It occurred to me as I was unpacking from my last trip that I’ve been rocking the same backpack since I started doing trip reports semi-seriously in 2013. Not that my trip reports and reviews are stylish or anything, but that’s a long time to be using the same backpack for as much travel as I’ve been doing. Therefore, I decided to retire that one right then and there, and I set out to find the best underseat luggage options available. After a long search, I settled on a really cool-looking Swiss Gear carry on.
The entire point of this article is to take you through my process of weeding out all the options for the best underseat luggage (and believe me – there are a ton). Then, I’ll tell you all the things that I love and don’t love about the choice I made (the Swiss Gear 5902 backpack).
But before I can do that, I need to explain to you my criteria for what I require in a carry on bag. It’ll help explain why I ditched The North Face bag for Swiss Gear:
- It must be able to hold 1 weeks worth of clothes (not all that difficult for a simple guy such as myself).
- It must fit under the seat in economy class
- It must have lots of pockets to help me organize camera gear and other travel essentials (such as a passport, wallet, ear plugs, etc).
- I need a padded sleeve for my iPad
- I prefer a backpack over a wheeled bag
- It’s gotta look great
- It’s gotta be a great value
As you can see, I’m a picky guy. That’s probably why I held on to my old backpack for so long, and why it was borderline agonizing to weed through all of the current options. Someday I’ll have a personal assistant to help me out with these sort of things, but for now, it’s all up to me.
Analyzing the top 5 current underseat luggage options
As much as I try to support independent retailers such as eBags and Zappos, I always end up gravitating towards Amazon whenever faced with difficult shopping conundrums such as this. The comparisons and reviews make it extremely simple to see what’s out there. It’s also easy to see what’s good and what’s not. Here are a 5 specific bags that fit my rigorous 7-step criteria for the best underseat luggage:
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1. The North Face Borealis backpack (men’s of course):
I was drawn to this one immediately due to the fact that I’ve loved every North Face backpack I’ve ever owned. How could this one possibly be any different? It looked as rugged as my last one with tons of useful storage, and the price was right.
- Zipper closure
- 15 shoulder drop
- 50 centimeters high
- 20 centimeters wide
- Volume (Liters): 28
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
2. Osprey Packs Nebula Daypack:
Uh oh. Two backpacks into this “best underseat luggage” comparison so far and both have other-worldly names. And just like the Borealis backpack I mentioned above, this particular Osprey bag is jet black and very stylish. It’s a little pricy though.
- Nylon
- Suspended mesh ventilated backpanel
- TSA airport approved security approved laptop sleeve
- Padded Laptop and Tablet Sleeve
- Blinker light attachment. Separate zippered laptop access
- Front panel organization pocket.Volume:2075 in3 / 34 l
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
3. Swiss Gear Travel Gear 15” laptop backpack 5902:
I’ve heard a lot of really great things about Swiss Gear carry ons (I see them everywhere in airports), so this stylish bag really caught my eye. Especially the Heather Gray version – which was a tempting option considering that every other backpack I’ve ever owned has been black. Best of all: the price seemed to be an absolute bargain.
- checkpoint-friendly laptop compartment to hold a 15 device, tablet sleeve, and ample storage for the daily commute or occasional travel
- Includes water bottle pockets, a zippered mesh pocket, and front organizer that offers storage and quick access to frequently used items
- Size: Large; Exterior Dimensions: 18 X 12 X 9.3; Linear Inches: 39.3; Weight: 2 lbs, 12 oz
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
4. AmazonBasics Slim carryon travel backpack:
You see, this is what happens when you shop on Amazon. Never in a million years would I have considered an Amazon-branded backpack to be in the running for my best carry on bag competition, but…here we are. For what it’s worth, I was immediately drawn to its very simple and clean design. Upon further investigation, I realized that it’s actually rated very highly in the reviews. So…why not? The price seems to be decent as well.
- Slim backpack with comfortable fully vented and well-padded back panel; ideal for weekend trips; stylish Grey color
- Dedicated laptop sleeve and top-load, fleece-lined tablet pocket for transporting electronics
- Front storage pocket keeps smaller items neatly organized and easy to access
- Zippered side-mounted water-bottle pocket (there when you need it, out of the way when you don’t)
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
5. KAKA travel backpack / rucksack / Flight duffel bag:
Despite the odd name, the tall and thin form factor of this particular bag intrigued me. It’s a little different than my normal style, but the very black and rugged design (very similar to The North Face bags) made it somewhat familiar. A very low price was also very attractive, and I found myself coming back to it again and again in my search.
- Durable anti-theft travel bag: This backpack is Made with high quality terylene oxford fabric. Its a very durable backpack,Anti Theft, Water Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Professional design, strap with high density soft decompression foam for your comfort.
- Larger Roomy Compartments: A total of 10 pocktes. 1 Main zipped pocket, 3 front zipped pockets, 1 side mesh pocket, 2 small strap pockets and 3 pockets in the large front zip pocket,It can provide separated space for computer, iPad, A4 files, wallet, clothes, power bank and more your items.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Whittling it all down to my top 2 choices:
The process of finding the best underseat luggage choice (for me) took several hours. It was somewhat agonizing considering that I have high demands for the bag I travel with, and I needed to be absolutely sure that I made the right choice. Making it even more stressful was the fact that I’ve never once screwed up a carryon bag decision. And I wasn’t about to end that streak now.
After hopping back and forth between all the options I listed above, I narrowed it down to two:
- The North Face Borealis: If you’ve been reading (and watching) my airline reviews for any amount of time, it should be no surprise that I was finding it difficult to stray from The North Face brand. I’ve had The North Face backpacks long before I ever started traveling so heavily, and I just knew that I couldn’t go wrong with this one as well.
- The Swiss Gear 5902: The idea of having a Swiss Gear carry on was becoming more and more intriguing as I was whittling down my choices for the best underseat luggage. The fact that I see these things everywhere was comforting (it tells me that it’s a quality product), and I was also feeling tempted to change up my style a bit.
I weighed these two options just as heavily as the last car purchase I made. Hey – I take this stuff seriously, ok? But it didn’t take long to figure out what it was that I needed to do.
Decision made: I’ve officially switched to a Swiss Gear carry on bag
Even though the Swiss Gear 5902 looked slightly smaller than the Borealis, I smashed that “buy now” button with the confidence of a guy who was making the biggest decision of his life (one that would change mankind as we know it). From that moment forward, all I could do was wait until it arrived to know for sure if I made the right decision or not.
If you’re curious, here are a few more specific reasons why I chose the Swiss Gear 5902 carry on as the best underseat luggage:
- Even though it was slightly smaller than my existing bag, I welcomed the idea of being forced to pack lighter from now on. I feel as if I had been overdoing it lately anyway.
- Smaller size also meant lighter weight
- The “quick access pockets” (the small zippered containers on the outside) are plentiful and perfectly sized for the things I need to put in there (charging cables, my GoPro camera, Passport, etc).
FYI, I chose the Heather Gray option. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve had black backpacks for as long as I can remember, so I was way past due for a style change.
Everything I like and don’t like about my Swiss Gear 5902
Even though I was extremely happy when it arrived, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to know how good (or bad) it was until I took it on a trip with me. I mean, how could one possibly crown something as The Best Underseat Luggage without actually flying around the world with it for at least a week?
The inaugural trip for my fancy new Swiss Gear carry on was a whirlwind trip to Dubai and back from San Diego (with stops in New York, London, and Dublin). To say that I got to know that back in and out during the course of that week was an understatement, and I learned some very interesting things. Mostly things that I liked, but there were a few things I didn’t like about it as well. Let’s start with the good things:
Everything I like:
1. The size
Holding it in my hands for the very first time had me very concerned about it being able to fit a week’s worth of clothes (and other miscellaneous travel gear) in it. I really needed to be sure that I could comfortably travel with it.
Not only was I able to successfully cram 7 days worth of clothes and other stuff into it, I did so without any more difficulty than I could with my old North Face backpack. And yes – it fit under the seat in front of me (in economy class) on all 7 segments of my recent trip to Dubai and back. Including the tiny Delta Connection E175 from LAX to SAN at the very end.
2. The pocket configuration
Because my job is doing airline reviews and I need lightning-quick access to my camera so that I can get awesome footage of my in-flight meal before I accidentally eat it, quick access pockets are important. There are three on this particular Swiss Gear carry on: one of the front, and two smaller ones on the sides.
Note that they label the side pockets as “water bottle holders”, but…they don’t work very well for that since they are so shallow. But as zippable pockets to securely store things, they’re perfect.
3. Durability
I’m very hard on my carry on bags. Not only do I stuff them to 3 times their recommended capacity (at least), I also stuff them in packed overhead bins and under seats on tiny regional jets. I tug and pull, toss them around like a football – so much so that I’m pretty sure that bags all over the world fear me.
Thankfully, I’m very happy to report that this Swiss Gear 5902 held up admirably to a full week of abuse as my carry on for the recent trip to Dubai and back. I returned home with it completely unscathed, and it still looks brand new. This bag will hold up well.
Everything I don’t like:
1. The Velcro “protection” strap for the laptop sleeve
Just like I need quick access to my camera gear, having quick access to my iPad is important too. There’s a lot of waiting around in airports and on airplanes, and I’m always reaching for my iPad to work on the endless supply of blog posts for SANspotter.com. Unfortunately, the strap that is there to prevent laptops and iPads from falling out is incredibly intrusive. So much so that I’m thinking about taking a pair of scissors to it and cutting it out for good.
Having to reach down into the bag to rip open a very strong Velcro connection is awkward and time consuming. And since I’ve never (ever) had a laptop or iPad fall out of a backpack sleeve, it’s an unnecessary inconvenience as far as I’m concerned.
2. The little blue accents
I know. Unsightly (but teeny tiny) accent colors aren’t going to knock this bag off my “best underseat luggage” list. However, every time I look at this thing sitting next to me in the airport terminal (or under the seat in front of me of course), I can’t help but to think that those little accents would look way better in red. Or gray. Or nothing at all. Blue is a cheap-looking choice in my opinion.
Is a Swiss Gear carryon bag for you?
Whether or not you should follow in my footsteps is up to you (at least when it comes to carry on bags choices that is). I’m quite proud of my Swiss Gear purchase, and I can confidently recommend it for anyone who needs a robust and stylish bag that will easily fit in tight underseat storage spaces. Even if you cram it to silly extremes like I usually do.
Steven Rod
Hi Scott have been enjoying your video’s I have bought the backpack based on your review. As I think it would be a perfect one for me also. I was curios if you would make a video on how you choose to pack it.
I have been playing around with different ways, but was curious how you chose to utilize the space.
Keep up the good job on the video’s and the blogs.
Steven
SANspotter
That’s great Steven! It is a really good backpack, and I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with it. Though, I do recommend cutting off the annoying laptop strap in the back pocket! 🙂 It only took me one trip before I had to take a pair of scissors to that little annoyance…
Anyway, good suggestion about the video. I just might do that!
Steven Rod
Will Look in to doing that I can see how it can get annoying,
Your welcome and look forward to seeing it, Once again keep up the good job on the videos. I am enjoying them
SANspotter
Thanks Steven – I appreciate it!