Today, let's check out the Matein travel laptop backpack. Currently, it's the
number one best-selling backpack on Amazon. I've used it for 11 months now, so
in this review, I'll also give my own experience from using it. But for now,
let's get right into the review.
I did some research, and I noticed that on YouTube, there weren't any real
reviews, only unboxing videos. This video is going to be slightly different
because I've been using this backpack daily in co-working spaces and while
traveling. I bought it last January, because my old backpack had completely
deteriorated over the years, and I needed a cheap replacement.
I bought this backpack because it looked good, it cost only 30-something dollars,
and it had incredibly good customer reviews. And so far I'm quite happy with
how it turned out. Personally, I own the 15-inch version of
this backpack but it also comes in a 17-inch version, which is slightly larger,
and the laptop compartment opens all the way around, not only halfway like here.
The Matein backpack is offered in blue, brown, charcoal black, grey, grey and black
camo, and red colors. I chose the gray option because in my opinion, it looked
the most minimalistic. And you know. I'm a pretty minimalistic guy. Because the
fabric is so light, I thought that all the dirty spots would be clearly visible.
But actually, it's not that bad. They kind of blend in because they've used these
dark gray and light gray threads in the fabric. This backpack measures at 18
inches in height, 13 inches in width, and up to 9 inches in depth when packed full.
If you don't over-pack it, you'll be able to use it as a personal item on
airplanes in addition to your carry-on. I've used it as a personal item many
times and I've never had any issues. Having said that, the 17-inch version
might be too large for a personal item because it's 19 inches in height, and
13.8 inches in width. You might be able to sneak it in as a personal item
sometimes but other times they'll just ask you to use it as a carry-on
instead, because it's too large. Although in the product description, they've said
that it weighs 1.5 pounds, actually, it weighs around 2.2 pounds. But you know,
for a personal item, it's still very lightweight, and it doesn't really matter.
The exterior fabric is made out of polyester. It isn't the most durable
fabric, but you know then again you have to remember how affordable this backpack is.
After almost a year of daily use it hasn't torn anywhere, and the fabric
still looks brand-new. Even at the bottom, where the backpack touches the floor
every day, there are no tears and no signs of wear, which is pretty amazing
for a 30-something dollar backpack. But one thing that I do have to note, is that
the fabric definitely isn't water-resistant or waterproof. In the product
description, they've said that it is, and they even show a picture where the water
supposedly doesn't soak in. But in reality, it's much different. As soon as
you pour something on it, the fabric instantly gets wet. It will withstand
light rain, but after 20 minutes of moderate rain everything inside will be
soaked. One thing that I don't like about this backpack is the quality of the
stitching. When I first received it, I noticed that in some places there were a
few loose threads, and overall the stitching just didn't look too great. And
it looks like my suspicions were correct, because after a year of use, one padding
panel on the back has started to come loose. There's another place near the top
handle, where the stitching is starting to come a bit loose, but other than that,
in every other place the stitching still looks kind of okay. Now let's talk about
the zippers. All around, they've used the same kind of metal zippers, which unzip
fairly easily, and feel quite rigid. Overall, I haven't had any issues with
them. It's also worth noting, that the zippers on the laptop compartment and
the main compartment are lockable. This is great for traveling because theft is
pretty common when traveling. The only thing that I don't like, is that the
zippers dangle around a lot. They're silent when you're walking normally, but
when you jump or move the bag around, they make a metallic sound from hitting
the metal zipper. It's just something that kind of irritates me personally.
Because I'm always taking my laptop with me everywhere I go, I basically use the
laptop compartment daily. Inside, it's fitted with a padded laptop sleeve that
fits laptops up to 15 inches. The padding is okay but it's not great. Especially on
the top side. In addition to a laptop, you can also fit another tablet in there in
a special dedicated pocket, and several folders or documents. At first glance,
this backpack doesn't look too spacious. But actually,
you can fit a lot of stuff in the main compartment. They haven't mentioned
specifically how much fits inside but here's a bunch of random stuff that I
put in there so you can see how much fits inside. But other than that, the
main compartment is pretty simple. It has these two zippered compartments on one
side, and a large sleeve on the other, which is great for storing a notebook.
This backpack also comes with a few other pockets in the front, where you can
organize all of the smaller items. The larger one is the one that I use the
most, because it has several smaller compartments inside. For instance, I keep
my mouse in the left pocket, a pen in the middle, and my earbuds in the right
pocket. You can also keep some spare change in the zippered pocket and attach
your keys to the dedicated keychain. There's also two additional pockets in
the front, but personally I don't use them too much. For me, the largest pocket
is more than enough. On both sides, they've also included these zippered
mesh pockets, which are great for holding an umbrella or a water bottle. On the
back, they've included a hidden anti-theft pocket behind the bottom
padding panel. I actually use it quite often when I'm traveling or walking in
crowded places, for storing my wallet or passport in there. It's just much more
relaxing for me, compared to checking my pockets every 15 minutes. Now what I
especially like about this backpack, is that it retains its shape when it's
empty. It looks just as great when it's completely empty, compared to when it's
packed to the brim, which in my opinion is a very important feature to have on
backpacks. Now let's talk about how comfortable this bag is. I wouldn't say
that it's the most comfortable bag I've used, but it's still pretty good.
On the back, it's padded in three places with soft panels. Also, both shoulder
straps are fully padded on the back. This makes the bag quite comfortable to wear.
Both shoulder straps are also fully adjustable, and they also have three
places on each strap for attaching something there when hiking. One feature
that I do use quite commonly is the rear strap for securing the backpack on top
of a carry-on. I travel quite often, and this
is really helpful in airports and public transport, because I don't have to carry
the backpack on my back. on the top, the Matein laptop backpack has two handles.
One is padded, and I use it most commonly for picking up the bag from the ground.
And the other one is essentially just there for hanging the bag on a hanger
when not in use. This bag also comes with a built-in USB charger, but personally
I've never used it. Essentially there's just a wire that connects the power bank
from the interior to the exterior. Here's how it works. You put your power bank in
the dedicated pocket in the main compartment, connect it to a USB cable, and
boom. Now you can charge your devices from the exterior port. By the way, this
bag doesn't come with a dedicated power bank, so you'll have to purchase it
separately if you're planning on using it. Supposedly, the Matein laptop backpack
also comes with a lifetime warranty. On their Amazon listing, they haven't
mentioned this anywhere, but when you receive the backpack, it comes with a
small label that tells you to register the lifetime warranty on their official
site. It supposedly covers and defects for a lifetime, but you'd notice any
defects in the first few uses. It would be more correct to call it a lifetime
return policy for defective products. In the Amazon reviews, many people actually
complained that their warranty is essentially useless. So personally, I
wouldn't count on it actually working. Now even though the Matein laptop
backpack comes with the pretty much useless warranty, and they could have
done a better job at the stitching, I still think that it's one of the best
purchases I've ever made on Amazon. it's good looking, it's packed with a lot of
useful features, and it's held up great even after a year of daily use. I have no
doubt that if I fix the stitching on one of the back panels, it will easily hold
up another two years. So essentially, if I'd have to replace this bag every three
years, then the total cost would average to only 10 dollars per year. And if
that's not a good deal, then I don't know what is. Now if you do decide to purchase
this backpack, check out our full review on cleverjourney.com.I go into much
more detail there and link to vendors with the best prices. Also, if
you are new to this channel, consider subscribing because here we post travel
gear reviews, packing hacks, and travel tips. Thanks for watching, and I'll see
you in the next video!