You Need Style, Not Nerve, to Carry the booq Boa Nerve graphite

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If you are in the market for a new messenger bag, you might want to check out the booq Boa Nerve graphite messenger. This $155 bag is designed to look great but, more importantly, protect your gear and get the job done whether you are a bike messenger or not. Order now, and it ships March 1.
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The bag looks great without trying too hard. It has a refined feel that makes it a pleasure to carry. Don’t let the good looks fool you though, this is a bag that is made for business thanks to its 1680 denier ballistic nylon exterior with water-repellent coating and durable water-resistant rubberized bottom that protects the bag and gear inside. The metal hardware and magnetic buckle add to the bag’s durability. This bag costs slightly north of $150 but it will last and last.

I love the shape of the bag as well as the fact that it fits a large laptop and tablet with ease. The interior lining was specifically chosen because it won’t scratch your devices. (It also happens to look great.)

And, true to its bike messenger heritage, the booq Boa nerve graphite has 2 quick access side pockets that are ideal for holding a U-lock, a water bottle or other items with similar size and shape.

Weighing in at just under 5 pounds, this isn’t the lightest bag available, but it certainly doesn’t feel heavy. In a word, booq seems to have struck a nice balance between refined looks, durability, comfort, and weight.

The booq Boa nerve graphite features include

  • Ballistic nylon exterior with water-repellent coating.
  • Intelligent interior layout optimized for laptop accessories.
  • Seatbelt nylon shoulder strap with magnetic quick release
  • Reflective trim and webbing throughout
  • Extremely durable water-resistant rubberized bottom

That’s my video look at the bag. Here’s how booq describes it.

The 2014 Boa nerve is an all-out messenger bag that works hard for you whether you’re a businessman or bike messenger. Designed to be equally tough, sleek and insanely innovative, it comes packed with an abundance of cool functionality.
First off, Boa nerve’s ingenious magnetic strap system turns switching from a loose to a secure fit into child’s play, all the while offering full length adjustment on both ends of the strap. On top of that, the included stabilizer strap provides an even tighter fit while on your bike or on the run… Inside, a densely padded laptop compartment keeps your 15″ laptop safe & sound, and its capacious main volume – complete with zippered compartment – has room for all your stuff.
The bag’s large flap features reflective trim all-around, and its buckles stay in place with reflective straps, keeping you safe in low-light conditions. We even made sure your bike’s U-lock fits perfectly into one of the bag’s side pockets.
While the frequent flyer in you will appreciate that the bag comes with a trolley pass-through on the back, your fears of losing your prized possessions are being addressed by booq’s Terralinq™ lost-and-found service, which comes with each and every Boa nerve and may help you recover a lost and found bag.

Let’s take a walk around the booq Boa nerve graphite.

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On the front flap you will find a zippered pocket. The weatherized strip and durable zipper pull make it an easy way to protect the contents while maintaining easy access to them. Its size make it ideal for keys, a phone, and other small items. Pair it with something like a Pebble smartphone watch, and you can hide your phone away while still knowing what is happening! Then, when you need your phone, you won’t need to fumble around inside the bag to find it.

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The main storage of the bag is hidden beneath a large flap. It, in turn, is held securely in place with both Velcro and buckles. Use the Velcro without the buckles if you don’t need serious protection for the contents inside. Add in the buckles when you want to insure everything stays securely in place.

Booq | Boa nerve graphite

On the back of the bag is a luggage trolley pass-through. This is a common feature on bags this size. Less common is the fact that booq designed it to double as extra storage space. Leave the bottom zipper close and the space becomes usable for documents. It even has an interior zippered pocket that can be used whether or not the Trolley pass-through is being utilized.

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Of course booq includes a Terralinq tag with the bag. Register the bag with the Terralinq service, and you will significantly increase the odds of getting it back were it lost or stolen.

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After lifting the flap you are greeted with a small zippered pocket for small, easily lost items.

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Behind it is the main organizational space. This large zippered pocket has two pulls so you can open it in either direction. Inside is a neoprene slip pocket, three neoprene pen slots, two lining slip pockets, one zipper pocket and a removable key fob. It isn’t a large space, but it has enough room and organization to keep your gear safe, accessible and easily accessed.

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Inside the bag is exactly what you might expect to find in a messenger bag designed by booq. A large space accommodates a variety of items, while a nicely padded laptop pocket on the back inside wall holds up to a fifteen inch laptop. The laptop can be secured with a Velcro strap to prevent it from moving around too much. Not content to waste even the tiniest bit of space, booq saw fit to put to narrow pockets for notes or paper at the front of the laptop compartment.

Booq | Boa nerve graphite

This bag holds a ton and does so with great protection and organizational prowess; I’m impressed. I’m also impressed with the straps, magnetic buckle system, and the way in which the bag can be held securely when you are riding a bike, running through an airport, or simply want/need your hands free.

Oh, and it even has reflectors built in so you will be seen at night. Magnets and glow-in-the-dark strips… What could be better?

In short, if you are in the market for a new messenger bag, then you need to give the booq Boa nerve a look. It has great system, impressive features, and it is ready to go with you no matter where your travels take you.

MSRP: $155

What I Like: Great design; Best-quality materials used; Offers plenty of organization; Offers plenty of gear-protection; Looks fantastic; Magnets and glow-in-the-dark stuff!

What Needs Improvement: Weighs almost 5 pounds before anything is put inside

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.