Linus Tech Tips Backpack Review (My take on this controversial bag)
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- 🎒 Get this pack → www.lttstore.com/products/bac...
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*note - be sure to check LTT updates in regards to the broken zipper carabiner issue
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00:00 - Intro
0:26 - Gist of the Pack
3:06 - Front of the Pack
4:43 - Middle of the Pack
9:14 - Back of the Pack
14:53 - Pros and Cons
16:13 - Alternatives
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If you are looking for a tech backpack to carry a boatload of your gear, then this would be perfect for you.
The Linus Tech Tips Backpack is made and designed to carry tons of gear, multiple laptops, etc. It's a niche-specific pack that you can use as a travel tech pack as its capacity is 35 liters all-in-all. Although it could get really bulky, gear and laptop security will never be a concern when you have this pack.
To learn more about our honest thoughts about the Linus Tech Tips Backpack, watch our video for an in-depth review!
Let's help the community by leaving a comment down below with your thoughts about this pack. Do you dig the style of this pack? Could they have chosen a better zipper and materials? And if you already have it, how is it so far? We'd love to hear from you!
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Get the Linus Tech Tips Backpack if…
✅ You want a backpack to carry multiple laptops. This is a great option for techy people.
✅ You like how comfortable its back panel and shoulder straps are.
✅ You think its front pocket is great.
Updated link - get the best price here → www.lttstore.com/products/bac...
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DO NOT get the Linus Tech Tips Backpack if…
❌ You want a pack that's more like a travel pack. Below's another alternative... 👇🏼
Tortuga Travel Backpack → This is a travel pack first then a tech bag second. It's comfortable and durable PLUS it also offers great laptop and techgear security.
→ Watch our review: bit.ly/3nJVcnx
→ Check the best price: go.nomadsnation.com/tortuga-t...
❌ You want an adventure pack that also offers great tech and laptop protection. Check below for another great option… 👇🏼
Sympl Weekender Backpack → This is a perfect adventure pack to protect your laptop while on a weekend beach trip or hike!
→ Watch our review: bit.ly/3pwgghT
→ Check the best price: go.nomadsnation.com/sympl-wee...
❌ You want a smaller tech bag for an everyday carry. Here's another recommended option for you… 👇🏼
Aer Tech Pack 2 → This is a perfect EDC bag to use for work. It's a smaller tech bag that looks sleek and business-y.
→ Watch our review: • Aer Day Pack 2 vs Aer ...
→ Check the best price: go.nomadsnation.com/aer-tech-...
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Specs/Features/Summary
To get the best price, use this link → www.lttstore.com/products/bac...
• Capacity: 25 liters
• Color: Black
• Main fabric - 900D * 900D, 100% Recycled Polyester, P/D + W/R + PU Coating
• Ripstop lining - 75D * 150D, 100% Recycled Polyester, P/D + W/R + TPU Coating
• YKK zipper pulls on all zippered pockets.
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Looking to have YOUR backpack reviewed? Contact Aaron at aaron@nomadsnation.com
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Affiliate Disclosure: We hope you enjoyed our Linus Tech Tips Backpack review! To support our channel, we use affiliate links in our content. Clicking on these links and making a purchase helps us keep creating great videos (at no extra cost to you!)
Free Gear Disclosure: We often receive free gear for our reviews, but this does not influence our opinions. We always provide honest reviews-if a product isn't up to par, we'll tell you. - Jak na to + styl
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Bought this bag around a year (?) ago. For some reason, I couldn’t leave a proper review on their website so will drop mine in here for my own thought dump and maybe give some insight on what the bag is like to use a year-ish later.
First off, the bag is expensive. Having looked around a little bit more recently for a better “travel” bag, it made me realize that it isn’t the most expensive, but definitely in the upper echelons in terms of pricing. I think they’ve since introduced a leather sku for this same bag as well that’s yet more pricey!
After getting it in my hands though, the build quality in my experience held up great. The handle on the top in particular feels really strong and the materials used feel solid too. The inside of the bag is about what you’d expect for the price range.
The organization is also stellar for techies. Plenty of pockets and slits for your laptop(s) tablet(s) and other gadgets. Would be ideal for someone who carries a laptop for work and school or a personal laptop with a combo of the two. For me personally (as a self admitted tech geek) I struggled to think of ways to fully max this thing out with tech for my personal use. A tablet like an iPad mini and a 13 inch Mac book seem comically small when those are the main hefty tech products you bring with you. YMWV if you are into photography/drones, but I’ve heard it’s great for that too. I love the slip on the back for your wallet and or passport with RFID blocking and it felt secure on the back. Not to mention with all the padding, you barely feel it. I also love the front pocket design, and the sides have spots for carabiners for your hat or water bottle if you need (that’s what I did, because as I’ll get to later, there wasn’t much room to put one in the slot within the main compartment when full).
As for general look and design, as much as I love all the little pockets zippers and such, and it’s quite comfortable to wear (the shoulder straps are quite good)the bag is an eyesore. I’m not much of a fashion guy, nor really care about the appearance of my gear THAT much, but man, for as over engineered as this bag can feel at times, it’s a pity they didn’t invest more time into the look of it. It’s a giant box that has this almost comical lunchbox look to it. I’m 6 foot 4 inches and it still managed to look massive on me. It bulges really badly when it’s packed as well.
Which leads me to my personal use case- traveling. Now, I know this was not intended to be a “travel” bag (one week travel or something of the like) but I wanted to see what it was like to use. I’ve been on 4 week long trips with it. Sure, it fits a weeks worth of clothes, toiletries and even shoes with my laptop and tablet, but it was TIIIGHT. Again, I recognize this wasn’t its intended use case, but Linus himself was very proud of the “big bag of holding” (or something similar) which is the main large compartment and just how much it can carry. To me, it wasn’t that large. In fact, since they already leaned heavy into the utility and function of the bag over form, it could have been bigger (imo). Even with packing cubes the bag felt quite cramped and in flights, though it was able to fit under my seat, it was large enough to not really be all that practical. Overhead bin for this guy for sure. Even then, it was usually one of the bigger bags.
Overall, I’m not quite satisfied with it. Again, YMMV depending on your hobbies or your intended uses for it, but for my personal wants of traveling with a more tech inclined pack, there’s better out there. It’s a solid bag, but the look of it isn’t great, and though it’s built well and clearly made with a lot of thought and intention, it’s going to be a very specific niche bag for the type of person who probably wants exactly this bag.
Thanks so much for the epic review!
Was looking forward to someone in the travel/bag space and not in the tech space to review this bag and glad it’s you !
Keep up the good work as usual !
thanks dude! This was a big one, hope my review could provide a bit of guidance
Great review! Waiting for your take on it. I received this bag as a gift from my brother. Since then I used this as a travel, edc and a gym bag. I used the lash point loops on the backside to attach and thread long straps for external carry such as boots. For the weight I attached some waist straps that I found on Amazon on the bottom of the backpack straps.
nice! glad you are enjoying it
I think the Nomatic Travel Pack would be a good alternative. Tons of organization with small pockets all over the place for tech items. You can fit three laptops if you really wanted to - one in the laptop pocket, another in the document slip pocket next to the laptop pocket (probably with a protective sleeve) and the third laptop in the large slip pocket meant for shoes in the main compartment, again using a protective laptop sleeve).
good call!
The front door reminds me a lot of the eBags Pro Slim Laptop Backpack. I rocked that for years as my EDC. The solution is… fine. I don’t have a problem with it, but since have grown to appreciate side access like Evergoods.
yea its different, but it has its pros... I think
Would you say this more to the size of the aer travel pack 3 small or regular? I have a peak design small and medium cube that perfectly takes up the main compartment on this and that leaves enough room for 14 inch laptop and steam deck at the very top in the back.
Small, give or take
Hey Aaron, off topic from the video, I'm just wondering if you have any recommendations for a messenger/backpack hybrid? The only one I know of is the Black Ember Forge, which looks like a good pack, just wondering if you know of any others you'd recommend?
That’s a great option - albeit heavy. You should also check out the Aer Flight Pack 3
@@Nomads.Nation Oh I will do, thank you so much!
1:05 what do you mean you don't know what it means? It says on the website and in the reveal video that it's 25l of storage and takes up 35l of space externally
Still not sure what that means lol
@@Nomads.Nation..
@@Nomads.Nation It means the inner capacity is not the same as the displacement of the outer shell. There is a lot of space internally that isn't actually usable (the fabric/padding materials that make up the shell, pockets and sleeves) for the user, so we chose to provide an industry standard measure (35L) and a 'true' measure (25L) to give our customers the correct expectations for our bag. -LS
@@LinusTechTips good to know! Appreciate the clarification Linus 💪
I've been researching backpacks for a trip to Europe this fall. What size will this be and when would it be ready??
The LTT bag is already available for purchase - full details are available in this review and on their website 💪🏻
Check out pretty much any 5.11 Tactical Backpack and they will have that same design where the two shoulder straps meet at the neck.
I've used Rush 12 and the All Hazards Prime on assignments and they have always been very comfortable to wear.
thanks for your perspective! from my experience I've found that shoulder straps like this can have a tendency to rub/pinch my neck, but maybe that's just my body, plus I wear my bag as tight as humanly possible lol
@@Nomads.Nation I think the larger neck yokes are to accommodate wearing a Tac Vest or body armour since these bags are more geared to military professionals.
I think in the case of the LTT backpack they are thinking about bulky winter jackets.
Regardless it's a great review and yeah this bag is great as a dream coming to fruition but definitely something that would fit into my more minimalist rotation.
@@yeeismeah got it - thanks!
New zipper pulls are to be shipped out to all customers by April 2024. Just announced this weekend and backpacks now come with the upgraded zipper pulls
good to know, cheers!
Finally the riview I have been waiting for
took a minute but finally here!
Great review. I had this bag for about 2 months and then got rid of it (thanks, eBay). I will start by saying it's one of the most comfortable backpacks I've worn - and it can handle the weight when you start throwing a lot in there. The things that turned me off about this bag was 1) the size - and that goes along with your aesthetic comment. And 2) the quick access pocket in the front, and the stash pocket on the inside - both of these felt wrong. The zipper pulls felt too small and the dimensions of the pockets felt like they didn't have any dimension (specifically along the top). I also wasn't crazy about the swinging door pocket. A full zipper accordion style front pocket to match the laptop compartment in the back, would have been a better choice, in my opinion.
Solid analysis! 💪🏻
Is there any bag with a decent main compartment like the ltt bag and also 2 dedicated laptop slots? I've been searching for hours and they always fail at one of those two things I Need
there is none that I know of - its a very niche audience so options are limited
@@Nomads.Nation welp seems like I'm set for one. Amazing videos by the way, keep it up.
@@ExySmexy cheers!
Astro gaming x timbuk2 35L was not good for u?
@@LvUhcX never heard of it
I daily drive this bag, and as a wide neck haver, I find the straps and the way it sits on the back to be incredibly comfortable. It really is hands down the most comfortable backpack I’ve ever used. Also the replacement carabiners are shipping out now.
Appreciate your perspective and good to know about the carabiners!
Would be interested to see what the “premium” version is like compared to the normal.
damn - $600 USD! I don't know enough about the primary fabric ("apple leather") to comment on its long-term durability... but i'd be skeptical without doing more research
have you done a review for evergoods CTB26?
Negative, hoping to in 2024
Love this bag and enjoyed the review! Please tell me you also got the LTT Tech Sack 😂
Thanks dude! And no, didn’t get the Tech Sack - I’ll add to my to do list 🫶🏽
Great review 😊
Their screwdrivers are incredible, this bag doesn't seem like such a hit, at least it's not a dud.
not a dud, but not a home run, def niche,
Reminds me of the roughly similar Pro Slim Jr Laptop Backpack from ebags
i've heard this from a few ppl now
definitely not for everyone but as an IT/tech worker who carries multiple laptops, phones, tools, etc. this bag is perfect
💯
So glad you did this. I considered LTTs bag because Im a fan but just couldnt get past the specific niche. I also didnt like their fabric for the price point.
After watching hours of this channel, I landed on the AER Travel Pack 3 small. and Im thrilled
so glad to hear!
I Can’t Seem To Find Your Reviews On Code Of Bell Products. Is That On Purpose? 🤔
Nope! Just haven’t gotten around to them yet - so many bag companies out there
I swear you're the first guy I heard complain about the mid-part of the shoulder straps that's annoying to the neck. I have the same problem with my Ful backpack but overtime, I just end up losing a bit of the stuff and just have it hanging~
Gotta keep it real ✊🏾😉
Ahh a bag enthusiast's take on a tech enthusiast's bag, Seems alright for what it is.
I think its niche and gets the job done for the demo fo sho
8:25 Yep. Internal only water bottle holder means goodbye.
✌️ lol
Aaron, i'd love to see you do a review of the PGYTECH OneMo 2 35L It'd love to hear your thoughts. I searched your videos and you've never checked them out. I have a feeling you'd be surprised. I mentioned the 35 because it has an additional top and side hatch with freebies
looks like a pretty gnarly bag - I'll try and get one!
@@Nomads.Nation Fantastic. Genuinely looking forward to your thoughts. Desperately looking for the "right" bag is tough.
@@LilithTitan very tough, but the juice is worth the squeeze 💪
@@Nomads.Nation Absolutely, especially when myslef (not a reviewer) end up with enough bags to start a channel trying to find the right one. I think the squeeze is what has me suddenly obsessed with bags and the various types. Waiting on yours now... 😉
@@LilithTitan Fyro bag coming soon!
Don’t like the squared off shape.
Very thorough review
Thanks
Glad to help!
Nice review. I don't know if people carry 3 laptops 😂, but some extra compartments for portable screens should be considered by other brands.
I regularly carry 3 laptops to and from work every day, and have for the better part of 7 years, on a 2.5 hour commute each way to the office. I cannot reduce this down to less than 3, because of the nature and security of the work I do. The absolute most important feature of a bag is the strap construction, specifically the attachment points at the top of the bag. When you're carrying 30+ pounds of tech on your back, having those straps delaminate or rip away, is a horror story. I've literally been through about 25 different backpack designs from the cheaper 'tactical' bags, through to the WANDRD, PacSafe, Osprey and other higher-end brands. They all offer their own +/-, but almost all of them fail at the straps, bar none. My current favorite, which has already had 10k+ miles put on it across the globe, is an Osprey Nebula 32, and my loadout is 37 pounds with all of my gear packed into it, with room to spare. Second runner up was the WANDRD Hexad, but it failed at the strap mounting point after 1 year and they would not honor their "lifetime" warranty, so I will never use them again. Ask any questions you want. I've been through nearly every terrain, pack, pouch, satchel, battery bank, cable, adapter, and charger you can name in the last 15 years, with the last 7 being the most heavily traveled.
laptop, monitors, tablets, displays, whatever, this bag fits it all lol
I've travelled with my personal and work laptop, and a big tablet - though I usually try to get by with just one laptop+ tablet 😄
@@Lucaemar better for the back that way
When I travel for a long time (several months) I usually bring 2 laptops and a tablet. For shorter trips I usually have a Laptop and tablet.
One thing Linus talked about a lot, was the durability of the bottom material, because he had many bags in his youth where the bottom wore thru from sliding it around. I do like that "longevity build in" thing, and the materials do look like they are going to last a while too. And of course the LTT team has never made a bag before so limited economics of scale and skills probably also limit the material choices. They did just come out with an all leather version tho 😂
Personally, not a fan of the aesthetic nor do i need a bag like this, but there's a number of things to appreciate about it. Not so much the warranty or zips tho
agreed! every bag has its pros and cons - I thought there was some real innovation on some features, and as someone in the midst of making my first bag I totally empathize with the roadblocks they faced. Hopefully that came through in my review
what does durability mean?
@@Kevin-zi9ku durability = how long the materials will last
Just revealed on wan show that the bottom is not actually double layered.
@@canngo123 interesting
Would never get this over an Alpaka with superior materials, organization, and aesthetics
Agreed
Okay, I am a half-crazy person! I buy S-carabiners to deter theft with entry into my bags. I do not have to worry about cheaper materials breaking on me, and they are harder to open than the ones shown here. I do not think it is worth the cost, or I am totally out of sync with how much inflation has hit the US and the world.
you are not lol, this bag is a bit pricey for what you are getting imo
A big con is no strap organization. Which is absolutely insane for a backpack of this price.
What exactly do you mean by strap organization?
@@Nomads.Nation the excess straps have no organization solution. Some backpacks (basically all in this price range) have the elastic keepers.
totally agree, but not all bags in this price range have them - Nomatic, Minaal, Evergoods and GORUCK are all stubborn bastards who do not include basic web keepers on their $250+ bags 😠 😂
I also like to wear my backpacks tight to my back. That strap connector Def would bother my neck. Plus, it's too bulky looking for my taste. Need something with more sleek, and better working zippers lol I love the thought process behind it but the execution was poorly done.
💯
I've got the bag and I've had 0 issues with pinching from the straps. And I'm a larger chap lol
good to know!
I’m an IT technician and this bag is perfect for everything that I carry
Oh yea, ideal use case for sure
This review made me smile. You are freaking awesome! Keep up the honest work 😎
Really appreciate that !
I used to own the HP beast laptop during college. That thing survived a bunch of Engineering classes.
It’s called the beast for a reason lol
2:50 haha carrying 3 laptops. With just one MBP 16inch, one iPad 11” plus other accessories ; I am already can feel the toll on my shoulder if not because of the thick comfy shoulder pad. 3 laptop 16” is good exercise workout for office daily commuter in warm humid city 🥵 😂
This a bag for nerd. Tech rucking 😂 instead of normal rucking
"tech rucking" 😂 😂 love that
It's definitely a function over form backpack. Lol
oh yea
They could have given it some flear though.
Mous 25L and the Incase A.R.C. Travel are examples of how a backpack can be designed for function and a more modern looks.
@@chrischoy9 agreed, but also a lot of people did buy this bag, so there's clearly a market for it (or maybe it was all just LTT fans)
The solution for the zippers is that new bags ordered will just have regular zipper pulls.
and aren't they making a solution to fix the zips on current bags?
@@Nomads.NationYeah, a kit to replace just the zipper pulls. I don’t know what that’d look like, though.
@@TheLocalGeek me neither, but I'm not holding my breath tbh
@@Nomads.Nation They showcased the plan on their weekly livestream earlier this year (linked below). The new zipper pull will still be a carabiner style but made out of a single piece of titanium. They are supplying a couple of basic, in-house made tools to open the zipper slightly to replace the pull and then be able to close it. I read the kit should start shipping by end of January
czcams.com/video/WYCa3PA7Z9U/video.html
5.11 has had yoke straps going for a while.
yoke straps? 🤔
@@Nomads.Nation it's true
@@RenegadeVoodoowhat’s a ‘yoke strap’?
@@Nomads.Nation Like on this bag, where you have a large single connection point at the bag that the shoulder straps connect to. Other companies that use it claim better weight distribution over the users shoulders than standard backpack layouts.
@@RenegadeVoodoo ah I see. I'm def not an expert on these types of straps, I'll have to do more research on them, thanks for the lesson!
It’s a little bit louder than your personal tastes like? My brother in Christ, look what’s on the top of your head.
my man bun is loud? 😂
Working in IT - 3 laptops is not crazy in this role. Especially when you're working with multiple corporate domains, etc.
fine, only half crazy 😉
the bag feels like what happens when you allocate all yoru skill points towards function and none towards form
Nailed it, but honestly there’s tons of ppl who don’t care about form at all
Big pass
✌️
That's a quite an expensive eyesore (those three buttons by the top handle kill me). Probably for those drinking that linus koolaid
he def has a very passionate community
The three 'buttons' are rivets and hold the top handle. That's one of the main failure points on my previous bags and I wanted to make sure the handle will *NEVER* come off. -LS
Cowabunga.!
🤠
Your backpack is having a similar design lol
Interesting! Haven’t heard that before but appreciate your perspective
the most expensive backpack that I ever bought is $35 and I can't break it lol
Bags are like cars. A Toyota is budget friendly and works amazingly well - no need to buy a Mercedes unless it makes sense for you
Nope. Not the bag. ESPECIALLY with the LTT logo stamped into it. He has to bring in money from somewhere/something I guess.
It’s definitely a controversial bag for many reasons
Looks so generic and cheap
it def doesn't look as premium as it feels imo
Crazy person? I have a work laptop and a personal laptop and an iPad haha not crazy at all!
Totally normal! 😜
I've been waiting for a proper bag reviewer to do this bag lol.
Re warrantygate, I don't think there was ever any intention not to cover defects. They seem to have a good record of fixing problems or at least putting it right. It was a spectacular own goal though in underestimating what both the carry community and regular consumers that haven't seen a backpack costing more than $30 expects.
I do think this ties into what I believe as either a general lack of awareness of the carry community, or hoping no one from that community would notice.
Things like the joined backpack straps, no external water bottle/tripod storage and that ridiculous luggage pass through solution are good examples for me.
It's a no from me. Bags like greenrooms rainmaker have the same capacity to carry all the laptops in your street with more style, better materials and lower cost and options like Aer, and even something like my alpha19er Pathfinder offer even more style and similar capability at around/below this price point.
appreciate your comment and the clarification on the wararnty
Big NOPE for me from the get go. Just the gist of the bag tells me that it is not what I need.
that's why we do the gist, to help you get the general idea and either lock in or move on 💪
Aaron for CEO of LTT
I’d last in that role about as long as the new CEO of OpenAI lasted in their role lol
Warning before you buy this backpack: LTT didn't plan to provide any warranty when this thing was launched, it was a public outcry that screams hypocrisy (regarding his usual stand against big companies) that forced him to provide limited warranty for the manufacturing defects. So, the zippers were not guaranteed to be fixed if there is no such public outcry.
Not really. He thought that a written warranty wasn’t necessary because his company should just know that he’ll always look out for them. It was a bad idea but he was always going to support warranty issues, he just didn’t think he needed it to be written out.
@@evnarez So no meant no
That’s a bit of pitchfork mob exaggeration. If you’ve actually followed LTT from the beginning, they’ve always had an implied good faith warranty that their smaller core fan base was more than comfortable with. Without realizing it, they grew past the point where good faith was good enough. They definitely should have had an explicit lawyer approved warranty and just handle warranties the way they’ve always done it.
His point was that all warranties are based on good faith (if the company goes under, or just decides that they don't want to do it, you aren't going to get your thing fixed), so having a written warranty doesn't mean much. People coming from outside the LTT store circle weren't going to be familiar with the good faith they already had, so ofc felt like a written warranty was safer.
The “trust me bro” / not having a written warranty was not a good look for this company and they received quite a bit of backlash from viewers and fellow youtubers. With that being said, they do have a good track record with supporting their products and are already offering to send out the replacement zipper pulls free of charge (re-designed for durability). Although the date on which said re-designed zipper pulls are TBD, Im pretty confident they will follow through on this. If anyone here doesn’t have experience buying from them, I’d say its fair to hold off until they follow through. Nevertheless, they have the warranty written out now.
What’s up with your hair?!?!?!?
It’s called looking fresh af 😎 😉
First!
Want a cookie?
@@AutoYoung yes please. 😃
@@microvizart
🍪
❤️ 🍪
Pretty okay backpack but for 250 usd thats a very big 👎 strip the LTT branding and it legit looks like the most generic bag in the discount store. Very greedy approach since its obvious they were cutting corners and abusing their reputation.
It’s definitely not the most value-friendly bag I’ve ever reviewed
This looks like a luggage not a backpack, don't like the look
def a form over function bag, really works well for a lot of techy ppl
@@Nomads.NationLooks like it's for electronic repair man who works in Radio shack 😂
@@develentsai3215 at least he'll have all of his tech and tools organized lol
This thing is hideous. I'd be more impressed if this was an ATX computer case.
Def not my favorite looking bag either