Customer Reviews L.L.Bean 42 L Comfort Carry Portable Locker

I do love how much space this backpack has. I like the separated compartments. It feels flimsier than other L.L. Bean backpacks I have had. I wish there was some reinforcement on the bottom and insides to make the compartments a little sturdier. Unless it's packed my stuff just kind of flops over and it's easy to lose stuff in there. There are 3 pen/pencil slots but only two are useable. The third one is sewn so close the edge I can't fit anything in there. It's comfortable and easy to wear, but the lack of sturdiness makes me cautious about how much to really put in it.

I had an older model before this one and the water bottle pockets completely ripped out. These are better but barely big enough for a Nalgene and the mesh on the side pockets are fraying already. Other than that I really like it

I bought this for my 12 year old daughter. She rates it a 4 because she is unable to withstand the weight of the pack when it is filled to capacity. She prefers to carry her laptop in a separate shoulder bag, but she also refuses to use the strap around her waist. I rate it a 5 on account of durability, the number of compartments and overall appearance. It might just be a little bit large for a small female.

It's heavy and the first pocket stuff falls out of it

It's a sizeable backpack with useful chest and waist straps for support. My high schooler wishes it had a few more pockets.

Overall pack. Wish it had more pockets and the side water bottle pockets were larger.

So far so good. Roomy, bottle holder much deeper than deluxe which ripped a month before school ended(the book bag not bottle holder) hence why we purchased this one. Hopefully this one will last the entire school year for the price we paid.

I got the bag and it was extremely large. I really like the bookbag and it fits alot of my school stuff including 3 2 inch binders, and huge text books. I have been trying to get a replacement/return it as the handle broke, but the color is out currently and i can't get a replacement

My daughter got this for college last year (2021). It carries so much, which is great when you have back-to-back classes and no time to return to the dorm. There is space for the laptop, charger, etc and it stays organized. She got a bright blue which makes it easy to spot among the sea of backpacks. The kids use open cubbies or corners to drop their bags in the dining hall or group meeting places (often there are 50-100 bags...seriously). Having the bright color helps to locate bags quickly to move on to the next class or meeting. My only request is that LL Bean bring back the color selection with bright colors. All the colors available are muted or muddied. When you have a group of bags like that, it is more difficult to differentiate your bag, even if you add a trinket on it. We have another child leaving for school his year, wants the same bag, but not the colors available. Please bring back this back pack in more colorful options.

Lots of room for binders and books while still allowing space for a laptop. Expandable and comfortable to carry.

Comfortable. Lots of compartments but shoulder straps are a little too wide.

This backpack was the largest size we could find. It holds all my sons books. The school does not have lockers so he has to carry 5 text books and 3 note books. plenty of room. It is comfortable to wear. We did have to return the first one due to the strap coming apart. But the return process was easy. The replacement backpack works fine. The top u strap is coming apart, however that was mentioned in previous reviews. but overall a good backpack for a middle school kid.

All around good backpack. Carries all of a highschoolers books and sports gear.

I bought this backpack for my son to use for college. He carries it every day to classes. The laptop sleeve does a good job of keeping his 15 inch laptop secure, and the interior compartments are good at providing space and organization for everything else. The exterior water bottle holders also work well, a feature that has been improved from earlier designs. What I would change about this is the front pouch pocket that is awkward and flaps about unless he latches the side buckles. The backpack also has an excess of straps and buckles that seem overly-complex and unnecessary. Otherwise, the pack is great and I expect it will see him through the duration of college and beyond.

I have been using this backpack every day as my work bag. I love it! The pockets are good, the small one on the top is my favorite--perfect for my cell phone and keys!

We like the backpack overall, but the top loop broke in less than a month without being used for carrying the pack. We liked it enough to exchange it for the same pack, but I expected more from L.L. Bean.

Great back pack. Holds so much. A little heavy for everyday use.

I ordered this backpack for my daughter for school since the other large bag is no long available. She does not like the front part of this bag. She says it sticks out and looks weird. She preferred the bungee tie front. She also says she wishes this bag had the bottom zipper pouch for her shoes like the other bag. Also, my daughter had asked me about me not having it monogrammed. I told her I did not remember it being an option on this back. I went back to look and did not see an option to personalize. It is not a bad backpack, we just both agree the other style was better for her needs.

I am back at work and use this backpack everyday to carry everything I need. I take the train, so it is important I have all that I need for the day. This backpack is great and it is indeed VERY roomy. I love all the pockets and the zippers are smooth. The side bottle pockets fits my big LLBEAN water bottle. I love the front pocket to carry an extra sweater in case the train is cold. The reason I did not give this review 5 stars is due to the shoulder straps. I read this by other reviewers before buying, but still went ahead, and now I know what they mean. When you have a lot of items, the shoulder straps do not sit comfortably over your shoulder. The solution to this is to use the clasps over your chest and your waist. Which.. for back support, I would prefer this anyways. It isn't a deal breaker, as long as you will use the clasps. Overall, it's my new go to backpack. I am female, 5ft 5inches, 120 pounds. It is not too huge on my back. Hope those details help someone, as I wish someone had shared that when I was reviewing whether to buy!

I was not wowed at first by the colors. The coral-ish color was really more orange. The first pocket is blue, which I do not understand. It would look a lot better with just gray. But just let me tell you, it is SO comfortable. I took it to summer camp and is good at balancing out the weight. It makes it feel a lot lighter than it really is.

This is the largest backpack I have ever seen. You could use this to travel with. It is comfortable, sturdy and I love the organization pocket on the inside front pocket and the outside pocket where you can carry a large jacket. I love the very front pocket. It is just like a large pencil bag, and is so easy to access. All you would need to do is bend down to get a pencil, marker or whatever you might need. It could easily hold a scientific calculator, as would the first inside pocket. It has a large pocket where you could store folders and they would stay in place, and not get smushed. I also love the individual pencil pockets. The middle section could fit the biggest science or art/coffee table book. Probably 4-5 large textbooks vertically. The back pocket is where the laptop has it own pocket. You could fit the largest laptop in there and a tablet with it. I am only giving it 4 stars because the neck rest/straps come down a little far and are not as flattering/comfortable for a curvy woman.

My daughter uses this pack in high school. She doesn't have any complaints. It fits her well, and carry's everything she needs for the day

Returned it. Can't even remember it it was so long ago.

Just purchased this item, so cannot address durability, yet, What I can say is that if the zipped area of the backpack is not filled with several items, the front pouch hangs open - not tight to the rest of the pack. There is no way to tighten those side straps beyond a certain point. so items in the pouch can fall out a little too easily, if smooth and/or small.

Backpack was great except for the water bottle pockets were incredibly shallow. My cups or bottles would not have stayed. I returned it.