If you’re looking to do some traveling this summer, you’re going to need a reliable backpack to carry your fancy electronics. Recently, I was lucky enough to get my hands on just such a backpack for review and I can tell you that the ECBC Hercules Laptop K7102 Backpack lives up to its name.
First off, style conscious people will be happy to know that he Hercules K7102 Backpack comes in five different colors (black, blue, green, linen, and berry); so if you’re not into the traditional black luggage color, don’t worry. Second and more importantly, this backpack is extremely tough and durable. For anyone that hikes or knows a little about quality materials, you’ll appreciate that fact that this backpack’s body and base are made from 1000d Kodra…very lightweight and tough stuff.
When I first received the Hercules backpack, I did a quick “walk-around.” I just wanted to get a feel for it and see how it compared to a competitor’s bag that we had on hand. As I mentioned above, the quality materials immediately made it stand out and so did the features.
At first glance, you’ll notice that the K7102 has plenty of padding in all the right places. Not that laptops, ultrabooks or iPads are very heavy today, but most of us have more than one to carry and the added accessories can add up fast. The high-density air mesh padding on the adjustable straps and the back panel make it comfortable for prolonged carrying…have you been to an airport lately?, get ready to experience prolonged 🙁
ECBC didn’t stop there, the back straps also have an adjustable sternum strap that slides up and down, as well as expending, to find that correct comfort zone for men and women of different shapes and sizes.
Continuing with the outside of the pack, you’ll notice dual “hide-away” zippered beverage pockets on the sides, heavy duty water resistant YKK zippers and that high quality 1000d Kodra with water repellent coating.
ECBC Hercules Laptop K7102 Backpack
External Features:
- Front zipper pocket for documents, plane tickets, passport
- Dual zip-away powermesh water bottle pockets
- Nylon Tube Webbing + Foam Top Carry Handle
- Adjustable Shoulder Straps
- Heavy-duty water resistant YKK zippers
- ‘Outdoor Industry Tested’ Kodra material with water repellent coating
- Padded adjustable shoulder straps with adjustment points
- Molded back panel
- Adjustable sternum strap
- Foam padded top handle
Internal Features:
- Protects up to 17″ laptop in high density foam foldout compartment
- Removable foam spacer to accommodate smaller laptops
- TSA-compliant FastPass foldout compartment for quicker security checks
- Padded iPad/Tablet sleeve
- Fleece-lined pocket for music players, camera, sunglasses, etc.
- Main inside compartment for books, magazines, folders/paperwork
- Cord Manager/Accessories pocket
- Deluxe organizer panel with key hook
- Double diamond rip-stop lining inside
Once you get past the exterior and start to look inside the Hercules Backpack, you’ll notice that there is a ton of space and interior pockets. The main laptop compartment features high density foam and a removable modular insert, which allows for a better fit for laptops smaller than 17 inches. This ECBC FastPass system compartment also serves as a TSA-compliant back panel compartment that you can simply unzip and lay flat on the conveyer at security checks.
During my trail run with the Hercules, I placed several different laptops inside for a test fit. On hand we had a few 15 inch laptops, a 17 inch laptop and several iPads. The 15 inch Dell fit great with the modular insert, while the MacBook Pro and 17 inch Dell fit nicely with it removed. Since I usually don’t travel alone, I decided to really load it up and see how it would feel in a more “real world” situation. So I stuck the MacBook in there and a 15 incher, I placed the 15 inch laptop in the second compartment that is separate from the FastPass compartment, and even placed an iPad in the fleece-lined internal pocket. I have to say, it all fit with ease and there was even plenty of room for any accessories you might have.
I’ve only had this backpack for a few weeks now, but I can say that it has held up very well from daily abuse. Based on what I’ve seen and the materials used in the construction of the bag, I expect it to last a very long time.
To summarize, the ECBC Hercules Laptop K7102 Backpack is everything I could want from a laptop backpack and more. The quality, fit and finish were superior to that of a similarly priced name brand pack we had on hand for comparison and the added features made it stand out in our review. The overall size and weight seemed to work well for the variety of our staffers that tried it on and everyone appreciated the water resistant zipper enclosing the main laptop compartment. People with kids or clumsy companions will know what I’m talking about 🙂
Overall, I would recommend the ECBC Hercules Laptop K7102 Backpack to anyone looking for a durable and simple to use laptop pack. To learn more, you can go to EC-BC.com and you can purchase the ECBC Hercules Laptop K7102 Backpack at Amazon.com for $135.99.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7rfex9ag7w
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