PROS: - Excellent design with large storage capacity and ample pockets/dividers for organization - Comfortable shoulder straps and back cushioning - Comes with shoulder strap, waist strap, sternum strap, backpack straps (can be tucked away), and two handles to allow multiple methods of easy-carrying - Includes internal padded laptop storage compartment placed nearest the back (ideal design for weight distribution) - Includes zippered expandable storage (unzip to expand the bag slightly, or keep zipped to keep the bag more compact) - Carry-on size! CONS: - DOES NOT include hide-away water bottle compartment or key ring clip, as described on the listing - Some loose threading here and there, and minor quality issues PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: My wife and I travel frequently (we have Southwest Companion Fly Free) on weekend trips across the state (often 3-4 night trips). I have been somewhat addicted to finding the best carry-on size travel bag/backpack. A few months ago, I purchased the eBags eTech 2.0 Weekender Travel backpack for my wife and myself, and I recently purchased the AmazonBasics backpack as well for my most recent two trips to see how they compared. Here are some of my notable comparisons: **DESIGN & ORGANIZATION** If I am not mistaken, eBags 2.0 started selling on Amazon towards the end of 2012 and has only had minor revisions since then. The design focuses on maximizing the amount you can carry within a bag that still fits most standard "carry-on" size specifications (which is usually 9x22x14). It utilizes hide-away backpack straps (they tuck away into a zippered compartment), a handle on the horizontal and vertical side of the bag, and a suit-case style main compartment and zipper opening for easy access. This has been a winning combination, and I have found this to be one of the most efficient designs for easy travel and maximum storage (better than clam-style zippered opening backpacks, in my opinion). With the use of packing cubes, my wife and I easily pack for 4 to even 5 night trips with both backpacks. In the attached picture showing the backpack filled, I easily packed two medium-sized packing cubes carrying 2 pants, 3 shorts, 1 belt, 6 t shirts, 2 button shirts, and 2 long sleeve shirts; one small packing cube carrying 6 socks, 6 underwear; one pair of shoes; toiletry bag; lightweight jacket in the mesh compartment on the lid; laptop w/ charger and documents; chargers; sunglasses; Kindle; battery pack; and earbuds. With that said, AmazonBasics released this backpack in September 2016, and clearly copied/mimicked almost the exact design of the eBags 2.0 in nearly every respect (AmazonBasics has all the features described directly above as well). The notable differences is that the AmazonBasics backpack has a dedicated zippered laptop storage compartment placed right on the back (best design for weight distribution because it keeps the weight closest to your body), zippered expandable storage option (unzip to expand the dimension of the main compartment by 10%, or leaved zipped to keep the backpack more compact; refer to attached picture), and has clips that allow for shoulder strap carry. If you want to carry a laptop in the eBags, you either have to place it in the front zippered organization compartment or in the main storage compartment (both are not the most ideal since weight is either distributed on the furthest point away from your body, making it feel heavier; or if in the main compartment, it's a pain to open it up and remove it for Airport Security). However, the eBags has a slightly better designed front storage area that utilizes: elastic cinches on its pockets (when travelling, it keeps the contents placed in these pockets in place; while with the AmazonBasics bag, I noticed that my items would easily slide out of the pockets during travel), a larger variety of pockets, and a key clip (the listing claims AmazonBasics backpack has a key clip, but it definitely does not). Both backpacks utilized a zippered mesh compartment located on the lid-side of the main compartment, but if you look at the included pictures, eBags has it extend the full length to maximize the size, whereas AmazonBasics for some odd reason has it cut off nearly 5 inches short of the full length. I see no point in why AmazonBasics decided to do that because it's just lost space. VERDICT: Draw. AmazonBasics has the well-designed padded laptop compartment, zippered expandable storage option, and shoulder strap capabilities, but eBags has the better designed front zippered organization compartment. Subjectively, I prefer the AmazonBasics backpack because it is important for me to carry my laptop with me and have the option to use a shoulder strap, while my wife prefers the eBags because she prefers the better-designed front zippered organization compartment and is fine always using the backpack straps. **WEIGHT AND COMFORT** AmazonBasics backpack weighs slightly over 3 lbs, while the eBags weighs slightly over 2 lbs. Honestly, the difference in weight is quite minimal when the backpack is actually worn, and I did not notice that the AmazonBasics bag was slightly heavier. With respect to comfort, the AmazonBasics backpack has slightly more cushioning in the backpack straps, and it adds cushioning along the entire length of the bag that rests on your back. The eBags backpack does not provide any real cushioning for your back, and while the shoulder straps are still comfortable, it has slightly less cushioning. However, the eBags has much more cushioned and well-designed side handles (the handles on the vertical and horizontal sides of the bag). eBags uses elastic under each handles to always pull the side handles closer to the bag (refer to attached pictures), and pads it with a soft neoprene. AmazonBasics uses the same nylon covering the entire bag over its handles, and you can feel the plastic material of the handles beneath. Both backpacks have adjustable sternum straps, and simple nylon straps that can be attached to the bottom to be used as waist straps. VERDICT: AmazonBasics slightly edges out eBags here. With the slightly more cushioned/padded backpack straps, and cushioning along the length of the portion of the bag the rests on your back, the AmazonBasics backpack is slightly more comfortable to wear. The eBags has better designed and more cushioned side handles, but ultimately these travel backpacks are made to be worn as backpacks, not primarily carried by the side handles. **QUALITY** AmazonBasics describes the material used as "durable polyester", while eBags states that the material used as "420D & 1680D Nylon". Nylon is generally a stronger & more durable material than polyester, and the 420D & 1680D Nylon rated materials used by eBags is highly rated/reviewed for its quality and durability. Based on feel and appearance, the Nylon material on the eBags backpack is of higher quality than AmazonBasics. Additionally, eBags uses higher quality components and materials on many of the finer details of the backpack, such as: Clips that attach the bottom shoulder straps to the backpack (has a cleverly designed release mechanism outside of the clipped area to allow for quick release); seams on the shoulder straps are sealed & hidden (AmazonBasics uses the simpler method of placing a separate piece of material that is stitched over; refer to picture of the shoulder straps); YKK zippers with a lifetime warranty (YKK are like the gold-standard for zippers; AmazonBasics uses strong & quality zippers, but not quite as nice as YKK); and quality side handles with neoprene padding and elastic pull-back mechanism (AmazonBasics wraps its side handles in the same polyester used for the rest of the bag, and the hard plastic of the handle can be felt). Lastly, I noticed that the AmazonBasics backpack had a few loose threads here and there, and somewhat sloppier stitching/finishing (refer to attached picture). VERDICT: eBags wins here when it comes
