I'll start by saying that I do love this bag a lot. I don't give it a 5/5 because I'm a tough critic, and this is so close to being perfect! I'm a young working professional, so if you're looking to use this bag for an on-the-go work station solution, I've got some opinions about this bag that may help you out: BAG SIZE + SPACE: I hesitated to buy this because some reviews said that it was too big; but if you pay close attention to some of those reviews, the reviewers admit that they are not very tall. I'm only 5' 9", but it fits wonderfully on me. Admittedly, I'm pretty heavy set (broad shoulders, and, uh, "big bones". I'm working on it), but this bag would look suitable even for a person with a thinner frame. As long as you aren't below 5' 2" I think you should be fine. Also the spacious room inside is a very welcomed sight. I use it with my Surface Book (13 inch, with a leather case) and it fits snuggly into the laptop compartment. It also leaves a lot of room in the main compartment for my large external keyboard (because I don't like to get my laptop's keyboard dirty/greasy), mouse, 10 inch tablet + tablet keyboard, and charger. The outside pockets help me store an alternative (thinner) mouse, lens wipes, my surface pen, an external battery for my phone, extra batteries for my keyboard + mouse, glasses case, and I/O device dongles for my laptop. CRITICISM ABOUT THE BAG'S SPACE UTILITY: My only gripe with the bag and how it uses space is that I wish it had more pockets, or perhaps more compartmentalized pockets. Some spaces feel a bit too empty and it's difficult to organize all my small appliances. I have to resort to letting them knock around. STYLE + BUILD: That said, it is a slightly manly bag. I don't mean that it's too professional, because hey women can be professional + good looking, too. It's actually because it's more casual, dark, and a bit rugged that it may be unsuited for the working professional woman. Even as a man I think I only just get away with it; it's not quite structured/built well enough to look acceptable in every professional environment. It has a little too much "school bag" written on it. It would make a pretty awesome school bag, too, but perhaps it would seem a bit out of place being briefcase. Man or woman, you might look like a tool pulling this out in class. But whatever floats your boat! Back to the build quality, the fabric used is very favorable. It's durable, yet thin. My greatest annoyance with other laptop briefcases is that they are all padded and thick, making them heavy and bulky (also less spacious). As I mentioned earlier, I already have a leather holder for my laptop; it's well protected and I handle my bags with care. I don't need my bag to look like the Michelin Man. It does not feel good to lug around, and it does not look good either. This bag gets it right! It has just enough padding to keep the goods intact, and not enough to look like you're carrying a insulated lunch box for an entire kindergarten class. Bottom line: this bag sacrifices some protection for style, but it's totally worth it as long as you don't sometimes mistake your bags for soccer balls or trampolines. CRITICISM ABOUT THE BAG BUILD: Worst thing on this bag is the cheap, plastic swivel hooks attaching the shoulder straps to the bag. They seem very out of place considering how well made the rest of the bag is. Because I have broad shoulders, sometimes when I try to wear the backpack and slide my second arm in, it puts enough pressure at the right angle to force the bag out of the hook. I mean I guess because I have my other arm in the other strap it's alright, but I fear one day that this will cause me to drop the bag. Also it's annoying to have to re-hook the strap. Makes me feel like a fool in front of other people, too. Perhaps this will only get worse with time as the plastic hooks wear down. I will probably go to a tailor or something of the like to get them replaced with metal swivel hooks. If Solo makes another one of these bags with metal hooks and stronger strap materials in general, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! Even at a higher price! I hope my review helped some of you decide. I am very happy with this purchase, but it may not be for everyone.
