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Apr 23, 2024

Go Back To School With The Ultimate Laptop Backpack From Mous

Mous took better picture than I did, so I'll be using those Mous, maker of iPhone cases so durable, they pull stunts like dropping them from helicopters to test them, is back with what might be my

Mous took better picture than I did, so I'll be using those

Mous, maker of iPhone cases so durable, they pull stunts like dropping them from helicopters to test them, is back with what might be my favorite new backpack.

The Mous Extreme Commuter Backpack is a roomy, premium quality 25L pack that's full of thoughtful features and has durability baked in to protect your laptop (or tablet) when you're on the go. And, yes. They dropped it off a building with a MacBook inside to test it.

While the MacBook in question did get bent, the fact that the glass was intact and the laptop itself still functional shows that the Mous backpack is durable enough to protect against most of your more mundane adventures (unless you frequently jump off high structures).

It uses proprietary AiroFoam in the laptop compartment to cushion your hardware and absorb impacts. The way it works is that the material collects at the point of impact and quickly disperses the kinetic energy, keeping it away from your tech (or anything you want to protect).

AiroFoam Laptop Pocket

What's really nice is that the AiroFoam is in the rear of the pack in a separate laptop compartment so that, not only is it protected, you're not piling other things like books or papers on top of it. It also makes for easy access when you need to get to your computer (or e-book or tablet) and don't want to go digging through your entire backpack to get to it.

Mous has carefully considered the rest of the pack as well, so unsightly backpack disgorging is less of an issue. There are a dizzying 27 different compartments in the pack for things like AirPods, Air Tags, bottles, passports, and more. So many that I wish Mous included a pictograph with the backpack so that I knew just what they were thinking when they created them. I especially like the passport pocket that's easily accessible from outside the pack. The device pockets are lined with microfiber as well, so your hardware gets a nice bit of polish.

Fully open

The gist is that you have less detritus floating around inside your backpack. Your small items get securely packed away, leaving the main compartment for things like school books or a change of clothes if you're on a weekend trip. And you don't have to open the whole backpack to get to things. The front of the bag is made to be unzipped and accessed partially or you can unzip the entire front of the bag for easiest access.

The Mous Extreme Commuter Backpack is waterproof as well. It's not just that the outside material repels water, but the zippers are waterproof as well. The zippers even have little rubberized "auto-locking" pockets, where they're protected and tuck up secure against the backpack (instead of just flopping around).

Speaking of secure, the Extreme Commuter has a FlipLock-secured flap that covers the zippers for the main compartment, adding an extra layer of security on the go (there's a zip-only version if you prefer). It takes a bit, but once you figure out how to unclip the lock, you can quickly get to everything (it's also really fun to clip and unclip).

Mous Extreme Commuter, side

The Mous backpack is comfortable, with ample padding on the back and shoulder straps. The back padding is vented as well so that you can wear it for long sessions without overheating. If you're traveling, there's a convenient passthrough in the back for a luggage handle (and that passport compartment ends up right on top when you use it, nice attention to detail there). It looks good too, with a sleek, black profile that goes with just about everything.

This is going to be my go-to backpack for the foreseeable future. It's definitely on the pricey side but it's going to last and protect all of my stuff. The convenience features just sweeten the deal that much more. Treat it right (or even mistreat it) and it could be the only backpack you ever need to buy again.

Mous Extreme Commuter with FlipLock

The Mouse backpack comes in two flavors, the Extreme Commuter Backpack, which has the secure top flap and a Zip version that ditches the secure top flap for convenient zipper access. They start at $229 and can be found on the Mous website.