I was quite thrilled when I found out STM was going to provide one of their Impulse backpacks to review. Our editor, Brian, is constantly raving about his STM Velo messenger bag. He’s put it to the test of everyday use and then some (cycling with your laptop is one thing, triple digits on a motorcycle requires sturdy straps and a bag that doesn’t shift around), and it‘s still holding up strong. Plus, STM thinks of everything when they design their bags. The pockets are plentiful and secure, the material is heavy duty and they look spectacular.
At first glance, you may assume that the Impulse laptop backpack by STM (Standard Technical Merchandise) is just a regular ol‘ backpack, but we all know where making assumptions gets you. No more judging a book by its cover for me! Once I started fiddling around with the Impulse, I found myself even more and more excited to wear it around campus. It weighs just 2.2 lbs which is about average for a backpack, but this pack is much more than average. Go ahead, start snooping around this fabulous new pack and you‘ll find more pockets than you have things to put in them! If you can’t stay organized with an Impulse, you’ve got too much stuff.
STM Impulse in blackSTM has resolved one of the biggest annoyances I‘ve encountered with other laptop bags – ‘˜‘Where do I put my power cord?” They have added a convenient front pocket for just that. Then it has another front pocket for my calculator, pens and whatever other small items I wish to tote around, plus a side pocket for a water bottle or umbrella. There are two main compartments; one is for notebooks, papers, binders, books and whatnot, but the other is my favorite! I love the second compartment because I hate leaving the house without my computer. It‘s incredibly soft and padded and makes me feel safe lugging my laptop around with me. In fact, the interior of the computer pocket is so soft I want 20 blankets made of it! And guess what? It even has an extra pouch in case you want to carry your tablet along as well. Yay for tablet users!
As far as laptop size goes, the Impulse will fit almost any 15 inch laptop. Seriously, this bag is perfect for the average college student or anyone that needs to carry their computer around with them. It‘s so comfortable to wear; it has an incredibly thick layer of padding on the back area that makes it better than any bag I‘ve ever had. I even wore it, packed full of stuff while I was riding my motorcycle and didn‘t even notice it. In addition to all of the padding and extra pockets, STM thought of one more useful feature: A luggage pass through for wheeled luggage. In case you‘re unfamiliar with the term “luggage pass through”, it’s a strap in the back area so you can slide the pull bar of a wheeled piece of luggage through so you don‘t have to carry it. It‘s comfy enough to wear, but it‘s nice knowing I don‘t always have to.
So whether you‘re toting your stuff around campus or the airport or even speeding down the freeway on a bike, this bag will protect your gear in style. Check out the Impulse and all of STM‘s great products at stmbags.com.
-Heather