Skooba Design Laptop Weekender V.3 Review (Spoiler- You Want This!)

 Hi, my name is Dan and I am the poster child for Over-packers Anonymous. It’s true. I have a packing problem. When I go anywhere I fill whatever bags I am bringing to overflowing and then I add a bit more. And that holds true for my cloths, my electronics and my incidentals. The result? When I went to Aruba last December I brought three times as much as I needed. When I went to Vegas for CES I brought twice as much as I needed. And when I went to Dearborn for GoFurther with Ford last month I had far too much by way of “extras”.

It wouldn’t be an issue except for three things… First, bringing that much — a suitcase and a gear bag (and now potentially a camera bag) — is not good for my back. Second, the airlines are becoming increasingly restrictive and greedy when it comes to baggage. [For example, Judie paid a ton in overage baggage fees when she and Kev came north last week.] And finally, when you take anything bigger than a carry-on you automatically add at least twenty minutes to your trip while you wait for your bag. Add in the fact that you never know who does what with it once you have it over [Kevin’s toothbrush seemed to have been “pranked” by one of the luggage handlers last week], and there is a lot to be said for simply taking a carry-on when you travel.

So what if one bag could serve as your bag for clothing, carry and protect your electronics and do all that in a carry-on-sized piece of luggage? That’s what the new Skooba Design Laptop Weekender from Skooba Design sets out to do.

What do we think? Read on and watch the video review to find out.

Features:

• Unique hybrid laptop/travel carry-on bag holds a day or two of clothing, plus laptop and portable electronics, fits any standard overhead compartment

• More than a dozen pockets, compartments and organizers in all hold clothing and travel necessities, laptop, iPad/tablet and other gadgets, accessories and more

• Designed to hold all popular 15” laptops, and will hold some larger screen sizes, depending on overall laptop dimensions (laptop section interior is 15” x 11.5” x 1”)

• Includes our incredible, patented Superbungee™ shoulder strap ­— for more shock absorption and carrying comfort than you’ve ever experienced

• The perfect leisure travel bag — lets you carry and protect your laptop without having to bring a separate business case

The Laptop Weekender V.3 takes many of its design cues from other Skooba offerings in the V.3 lineup. [We reviewed the Tablet Messenger and love it. Read about it here.]

As we have come to expect from Skooba’s products, the bag is thoughtfully designed and well-constructed. It is clear that this was created with a good bit of thought as to what travelers actually NEED to bring with them when taking a trip for a few days or, depending on the person, a week.

The exterior of the bag is constructed from ballistic nylon. The interior is “smooth oxford nylon”. The zippers are “self-repairing” and have soft grip pulls. The shoulder strap is made from “seatbelt grade nylon” and all the materials are water-repellent. It is the same construction as the Tablet Messenger V.3. I’ve already beat the hell out of that bag, and it still looks brand new. I expect the same here.

I also love the fact that the bag comes with Skooba’s Superbungee Strap V.3 (Check it out here.) The strap is a great way to carry a heavy bag in the most comfortable way possible. It has an MSRP of $26.95 if you purchase it separately.

As I sit here writing this review after having the bag for over a week what strikes me most about the Laptop Weekender V.3 is the fact that while most bags and cases fall into the category of “clothing bag that also holds electronics” or “electronics bag that also holds clothing” this bag serves both functions equally well. The main compartment is able to hold a huge amount of clothing — watch the second half of the video to see JUST how much. As the same time, the bag has an area specifically designed to hold and protect an iPad. Then there is the laptop compartment. It has a brilliant “Bumper Bar system. (Seriously, it is SO smart — adding good protection with minimal bulk or added weight.)

As the product page notes,

Designed to hold all popular 15 inch laptops, and will hold some larger screen sizes, depending on overall laptop dimensions (laptop section interior is 15″ x 11.5″ x 1″)

Laptop is cushioned in its own padded compartment, supplemented by our exclusive bumper bar protection system on the sides and bottom, for additional shock absorption and improved air circulation. Laptop can be accessed instantly without opening the main bag, for easy removal at security checkpoints or while on the move.

And it gets even better. The interior position of the bag has two open pockets that can be used for electronic accessories (among other things). Each falls in line with one of the laptop bumpers and, as a result, gets the same protection as the laptop but from the inside of the bag.

I really love this bag. Judie does too. In fact, she took one look at my review sample, and decided that she had to have her own! Here’s our video look …

If you get the sense I like this bag A LOT, then you would be correct. Skooba did a fantastic job with this, and while the price of $179.95 may seem a bit high for a soft bag, it is actually a great value once you take the build quality and design-features into consideration. And I must not be the only one who thinks so, since the first run of the bag is almost sold out. In other words,  if you want one — order now or you will have to wait!

You can learn more and place your order on Skooba’s site.

MSRP: $179.95

What I Like: Beautifully designed and constructed; Great for flexible travel with clothing and electronics; Includes super-special shoulder strap; Special compartments for iPad and/or laptops

What Needs Improvement: Price may seem a bit high for this kind of bag, but it isn’t; Wish there were accessory add-ons available to, for example, use part of the interior space as a camera bag