A Backpack That Works At Work

Any backpack will hold a laptop. A backpack made for one keeps it flat, keeps
it off the bottom, and keeps it away from everything else you are carrying.

The sleeve, and where it sits

A laptop sleeve should be padded on both faces and suspended — its base
stopping short of the bag's base, so a dropped bag lands on the bag and not on
the machine. A flat pocket sewn to the back panel is a pocket, not a sleeve.

The back panel

This is the part that decides whether you can wear it for an hour. Look for
some structure and some channel for air. A flat foam panel against a shirt is
warm within ten minutes.

Straps

Width matters more than padding. A narrow strap concentrates the same weight
into a smaller area, and padding only delays what that feels like. A sternum
strap is not a gimmick on a heavy bag — it stops the straps sliding outward,
which is most of why shoulders ache.

The opening, again

A clamshell opens flat and shows you everything. A top-loader is faster in a
queue and worse at a desk. Neither is wrong; they are different days.

Water, and where it goes

An external bottle pocket keeps a leak outside the bag. An internal one does
not. If your bag has no external pocket, the bottle is a risk you are taking
with the laptop.

What does not matter

The number of small pockets, past about four. They stop being organisation and
start being places to lose things.