Keen Airport Way – TSA checkpoint friendly laptop backpack

In the outdoor world, Keen may be better known for their amazing footwear, but they also offer an impressive array of bags. One of the newest bags in that lineup is the Airport Way – a stylish checkpoint friendly laptop bag.

The Airport Way is larger than your average school backpack, but it is clearly designed to hold more than just a couple of books and pens. The outer dimensions are 11.5 x 20 x 8 inches, but despite its size, the bag weighs in at just 2.7 pounds. The inner space is immense – after popping a laptop inside it, there is still plenty of space of a couple of days of clothes and other small items.

The inner storage is well designed, and both the front and main compartment has been filled with pockets, pouches and other handy features. On the bottom of the bag is a large non-slip rubber pad.

To use the TSA portion, you simply flip the backpack straps to the front, unzip the rear and unfold it. The straps have to be out of the way because of the TSA rules for laptop bags – if you want to keep your laptop inside its bag, nothing may obstruct the X-Ray machine. The whole process takes under ten seconds to unzip and re-zip. I tried the laptop portion with various computers, and found them all to fit well up to around 16″.

The rear features padded shoulder straps, an air-mesh cushioned comfort back panel and a strap to link the shoulder straps together.

The straps and rear panel are comfortable, and the price is well in line with most other high-end checkpoint friendly backpacks. Best of all, it comes in three colors (black/grey, black/rust and navy/dark shadow). The only thing I found missing on it are side pockets for a water bottle or umbrella.

The Keen Airport Way retails for $130, and is available from Keen or one of its many retailers. I really like this bag – it lets you carry your laptop, without having to look like a suit. With its internal storage space, you can bring everything you need for a couple of days, as well as your computer. Most importantly, the bag feels extremely well made – something that easily justifies its price.

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