OGIO Gambit Backpack (Gambit, Black)

Was searching for a good replacement for my old worn out Targus bag, and decided to give this one a try based on other reviews and pictures. Super happy I did. Love this bag. Have been using it for a few months. This bag has a TON of compartments and storage space. The old Targus bag I had was physically the same size as the Gambit, but I never had enough space, and it was super heavy and uncomfortable to wear. I typically carry a 15" laptop, 15" aux display and a couple diagnostic tools, along with other cords/cables and things needed for daily work and travel. The Targus felt like I was shoving stuff in always over loaded, and with the Gambit I have a ton of space left over it seems. Super functional pockets and compartments that seem like just the right size for what I have to carry. Quality seems very good, heavy duty zippers, and I really like the look as well. It seems like a very well built and very comfortable to wear, so I hope it lasts me a very long time.

After 8 years of use both nationally and internationally, it was finally time to retire my Tumi backpack. I literally spent a couple of weeks researching laptop backpacks at price points ranging from $30 up to $200 and finally settled on the Ogio Gambit. Not only is this backpack cool looking, its quality is better than I expected. There's plenty of storage space with lots of pockets. FYI, this is not a small backpack. However, not as large as its big brother the Ogio Renegade. I work in the IT field so I carry two laptops, various cables, power supplies, external hard drives, mouse, notepad, pens, post-it's, etc. Because of its many pockets, every thing is neatly stored. Within the "laptop" compartment there is a pocket labeled "small", this will accommodate a tablet (in my case a Surface Pro 3), 8 inches wide, while the main section should fit a slim 17inch laptop, I have a 15inch HP Elitebook 840 G3 and it fits with room to spare. So within the "Laptop" compartment I'm storing my HP AND Surface Pro3. Below the "Laptop" compartment there is a small pocket which Ogio says is for a digital camera or mouse. Within this compartment there are 2 additional small pockets. Yes, this backpack has a lot of pockets! The "Main" compartment is large, again keeping with the same no such thing as to many pockets theme, and has two pockets that are the width of the backpack. Gym cloths and a pair of shoes are easily accommodated within this section. Below the "main" compartment is another zippered compartment with... you guessed it MORE pockets! On of which is labeled "Tablet" while the opposite pocket is a zippered enclosure. I actually use this section to hold the various cables and portable hard drives I carry. Finally, there's the front most and smallest (don't be fooled by the word "smallest") compartment. This sections is pocket paradise! There are 5 dedicated pen holders, 2 open pockets, and 1 zippered pocket. On the top and sides of the backpack there are 5 more pockets! The top pocket is called the "Tech Vault", which is a rigid and zippered, great for sunglasses or anything you don't want smashed. The 2 top side pockets are also zippered and are of good size, I store my mouse in one of them. The 2 bottom side pockets are also zippered, Ogio claims these are "Dual side water bottle/accessory holders". The bottom pocket on the left (if facing the front of the backpack) has an adjustable elastic cord which can be used to secure a water bottle. The bottom pocket on the right does not, though it does contain an elastic strap. However, it's NOT adjustable. The shoulder straps are padded, but not overly so. I'd actually prefer a little more padding, I was spoiled by my Tumi backpack. lol Additionally, there is a luggage pass-through which is a nice touch. Oh I almost forgot, the chest strap is adjustable, another nice touch. Bottom line, this is an awesome backpack for the price and I do recommend it to my fellow organizational, slightly excessive compulsive road warriors. :)

This is my third Ogio backpack in 6 years. The first one had a minor fault after about 11 months and Ogio replaced it at no cost to me (awesome customer service). The second lasted almost 5 years through riding motorcycles, travel to foreign countries, and more motorcycles. It had to be retired due to fabric starting to tear and stitches coming out. With that being said, this backpack will be a perfect replacement for my old one. Firstly, there's something like 11 pockets that can be opened from the outside! That may seem like a lot, but they're placed well and all come with heavy duty zippers. I like having a dedicated pocket for a laptop (I have a Surface tablet that I use daily) that is between my back and the main compartment for 2 reasons: 1. It prevents me from feeling lumpy objects in the main compartment, and 2. If I'm on the bike and I have to ride in the rain, there's a lower chance of it getting wet. The materials seem to be made of a heavier duty fabric than my last backpack, which gives me hope that it will last longer than it's predecessor. Another great feature is the padded pockets for tablet and laptop, as well as the moulded and padded pocket for glasses. I have enough room to carry a change of clothing, a small emergency first aid kit, battery pack for charging devices, as well as a few small survival items. This is basically a perfect bug-out bag, but still small enough to be carried every day and have extra room to spare. The shoulder straps are very comfortable and seem as though I won't have any issues wearing this for long periods. At the end of the day, Ogio has yet to disappoint me in the almost 10 years I've been buying their products (I have other things from that far back too). I'm glad to see the quality of their products has stood the test of time.

After searching for a replacement for my old warn out backpack I tried multiple backpacks from samsonite, Thule and Tumi but could not find a bag that had ample storage, comfort, and that could accommodate my wide shoulders. One thing I truly never appreciated about my old backpack was how my back rarely sweated when wearing it. When using other bags I found them to get hot quickly. The Gambit stays nice and cool and allows for ample breathing (no more backpack sweat stains!). I own 4 pieces of Ogio luggage and they are my go to when I travel for business or leisure. The gambit backpack is full of pockets and space. I travel with a personal and a work laptop (HP 15” and a MacBook Pro 15”) and they both fit perfectly in the laptop and main compartment area. Even with both laptops inside, I still have plenty of space for my iPad, folders and other items I may have when traveling. I love having the crush proof pocket for my personal items and ample small pockets for misc items. The padded shoulders and back make for a comfortable travel item when it’s loaded down. The luggage pass thru is convienant in the airport or when wearing a suit. Overall this is one of the best backpacks I’ve owned and I’m certain it will continue to impress for years to come. Pros: Backed by Ogio’s Lifetime Warranty Stylish but functional Comfortable Tons of pockets Fits large and multiple laptops Quality zippers and craftsmanship Great value for comfort, quality and durability Cons: Large bag if you are a small person Noisy (lots of zippers so they are constantly hitting each other, very minor con) Not the cheapest bag on the market

Pockets are designed well, luggage pass through is good, and bottle holder is properly deep. This is the 5th bag I have used in the last 3 years since I had to retire a very old and wore out Samsonite softside briefcase, that was perfect. This is the first that I have been satisfied with. I tested out my Son's Swiss Gear, used an HP backpack, purchased a new Osprey, and used a newer Samsonite softside briefcase. I was not happy until I tried this Ogio. The small heavy stuff is easier to find and not lost at the bottom of deep pockets. The luggage pass through is the best I have ever used: the bottom part is wide enough, tight and secure while being easy to pull off my roll on bag. Perfect for airline travel. I prefer to put the bag on my carry on roller bag than to use it exclusively on my back. I like the option to use as a backpack, so is a nice upgrade from the ol' briefcase with shoulder strap. The top handle is also perfectly designed to wrap onto the very top of my roll on luggage handle for added (but not needed) security to hold unto the backpack. (This is a perfect fit for my current bag.) This also just fits my 17" (diagonal) laptop. The only thing missing is an easy place to slip my receipts in, but that is becoming an outdated necessity, so I will get over that. This is a winner. This backpack stores enough stuff - the right balance between too small and too large. This is more briefcase than overnight bag.

I purchased both the OGIO Gambit 17 and the OGIO Renegade RSS so I could compare them in person. The are nearly identical with respect to the pockets. I noticed three main differences: 1) The Renegade has a tighter weave than the Gambit. I think the Renegade looks nicer (higher quality) when viewed next to the Gambit, but by itself the Gambit still looks nice. Both seem to be good quality and should last a long time, although due to the tighter weave the Renegade might be slightly higher quality. 2) The Gambit does not have as much padding in the laptop compartment compared to the Renegade. I considered this negligible in my comparison, because the Gambit is (IMHO) well-padded-- just less so than the Renegade. Unless you are unusually rough on your belongings, the Gambit's padding should be more than enough. 3) The zipper on the Renegade's laptop compartment only goes down about 20% of the height of the pocket. I have a 13" laptop and because it is fairly small, it does not fill up the entire pocket. I have to reach deep into the pocket to pull my laptop out, which is extremely difficult because it's a narrow pocket and it hardly unzips. The Gambit's design differs in that the pocket unzips all the way to the bottom; you can open the pocket completely. That makes it a breeze to get laptops in and out. Difference #3 was a deal breaker for me. It made my decision to keep the Gambit and return the Renegade an easy one. UPDATE (7/4/15): I've been using this backpack for a couple months now and love it. A few things to note: 1) When packed about 80% full, it fits under the seat of a small airplane (CRJ900). It would probably fit when fully packed. 2) The one thing I dislike about it is that I like to keep my keys, wallet, phone, etc. (i.e. stuff I want quick and easy access to) in the front pocket so I can keep the backpack on one shoulder and swing it around for access. The front pocket goes up a bit higher than on my previous backpacks and it's difficult for me to unzip it while wearing the pack. 3) There are so many pockets in this backpack that it's easy to lose things. On the other hand, it's really easy to keep things organized.

I really wanted the Ogio Renegade but at $150 I just couldn't pull the trigger. I thought I was settling when I purchased the Ogio Gambit but I was so very wrong. I actually read somewhere that the Gambit was the successor to the Renegade at half the price. One of the first things that I loved about this backpack is the laptop section. I have a Macbook Pro 13" with a case on it so it did not fit in the dedicated pouch but it did fit in the larger section of the laptop section. The reason I wanted the Ogio Renegade is for the suspension system but the Ogio Gambit has really good padding on it. It feels like there is a lot of cushion between the inside bottom and the outside bottom of the bag. So much so that the bag stands up on its own. I am fairly confident that my laptop will be safe in there. I am in love with the hard crush proof pocket! I had a Burton backpack, that the Ogio Gambit replaced, and it had the same "sunglasses" pocket but I was always so nervous that it would be crushed. I have no fears when putting my Oakleys in the pocket of the Gambit. Everyone is right when they say that there is a lot of storage. I stored a lot of desk items like a mouse, about 10 pens, eraser, paperclips, flash drive, notepads, etc. in just the front zip pocket. I have no idea what else I am going to put in the other pockets, but that is a good thing. The dedicated pocket for a water bottle is such a great idea I am very surprised that I haven't seen it before on other backpacks. I have a "CamelBak Chute Water Bottle .75L" and it fits in that pocket with ease and with no bulging. One last thing. The one thing that is missing from this bag is a key hook, but that is my only complaint. Overall, this bag is great and I am pretty sure it will last me the rest of my life with no problems.

Been trying to find an OGEO laptop backpack as my Axel ripped (my fault) and thought this one would be perfect. Still has all the exceptional storage space, but unlike my Axel, didn’t have the laptop and iPad sleeves both in the back pocket (iPad sleeve in the middle pocket instead). My biggest frustration is the laptop sleeve in the back compartment fits my 13 1/2 in laptop, but the Velcro strap that secures the laptop into the sleeve is too short to hold the laptop in place. And my BF’s 15in laptop doesn’t fit at all in the laptop sleeve. Unfortunately I have to return this and keep searching.