cons

• Strap wore out after less than a year
• Fills up quickly, and uncomfortable when full
• Audio pouch allows too much movement of player
• Questionable water resistance as a result of exposed zippers
• Laptop holder doesn’t offer great padding, and is horrid if you need to get a laptop out at security gates.

Conclusion- Grade:  C

You get what you pay for. This bag will last you a while, but isn’t a bag for the long haul. It is cheap, but you can see where they kept the price down. It offers some organization, but certainly doesn’t meet my needs. I’d recommend the bag for teenagers who are going to want another bag next year just because anyway.  That said, if you can find it for $30, its worth $30.

~ Joshbw