Slappa Velocity SPYDER PRO Backpack Review

by Kevin O'Brien

The Velocity SPYDER Pro backpack from Slappa is a fairly odd looking, with a rubberized outer shell, and a spider-web design on the front pocket. The rubberized outer layer is designed to resist water, and the front design structure is in place to give the bag support. Like the wide range of other Slappa products, this bag is designed to hold up well against the elements, and keep your notebook safe, even if the conditions are far from perfect. Read on to see if this backpack holds up well under out testing.

Slappa actually offers this backpack with two different "web" patterns on the front of the bag (SPYDER and MATRIX) both of which are available in two sizes to accomodate 15-inch or 17-inch laptops:

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Specifications:

• Water repellant BuckBlast suede
• 15" or 17" shock padded laptop storage compartment
• Protective and stylish molded rubber EXO-skeleton
• Special compartments for storing laptop accessories
• Stay cool lined pocket for snacks and drinks
• Comes in two sizes and two pattern selections
• MSRP: $99.99
• Dimensions (17" version): 15"(w) x 22"(h) x 3.25"(d)
• Dimensions (15" version): 15"(w) x 21" (h) x 3"(d)
• Weight: 4.5 lb (17&quot, 3.45 lb (15&quot

Design

The design of the Slappa Velocity SPYER Pro backpack is unique compared to most of the other bags on the market. The outer shell is a soft rubbery fabric, used for its water resistant capabilities, and raised stitching that gives the front of the bag some support. The inner fabric is very soft, and would be almost impossible to scratch a glossy notebook surface with it. This soft padded fabric also provides some protection for the notebook, as well as other items stored in the bag.

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One notable feature of this bag is the rear-most pocket, which is labeled as the "stay cool lined pocket" on the information sheet. This pocket appears to be the same as the rest, with the only addition being a waterproof liner added. With its location being between your back and your flat notebook, I don't think any snacks or drinks would fit inside this pocket without mild discomfort. Another problem might be the flattening effect of you back and laptop pressing against each other that would crush most tasty delectables. A better purpose for this compartment would be sweaty gym clothes or wet swimwear.

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Comfort

The most important aspect of a backpack of any kind is how comfortable it is on your back. If it hurts your shoulders you will be miserable trying to wear it for many hours. The straps on the Slappa backpack are heavily padded, and contoured to stay close to your neck and the center of your body. This seems to increase arm mobility, and keep the pressure off the very edge of your shoulders. One item missing from this backpack is a connecting brace between the two shoulder straps, but even without this the bag stayed put on your back.

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Durability and Quality

The durability of the rubberized fabric was a concern while we were testing the bag, but our worries turned out to be unfounded, and the material didn't seem to wear more than standard ballistic nylon. Other parts of the bag also held up quite well, including the zippers and stitching around areas under stress. No loose threads were found out of the box, or after a week of rigorous day-to-day use.

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The weather in our area of Ohio has not been the best during the past week, with plenty of rain on every morning walking out to my car. The rubberized coating kept the inside of the bag bone dry; beading off water like the finish was coated with RAIN-X.

Conclusion

The Velocity SPYDER PRO backpack continues the Slappa trend of making durable and rugged cases. The soft interior is great for the new glossy finish notebooks that tend to show scratches by looking at them wrong. While I don't fully agree with the snack pack on the rear of the bag, I think it would still work very well for other uses (such as wet or dirty clothes).

Overall, this is an excellent backpack that puts your mind at ease even if your expensive gaming notebook is inside it during a massive downpour.

Pros

• Cool rubbery finish
• Almost waterproof exterior
• Plastic lined pocket for multiple uses

Cons

• No shoulder-strap chest retention clasp

Pricing and Availability

The Velocity SPYDER PRO backpack ($99.99) is available for purchase on the Slappa website.

 

i think you should note that the 17" bag is an extra 20$ (120) over the 15" one (100)

 

I actually have this bag lol... It is indeed built like a tank, besides some of the exterior rubber stuff scratching off, it's basically brand new.

However, I have two concerns about it:

1) That the interior soft mesh would eventually tear
2) When I put my 15.4" notebook inside the mesh pocket, the backpack (when in use) actually squeezed it way too tight leading to some minor comestic damage to it. I now use another laptop bag instead of putting it in my backpack

I guess point #2 kinda defeats the purpose of a laptop backpack...but I guess I'm still overall happy with it.

 

what mesh pocket for the laptop?? the pocket for the laptop is not mesh it a soft fleece like material like microfiber.. there is no mesh in the laptop pocket

 

Er, I meant the interior is well, some kinda soft material. Mesh was the only thing I could think of to describe it. The laptop pocket is just a huge thick, like you said, fleece material...

 

Hey kevin, i know this is off topic, but what are the odds of you guys reviewing some Kata laptop backpacks? I have had my eye on some of their 12" ones for awhile but i have not found one in depth review of it.

Sensitivity V and Prism U are both affordable and quirky enough that i thought you guys would have reviewed them long ago. Right now i'm just using a cheap neoprene sleeve for my TX2000.

 

imo i dont see any way that material could damage the outside of a laptop..?? its really very soft and if you have a 15.4 that fit that tight in there thats one large 15" notebook. my 17" sager slides right in with room to spare

 

Good review. I like the design but carrying this around probably looks like an alien hybrid has taken an interested in you (just kidding).

 

It didn't damage itself. I mean that the bag literally "squeezed" my laptop too hard that I felt uncomfortable about putting it inside the pocket. It might have been I had 6 spiral notebooks in the pocket in front of it that might have been the problem....

 

It's a terrible backpack.

I USED to have one. It lasted roughly 4 months before the stitching on the straps broke. It is also the reason my MBP has a dent in the side now, as it failed to provide any real protection for my laptop. Slappa claims it was a defect in their product line...

Otherwise, it was a decent sized bag that I had few complaints with other than it not protecting my laptop and the straps breaking. I mean, I hardly carried more than 15 lbs in that thing...

 

thats a nice bag. would i be able to fit a NP9262 in it? as i really like the design and though the price is a bit steep it looks like its worth it.

 

I actually remember you making a similar comment about this bag in my review of the Booq Boa3 bag a while ago. I made special note of it because I knew Kevin was reviewing this Slappa bag. I made sure Kevin did additional stress testing (above and beyond what we typcially do to test bags in our office) and there were no signs of stress/wear to the stitching for the shoulder straps.

If you contacted Slappa (and it sounds like you did) and they reported it was just a defective bag then I'm inclined to believe you just happened to get a defective bag. I can tell you from personal experience that we've reviewed some bags here in the past from other manufacturers that would NOT have held up to the kind of stress this Slappa bag did. Kevin doesn't go easy on bags when he's told to stress test them.

 

I think that notebook would push the limits of most notebook backpacks. It would probably be an extremely snug fit considering it is almost an inch thicker than most 17" notebooks. I would probably contact Slappa and find out what they think.

While I would love to test out a 17" notebook inside the Slappa case, the model we reviewed is for 15" notebooks.

 

the 5793 fits with a bit of room on the sides so the 9262 while i think would fit it would be pretty tight in there..

and hollownail yes they did have a design flaw. these new ones are sewn totally different at the shoulder straps. i used to have the old design as well and they are in fact different now

 

Well, the whole entire line was defective from what they told me. They didn't offer to take care of the damages to my laptop though, so I'll still stay away from them.

its good to hear that they changed the shoulder strap design.

Funny enough, my huge Moible Edge bag I bought with my Sager also broke at the shoulder straps. But my cheap Targus bag is still going strong!

 

I wonder what`s the weight limit on this one.I carry a looooot of stuff with it, a 9 pounds laptop(adapter included), 5 pounds of books and 5 pounds of extra stuff...

 

imo its a VERY strong bag...

 

yes, but the fact is I change the weights I carry very often, so I`d need to know an absolute limit for it...

 

okay thanx.

 

Sounds like it`s a no-go for me...

 

Hello!

I have this bag as well =)

The 17" version, which just about fitted in my 17". Now I have a 21" laptop, my 17" was refunded.... so I have no use for the bag.

If anyone is interested in buying it from me at a decent price, let me know! I'm in London =)

But, it is a superb bag when I got use of it!!!

Thanks

 

I have a SagerNP5797 backpack and it's weights about 10lbs including the power brick. I know that waist belt/strap are helpful in transferring weight to avoid fatigue. Will this bag be able to provide the necessary comfort without the waist belt/strap? TIA

 

I can assure you that carrying my 9262 in this bag is rather comfortable for me.


I must add, however, that I don't mind heavy loads, and have carried 17" laptops in this bag for a while.

I can assure you that it's an excellent bag, and that I found it to be perfectly capable of providing the necessary support, but I don't know if you woul say the same.