Review of Targus Groove 17 Inch Backpack

Last December, I had endured some considerable shoulder pain as a result of toting my laptop, books and office supplies daily in my laptop tote bag. The pain was getting worse so I had to commit to a backpack style laptop bag to ease my pain. I perused various websites and went with the Targus 17 inch Groove Backpack. The black backpack-laptop case can fit as large as a 17 inch laptop in the padded section towards the back of the pack (the portion that touches your back). Slightly small zipper pocket allows space for folders and notebooks with even small zipper pockets below for small items such as cds, dvds, phones, and ear phones. The side mesh pockets allow capability to hold water bottle. The exterior dimensions are 19.5" x 5" x 12.5" with material consisting of nylon in choice of either black or gray. The empty pack weighs approximately 1.64 pounds and has thick padded shoulder straps.

Price

The pack was purchased online from Amazon for about $35 as I was able to get free shipping. Most nylon related packs ranged in price from $19 through $120 so this was fairly inexpensive. I was impressed and secretly desired the higher end backpacks sold by Swiss Army, Ogio, and a host of other brands, but decided to give this Targus nylon pack a try and keep my budget low since I was inundated with spending money on Christmas items at the time.

Capability

The backpack packs surprises when it comes to capability to store plenty of items. I like the roomy and padded inner compartment to store my laptop with extra compartments that keep my address book, headphones, and phone all with easy access. The shoulder straps are a comfortable fit on my shoulders which is huge since I endured severe right shoulder pain with my previous lap top duffle bag. The weight distribution and ease on my shoulders has already put this back pack in a more favorable light.

Overall

The biggest question about this product will be how long the nylon stitching and zipper hold up before they wear down from repeated use. I use this pack five days a week for the weekly commute so time will tell how this pack holds together in the durability department. I do enjoy the immense storage capacity as I can carry computer, lunch, and folders and keep my shoulders pain free in the process. This products does include a limited lifetime warranty which per the targus.com website goes for only one year. That is a very limited lifetime. Only time will tell if this product is superior in quality given the incomplete assessment of durability, though I will still give this product a good grade given the comfort, storage capacity, and low price.