CODi Tri-Pak backpack

Laptop backpacks are a tough sell for us. They present the difficulty of grabbing objects, such as your cell phone, on the fly. Then there's unfortunate hump on your back that makes you the bane of fellow travelers on tightly packed commuter trains and in small airport shops. And, it can be difficult to maintain a professional appearance when your clothes are crumpled beneath the shoulder straps and back panel. We've schlepped enough large laptops around town and across the countr, however, to know that a backpack is far less likely than a messenger bag or briefcase to cause shoulder or back pain. So, we were pleased when the CODi Tri-Pak arrived in our offices

in addition to being comfortable to carry, the Tri-Pak's stylish, compact design makes us feel far more confident toting a backpack in a professional environment. The bag's interior has plenty of room for a laptop (up to 15.4 inches) and cords, plus computer accessories and other business essentials. We do have minor complaints about the exterior: there's no side pocket for a bottle of water (a handy feature found on many computer bags), and there's no way to keep your cell phone within easy reach on the front side of your body. If you don't need those features, and if you can afford its $148 price, the CODi Tri-Pak provides a professional and--more importantly--comfortable way to carry your laptop.

Like other CODi bags we've reviewed, the Tri-Pak features a more compact shape than similar bags from other manufacturers. The subdued black nylon exterior is interrupted only by a tiny red embroidered logo at the bottom of the front panel and red embroidery (blissfully logo-free) on the 10 zipper pulls. On the front of the bag are two arced zippers: one opens a small pocket that's big enough for an MP3 player or thumb drive, while the other opens a larger pocket that can hold a smart phone or travel documents. Some might deem the rounded pockets a bit impractical, but we liked the interest they brought to the bag's design.

The small front pocket, accessible via a double zipper that travels about three-quarters down each side, provides plenty of organizing features to corral small items that would ordinarily wind up at the bottom of the bag. Such features include a key fob, business card pockets, pen loops, loops for thumb drives or lipstick, a large mesh pocket that's big enough for a checkbook or boarding pass, and two square mesh pockets big enough for a wallet, travel mouse, or digital camera.

Behind that pocket, a double zipper opens to reveal a large front compartment with a padded file pocket and two large elastic mesh pockets on the back wall. The mesh pockets even proved large enough to hold our rather bulky laptop power brick and cord. Inside the front of this compartment you'll find both a zippered mesh pocket that's big enough for a DVD case and a small MP3 player pocket with a pass-through for your headphone cord.