Samsonite Kombi Large Backpack Review

Samsonite Kombi is a popular backpack for business travel. It boasts excellent organizational features, and it’s great for people who are actually pros at efficient packing. If you know exactly what you want to pack in the bag and need a dedicated pocket for everything, the Kombi backpack is absolutely perfect for you!

Read on to learn more about the bag’s features, materials, and to see whether it’s the right choice for you!

Size And Intended Use

Samsonite Kombi backpack was designed as the ideal personal item backpack for business travelers. It’s supposed to be the bag you bring in addition to your carry-on suitcase, and it has a dedicated pocket for every item you could possibly need during your flight. It’s a sleek and professional-looking bag with luxurious detailing, popular for excellent impact resistance and durability.

The bag also lets you keep your passport and boarding pass easily accessible, so you can just breeze through checkpoints. The wide opening also helps with that since it takes just a couple of seconds to get your laptop out at TSA checkpoints.

The Kombi backpack is available in two sizes – a medium and a large. This review focuses on the larger of the two bags, but it’s worth noting that most of their features are identical.

The main thing to keep in mind is that the medium backpack will get accepted as a personal item on more flights than the large. The Kombi Large is best for people who often fly with Southwest, American Airlines, and other airlines that usually accept bigger luggage.

The key difference between the medium and large versions of the backpack is the size of the laptop compartment. Kombi Large can fit devices up to 15.6”, while the smaller option only fits computers that are up to 14”. In case you own a smaller laptop and you want a business travel backpack that will pass as a personal item almost every time you fly, the Kombi Medium might be the better option for you.

Otherwise, stick with the large. It’s a bit more spacious, which is never a bad thing. It also has more compartments and pockets, so it’s generally the more versatile option.

Materials And Quality

The Samsonite Kombi backpack is made from ballistic nylon, which is often used to manufacture various travel gear. The synthetic textile boasts great water and tear resistance, and is generally considered very durable. Nylon backpacks can survive years of frequent use, they’re easy to repair, and they hold up well even in rugged conditions.

The one thing that might not hold up well on the Kombi backpack is all the genuine leather detailing. Although it’s nice to have luxury accents on a travel bag, I’m not sure why Samsonite had to put the less durable material on the parts of the bag that go through most wear and tear – the grab handle, luggage strap, and front panel?

Back System And Carrying Comfort

Samsonite backpacks are known for being functional and comfortable to wear. The Kombi boasts a padded and ventilated back system, with airflow channels between padded inserts for the most breathable experience. The shoulder straps are also padded and covered with mesh, and they even feature an ergonomic S-shape for comfortable carrying.

You can adjust the length of the shoulder straps to fit your body, and doing so helps you stay comfortable even when the bag is fully packed. This might be the only way to ensure you’re not in pain because of the bag since the Kombi doesn’t come with a sternum strap or a waist belt. You can’t even improvise a sternum strap because there aren’t any attachment points.

The only extra loop on the shoulder straps is the one for sunglasses, and it’s made from leather. There’s another leather loop on the entire back system and it’s the luggage strap – a rather convenient feature for a travel backpack since it lets you secure it to the top of your suitcase, for easy maneuvering of multiple luggage pieces.

Main Compartment

The main compartment is probably the star of this backpack. It’s the compartment of dreams for organized people who enjoy packing and like to keep everything neatly arranged.

The main compartment is top-loading, with three sleeves in the back. The largest sleeve is for your computer and it can fit devices up to 15.6”. The two smaller sleeves are perfect for notebooks, tablets, magazines – whatever you want to use them for, really.

At the very bottom of the main compartment, you’ll find the widest and the deepest of the internal sleeves. It’s great for clothes or a toiletry bag, and there’s extra fabric on the sides to ensure nothing falls out of the bag when the main compartment is fully unzipped.

On the other hand, it’s great that you can unzip the compartment so widely since it means easy access even to the stuff at the very bottom of the bag.

Front Panel Compartments/Pockets

The front panel of the Kombi boasts two zippered compartments. The bottom compartment is the larger of the two, and it boasts an organizer panel inside plus a key fob. There’s one fleece-lined sleeve that can easily hold an iPad, and then a zippered pocket for the small stuff, as well as four card slots.

On the top cover, you also get a zippered pocket, two open pockets that are wide enough for smartphones and power banks, and a couple of pen holders.

There’s even a zippered pocket on the exterior of the bigger front compartment. It’s the perfect place to put your passport and boarding pass, so you can access them quickly whenever you need them. Also, this pocket is so slim that you’ll hardly fit anything else in it. The upper pocket is smaller, and it’s great for bulkier stuff like mouses, bulky chargers, wallets, etc.

Side Pockets

The Kombi backpack has two zippered pockets on the side that open pretty wide. They have diagonal zipper openings and they’re taller on the front of the bag. The uneven design means they can only fit things that are short as the bottom part of the pockets. Standard water bottles won’t fit, but you can use the pockets for power banks, extra batteries, bulky chargers, etc.

It’s worth mentioning that both side pockets are padded and feature a wide opening for easy access. Also, if you get one of those water bottles that are short but wide, you might be able to keep it in the Kombi’s side pockets.

Additional Features And Versatility

Samsonite Kombi is an excellent travel backpack, but it’s not just that. It even has a convenient luggage strap in the back that lets you secure the bag to the handle of your suitcase. This is a great feature for frequent travelers since it makes your life a bit easier while getting around the airport.

The sleek design and excellent organizational features of this backpack make it a great option for an everyday bag. You could even wear to it school – the wide opening of the main compartment is perfect for big books, while all the sleeves can easily hold your important files and notebooks.

Samsonite Kombi Large Backpack: Should You Get It?

The Kombi is an amazing backpack, but is it the right option for you? It depends on what you’re looking for.

This Samsonite backpack was designed for the business traveler – a person who needs a small and stylish backpack to carry all their essential items for flights. The Kombi is a personal item backpack you take on trips in addition to a carry-on, and it keeps all the things you want easy access to while you traveling.

The bag has a dedicated pocket for every item you want to put inside, which makes it perfect for people who like to stay organized.

This is also a very versatile backpack, which makes it easier to justify the price point. It’s no secret that Samsonite gear is not cheap, but the Kombi backpack is priced just like similar bags from other reputable brands. It’s kind of pricey, but it’s also always on sale (often on Amazon) so it’s not exactly difficult to find a great deal.

Follow the link below to check for the latest deals on the Samsonite Kombi backpack!

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