This Laptop Bag Is The Best I've Used In Nearly 10 Years
I've destroyed my fair share of backpacks over the past couple of decades. I carry a lot of stuff when I leave the house — usually a laptop, the laptop's cord, a bunch of pencils and pens, earbuds, external storage drive, chalk, gum, stickers, and a giant sketchpad. When I go to a tech event (like CES or IFA) for SlashGear, I exchange the art supplies for a giant DSLR camera and throw in a few more cords for good measure.
I want to be able to access any piece of gear I might need at any given time. I want to be able to walk through a city while it's raining and not worry about my electronics getting wet. I want comfort, but I also want to be able to stuff the bag under an airplane seat. I need a very good laptop backpack.
While I've tried many different kinds of backpacks, I've found that the "laptop backpack" or "gaming backpack" category of bag suits me best. I discovered this in 2015 when I started using a Razer Tactical Bag. I had a Razer Tactical Bag on my back for nearly a decade before it started to show any significant signs of wear. After testing a variety of bags over the past few months, I landed on a solid replacement from the same brand — Razer. The bag is called the Razer Rogue 16 Backpack V3 — Chromatic.
Razer Rogue 16 Backpack V3 Chromatic
The Razer Rogue 16 Backpack V3 was sent by Razer for testing, and while it'll still be a while before I've put this bag through all the long-term tests I like to inflict upon it, I believe I've finally found a suitable replacement for my previous favorite go-everywhere gear carrier. Granted, the fraying edges of my previous backpack have made it easier to accept that it needed replacement, but still: this Razer Rogue V3 model seems up to the task.
The styling on this backpack is sleek — and while the RAZER logo is certainly bold, the quality and application of the shiny chromatic material of the letters have won me over. There are pockets on the outside on the left and the right (one enclosed, one mesh), and another up front (just under the logo). All sections of this bag — save the mesh pocket — should technically be protected from basic environmental dangers — like light rain, for example. This bag doesn't have the same "pull out and over to cover" bottom-zipper parachute sort of contraption the old bag had, but it feels more waterproof from the get-go.
Price and availability
The interior of the bag is Razer green — that means it's very bright, and provides an ideal environment in which I can see all the (usually black) contents within. This interior is both TPU-padded and scratchproof, made of rip-resistant material with internal padding to protect both the contents of the bag and the comfort of the wearer.
Two main zippered sections of the backpack each have smaller internal pockets housed in the center or the top of the bag for easy access. It's as if Razer had someone like me playtesting their backpack lineup for the past decade, making certain every pocket is in just the right location.
This bag keeps my laptop snug and safe, my books secure, and the rest of my gear arranged in pockets for easy access. Based on my nearly decade-long experience with one of this backpack's predecessors, I have no reason to suspect this one will fail any time soon.
The Razer Rogue 16 Backpack V3 will cost you right around $100, depending on where you buy it, when you buy it, and in which size you buy it. It'll very likely be available at your local Razer Store — if you happen to have an official Razer Store near you — or in the Razer Store online. You can purchase the Chromatic version — like I've been testing here — or you can get a black logo version (which is ever-so-slightly more subtle). There are three sizes available, too — one each for laptops of sizes 14, 16, and 17 inches.