Claire Chase Uptown Back Pack, Saddle, One Size

I absolutely adore this backpack. Granted, it's more than I would normally ever pay for a backpack. And I'm still trying to decide if the price is worth it. But I'm travelling on vacation soon, and I wanted a fashionable backpack that had thick leather straps that wouldn't be easy for a thief to cut through. The leather is beautiful quality, and the bag is gorgeous. The one thing that did bother me that was pointed out by another reviewer was that the holes on the straps didn't go far enough up, so the arm holes are extremely large for me. Not entirely sure if this was done because this was meant to be a mens backpack... or, what, but I found it very aggravating. The size of the arm holes wasn't something I felt I could ignore, so I purchased a leather punch from my local craft store for around $18. I estimated the distance between holes, and added four more holes up each of the straps. The holes look like they were originally there, and not like a bad craft project, so I'm pleased with it. Only sticking the strap close to your face upon further inspection will you notice that the holes aren't quite the same. While my fix makes the armholes in my backpack the perfect size, it does make the straps in front hang down further than seems... normal, but... in the end, I'd rather have a little bit longer straps than too large of armholes. In the end, while I had to do some handywork to make it perfect, I still love the backpack regardless, and hope that it will last me a sufficient amount of time. After my trip, I'll post more thoughts on using it.

I bought this a few months ago, and wanted to really put it through its paces before reviewing it. It has traveled to Europe with me, traveled on business trips, to convferences and on regular everyday commutes. All in all, I love 90 percent of this bag's features. Things I adore: the pocket against your back, a travel essential that is almost impossible to find. It's easy to get to if you need your passport, pravel docs or cash, but you can rest assured they aren't going anywhere without you knowing about it; the numerous pockets. I'm an organizing junky and this even satisfies me. Umbrella or water bottle pockets, or both if you so desire, pockets for makeup, pens, phones, cards, cords, girl stuff, and a nice main pocket for everything else. Not quite roomy enough for a full computer (13-inch Macbook Pro) but if I'm just carting a bluetooth keyboard, studio headphones in their carrying case, and my iPad and some files, this is perfect. The fastenings hold well, the leather is great quality, the handles make it easy to sling around when it's not on your back, and it's not hard to clean the inside in a trice. Drawbacks, yes, the straps are long,, believe it. I kept them long for a few trips, then gave in and punched holes to keep it from sliding off my shoulders when racing through an airport. It still looks good with the holes punched. I'm not the biggest fan of the bag's profile, it's low, cubey and a little chunky, but what it gives me, a practical, beautiful and organized bag that goes from pro to play seamlessly is well worth a little sacrifice in how it looks when filled.

I shopped all over the web for the best price on this bag and eBags through Amazon beat the next best price by $30. I like the bag. I bought it in distressed brown. It's a bit short for the 17" laptop I carry in it, but it works. It would be perfect for anything smaller than a 17" machine. For me, the shoulder straps are too long. I have a long torso, but like carrying my bag high. With only three buckle holes provided at the end of a long strap, the bag hits me much too low when being carried. I'll get it fixed by taking it to a shoe repair and having additional holes punched in the strap. Unfortunately, I'll have a lot of extra strap hanging down, but to cut it off would mess up the contrasting stitching that is visible at the edges of the strap. Other than that complaint, I like the bag. It has a large main compartment, good size pockets, and a couple hidden pockets that would be good for valuables. I recommend the bag and am happy with my purchase, but if you prefer not to have the bag hit you below the waist, plan on adding buckle holes to shorten the straps.

Good leather and great quality construction. A little on the heavy side. No internal dividers for papers and folders. Not sure what to use all the external pockets for. Has internal holders for a few pens and I phone. Has snap on internal key holder that keeps popping off. Has weird 1 inch zippered internal compartment. Holds 15 inch laptop without problem and a book or two. Seems to be a "tweener" between briefcase and back pack but not particularly good at either. Pretty expensive. Have found myself using my old leather briefcase with strap more than this. Minimally okay for a day trip, but continue to use my old Jansport for more than that. As others have noted straps are too long so I tend to hold pack on my shoulder or cross strap around my neck. The fold over flap should be about 3 inches wider as it does not protect internal compartment from rain or snow, a real problem if used outdoors for any length of time. Despite solid construction and good looks, price is too high for product with above limitations

Although I love the rich look of this bag I have to be honest and say that it is very very heavy. I have tried wearing it as a backpack and it becomes uncomfortable fairly quickly. I now use it in my car packed with supplies for various things and carry it with the handle. The straps were very long and I shortened them up as much as possible and it still fell to the wrong place on my back.

Beautiful color and quality. As others have said, straps are too long. I am 5'4, but all I did to shorten was to tie a knot and it has worked well. Lots of space and I have now used it on a work trip and carried my lap top in it. Many zipper pockets to keep things organized. It is very nice to have a gown up classy back pack

It looks really good but hangs awkwardly, especially if you carry it on one shoulder. One of the straps has come unsewed after less than a year. It's ok but I expected much better quality for the price.