ACTUAL video review of Targus Drifter II (Drifter 2) 16" Laptop Backpack. See this backpack after 2 years and 4 months of use HERE: • Targus Drifter II 16" ...
I think you got that bag for a very good price. Very same company in China that makes that bag also makes the High Sierra, and Wenger Swiss Gear line of bags. (Drifter II is basically a Swiss Gear Synergy model with very tiny differences. Pocket up front is set lower on the Synergy, and instead of yellow indicators, the Synergy has red ones. The black rubber grab handle is replaced with a soft-touch but well-sewn in wrap on the Synergy. Though other Swiss Gear bags get the very same black rubber.) The yellow indicators on the Drifter II are so you can tell at a glance just where the individual pockets start and stop. So you're not hunting for the zipper-pulls if you need to pull something out without wasting time. The red indicators function exactly the same way on the Swiss Gear version. As I said, very tiny differences once you get past the different colors offered and the different style zipper-pulls. Got my Synergy model for $70 from a Best Buy brick & mortar store. Not bad since that pack often sells for right around $100 at the upper limit of its price-range. Also, I needed to be sure the pack I bought for work purposes could easily accommodate a thick blazer. Dimensions aren't always a good indicator if certain items will fit into a pack. Love my Swiss Gear Synergy model. But now that I know a less expensive "twin" exists, I'll get the Targus Drifter II if anything unfortunate happens to my Swiss Gear Synergy. Thanks for the excellent review.
Thank you for the additional info! I did not know that the yellow tabs were zipper-pull indicators. That must be what makes the "Hidden Compartment" on the back pouch. It is the only zipper without an indicator. Cheers!
Hey man, I've notice you said you have an swiss gear synergy backpack. I was wondering. Which is better, the targus drifter 2 backpack or the synergy swiss gear? I carry alot of things and plan on carrying more in the future. I was wondering if you can help me out because you have experience with one of them. Please, I'm really looking forward to buying either one of them. I just want to know which one is better overall.
The grab handle on the Swiss Gear Synergy is definitely better. I've examined other bags that use the very same grab handle black sleeve as the Drifter II. The one on the Synergy is a lot more comfortable when carrying the bag one-handed. Honestly, I haven't found a better grab-handle set-up across numerous brands of packs. Some costing significantly more. For me, I use the grab-handle about 40% of the time when I'm carrying the bag due to going in and out of the crowded subway. From my experience with the bag, and from what I've seen in the review, the grab-handle is the main thing that separates the Synergy from the Drifter II. It's enough for me that I prefer the Synergy version. The soft-touch wrap on the grab-handle allows the Synergy to be carried very comfortably with one hand. Also, having taken a slightly closer look, though the same pack overall; the Synergy is a slightly larger (overall) pack than the Drifter II in external dimensions. Making the Drifter II a bit better for those who who a slightly smaller frame. I'm over 6 feet tall, so the Synergy works better for me. Hope this helped.
NGMonocrom so your saying the synergy backpack is better? It doesn't matter to me about the Handel or style, well for my job yes the style but I just want something thats a lot of room. To me the drifter ii has more hidden compartments, you think synergy is the better bag overall?
I have the same one for work and it is massive and holds a lot of stuff. I would recommend it for the geek and the geek at heart it carries all the tools of the trade, my cable testers, laptop, extra cat5e cable, documents safely and all the other gadgets. Buy this and look no further.
The question was asked of how big of laptop can fit in the backpack. Although it is designed for a 16" laptop, I was able to fit a 17" with room to spare. Dare I say it could fit an 18"? I have not tried, but it looks like it would fit. The pouch is padded with approx. 1/4" padding and has a Velcro strap to help hold the laptop in place.
AMGperformance Hi, thanks for the review. Great help. Though wondering if this one fits 17" then why do they have a 17" version of it (targus.com/us/drifter-ii-17-laptop-backpack-tsb239us). Maybe that's bigger overall. Any idea what's the difference?
jftippu I think the tag on my bag was misprinted, or rather their specs were wrong. I checked out the Drifter II in the link you provided and the dimensions are different. But the bag looks identical! The only difference I see is the black plastic zipper pull silencers are not there in the pic provided. I feel that the Drifter II has always been a 17" laptop bag. Maybe at the time marketing the bag as a 16" would attract more customers? But you would think if Targus re-released the Drifter II with substantially more space, they would call it the Drifter 2.1, or Drifter 3. Hope this helps! Rock on.
AMGperformance The fact that they have two versions on their website, with $10 difference in price, makes me think that there must be a difference in size, even though they look the same. Anyway, thanks for your help :-)
Yes, this backpack is a tad bulky. It is meant to stow a ridiculous amount of stuff. Even when empty, the shell and back padding is quite thick. I would avoid this pack for daily train commutes. (Unless you need to bring a ton of stuff with you) Thanks for watching!
There is an account on UA-cam called BachInvention that reuploaded a portion of your video claiming it was theirs and used a text to speech voice to replace yours. In case you didnt know. Thanks for the review.
Actually ended up going with it anyway. It carries my laptop, notebooks, textbooks, laptop charger, lunch, water bottle, phone charger, snacks, calculator, and pretty much anything else I decide to throw in there. It's nice having plenty of room to spare.
I have this laptop bagpack. Only downside it does not stay upright with items on it. It always falls forward. I always have to lean it onto something it always gets in the way.
Comprei uma desse modelo no paraguai , paguei U$ 65 dolares , escapei de um acidente de transito e por estar usando a mochila e amorteceu a minha queda e ela mesma sofreu uma descosturação no apoio , mas continuo usando até hoje , recomendo esse produto por ser muito bom , bem resistente e olha que carrego bastante coisa pesada nela e aguenta um tranco da porra .
hi. great video, very in-depth. im thinking of buying this backpack. i only have one question. is the bottom of the laptop compartment padded? could you describe a little bit the compartment where the laptop would sit? thanks a lot
Does this bag ever feel too big? I've been looking at it on Amazon, and the stock photos on there make it look pretty bulky. I have a train commute every day, >1 hour each way, so an excessively bulky backpack would be a bit of a pain. So again, does it ever feel too big?
I just bought this backapack the other day. The woman who sold it to me told me that on rhe top of.it, right where the cable is, it has an alarm sistem. That might sound in some stores when leaving... is that true? Can anyone tell me? She also said that in my country (uruguay) this type of alarm is no use. So i may not.be able to take it off my backpack unless u cut the cable.off... Any ideas about this?? Thanks.
Hemmm, if it does have a magnetic security strip sewn into the bag, I believe it is up to the store whether they want to activate the strip or not (depending if they have those security sensors by the doors). If that is the case, the store would deactivate the strip when you purchase the bag, otherwise you would make the alarm sound when exiting the store. My advice to you: Do not cut your cable off : )
Just bought this for $41 at Walmart. Best choice ever is incredibly spacious. Thanks for taking the time to do this review.
I think you got that bag for a very good price. Very same company in China that makes that bag also makes the High Sierra, and Wenger Swiss Gear line of bags. (Drifter II is basically a Swiss Gear Synergy model with very tiny differences. Pocket up front is set lower on the Synergy, and instead of yellow indicators, the Synergy has red ones. The black rubber grab handle is replaced with a soft-touch but well-sewn in wrap on the Synergy. Though other Swiss Gear bags get the very same black rubber.)
The yellow indicators on the Drifter II are so you can tell at a glance just where the individual pockets start and stop. So you're not hunting for the zipper-pulls if you need to pull something out without wasting time. The red indicators function exactly the same way on the Swiss Gear version. As I said, very tiny differences once you get past the different colors offered and the different style zipper-pulls.
Got my Synergy model for $70 from a Best Buy brick & mortar store. Not bad since that pack often sells for right around $100 at the upper limit of its price-range. Also, I needed to be sure the pack I bought for work purposes could easily accommodate a thick blazer. Dimensions aren't always a good indicator if certain items will fit into a pack. Love my Swiss Gear Synergy model. But now that I know a less expensive "twin" exists, I'll get the Targus Drifter II if anything unfortunate happens to my Swiss Gear Synergy.
Thanks for the excellent review.
Thank you for the additional info! I did not know that the yellow tabs were zipper-pull indicators. That must be what makes the "Hidden Compartment" on the back pouch. It is the only zipper without an indicator. Cheers!
AMGperformance
Happy to help out in a small way. Thanks again.
Hey man, I've notice you said you have an swiss gear synergy backpack. I was wondering. Which is better, the targus drifter 2 backpack or the synergy swiss gear? I carry alot of things and plan on carrying more in the future. I was wondering if you can help me out because you have experience with one of them. Please, I'm really looking forward to buying either one of them. I just want to know which one is better overall.
The grab handle on the Swiss Gear Synergy is definitely better. I've examined other bags that use the very same grab handle black sleeve as the Drifter II. The one on the Synergy is a lot more comfortable when carrying the bag one-handed. Honestly, I haven't found a better grab-handle set-up across numerous brands of packs. Some costing significantly more.
For me, I use the grab-handle about 40% of the time when I'm carrying the bag due to going in and out of the crowded subway. From my experience with the bag, and from what I've seen in the review, the grab-handle is the main thing that separates the Synergy from the Drifter II. It's enough for me that I prefer the Synergy version. The soft-touch wrap on the grab-handle allows the Synergy to be carried very comfortably with one hand.
Also, having taken a slightly closer look, though the same pack overall; the Synergy is a slightly larger (overall) pack than the Drifter II in external dimensions. Making the Drifter II a bit better for those who who a slightly smaller frame. I'm over 6 feet tall, so the Synergy works better for me. Hope this helped.
NGMonocrom so your saying the synergy backpack is better? It doesn't matter to me about the Handel or style, well for my job yes the style but I just want something thats a lot of room. To me the drifter ii has more hidden compartments, you think synergy is the better bag overall?
Anytime! I am glad this video helped you.
I am looking for a new backpack and I appreciate your thoroughness.
I have the same one for work and it is massive and holds a lot of stuff. I would recommend it for the geek and the geek at heart it carries all the tools of the trade, my cable testers, laptop, extra cat5e cable, documents safely and all the other gadgets. Buy this and look no further.
The question was asked of how big of laptop can fit in the backpack. Although it is designed for a 16" laptop, I was able to fit a 17" with room to spare. Dare I say it could fit an 18"? I have not tried, but it looks like it would fit. The pouch is padded with approx. 1/4" padding and has a Velcro strap to help hold the laptop in place.
AMGperformance Hi, thanks for the review. Great help. Though wondering if this one fits 17" then why do they have a 17" version of it (targus.com/us/drifter-ii-17-laptop-backpack-tsb239us). Maybe that's bigger overall. Any idea what's the difference?
jftippu I think the tag on my bag was misprinted, or rather their specs were wrong. I checked out the Drifter II in the link you provided and the dimensions are different. But the bag looks identical! The only difference I see is the black plastic zipper pull silencers are not there in the pic provided. I feel that the Drifter II has always been a 17" laptop bag. Maybe at the time marketing the bag as a 16" would attract more customers? But you would think if Targus re-released the Drifter II with substantially more space, they would call it the Drifter 2.1, or Drifter 3. Hope this helps! Rock on.
AMGperformance The fact that they have two versions on their website, with $10 difference in price, makes me think that there must be a difference in size, even though they look the same. Anyway, thanks for your help :-)
+AMGperformance great
Yes, this backpack is a tad bulky. It is meant to stow a ridiculous amount of stuff. Even when empty, the shell and back padding is quite thick. I would avoid this pack for daily train commutes. (Unless you need to bring a ton of stuff with you) Thanks for watching!
There is an account on UA-cam called BachInvention that reuploaded a portion of your video claiming it was theirs and used a text to speech voice to replace yours. In case you didnt know. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for the heads up! I did not know that
Thanks for taking time to showcase the backpack! Wondering, are those metal rings (6 of them) purely decorative, or do they serve a purpose?
Awesome review man, good laugh too. You got a pimp price on this thing, I'm about to pull the trigger at 50
Awesome review, thank you!
Those are just some examples of my school supplies. They may not fit the needs of everyone : ) Thanks for watching
This targus drifter backpack is cool it has a lot if zippers and pockets and plus you could hide your water bottle
Actually ended up going with it anyway. It carries my laptop, notebooks, textbooks, laptop charger, lunch, water bottle, phone charger, snacks, calculator, and pretty much anything else I decide to throw in there. It's nice having plenty of room to spare.
I have this laptop bagpack. Only downside it does not stay upright with items on it. It always falls forward. I always have to lean it onto something it always gets in the way.
damn this bag is sick....i want one so bad
Comprei uma desse modelo no paraguai , paguei U$ 65 dolares , escapei de um acidente de transito e por estar usando a mochila e amorteceu a minha queda e ela mesma sofreu uma descosturação no apoio , mas continuo usando até hoje , recomendo esse produto por ser muito bom , bem resistente e olha que carrego bastante coisa pesada nela e aguenta um tranco da porra .
zip defect is seen on 5:31
Blunts! My kind of review. Anyway, seeing these for $35 at Amazon and needing a new bag. Any regrets now that you've had it for a long time?
Curious to see what it looks like when it's worn. Too bad you didn't put it on otherwise great vid.
hi.
great video, very in-depth. im thinking of buying this backpack.
i only have one question. is the bottom of the laptop compartment padded? could you describe a little bit the compartment where the laptop would sit?
thanks a lot
Very usefull! Thank you!
thanks for this
Good review
thanks for review .. is it waterproof and washable ?
Does this bag ever feel too big? I've been looking at it on Amazon, and the stock photos on there make it look pretty bulky. I have a train commute every day, >1 hour each way, so an excessively bulky backpack would be a bit of a pain.
So again, does it ever feel too big?
Hey man, should I get this or the "swissgear synergy backpack" please help, which is better
10 minutos pra apresentar uma mochila, vc é um fanfarrão.
What's the model number of that bag.
what esp?
1996 ESP Eclipse. EMG 81/81
Have you ran into issues with it? I am thinking of getting one for high school and college classes
I have used this backpack for a full semester now. Other than the bottom being a little dirty, It is showing no signs of visible wear.
I just bought this backapack the other day. The woman who sold it to me told me that on rhe top of.it, right where the cable is, it has an alarm sistem. That might sound in some stores when leaving... is that true? Can anyone tell me? She also said that in my country (uruguay) this type of alarm is no use. So i may not.be able to take it off my backpack unless u cut the cable.off... Any ideas about this?? Thanks.
Hemmm, if it does have a magnetic security strip sewn into the bag, I believe it is up to the store whether they want to activate the strip or not (depending if they have those security sensors by the doors). If that is the case, the store would deactivate the strip when you purchase the bag, otherwise you would make the alarm sound when exiting the store. My advice to you: Do not cut your cable off : )
AMGperformance thank you very much.
Do u own a library ?? LOL :D
can I use it as DSLR camera bag?
Dont like this one
Wonderful review!! Thanks !