Review on Incase CL55452 Compact Backpack for 15 Inch laptops by Whitney Buckley

I commute to the office by train 3 times a week. I need a backpack that doesn't stick out too much at the back because the train can be crowded. I did a lot of research to find one and I've narrowed it down to 3. InCase City Compact, Belkin Slim Backpack and Cocoon Slim. The thickness of the Belkin Slim is very thin and its edges are tapered making it look very thin. The cocoon is probably just as thin. Of all three, InCase is the thickest. I have a spare for a Belkin because I want to carry my Bose QC35 to work and the Belkin may be too thin for that. The cocoon was my second consideration and I really like the built in mesh of rubber bands to keep things organized inside. Cocoon slim lost my popularity due to other people's feedback on its durability. So I returned to InCase. I've had 3 InCase backpacks and a shoulder bag before and the build quality is guaranteed. One of them is about 10 years old and his skin ages very well and does not crack. It speaks volumes about the quality/material used. When I received this backpack, the first thing I decided was how thick it would be when I put my MacBook and Bose headphones on. To my relief, the backpack doesn't protrude past the sidewall of the backpack at all. It stays on the profile as you can see in one of the images where the iPad sits on a strap. Second, how hard will it be. The backpack itself is very light, unlike my other InCase which is so well built it's heavy on its own. This backpack is lightweight but offers the same level of padding and protection. Each compartment is well padded with soft material and can be bumped/bounced to adequately protect your valuable carrier. There are slots that can help you organize, although that's not enough for me. Fortunately, this can be easily treated. I'm buying a Cocoon Grid to help organize my cables, flash drive, small headphones and battery. All in all I am very happy with this backpack.