Ospreyunisex-adult Porter 46 Travel Backpack

Q: Can this pass as my personal item? Has anyone had luck with this?

I have the Osprey Porter 46 backpack. I travel by air frequently (i.e. several flights in an average week). By my preference, I put the backpack in the overhead compartment without issue on any of the larger jets (737, 757, 767, Airbus series). I've never had a problem with it fitting in the overhead compartment nor has anyone ever challenged me about it's size. Depending upon what you pack in it, it should fit under the seat in front of you as a personal item. The only time I ever have a challenge is if I'm on a regional jet, like an Embraer, etc. On some of those, sometimes I have to rearrange things to get it to fit overhead. As for the backpack itself, I questioned my sanity when I spent that much money on it. But, it has held up well and I'm pleased with my purchase. The only problem I've had with the pack itself is that the cord on the zipper pulls can slip out of the zipper because the zipper has a gap where the cord inserts. It hasn't been a big deal, but I'm always concerned about losing that pull cord. I hope this helps you.

Q: What is new in the 2020 version compared to the 2017 version?

One of the big changes is the larger laptop zipper acces. Additionally, the new Porters are made from bluesign®-approved Recycled nylon.

Q: If this version is 1/2 inch shorter and 2 inches less deep than the prior model, how is it still 46L?

From what I've seen every company has different estimates for how they measure liters. So I wouldn't trust liters anyway. I think it's more of an estimate and a part of the models name nowadays