I wanted a backpack to use as a gym bag; this one is perfect to hold toiletries, stick hair dryer, shoes, towel and change of clothing. The outer pockets are perfect for keys, phone, and the side pocket for my water bottle does the job just fine. I like the tab extenders on the zipper pulls; makes it much easier to zip and unzip quickly. The foldover zipper covers give it a clean, finished appearance, The color is more purple than the picture displayed, closer to royal purple than indigo. It's distinctive, and lets me spot it at a distance. The construction is sturdy; we'll see how it holds up over the next year.