Satch Con:next reviewed: Compact school backpack for everyday laptop use
30/10/2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Michael Restin
The Satch Con:next becomes interesting as soon as the laptop becomes the central work tool. My daughter carried it through everyday life for a few weeks. The backpack's greatest strengths annoyed her at the same time.
Attention, here comes an ad: “The cool backpack that is made for school but still looks like leisure wear”, writes Satch about the Con:next. It is supposed to offer a bit of a mountain look, even if only mountains of work are waiting. Preferably digital. The name alone reveals which way the wind is blowing: connect, next, Con:next... it wants to be the connection, the next one, when the expensive school bag stands scorned in the corner at the end of primary school.
My daughter has been in secondary school for two years now and was happy to try out the Satch Con:next in everyday life for a few weeks when a colleague at Galaxus offered me a test model.
It could suit her needs: lessons take place partly digitally and partly with books. More and more often, she leaves her own Satch backpack at home because it is too big for her with a volume of 30 litres. Then she grabs a small Eastpak. With a volume of 22 litres, the Con:next targets her demographic.
Weight, layout and dimensions
The slim backpack manages to balance its 875 grams so that it stands on a reinforced base. A large part of the weight is concentrated on the padded back system, which is stabilised with an aluminium rail. It is not height-adjustable, but it does have a ventilation channel as well as detachable hip and chest straps.
The laptop compartment is located on the back with a side-mounted zip. The main compartment is divided into several sections, and there is also a separately accessible side compartment and space for a water bottle. The Con:next measures 31 × 43.5 × 20 cm in width, height and depth. “I think the size of the backpack is great, and the layout of the compartments is also good”, says my daughter. “It is very comfortable to carry.”
Laptop compartment: First things first
The most valuable, important and heaviest everyday item in school life is the laptop. It must be protected and, due to its weight, kept as close to the back as possible. The Con:next does not pack it into a padded section of the main compartment, but stores it separately – far away from anything that could leak or scratch. That is fundamentally good.
The laptop compartment has space for devices up to 14 inches. My daughter, as recommended by the school, uses this screen size and is not entirely happy: “My laptop feels a bit too big for the compartment”, she says. “It fits in, but I always have to tug to get it back out.”
Top or bottom – it always gets stuck somewhere, which can be annoying in the long run. Even Satch cannot overcome ergonomics. The aluminium rod on the back padding mimics the S-shape of the spine; a laptop is flat, after all, and will always be pressed a little against the zip when pulled out. Even if I remove the rod, access remains a bit fiddly when the main compartment is full. In return, the device is ideally packed when carrying it; it sits tight and is protected all around from bumps.
The main compartment is sensibly divided
The large compartment of the backpack is only missing one thing: depth. 22 litres of volume means it remains slim and cannot be stuffed indefinitely. However, it offers some options for those who love order. There is a small loop for a smart pen at the very top, followed by two compartments for folders, covers or worksheets.
Opposite, there are two elastic compartments, a small zip pocket and an elastic loop to strap something in neatly. For example, headphones. I would never have done that in the past, but instead would have stuffed everything down without restraint.
Because the entire main compartment can only be opened about halfway, I quickly notice when it is full. “The space is enough for me”, my daughter judges. “However, I can imagine that it wouldn't be enough for others.” If, for example, a large lunchbox needs to be included, it quickly gets tight.
Details on the outside
Other aspects are not that relevant in my daughter's everyday life. That is why I take a closer look at them. As long as the main compartment is not too stuffed, I can still easily access the key and miscellaneous compartment via the outer shell. It has a vertical, somewhat hidden zip. Are there students who hook their keys into it every day? I doubt it.
Presumably, a mixture of pens, crumpled notes and individual chewing gums is more often found here. The stretchable space for the water bottle on the side is more likely to be used as intended. Let's be honest, on the outside, the look is what counts most. My daughter is mainly annoyed by one thing: “The many straps sometimes bothered me.”
They make the backpack flexible, but they are hard to miss and can get caught on something. Easy to miss, however, is a small plastic hook at the very bottom where the straps originate. There, I can hook in the extra-long straps when the backpack is tightened and create a bit more visual order.
Many things can be adjusted
The hip belt is removable. And if the height-adjustable chest strap is annoying, which almost no teenager ever closes, I can also slide it out of its guide rail and remove it. The Con:next no longer has a complex adjustment system. That is okay, because, as a backpack manufacturer told me, this feature is one of the things that makes primary school bags so expensive.
The Con:next is worn and adjusted in a more “grown-up” way. In the adult world, people between 1.50 and two metres tall also buy the same models and tug them into place. With my daughter, the Satch hangs over one shoulder at most when I see her running out of the house in the morning.
From everything I observe, it is very rare for teenagers to strap their luggage onto their hips as if for a day hike. The back of the Con:next also offers more than is generally used: it still has various loops like a mountain backpack. Instead of carabiners and ropes, students could attach a bike lock or additional light here. At least those are ideas that Satch mentions.
Only a few details reflect
The manufacturer also insists on putting the brand name in large letters on the backpack – alongside two small areas below the zip and on the straps – as a reflective main element. On the one hand, it makes sense. On the other hand, there are more elegant ways to integrate this important effect over a large area.
The Con:next obviously does not want to stand out. The entire available colour palette remains pale. That seems to be in demand among many students after the colourful primary school years. The main material used is also not very surprising – recycled polyester, the PET bottle says hello. The zips are also made of plastic, run well, do not get stuck anywhere and certainly do not rust. They are also responsible for the splashes of colour.
So only one question remains...
Waterproof or not?
Nothing is more annoying than a heavy downpour that soaks worksheets or even the laptop. The outer material of the Con:next is considered “waterproof” with a water column of 1500 mm – which means it should withstand a moderate rain shower on the way home.
I test whether the backpack also remains tight at the zips in the shower. Instead of filling it with a computer and exam papers, I stuff it with toilet paper and kitchen roll and start 30 seconds of heavy rain. Moisture quickly eats its way into the main compartment; a heavy downpour on the way home could leave traces there. In return, the laptop compartment remains dry for longer.
In a nutshell
Compact school backpack that protects your laptop
With a volume of 22 liters, the Satch Con:next is sufficient for everyday school life when working more frequently on a laptop. It offers very good protection for a model up to 14 inches in a separate compartment. My daughter only finds the access a bit cumbersome and is bothered by the long straps of the carrying system. Comfort and weight distribution are impressive. The back section is padded, ventilated, and supported by an aluminum rail. The compartments are sensibly divided, the outside of the backpack remains simple and only reflects subtly. In heavy rain, only the laptop compartment is protected from moisture for a longer period of time.
Pro
- fits well from a height of approx. 1.50 m
- Detachable hip and chest straps
- Carrying system ventilated and stable
- separate laptop compartment
- compact
Contra
- limited water resistance
- few reflective areas
- long straps that are difficult to stow away
- Accessing the laptop is fiddly
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
