ECBC Hercules 17” Laptop Backpack Review

Back to school next week for my kids, I think of lot of kids are back in school or are heading off shortly and the backpack is, I think, like a symbol of school. Most every kid or adult going to school has a backpack and having kids I know all backpacks are not created equal. My kids are getting older, but I still have a rather young one at eight years old and I found those ‘character’ style packs aren’t exactly the best quality. As we get older we learn to appreciate quality made products and I think going off to college you need something that will last though the year or even years to come. College isn’t like grade school, I know my kids seem to need or want a new bag every year, but college is different, you’re older and grown up so you don’t need a new bag every year anymore, you want one that will last through college and past hopefully. You need a bag like what I have for review today from ECBC, it’s called the Hercules and it’s aptly named as it can hold up to a 17” laptop but it’s got a whole lot of room for everything else you’ll need to take with you and it’s very well made. Quality comes at price though, this backpack will set you back about $140, but I think it’s money well spent as it will surely last for several years I would think… So read on to learn more about the Hercules…

 

 

Price: $139.99

Overall Rating: 5/5

 

Specs/Features:

Hercules Laptop Backpack

The Hercules Laptop Backpack is crafted from the most durable “Outdoor Industry Tested” 1000d Kodra material with water repellent coating. Integral to the flexible design is the TSA-compliant compartment, which allows you to just unzip the back panel of the backpack, lay it down flat and run it through the scanner. Your computer stays protected in its own padded compartment and there is no need to load and unload the laptop in and out of the plastic bins.

It also features an ergonomically designed shoulder strap system with adjustment points and sternum strap, a breathable back padding design, and zip-away powermesh side pockets for water bottles. This pack also boasts two large zippered mesh pockets inside to store you external hard drive, cables, or other pertinent items. The Hercules Backpack is sleek in design, provides maximum comfort and is built to last.

Fits Screen Size: Up to 17"

External Dimensions: 18.5" x 12.1" x 10.1" / 47cm x 30.7cm x 27.7cm

Construction Material: 1000d Kodra

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

 

 

 

Impressions / Review:

 

No special packaging here, none needed…

 

The bag is black obviously and the ECBC logo front and center. On the front you’ll find three main pockets with two more on the sides and then two larger compartments on the top of the bag. The bag is made of 1000d Kodra fabric and it has a water repellent coating on it. The ECBC site says this about Kodra: “Kodra is an “air treated” Nylon fabric originally designed by Dupont. A characteristic of Kodra material is its tough and gleaming texture.  The main advantages of this fabric is its tremendous abrasion resistance and the fact it is lightweight and ridiculously durable. “  I did a bit more research and it seems many things are made from Kodra nylon like backpacks of course, holsters, slings and other bags and much more. It seems to be comparable to ballistic nylon in most respects in terms of durability but Kodra is easier to dye different colors so it’s become more of a favorite for companies that make things like bags etc.

 

The side pockets are identical, both are zippered and expand with mesh inside of them and they have a light gray colored cloth lining.

 

The pockets are large enough for a  big water bottle and the mesh part does have elastic on the top to hold the bottle securely in place.

 

Back tot eh front of the bag, the first small pocket is zippered and it’s located right above the ECBC Logo. When you open it up you’ll find a large compartment and a smaller pocket with a soft felt-like lining that could be used for your phone or MP3 player.

 

Above or behind that you’ll find a larger dual zippered compartment. I should note that the zippers are YKK brand so you know they’re quality and they’re metal with a plastic coating on them.

 

This pocket might look small but there’s a lot of room in it.

 

On the front or flap section is a mesh pocket and inside of that is a key hook. On the back side five spaces for pens/pencils and a smaller pocket next them.

 

Behind the pen pockets is a larger pocket secured closed with velcro.

 

Then above and behind all that is a rather large zippered pocket. So you can see just in this compartment you can hold a lot of stuff, we’re not even into the main sections of the bag yet!

 

For example I put some pens in, and my mouse I use with my laptop fits nicely in the pocket.

 

Above that big pocket on the front of the bag is another smaller zippered pocket. This one I think is more a quick access type pocket, it’s on the top and in the front so you can easily get to it.

 

On the very top of the Hercules you’ll find a nice large, thick, heavy duty handle

 

You’ll sort have to pull the handle to the side then you can access the two main compartment of the Hercules. These are dual zippered and as you can see the main compartment of the bag is almost sealed with a cover over the zipper to keep the elements and anything else out.

 

I think there’s really two main compartments in the Hercules, at least there are two very large ones, the size as the bag essentially.

The first part that’s part of the front of the bag is the tablet section I call it. All of the inside pockets of the Hercules bag are covered with that same light gray colored material.

 

On the front part is a zippered mesh pocket and then below is a tablet pocket which is secured with a velcro strip. The tablet is padded for protection of course.

 

The tablet pocket can hold tablets up to 10” in size and anything smaller.

 

On the back section you’ll find another smaller pocket also secured with velcro, this would be great for magazines, folders or whatever you want to put in there.

 

If you travel a lot then you should be able to appreciate that this bag is TSA compliant. The main laptop compartment opens all the way to lie flat on the conveyer belt scanner at the airport. Theoretically you shouldn’t have to take your laptop out of the bag when it’s open like this during security scanning.

 

On the front section is a smaller pocket for whatever, it’s secured with velcro.

 

Your laptop is secured in place with a velcro strap and the pocket is padded well for protection.

 

There’s a big sticker on the laptop pocket letting you know about the insert that’s in there. There’s a big piece of foam essentially secured with velcro to the bottom of the pocket which can remove is you’ve got a very large laptop. You can leave it in place for smaller laptops and then you’ve got that much more protection in there.

 

My 14.1” laptop fits perfectly fine inside of the pocket. The strap holds it very securely in place.

 

On the back of the bag you’ll find two thick and padded shoulder straps.

 

There is a cross chest strap as well to connect the shoulder straps together.  Most of the bags I own don’t have this and after using a bag with a chest strap I can’t figure out why all bags don’t have this strap. (It’s officially called a sternum strap, I didn’t know that…)

 

The back beneath the straps has two mesh padded and raised areas. The mesh and raised areas helps promote better airflow by allowing air back there to help keep your back cooler.

 

The straps are also mesh on the inside that touches your body, this also helps promote airflow and keep your cooler while wearing the backpack.

 

So as you can see it’s a big bag that’s definitely worthy of the name Hercules.

 

 

Conclusion:

 

I’ll be honest, I never heard of ECBC until recently, but then again I’m not exactly a bag aficionado as it were. I can say I’m happy I was introduced to the company though as from what I can see they know how to make a bag, I should correct that and say that they know how to make a quality bag! The material it’s made from is strong and durable with high quality heavy duty zippers to secure everything shut.

Like it’s namesake, the Hercules is one though and strong bag I think. The straps are thick and padded very well for comfort so you’ll be able to carry a lot of stuff with you but still be comfortable doing it.

The bag is TSA compliant so that’s helpful right there as you’d know if you ever went through airport security.

The Hercules backpack is a made of a tough and durable material called Kodra that’s coated making it water repellent so you can take it most anywhere and not worry about the contents inside.

Just looking at the Hercules backpack won’t give you an idea of just how much you can carry, once you open it up you’ll find more than enough pockets and compartments for everything. The bag would be an excellent choice for a college student but it would make a great carry on bag as well for traveling.

The bag looks nice and rather professional I think. If you don’t black though you can also pick from four other colors like blue, green, berry and linen.

 

 

Pros:
+Very well made
+Lots of room
+Lots of pockets
+TSA Compliant
+Well padded

 

Cons:
-Might be considered expensive at $140

 

 

Disclosure: This product was given to me for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review; I do not, never have, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products.