I purchased my Targus CitySmart Advanced Checkpoint-Friendly Backpack friendly laptop bag nearly 8 years ago before the hay day of TSA PreCheck but post the nightmare of what airport security has now become. If I had to rate awful lines to wait in, it would now be DMV, Airport, Bank, Boogie club with overpriced drinks. That’s right, the airport line is worse than club Zen (or other Asian language word chosen at random). Do not get me wrong, if the cost to keep passengers safe is a few extra minutes waiting in line, then I would rather wait in that long line and feel safer on the other side before boarding a metal tube that is about to hurtle through the sky at 500/mph. I used to carry a sling bag but as I begin to have to carry more and more items and walk through more cities and airports, the bag put an awkward strain on my spine to whatever side I had it slung on. At that point, I decided I would switch to the backpack style bag to distribute the weight equally when traveling. Combining my back pain with the pain of having to remove 30 items as I passed through the security check, it made sense to find a bag that would make this process slightly easier. I came across the Targus TSA friendly bag on Amazon to great reviews. It was listed at 40 dollars but it also boasted a lifetime guarantee which I took with a grain of salt. The bag had a full zipper that opens up the entire bag so that it may lay flat in an X-Ray machine. This meant you could pass the entire bag through without having to remove your laptop! This was huge.
My Experience with the Bag
It is safe to say I have really liked the bag, as I continue to use it to this day. The bag is extremely sturdy and well sewn at the straps. The back of the bag is also cushioned so it feels great to wear and it softens any impacts when walking or running in an airport to catch a flight. The inside of the bag is great size as I’ve comfortable fit a 15.5-inch laptop in there with plenty of space to spare.
It is safe to say I have really liked the bag, as I continue to use it to this day. The bag is extremely sturdy and well sewn at the straps. The back of the bag is also cushioned so it feels great to wear and it softens any impacts when walking or running in an airport to catch a flight. The inside of the bag is great size as I’ve comfortable fit a 15.5-inch laptop in there with plenty of space to spare.
The big test came at the airports. Out of all my trips, I think only twice did I come across security that was unfamiliar with the bag and still make me take the laptop out. Security will also not allow you to stack electronics, so if you have more then one laptop or tablet, you will need to take that one out. For most trips where I had a single laptop, just unzipping the bag and passing it through was significantly easier saving me some time and headache.
My biggest complaint about the bag, however, is the lack of expansion from a width perspective. With one laptop, note book, charger and other small electronics, you have taken up most of the capacity of the bag. It would be great if there was a bit more room for two changes of clothes for the single night of travel kind of trips.
I was originally skeptical of the lifetime warranty when I purchased the bag but when the straps wore down at the 4-year mark, I reached out to customer support and was surprised how easy it was to get a replacement. There was no way after that amount of time I would still have the receipt, but all I had to do was send them my existing bag and a few weeks later I had a brand new one. The new one I have has held up significantly better with no signs of wear or tear on the straps this time.
Overall, I highly recommend this bag. For the days TSA Precheck is closed or too far of a walk, this will make your airport security experience a little easier.
Check out the bag below if interested or my book with a lot more consulting travel tips!