Laptop Bags

Aligata Leather Releases New Premium Leather Products to Protect Your Gear in Style

One of the best things about being involved in this blogging community is that you never know who you are going to meet along the way. That is certainly the case with our friend Tom from Aligata leather. Shortly after the iPad was released, I did a review of a number of iPad folio cases. Shortly thereafter we received an email from Tom. He told us he was designing a simple but premium leather folio for the iPad, and he wanted to know if we wanted to take a look. Shortly thereafter Judie and I received sample of them. We…


Skooba Design Launches Harmony Women’s Bag Collection

Skooba Design makes some great bags for carrying your gear. Actually, that’s not quite right. They make great bags for carrying just about anything you need to carry with you. And now there is a whole new way that Skooba is making it possible for women to carry their stuff in style! Skooba’s new Harmony collection “blend the look, fashion and quality of a high-end tote or handbag with the capacity and protection of a laptop bag”. Sure they are designed with laptops in mind but they will work well for just about anything you need to take with you….


WaterField Introduces the Muzetto Man Bag; Call Me Useful, Just Don’t Call Me a Murse

When I got my iPad one of the first high-end bags for carrying that I got to review was the Waterfield Muzetto. I had wanted one ever since I had read Judie’s review of the laptop version of the bag. Her conclusion at the time: I have always been a fan of Vertical bags, in fact one of my favorite purses is the Louis Vuitton Musette, which this bag’s style greatly resembles. I really enjoyed carrying the Muzetto when I traveled to Seattle, and perhaps even more than that — I enjoyed all the comments I got from the other…


CES: Meeting with Timbuk2

At CES we met with one of our favorite gadget bag companies, Timbuk2. While with them, we got to see some of the bags and accessories they’ll be introducing this year. Not surprisingly, we were impressed with the continuing evolution and utility of their designs. We have reviewed several of Timbuk2’s bags over the years, and we were impressed anew by the design and quality of the bags being shown. Among the bags they will have coming out this year is the upcoming Command ($130, shown above). The Command won a CES Innovation award, and it is TSA-compliant so that…


TOM BIHN Introduces Ristretto Vertical Messenger Bag for 11″ Apple MacBook Air

A few weeks ago Thomas and I wrote about our ongoing debate regarding which MacBook Air to order. I started with a base 11″ MBA, moved to ordering a loaded 11″ version and then, after some back and forth with Thomas, ended up getting the 13″ MBA. He did too. It is an awesome machine and I thought I was done with my search. Then Judie had to get into the mix. She got an 11″ MBA and called it “my second best tech purchase ever… after the iPad.” Coming from Judie that is high praise and I realized that…


Review: Mobile Edge Sumo Messenger Bag

We’ve been looking for a good bag for my wife’s new laptop.  Her new laptop would not fit into her old bag since she was using a netbook.  When Mobile Edge’s Sumo Messenger Bag came up for review, I jumped at the chance.  Will my wife be happy with this new bag? I was sent the Sumo Messenger bag in red.  Chalk up one point for Mobile Edge picking a color my wife likes with red being a favorite! This bag has a ton of pockets on it.  On the exterior there is one on the flap. two on the…


Review: Everki Agile Slim Laptop Bag

I recently found my first laptop bag.  The bag is from an era when laptops were big, bulky and weighed a ton.  Simply being able to carry them made them mobile.  The bag was huge, heavy and had no features.  Today, mobile computing keeps getting smaller.  Full screen laptops are much thinner and netbooks and MacBook Airs seem to be the best way to be on the move.  As our devices shrink, so should the bags we carry them in.  Thinner and lighter have become a must for my gear.  Some of my favorite gear bags come from Everki.  They…


Skooba Gear Introduces Their New Ultralight Bag Collection, Techlife

Get ready for something special from Skooba Design! They are in the process of rolling out Techlife, a  collection of  sporty, casual, and Ultra-super-seriously-lightweight bags. Shown above is the Techlife Digital Daypack, which will retail for $99.95. According to Michael Hess, this collection includes … Updated versions of our iPad/Netbook bag and neo-skin, a slick new backpack in 2 sizes, a compact laptop messenger (for MacBook 13 and similar), a slim laptop case, and my personal favorite “big story,” which is… drum roll… The Weekend Warrior Duffel [$119.95] — nothing else like it on the market. A solution for “single-bag,…


Review: Pelican 1015 Laptop Overnight Case

Some of my favorite movies over the years have been movies like Spies Like Us, WarGames, True Lies, Under Siege and the 007 Movies.  In some of those movies, you’d see the hero or the antagonist slam a case on the counter and unlock it, flip open some heavy-duty double throw latches and open up a watertight, dust proof container and get a computer or some other equipment out.  These are the images that came to mind as I opened Pelican’s 1015 Laptop Overnight Case or the 1015 LOC. Pelican is synonymous with robust and strong cases of all sorts for storing and…


GreenSmart Puku Messenger Bag Review

I like supporting “green” products and companies. It makes me feel a little less like “ooh, shiny new toy” and more “ooh, shiny new toy AND I did something sort-of good for the world”. Of course, any product, recycled/green or otherwise, needs to be well-built and functional. So when I had the chance to review a GreenSmart Puku messenger bag, I was excited to give it a spin. Let’s start with the bag itself, and then we’ll get into the things that make it unique and earth-friendly. The Puku came in a very earthy green color, with brown accents and…


Review: Everki Track Laptop Messenger Bag

For some time I have been using a backpack as my gear bag.  I like the backpack because it provides tons of room and lets me hold onto my college youth of backpacking around campus.  My main backpack has been the Everki Beacon laptop that I reviewed here.  I loved the quality and features of the Beacon so when I had a chance to review two new Everki bags I jumped at the chance.  I was actually ready for a change to a messenger style bag to bring a bit of professional style to my daily gear travels.  The Track…


Booq Introduces New, High-End Line of Gadget Bags

From the king Cobra case L, to the iPad specific Cobra courier XS, these four cases bring an unmatched elegance and style to the case and bag market Booq makes some of the most stylish and functional gadget bags I have had the pleasure to review. In recent months they have been expanding their line significantly and today they are taking things to an entirely new level. Today Booq will be announcing their new Cobra line of bags. The Cobra line brings a luxuriously fresh design and simply sharp look to booq’s already stellar line of iPad bags, skins, messengers,…


Mezzi LUXslim Laptop Case Review: Strong Enough for Everyday Protection, Classy Enough for 007

When it comes to protection for my gadgets, I spare no expense and tend to get a little OCD about it. It’s pretty common here on GearDiary to see reviews and postings about cases, screen protectors and bags for our gear. When Mezzi contacted us about reviewing an aluminum laptop case I was pretty excited. If I’m not using one of my many soft cases to transport my laptop then I’m using my Pelican hard plastic case to for maximum protection. The Pelican case is big and bulky, so I was excited to get my hands on a Mezzi LUXslim…


Chrome Soyuz Laptop Bag Review: Dare to be Different

Last week I reviewed the Chrome Vega Utility Bag. I’ve become a fan of it due to its versatility and functionality. I can not tell you the number of times I’ve purchased an expensive gear bag because I thought it “looked” cool only to find it didn’t hold all of my gear, or made retrieving said gear impossible etc. Chrome takes on a philosophy of function first. If an item isn’t needed on one of their bags they simply do not include it. This makes all of their bags extremely comfortable to wear and makes getting to your gear when…


Feuerwear Scott Laptop Bag Review: Each Has a Story to Tell

Feur is the German word for “fire.”  Being a firefighter I’m sure it’s not surprising that I often visit various firefighting related blogs & web sites. During a recent visit to one I stumbled upon a link the Feuerwear web site. Feuerwear is a German company who takes out of service fire hose and turns it into bags, wallets and belts.  Since the hose they use to make their products was actually used in the field, each item they produce takes on its own individual look.  Fire hose often gets dragged through the elements and exposed to extreme heat and…


Feuer Wear: Gear Made From Recycled Fire Hose

As a firefighter, when I came across this company I was immediately intrigued. Feuer Wear produces a wide range of products all from recycled fire hose.  Feuer is the German word for “fire.”  Their line includes bags, belts and wallets.  Each piece they produce has its individuality.  The hoses used in production come from actual fire companies where they spent countless hours in service.  Fire hose takes a beating.  It’s soaked, dragged, run over, covered in soot and exposed to extreme heat and fire.  Each hose is scrubbed clean and then cut to size.  But each hose retains it own…


Larry G. returns to Review the Tucker & Bloom East to West

Tucker and Bloom has been in the business of making bags for over thirty years.  Their products focus on organizing your gear while maintaining a clean and stylized design.  Their design philosophy comes straight to the point.  “Tucker and Bloom designs aim to organize people with a need to look professional while providing an alternative to the norm.” When Judie described the bag she was sending me for review as the “hairy bag”, I was nothing if not curious at seeing it up close and in person. The East to West Messenger Bag is a classic bike style messenger bag…


Timbuk2 Command, The TSA-Friendly Laptop Messenger Review

I like bags.  I like bags that can easily carry a lot of stuff, handle travel, look good and are built to last. I recently picked up a Timbuk2 Command Messenger, which does all of these things.  The Command is TSA compliant so you don’t have to take your laptop out of the bag even when you have to strip everything else off while going through those security lines. I’ve used Timbuk2 bags before, and have to admit I like them quite a lot.  They make custom bags and bags that can meet just about any sense of style out…


Travel Tips on a Snowy Day

I got back from San Francisco just in time to be snowed in here in New Jersey. It was the quickest trip to the West Coast that I have ever taken but it was actually the easiest. I don’t tend to do a tremendous amount of traveling. In an average year I’ll be on a plane four or six times maximum. I am, however, currently in the midst of an unusual period that has me flying quite a bit more than usual. In the last 3 1/2 weeks I have been on six different flights and I have another trip…


Travel With The booq Taipan Lift

I am reviewing the booq Taipan Lift ($89.95 – $99.95) by using it during my quick trip to San Francisco for TeleNav’s Waypoint. It is a briefcase style laptop bag which, to be quite honest, isn’t my preference. (I tend to like messenger bags and backpacks.) Having just gone through airport security, however, I am totally sold on this bag for travel. There are, in fact, three specific design aspects of it that have already come in rather handy.


booq Taipan Shadow Review

I tend to be a huge fan of notebook bags and cases. I carry my MacBook Pro with me most days and, as result, having a good, usable bag is important to me. Having a usable, well organized, high-quality bag that is also good looking is a bonus. And, thanks to my work here on Gear Diary, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a number of superb companies and their products. One of my favorites is booq. Their cases are stylish, superbly designed and great to use. I have been using one of their newest — the booq…