SwissGear Backpack
by SwissGear
14 endorsements on r/BuyItForLife first recommended in Feb 2025
A padded, multi-compartment daily-use backpack from SwissGear, commonly used for school, commuting, and travel with dedicated laptop/electronics sleeves.
Added Jul 5, 2026, Updated Jul 6, 2026
Why it's buy-it-for-life
Redditors consistently report 10-20 years of daily use (school, commuting, travel, even motorcycle carry) with zippers, straps, and stitching still intact. Owners describe overloading them with 30-50 lbs of books/gear for years with only minor cosmetic wear showing up after well over a decade.
What owners say
Commenters report extraordinarily long service lives, ranging from 6 to 21 years of near-daily use, including one owner still carrying the same bag to work as an anesthesiologist 14 years after buying it before college. The most common failure point mentioned after well over a decade of use is a worn or broken zipper, but even those owners call it a minor gripe and say the bag is otherwise still perfectly functional. Several describe it as a 'gold standard' backpack they'd buy again without hesitation.
What redditors say
Recommended on reddit as recently as February 2025
Show 10 more mentions
- 4r/BuyItForLife comment
I have one that is about 18 years old now. It is showing its age but I've put SO much wear and tear on it and it still does the job but is so worn out looking I will be getting a new one soon.
- 3r/BuyItForLife comment
It's about 20 years old and I still have it to this day and it looks perfect.
- 3r/BuyItForLife comment
I have the same one in my trunk. I like how the two main pockets have the two sleeves for electronics and the pad through for cords.
- 3r/BuyItForLife comment
I have a similar one, at least ten years old and nothing wrong with it.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
Yep mine is 12 and only now is the zipper starting to wear. And that's my fault for stuffing it like a sausage
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I bought mine in 2004, it's still going strong
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I have a similar one, 12 years strong here.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
Good call, I love mine. Same brand but a different design. ... that bag was more reliable than my work output once I got to the office.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I have 2 bags because i wanted an osprey and my 15 year old swiss gear refuses to die
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I've had a couple of these for about ten years too. They are great for traveling.
I bought this Swiss Gear backpack 10 years ago and it still looks almost new! ... It was $60 when I purchased it
I swear by these. Only bought two in the last 20 years and my current one is holding up well. 8 years and counting!
I mean, no doubt it's durable but it does not look almost new.
I have the same, 11 years old. Still perfect!
There's zero flaky, no loose threads, zippers are all in perfect condition, no tears or even wear marks.
The swissgear backpacks are incredible. I've used mine for almost a decade all over the world, ~20 lbs payload. As strong as a toyota corolla.