Swiss Pegasus vs. Swiss Synergy vs. Targus XL Backpack

Just like in the forum title. I'm deciding among the Swiss Pegasus, Swiss Synergy, and the Targus XL Backpack. I watched numerous youtube clips and read some of the Amazon.com comments. The only difference between the Pegasus and the Synergy besides pocket arrangement seems to be the availability of an extra pouch in the Pegasus and a water-proofed exterior.


Any thoughts on which one I should choose? Any other backpacks out there you guys would recommend for comfort, roominess, build quality, and features?

Quick note: I'm a bit concerned about what I've been reading in the most Swiss backpack reviews. It seems like Swiss recently cheapened their zippers and got rid of the waist strap.

Amazon.com: fred udrah "udrah"'s review of SYNERGY from SwissGear by Wenger Computer ...

Amazon.com: VY "VY"'s review of PEGASUS from SwissGear by Wenger Computer ...


Comments aren't exactly conclusive, but still a bit of a concern for me. If not for the fact that the shoulder straps got nixed, I wouldn't be as worried.

 

I would get the pegasus since I love the design. I would have gotten that one had my G73 fit in it. I got the Targus XL and still love it.

 

Cool. My MBP 13 inside a sleeve is going in. Guess it's the Pegasus.

 

I have the Synergy..it's an awesome backpack. Very roomy, durable & reliable. Packs a lot & it's always been quite comfy on my back (even when biking). It has lot's of storage pockets! : )

Problem is, now that I have a 15.6" lappy vs. a 15" ~ the fit is very "tight". I am going to have to use a protective Sleeve for packing my lappy when using the Synergy.

Other than that, the Synergy is nice.

Cin...

 

I owned Swiss Synergy for the past 2 years (and still have it, just don't use it). Any particular questions you wanna know?

- zipper: 1 broke. On Amazon its the picture #5, the zipper on the inside red pocket.
- padding: very good.
- weight: quite a bit. I found it heavy to carry it around when I was visiting my gf in NYC all the time. I used the bag for a ~6hr bus ride. While its a great bag and all its just too big for me to carry anywhere. Except if I decide to climb Mt. Everest.
- size: BIG. And by BIG I mean fat... thick. What I don't like with this bag is that the biggest pocket is adjacent to the laptop pocket - and further away from your back. If you put a lot of stuff there they'll exert quite a bit of torque (seriously... when the bag is really full you can feel it).
- quality: superb, waterproof sustained quite a beating but nothing was ever even close to breaking up except that 1 zipper. I had it fully loaded once with the weight of ~20kgs... I was afraid the handle will crack, but nothing. Not even one stitch broke. If I had a task of carrying a giant piece of lead - this is the bag I'd use.
- pockets: close to infinity lol. I found my long lost headphones few days ago when I was cleaning the bag as I had long forgotten 1 "hidden" pocket. Seriously... my new backpack, all my jackets and pants combined don't even come close to the number of pockets.

 

I'm sure you can get that zipper fixed. It's got a lifetime limited warranty.

 

Zeth:
Heres some pics' of the Synergy I found I provided for someone on the forum before (not sure if it helps you or not) : )





Cin...

 

Yeah it just didn't bother me. I had that pocket open most of the times anyway (it's a pocket within pocket).

Cin' is that ... Dell XPS m1330? I had the same comp in my bag!

 

One problem:

Damn Amazon keeps playing hard to get! It's now officially twice a row the Pegasus jumped from $60+ to $70 before going out of stock. Now it's listed again!

First time

Second time - NOW back in stock--but at $70+

$65.00


Dang Amazon, what's your problem?


I'm going to hold off on buying for now. I realized that my regular, 3 year old backpack is perfectly fine for my Mac. I won't be carrying too many books and supplements until early August. Might as well wait and until some kind of sale goes on. I was willing to buy it at $55 when it showed that price a few days ago.

 

Hey! Actually, that's my old XPS 1530 (Now I have the XPS 1647) 1530 fit very well at the time!!

Darn Amazon!
Well, at least you can save some $$ now until the price lowers to what your willing to pay for it!

Cin...

 

Yep.

Technically, I can just buy it now. I'll be at $0.00 after I pay for my apartment deposit, buy furniture and supplies, and food. Everything else is coming from school loans (Damn school and job requirements!). But I figured now might be a good time to start picking up on good habits. That includes adding slickdeals alerts for items that I know I'll need to buy some time down the road and picking up on a CostCo membership.

I guess you can say I'm just being frugal in principle. Even if I live super cheap for the next few months, I'll still be a poor student living on a mountain of debt come August when I have to pay that $40,000+ tuition bill. At that point, $10-15 extra spent will be peanuts compared to my debt pile!

 

I paid $49 for mine. Have you looked through a website called ebags.com?

I ordered a backpack a week ago or so and managed to stack 20% Bing Cashback (I'm getting pro at this Cin'! ) on top of their 20% off sale. They have a pretty large selection.

Wow, damn... that's a lot of money. I didn't have to pay for my undergrad, but if I were you I'd be more careful what to spend money on.

 

Law school. Wait. So ebags participates in bing? I didn't know that!

What search entry did you use for them, or did you manually go to their listed store??

EDIT: Checked their site. Doesn't seem like they carry them anymore. Dang.

 

Ah too bad!

Yeah they do offer really nice discounts. Sorry misunderstanding - I didn't use search for Swiss backpacks, just suggested maybe there is some other similar bag there. The backpack that I paid ~$44 after Bing was originally $63 total.

On a completely unrelated note, just noticed they have LEGO bags... Damn... if only I had this when I was 6 - would've rocked!

 

You would've been the cool kid on the block.