Everyone travels with a lot more "stuff" than they used to, from laptops and smart phones, to tablets and chargers, and for many years my carry-on of choice was a sturdy bag on wheels with a retractable handle. It was admittedly great, with separate compartments for a laptop (with a sleeve) and made of super strong fabric, but as time passed there were two problems with it which became evident. One was that at times it wasn't convenient to wheel that carry-on bag, but due to its weight and design it also wasn't one you could easily sling over your shoulder. The other main problem was the weight and size; if you travel with certain airlines these days, between carry-on restrictions and the size of overhead bins on planes, a cumbersome-if-sturdy bag isn't always the best option.
As a working writer, when I travel with hubby in particular, we tend to have a lot of valuable or delicate things we won't pack into our check-in luggage, such as a laptop, iPad, iPhones and at least one professional camera. So when I started looking for a new carry-on bag to fit our needs, I decided it would need to be a backpack you could also wheel to suit all situations. One great product I discovered was Zoomlite's Commuter Rolling Laptop Backpack, which is stylish as it is practical, lightweight at just 2.9 kgs, and can multi-task. Made from a heavy duty nylon, and fully lined inside, the backpack measures up at 28 x 19 x 58cms, and has a volume of 42 litres.
Some of its cool and essential external features include two inline skate wheels, a cushioned top handle, a telescoping trolley system, foldaway comfort backpack straps with an adjustable chest strap, two zippered side pockets, a rear zip pocket to store the backpack straps, a concealed retractable ID tag, and a combination lock provided. As for the inside, there's a lockable main zip compartment, garment straps if you should need to pack any clothing, a separate padded laptop section which fits most 17" laptops, and a velcro tab closure phone pocket.
The backpack truly is lightweight, and when filled to the brim it is super manoeuvrable thanks to its superior wheels and comfortable handle. But it's also comfortable to carry on your back, thanks to the padded back and foldaway straps. Overall, besides looking great, it's spacious, practical and feels like good quality; the one I tested was red, with a lovely sliver trim. If you're an avid traveller who wants to have a stylish backpack which multitasks in being carried or wheeled, and you want to adequately protect your laptop and other gadgets, this is a great product to put on your list.
We're giving away a Zoomlite Commuter Backpack in red to one lucky winner.
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