Mancro Anti-Theft Laptop Backpack Review

There’s something appealing about having everything you need, strapped to your back at all times. Perhaps that’s the logic behind the Mancro Anti-Theft Laptop Backpack. The bag boasts a resistant nylon exterior and strong safety features such as metal zippers and a combination lock. These complement the bag’s multiple internal pockets and sleeves. Especially useful is the external USB port that can connect to a battery to juice up your devices. That said, the inside isn’t great at holding odd-shaped objects, but for toting your electronics you’ll find none better than this commuter bag.

Don’t take this as a negative, but the Mancro Laptop Backpack look generic. In this case, we actually consider this a positive. While having a cool bag that stands out in a crowd is nice, it also makes said bag a bigger target for theft. The Mancro bag is unsuspecting, with a slate, nylon exterior that blends in well while never looking out of place. The inside is also appropriately not flashy. While bright colors can make it easier to find things, they’re also eye-grabbing if you’re rummaging through your bag in the airport or other public places.

The Mancro Laptop Backpack says it is water-resistant and it means business. Having had to walk through the rain a few times in the past week, we can safely say that the bag not only can keep your belongings dry, but also air dries quickly. The handles and sternum straps are also made of nylon, providing a strong material while also not being too harsh or tight.

Read through our guide to laptop safety.

Featuring over ten compartments for a variety of objects, the Mancro Backpack is ready for any and all occasions. The main compartment’s laptop sleeve is also wide enough for other objects. The bag easily fit multiple sets of keys, notebooks, electronic devices, and even a few travel coffee mugs without any issue. Thanks to its 20 x 12.2 x 5.7 (HWD) internal space the bag is capacious and can hold plenty of items.

That said, it doesn’t do well with oddly shaped and sized objects like rigid books. Similarily, there are also two pockets on the outside for water bottles, but their size leaves something to be desired. The pockets are fine for travel coffee mugs, but larger bottles like Camelbak just don’t fit.

Our favorite feature is the external USB port that allows for an external battery, even while wearing the bag on your back. It’s such an easy addition to a bag like this, it leaves us wondering why more bags don’t do so.

Check out our guide to the best rolling laptop bags you can buy.

Mancro’s Anti-Theft Laptop Backpack is comfortable, even when weighed down by all your belongings. Padded, nylon sternum straps extend out for any body size and never feel like the bag’s weight is pulling down on them. There is a lack of foam padding on the back of the bag that is sorely missed, especially when it comes to circulation. We sweat a lot when on the move, so having a bag without that ability to circulate air was a downside.

Take a look at our guide to buying a laptop.

In a market where laptop bags vary in price by a considerable amount, it’s nice to see Mancro’s offering come in at a reasonable $45.99 MSRP. For the quality of fabric, internal storage, and surrounding features, you’ll struggle to find a better bag that does as much for so little money.

In the market of traditional backpacks, both the InCase ICON Backpack and Booq Cobra Squeeze Backpack fall near the $200 range while offering a different set of features. The Cobra is more stylish and curved than the Mancro Laptop Backpack, but comes at the cost of unreliable waterproof material and a lack of internal space.

The InCase Backpack has a greater focus on storage capacity, with a strong nylon exterior that’s water-resistant and maybe even resistant to shrapnel. The ICON also retains comfort while worn with a full bag, which is no small feat. That said, both of these rivals will cost you nearly twice as much.