Backpack

If you are considering to buy a bag for your laptop, there are factors that you need to give some thoughts to. Firstly, what kind of a user are you? Do you carry around the only the laptop or do you also pack other stuff like books, water bottles, umbrella or any other random accessories with you?

Then there is the question of how much you want to use the device out of your home. A good laptop would run quite a while on battery power. So if you are going out for a short while, you would not need to carry the charger with you. However, if you need to use the laptop for work or some other purpose for a prolonged time, then there is no alternative but to pack to the adapter on your bag.

In essence, it is the situation that dictates what sort of bag you should get for your laptop. Would it be a 17-inch laptop bag? Pretty straightforward, no-nonsense stuff. It holds your laptop perfectly well, but there is no extra room. Great if the laptop is the only thing you need to take with you.

Or would it be a backpack? It is bigger, which is both a good and a bad thing. Bigger means it takes more space and therefore harder to carry but bigger also allows more room to carry more stuff. It will hold your laptop and lot more. If you are working full time, then you would probably need an office backpack anyway. The best laptop backpack can also work a good office backpack. It is a multipurpose bag, unlike the 17-inch laptop bag.

It is also a matter of preference. Some people like the corporate vibe of the sleek laptop bag. It goes good with a suit, and you can carry it like a briefcase. The backpack would probably be injurious to the formal vibe.

On the other hand, if your workplace is anything but a pure corporate office, then chances are that you need to carry a work backpack anyway. Why not use one bag instead of two and get a laptop backpack which can also accommodate your other stuff?

There is another question, the price. Both the varieties are available at different price ranges depending on the quality and price. Getting a backpack, however, might save you in the long run. Even if it might cost a little bit more upfront, since it is a multipurpose bag unlike the specific laptop bag, it should be a better choice.

Yes, as discussed earlier, the issue of formal attire is a matter to be considered. However, there are some backpacks which compensate for it. Even though they are a little pricier than their regular looking contemporaries, these would provide you with the formal outlook just fine. Also, since you put something expensive like your laptop in it, there is a fair point that you should use a quality bag which would ensure no damage done to the delicate device.