Needing tech and being mobile require some sort of carrying case for all of your stuff. And when there’s a lot of stuff, it needs to be carried comfortably. When it comes to tech backpacks there are a slew of them out there, including in the Lenovo and Legion lines. This past Earth Day however they came out with the Eco Pro – a special edition of their ThinkPad Professional backpacks – as part of their ongoing sustainability efforts.
This backpack is made from recycled content and contains the equivalent of 34 plastic bottles and other materials, carrying a Global Recycle Standard certification as well. How does one turn 34 bottles into a backpack you ask? Simple. They took the equivalent of 34 plastic water bottles and recycled them into pellets, which were melted and spun into yarn. This was then woven to form the pack’s fabric, lining, and trim. 83% of the 1.76 pounds that make up this backpack is made up of recycled materials.
The Eco Pro carries the same dimensions as the ThinkPad Professional with about a 30% weight cut, and has a deceptive amount of room to store most things you would need. It’s sturdy construction in green with air-flow mesh on the back and on the straps. Carrying it around is comfortable – at a normal load you can barely feel the backpack, but when you really start loading it up with a lot of heavy gear you’re very aware there’s something on your back. The storage and organization once you open it has a lot to offer.
First and foremost is the main protected laptop compartment which can hold up to a 15.6″ notebook. There are two pockets on the front of the bag and a hidden security pocket in the back. The middle compartment is the one for “stuff” – plenty spacious with multiple pockets and space for larger items. An additional touch is a slot on the back to use while traveling as a trolley strap for rolling luggage. That space is long and wide enough though to carry something long and flat on your back – I used it for a keyboard just for kicks. Granted this is going to make your carrying experience a little less comfortable, but in a pinch the option is there.
I used this bag as my main carry-all while with my IT pro hat on, and was easily and comfortably able to carry my laptop, a chromebook, leather folder for notes, my hard drives, cables, screw set, travel keyboard, and ironically, a water bottle (the reusable kind folks, relax!). The bag felt super light, and was easy to pick up off the ground with the built-in carry handle.
So after seeing how it operated on a regular work day, the decision was made to push it is far as could possibly go. What are all the things I would need on an absolutely packed day before I headed home for the evening? What was the real limit? Well, the list looked a bit like this for those really looking to see what it can do:
- Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 15.6″ laptop (Legion’s daddy) / adapter
- Accompanying USB DVD writer
- Gunnar Optiks PPK glasses
- SKIL 80-piece ratcheting flex driver set
- 2x Western Digital external hard drives / USB cables
- Cooler Master MM710 mouse
- Cooler Master SK621 portable keyboard
- Audio Technica G1WL headset
- Console and other various cables
- Ripstop jiu jitsu gi and belt
- Bottle of hand sanitizer
You can see how much stuff this actually is in that picture there. This loadout was absolutely stuffing the Eco Pro to the gills, but it still zipped up and was able to be carried without issue. In this scenario I did think a chest strap would be helpful and maybe some additional strap padding, but most people aren’t this insane. It was less comfortable than what would be considered a normal amount of things, but if I really wanted to test this out I had to go big or go home. Look I’m just saying you never know what’s going to happen out there. If you left home and were in the situation that you had to do some server work, throw down on your client’s wifi because they’re chill to own some chumps in the gaming world, and then hit the mats for some rolls, this backpack can in theory cover all of that for you.
Lenovo’s limited edition Eco-Pro backpack is lightweight, and has enough space for whatever combination of things you need to haul and at $89.99 comes at a pretty good price point for what you’re getting. It could be your gaming gear and some clothes for the weekend. It could be your tech tools for both work and play. It’s a great bag that works for whatever you’re doing, regardless of the tech you’re bringing along. And while you’re stuffing it full of your goods, get reminded from the tag every time that your backpack took 34 plastic bottles out of a potential landfill. You can order this limited edition backpack direct from Lenovo.
The verdict? Solid and roomy backpack with sustainability in mind.
