Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Blade 20 Backpack

Had my eye on this for some time. Picked it up recently as I'm travelling by air much more. Now 2 weeks in and having mixed feelings. The straps, zippers, fit and finish is all what you would expect from Arteryx. The handles are in the right place, the secret pocket is handy for passports, I enjoy the elastic strap to tuck in shoulder straps. My only draw back is the rear compartment for small items. While it is well protected with the external shield, there are three deep, narrow pouches (more narrow than the width of my hand) and difficult to access the bottom and store anything useful such as a book. Also, no pen holder which intuitively should be one of the first things you would expect to see when opening. In the end all my small items such as pens, journal, snacks, combo lock, papers, keys, cards, kindle, sunglasses, etc.. all end up in a big mash jiggling around while I use the bag. I would like to see this area of the bag redesigned for better compartmentalization. Other than that this bag is what you would expect from Arcteryx; well built, good materials, excellent fit/finish.

Had my eye on this for some time. Picked it up recently as I'm travelling by air much more. Now 2 weeks in and having mixed feelings. The straps, zippers, fit and finish is all what you would expect from Arteryx. The handles are in the right place, the secret pocket is handy for passports, I enjoy the elastic strap to tuck in shoulder straps. My only draw back is the rear compartment for small items. While it is well protected with the external shield, there are three deep, narrow pouches (more narrow than the width of my hand) and difficult to access the bottom and store anything useful such as a book. Also, no pen holder which intuitively should be one of the first things you would expect to see when opening. In the end all my small items such as pens, journal, snacks, combo lock, papers, keys, cards, kindle, sunglasses, etc.. all end up in a big mash jiggling around while I use the bag. I would like to see this area of the bag redesigned for better compartmentalization. Other than that this bag is what you would expect from Arcteryx; well built, good materials, excellent fit/finish.

Way too many wasted pockets and irregular shaped spaces. Save your money and get something more purposeful. I paid for the name and got burnt again! Also, too large to be an everyday bag.

I love the look and feel of this backpack. The shape and size is perfect for the office commute. Sadly I cannot recommend it because of one major drawback, there are no pockets to store a water bottle or a coffee mug. Come on Arc'teryx! please fix this in the next update and make it the perfect office backpack.

I so desperately want to love this bag, especially after investing the full-retail price. However, for the past year I've had to force myself to carry it in an attempt to justify my investment. Now, with the start of the new school year (I'm a teacher), I find myself searching desperately for a replacement. What the Blade series has going for it is the fact that there are few EDC bags that can convert between briefcase and backpack. Sadly, with the Blade-20 I find neither carry option to be ideal. As a briefcase, the carry handle is thin and off-centre. It you're carrying a lot of stuff, the bulk of the weight is outside the briefcase carry handle which makes it uncomfortable and sometimes awkward to carry. At the same time, if you have broad shoulders the backpack straps are short and uncomfortable, and the comfort decreases significantly as the weight of the bag increases. I like the streamline design enough that I'm okay being called a "turtle" when I'm wearing it as a backpack. The profile is minimal and the shape of the bag forces your contents to conform to the bag's shape, which prevents you from knocking into people on the train/plane. However, the shape of the bag also makes is fall over when you put it down, whether on it's side or bottom. Because the bag is not squared it will slide or roll unless you lean it against something stable. When flying, the Blade-20 does slide easily under the seat in front of you. But, the method used for storing the backpack straps while they are not being used is only okay. They tuck away under the bag but the straps are still exposed and mine have gotten snagged on chair legs, wheels, and charging cables. If all you need to carry is a laptop OR tablet and a few odds and ends, you should definitely consider the Blade-20. However, if you need a "work bag" to carry both a laptop and a tablet, plus books, file-folders, and a water bottle you might find the Blade-20 is just okay.

I so desperately want to love this bag, especially after investing the full-retail price. However, for the past year I've had to force myself to carry it in an attempt to justify my investment. Now, with the start of the new school year (I'm a teacher), I find myself searching desperately for a replacement. What the Blade series has going for it is the fact that there are few EDC bags that can convert between briefcase and backpack. Sadly, with the Blade-20 I find neither carry option to be ideal. As a briefcase, the carry handle is thin and off-centre. It you're carrying a lot of stuff, the bulk of the weight is outside the briefcase carry handle which makes it uncomfortable and sometimes awkward to carry. At the same time, if you have broad shoulders the backpack straps are short and uncomfortable, and the comfort decreases significantly as the weight of the bag increases. I like the streamline design enough that I'm okay being called a "turtle" when I'm wearing it as a backpack. The profile is minimal and the shape of the bag forces your contents to conform to the bag's shape, which prevents you from knocking into people on the train/plane. However, the shape of the bag also makes is fall over when you put it down, whether on it's side or bottom. Because the bag is not squared it will slide or roll unless you lean it against something stable. When flying, the Blade-20 does slide easily under the seat in front of you. But, the method used for storing the backpack straps while they are not being used is only okay. They tuck away under the bag but the straps are still exposed and mine have gotten snagged on chair legs, wheels, and charging cables. If all you need to carry is a laptop OR tablet and a few odds and ends, you should definitely consider the Blade-20. However, if you need a "work bag" to carry both a laptop and a tablet, plus books, file-folders, and a water bottle you might find the Blade-20 is just okay.

Mainly use this backpack for college. Polyurethane interior started peeling And flaking onto laptop and books. Note that I live in desert climate so that may have contributed to the problem. After much use I wish it had a side pocket for a water bottle. Have to make sure my insulated bottle was always closed tightly since it's stored along with my laptop. Holes developed by repeatedly setting it on the classroom floors. This backpack might work for small bikes or train rides, but it sucks for school. Wish I had done more research. Be wary of claims of durability since it's an ambiguous term. My previous pack was destroyed by a young pup, but way more durable for a fraction of the price. Thanks for reading.

This review comes after 5 months of trying to adapt to this bag- and ultimately realizing it is a flawed design. Here is why: This bag is designed as an office bag. In an office environment here is what my top priorities are: Go unnoticed, move quickly from one location to another, easily and quickly access what i need- when I need it (organization). This bag fails miserably. Here is why: A) The laptop compartment is obstructed by the main zipper. It is a PAIN every time i need to take the laptop in/out that I have to maneuver very carefully around the main zipper. This should have failed the bag immediately, but moving on. The zippers for the"flap" dividing the main compartment CONSTANTLY interferes with the main zippers. So now it takes even more time to get my stuff in and out quickly. The "blade" compartment is SO HARD TO ACCESS when the pack is full. even when it is empty it is a struggle to get any sort of organization in this pack. At this point I'm fed up and will be getting rid of this pack. I have suggestions as to how it can be improved- A) make the laptop compartment separate and top loading- I don't want to take up an entire table every time I have to get my laptop out B) take a look at peak design bags and get some ideas for organization C) make the "office organization" the 2nd compartment and have it fully unzip so you can easily get to what you need and SEE IT D) you can the use the outer compartment for gym clothes etc. which will improve carry. My background: I'm a photographer/videographer and I'm always carrying around 3-4 hard drives, a laptop, a mouse, an sd card reader, gym clothes etc.

I loved my original Balde 20, I used it for 5 years. Had to replace it and bought new version which sadly im going to have to give away and find something else