Slappa Velocity Spyder Pro

Finding a good laptop backpack is difficult--in fact, what even qualifies a backpack as being laptop-compatible is often confusing. After all, briefcase-style laptop bags at least are clear about their intention, with specially sized computer compartments. Slappa's Velocity Spyder Pro Backpack, at $100, not only promises to carry around a 17-inch notebook without breaking a sweat, it also claims to carry other gear and even cold beverages at the same time.

Measuring a long and somewhat bulbous 22 inches, the Spyder is covered with rain-resistant nylon and black rubber webbing that gives it its namesake design. The overall effect is a bit goofy, and certainly not subtle. However, the material felt solid, and the rubberized bits did seem--as advertised--to keep the large outer shell's shape intact. Divided into three large chambers, the Spyder is basically a triple-pocketed backpack, with the middle two chambers running the entire length of the bag. All inner material is the sort of fuzzy-soft stuff that lines camera bags, promising a scratch-free experience for any gear that goes in.

The pocket closest to the back contains an extra-padded 14-inch-by-16 inch-by-2.5-inch Velcro-sealed laptop compartment, which was perfectly functional and rigid. The middle pocket is completely empty, with only a single webbed pouch the size of a water bottle. The Spyder's outermost zipper panel opens completely up to access a few dedicated Velcro-flap gadget pockets and a zippered pouch, and the panel itself can be opened for storage--a fourth mini-compartment. Having too many long, large compartments and too few small ones mean that tiny gear such as iPhones, iPods, and portable game systems could get lost in the Spyder's interior.