The Skooba Design Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe Review

It’s not often that I get to do decidedly “girly” laptop bag reviews, but this week I have two of them to write about…lucky me! :mrgreen: And lucky for all of you women who come to Gear Diary, as well as your significant others. Need I mention that Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and nothing says “I love you” more than a gift that will be used every day, one that celebrates and accentuates the feminine goddesses that we are. Well, jewelry works, too, but I digress. ;-)

Today we are going to take a close look at the Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe Skooba Satchel 2.0, a decidedly ladylike version of the popular Superbungee Shoulder Strap. Composed of light gray Ultrasuede with pink nylon trim, the Luxe is much more than a pretty face. Let’s take a look…

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

Side note: Much as I hate to admit it, I found the Luxe harder to photograph than bags I have reviewed in the past; therefore I will be using quite a few of the professional shots from the Skooba Design site.

The Luxe measures approximately 17? wide x 14? tall x 4? deep, and including the shoulder strap (with its heavy duty metal clips) it weighs about 3 pounds 6 ounces. The only branding on the exterior of the bag is the 1.75?long metal Skooba plaque, which is understated and fitting. The nylon strap handles are wrapped in comfortable neoprene, which makes the bag a comfortable briefcase when the shoulder strap is not in use.

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There are four zippers on the bag’s exterior, each has a knotted pink nylon pull. The gray nylon web hand straps are attached and reinforced with “X-Box” stitching, as are the two metal D-rings used for attaching the shoulder strap on the bag’s sides.

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

The back of the bag has a 13? long x 9.5? tall zippered pocket which is lined in pink Skooba branded nylon. There is also a 13? wide x 1.5? tall, reinforced Ultrasuede strip which can be slipped over a rolling suitcase’s handle for easy shoulder-free handling through crowded airports. When not in use the strip lies against the bag, held in place by a patch of Velcro.

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

The front of the Luxe has a 13? wide x 8? tall organizational pocket which is accessed by unzipping the dual zippers on three sides. Mesh gusset inserts keep the pocket from flopping open and from the contents spilling. Built into the front flap is a 12? wide x 6? tall zippered mesh pocket with a clear plastic business card window.

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And on the back wall there is a 6? wide x 6? tall covered pocket kept closed by a patch of Velcro. As the picture below shows, it is perfectly sized for cased DVDs, a CD player, or other similarly sized items. There are four pen pockets which are generously sized enough so that they can hold Sharpies, fatter rolling ball pens; the one on the far left will even hold a fat-boy Mont Blanc or Delta. Above the pen section is a metal key clip, and on the end is a 7? tall x 2.75? wide gusseted mobile phone pocket with a Velcro flap for security.

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

Unzipping the main compartment of the bag reveals three distinct sections. The first is an open area measuring approximately 15? wide x 12? tall, with a stiff divider which has two 9? tall x 7.5? wide mesh pockets with open and elasticized tops for easy access.

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The next section is simply an open area which can easily accommodate files, papers, and other larger flat objects.

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The final section is for up to a 15? wide x 12? deep x 2? thick laptop; it is lined on five sides with Skooba Design’s protective air bubbles.

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According to the Skooba Design site, this bag can hold up to a 17? laptop, assuming of course that it is a thinner one – like the 17? Mac Book Pro. Amazingly enough, my 17? X205 was not too fat to shimmy inside the case, although I did worry a little bit that it might split the bag’s inner seams over time with repeated use. If the bag were just 0.5? wider, I think it would have fit perfectly. Ah well… :-)

Here is an action shot of the bag holding a 15? Mac Book pro; as you can see, thinner laptops will make it possible to carry quite a bit in this bag.

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

There are just a few more nifty design points that I want to mention before wrapping up this review. The first is the mesh bottle pocket which is kept hidden behind a 6? zipper on the left side of the bag. When it’s not needed, you’ll never even know it’s there. But when you are lugging around a water bottle and you want to do so hands-free, it is a very convenient option to expose the adjustable pocket from its keeper.

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

Also worth noting are the large round feet on the bottom of the bag which will help protect it from scuffs and dirt. A good thing about Ultrasuede is that it is very easy too maintain – it is water and stain resistant, but if the worst happens you can use a suede brush to keep it neat, and you can even spray it with ScotchGuard if you are concerned that carrying a lighter colored bag is asking for trouble.

While we are looking at the bag from this angle, pay attention to the little nylon straps at the bottom of the front pocket: they give you a good place to hold on when zipping or unzipping the pocket.

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The last component of the Luxe is the matching Skooba Design. You can read my full review on this bit of design fabulosity here, but in the meantime, let me just say that it is the icing on this bag’s cake, the cherry on this sundae…you get my drift. ;-)

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

All that’s left is to show the Luxe on a person, and because I have been suffering from a terrible cold ever since returning from CES and my face is tissue-burned, and because even on my best day I don’t look like Skooba Design’s gorgeous model, here is a shot of the Luxe in action…work it girl!

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photo courtesy of Skooba Design

The Skooba Design Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe is a gorgeously feminine bag that manages to get everything right – it manages to keep all of your business needs covered while still catering to your desire to look like a woman – not just another anonymous working stiff in a black suit with black accessories. If you, or your sweetie, is looking for a laptop bag that will draw the right kind of attention, there is no need to look further.

The Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe Skooba Satchel 2.0 is available from the manufacturer and other retailers.
MSRP: $109.95 (currently on sale for $98.95)
What I Like: Decidedly feminine appeal with a business agenda; extremely well made of quality materials; holds up to a smaller 17? laptop and accessories; Ultrasuede adds a luxe touch while being easy to maintain
What Needs Improvement: If it were just 0.5? wider, it would have been a perfect fit for my monster X205. Since most people don’t tote around such a huge laptop on purpose (even I try not to), this is definitely just “one of those things…”

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.