I love the extra room for the bottles on the side I was able to fit a large Smart water size bottle in random small things that you can’t do with the og kanken. The bottom zipper compartment is separate and couldn’t even hold my Birkenstock Sanford (I wear a size 7.5 womens). I recently took the bag on 4 flights (2 flights to and from Mexico) it was difficult to get my iPad out of the inner pocket. I wish it came with a separate laptop compartment and many a secret side pocket for like a phone and/or a wallet. I also couldn’t fit much into the front pocket besides some disinfectant and hand wipes. Overall it’s a sturdy backpack, but for the price I can’t justify it. I still like it for work and it fits my work laptop. But I wouldn’t call this the end all be all for ... MoreI love the extra room for the bottles on the side I was able to fit a large Smart water size bottle in random small things that you can’t do with the og kanken. The bottom zipper compartment is separate and couldn’t even hold my Birkenstock Sanford (I wear a size 7.5 womens). I recently took the bag on 4 flights (2 flights to and from Mexico) it was difficult to get my iPad out of the inner pocket. I wish it came with a separate laptop compartment and many a secret side pocket for like a phone and/or a wallet. I also couldn’t fit much into the front pocket besides some disinfectant and hand wipes. Overall it’s a sturdy backpack, but for the price I can’t justify it. I still like it for work and it fits my work laptop. But I wouldn’t call this the end all be all for my backpack needs.Also have used it as a diaper bag formula for quick day trips to the zoo or park with a 15 month old and for that I do love the bag but didn’t see use for the bottom compartment. The bottom compartment also feeds into the space inside the bag and creates like a bubble shape at the bottom? It’s not a flat bottom compartment is what I’m trying to convey.

I got this for my daughter who is going into fifth grade next year. She has had her original 15" laptop Kanken since Kindergarten, and it still looks brand new, but she wanted the larger size and a different color for middle school. We prefer the laptop styles for the padded pocket against the back. This is where our girls put their school folders, leaving the main compartment for their lunch and water bottle. The small front pocket is perfect for a few trinkets and supplies, and voila, a simple, ergonomic and stylish bag that really holds up. These bags fit one's back properly and don't hang down with pocket after pocket on little people. And I also appreciate how Fjallraven now sells extra strap pads. Our only complaint is that after five years as a daily driver, ... MoreI got this for my daughter who is going into fifth grade next year. She has had her original 15" laptop Kanken since Kindergarten, and it still looks brand new, but she wanted the larger size and a different color for middle school. We prefer the laptop styles for the padded pocket against the back. This is where our girls put their school folders, leaving the main compartment for their lunch and water bottle. The small front pocket is perfect for a few trinkets and supplies, and voila, a simple, ergonomic and stylish bag that really holds up. These bags fit one's back properly and don't hang down with pocket after pocket on little people. And I also appreciate how Fjallraven now sells extra strap pads. Our only complaint is that after five years as a daily driver, the shoulder straps are pretty thin. Now they are easily replaced/covered. These bags are a bargain for their durability. You won't regret this purchase.

I have the 17" laptop Kånken in frost green. The laptop compartment fits my Alienware X15 R1 (14.16" x 10.91 " x 0.654") (259.70 mm x 277.25 mm x 16.30 mm) while it's in a laptop sleeve. Any 15" laptop + sleeve will fit. I imagine laptops up to 17" might fit, albeit very snug. The laptop compartment has padding on all sides, the surface against your back, between the laptop compartment and the main compartment, and the edges around the zipper and bottom. It has reinforced bottom corners in the compartment, which feels like plastic bumpers under the fabric to protect against bumps.I love having the large main compartment and being able to zip almost all the way down. Makes it super easy for packing. The backpack is awesome for travel and carrying light to moderate ... MoreI have the 17" laptop Kånken in frost green. The laptop compartment fits my Alienware X15 R1 (14.16" x 10.91 " x 0.654") (259.70 mm x 277.25 mm x 16.30 mm) while it's in a laptop sleeve. Any 15" laptop + sleeve will fit. I imagine laptops up to 17" might fit, albeit very snug. The laptop compartment has padding on all sides, the surface against your back, between the laptop compartment and the main compartment, and the edges around the zipper and bottom. It has reinforced bottom corners in the compartment, which feels like plastic bumpers under the fabric to protect against bumps.I love having the large main compartment and being able to zip almost all the way down. Makes it super easy for packing. The backpack is awesome for travel and carrying light to moderate weight belongings. I used this as my main bag during a 2 week roadtrip and it was all I needed. It's also somehow large yet compact that I use it as my (very economical) personal item on flights. Fully packed, it fits under the seat in front of me on airplanes.The laptop straps have reinforced padding compared to the standard Kånken. The single side pocket still sucks-- no elastic or anything, does not stretch out to accommodate most water bottles. Because the side pocket fabric is non-stretch Vinylon-F and basically flat against the backpack, it can only accommodate small and thin items. You would have to get a specially designed super skinny water bottle or pack the main compartment light enough that whatever goes in the side pocket would bulge into the main compartment, intruding on your laptop or full sized notebooks etc. Fjallraven has a water bottle pocket expansion accessory which is around $20. I bought and tried it, found it bulky and annoying because it didn't sit still while I moved around. Trying to take my water bottle out of the pocket accessory would drag the accessory out of the pocket. It's currently collecting dust in my junk drawer.The main cons I can think of:- Not great for carrying very heavy stuff. The shoulder straps tend to dig in.- Not great for lots of sweating. Their proprietary Vinylon-F fabric is very durable but not breathable. It gets hot and during the summer, I found myself frequently holding the backpack away from my back to allow airflow.- Side pocket doesn't accommodate water bottle or bulky items unless you sacrifice interior compartment spaceOtherwise, it's a great backpack for school! The cross strap design is great at distributing weight along the back so it feels like a lighter load. It's gotten me through college, holding my 15" laptop, an iPad, a few notebooks, my lunch and water bottle in the main compartment. More than that and the weight causes strain on the shoulder straps. I'm aware Fjallraven makes a shoulder strap reinforcement accessory, but I'm not sure if it is compatible with the Kånken laptop model. Now I use it for work to carry notebooks, lunch, and change of clothes. For hiking and carrying heavier loads, I would suggest other backpacks.