A few months ago, on a trip to London, the sun was shining through the train window, and I saw my much-loved, but also much-worn, Knomo backpack in literally a new light: it looked like it had seen better days.

While I doubt many people judge me on the look of my bag, “scruffy” isn’t the image I want to give off, so I went looking for another bag anyway.

My goal was to buy secondhand if I could.

And I could.

I found a secondhand-but-new ThinkPad rucksack on eBay, for £20 + shipping.

It is the older model of the Lenovo ThinkPad Professional Backpack, as far as I can tell - the model with two flap pockets on the front (very useful to tissues / masks / mints).

I’ve been using it for a couple of months now, and I’m really pleased with it.

Comfortable to carry

With all the padding, I’ve found it very comfortable to carry.

Suitable for a much bigger laptop

It’s suitable for a much bigger laptop than my ThinkPad - up to 15.6", I think.

Basically, my ThinkPad disappears inside it.

It does mean that I have lots of extra space for other stuff, which is a blessing and a curse…

Lots of usable pockets

It has lots of pockets.

Like, lots.

So many that, the other day, I discovered one that I hadn’t spotted before.

With so many pockets, I was tempted to over-fill it.

That’s my fault, not the bag’s, but I’ve had to keep my temptation in check.

Instead, I’ve been trying to use them sensibly.

Bonus: the pockets on the side are an ideal size for my water bottle, and I could probably fit an umbrella on the other side.

Only lightly branded

I don’t really like branded stuff, and fortunately the ThinkPad branding is relatively innocuous. It’s there, but you have to look for it.

Overall, it does still look like a rucksack-for-a-laptop, but then that is exactly what it is.

It seems well-made and durable

The materials and workmanship seem to me likely to last a while. The zips seem robust.

If I had one gripe, it would be the faux-leather handle. Perhaps it feels nicer, but I’m worried that that’s the bit which is going to wear the most and the most quickly.

A bargain for £20

For the price, I’m really pleased with it!