Laptop Bags

Tom Bihn Introduces the Synapse 25

I love all of my Tom Bihn bags for multiple reasons. From the Aeronaut to the Synapse, they are all high quality bags and each one of them still looks like brand new — even with repeated trips over the years I have owned them. Plus every bag is made right here in the United States! You can’t say that about most backpacks and bags these days! Tom Bihn now has a new and improved version of one of my favorites, the Synapse. The new Synapse 25 isn’t just a bigger version of the Synapse (now called the Synapse 19);…

Reviews

HEX Cabana Sonic Backpack Review – Lets You Carry Your Gear in Style

A few weeks ago we looked at the HEX Cabana Messenger Bag. (Read the review.) It offered an unusual pocket for accessing your iPad on the go, and it mixed purposeful gear transportation with casual style. It was a nice bag that, while not my style, I could see many others enjoy using. (Keep an eye out for our upcoming “bag-a-day giveaway”; the HEX Cabana Messenger Bag will be one of the bags we offer up!) This time out, we are looking at another member of the HEX Cabana Collection. The HEX Cabana Sonic Backpack is a light, casual backpack…

News & Features

Pelican ProGear S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera Backpack Now Available

Before CES 2013 I reviewed the Pelican ProGear S100 Elite Backpack. It is a serious backpack for people who need serious protection for their laptop, tablet and assorted gear in the go. Now the company has released their Pelican ProGear S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera backpack. The Pelican ProGear S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera Backpack features the same basic design as the ProGear S130 Sport Elite but offers the addition of a protective divider pack for cameras in addition to the built-in watertight and crushproof case for laptops. If you bring your photographic lab with you on the go this backpack may…

Reviews

HEX Cabana Messenger Bag Review

We’ve looked at a lot of messenger bags over the years but we have never seen one quite like the HEX Cabana Messenger Bag. The HEX Cabana Messenger Bag looks like a simple cloth messenger bag made from a striped cloth that offers interest without overwhelming the eye. It is a simple cloth messenger bag made from a striped cloth that offers interest without overwhelming the eye but it has a trick up its sleeve behind its front flap. You see, the HEX Cabana Messenger Bag was made with the iPad-lover in mind. It not only lets you carry a…

Reviews

Chrome Niko Camera Pack Takes Your Gear on the Go

I received a review sample of the Chrome Niko Camera Pack backpack a few weeks ago, andI’ve been using it on and off since them. I loved the fact that the backpack came with a handwritten note that encouraged me to “be hard on the bag”. Always one to take direction well (okay not really) I have been doing just that. How has the bag done? Let’s just say I’m impressed by everything this backpack has to offer right down to the durability. Yes, it is one tough pack, and Chrome’s “365 To Life warranty” reflects that fact. (You can…

Reviews

Tom Bihn Brain Bag with Camera I-O and Accessories Review

If you are looking for a small, light backpack you can stop reading now. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a backpack that is large, flexible, comfortable to carry and tough enough to last and last keep reading. Tom Bihn’s Brain Bag is a pricey backpack that is large and flexible enough to serve as a weekender, as a camera backpack or as a laptop backpack. On second thought, the Tom Bihn backpack is large and flexible enough to serve all of those functions at the very same time. The company was kind enough to send over…

Events, Reviews

Spigen SGP Coated Backpack Video Review

While visiting with Spigen SGP during CES 2013, their Coated Backpack caught my eye. We’ve reviewed — and been impressed by — cases and screen protectors from Spigen SGP, but we had not previously encountered any of their larger offerings. They were kind enough to hand me one of the backpacks on the spot, and I used it the next day while walking the CES floor. It served me well and left me impressed. The backpack is light and simple but holds a surprisingly large amount of gear. Designed to hold laptops, tablets, smartphones and a host of accessories to…

Reviews

OGIO Manhattan Messenger Bag Review

One of the great thing about mobile technology is that it is, well, mobile. Laptop, iPad, phone, eReader — they all go wherever we go. And more and more that includes shuttling your gear between home, the office, and everywhere in between. Where do you look when you want to be professional but still stylish? Ogio has a strong contender in their new Manhattan messenger bag! The Manhattan bag has what I would call a more feminine style. There are six decorative buttons along the front, very similar to the types of buttons on a nice suit. And the interior…

Events, News & Features

Timbuk2’s 2013 Lineup Brings Organization and Power on the Go

During CES, Judie and I had a chance to spend some quality time with Timbuk2 checking out all of their 2013 offerings. We were there for quite a while since there was quite a bit to see. Check out the extensive gallery for a look. Among the most interesting current products are a laptop messenger and laptop backpack that not only hold and protect your gear, but also power it up on the go. As the company explains, Timbuk2 has partnered with Joey® Energy to offer the first series of purpose-built bags with a power supply to charge a variety of electronics while…

Reviews

Pelican ProGear S100 Sport Elite Backpack Video Review

If you are looking for serious protection for your laptop, and you want to carry a tablet, and you need a backpack that can hold all your gear, you will want to take a look at the Pelican ProGear S100 Elite Backpack. The ProGear S100 is a beast and that’s a good thing. In fact, it almost came with me as a mainstay of my CES 2013 gear after I was sent one for review*. Let’s take a closer look at this backpack that packs ultimate laptop protection. The Pelican ProGear S100 Sport Elite Laptop Backpack stands out because of…

Reviews

Tom Bihn Zephyr Briefcase Video Review

If you are looking for a serious briefcase that is tough, carries a ton, and has plenty of organizational pockets — but nimbly avoids the pitfall of looking like the stuffy, square briefcase your father carried — then you’ll want to check out the Tom Bihn Zephyr. The Zephyr is built with the quality we have come to know and expect from Tom Bihn. Materials are stellar; the design takes into account the varied ways people use their bags, and the build-quality is second to none. Oh, and as is always the case with Tom Bihn bags, the Zephyr is…

Reviews

ecbc Javelin Daypack Review

A must have for every gear junky is a good gear bag. I have been carrying the Everki Titan Backpack for quite a while. I love the bag, but since I am not using a laptop anymore, it is just too large. I actually quit carrying a bag at all of late because of the over kill for my needs. All I carry now is a tablet, but also have some odds and ends that need to travel with me, just not as much as I did when I was using a laptop. A smaller, lighter gear bag is definitely…

Reviews

Mission Workshop R6 Arkiv Field Pack Video Review

We reviewed Mission Workshop’s Sanction Weatherproof Rucksack in November of 2011. (Read the review here.) This time out we are taking a look at the company’s R6 Arkiv Field Pack. The Mission Workshop Sanction Weatherproof Rucksack is one of the more unusual backpacks we have ever seen. In fact, it isn’t exactly a backpack. A more accurate way to describe the R6 Arkiv would be to refer to it as “backpackS”. You see, the R6 Arkiv is highly configurable and can be used in a variety of ways. Here’s our video look, the company’s description, and how you might end…

News & Features

Pelican ProGear Sport Backpacks Let You Carry, and Protect, Your Gear

If you need to protect your device from being crushing there is no better option than one of Pelican’s hard cases. Now the company is rolling out a line of backpacks that take the same approach to extreme-protection of all your devices. The Pelican ProGear Sport Backpacks are a collection of lightweight backpacks housing crushproof and watertight Pelican cases to safeguard your personal electronics including laptops, MacBook computers, netbooks, e-readers, tablets, keyboards and other accessories. The backpacks come in a range of colors and are constructed from ballistic nylon. The Elite models have “four adhesive, memory foam buffers, which secure the…

Reviews

Tom Bihn Cache Sleeve for the MacBook Pro Retina Review

If, like Judie and me, you got a MacBook Pro with retina display, then you know it is a lot of computer and can easily serve as your only computer. It is for Judie and me and, save for the 512GB of storage, there is zero compromise involved. And if you have a MBPr you also know that while it is still significantly heavier than Apple’s MBA line it is the most portable 15″ MBP they have ever released. That means you are likely taking it with you most days and want a good way to protect it. Tom Bihn’s…

Gear Bits

5 Questions with Michael Hess of Skooba Design

Skooba Design was Gear Diary’s first advertiser back when Judie first launched the site. They were also the first company to become a Newsletter Underwriter. We tell you that in the interest of full disclosure, but what’s more important is that we really love AND use their stuff. Most recently, we were both taken by the new Skooba Design Laptop Weekender V.3, and are already getting a lot of use out of them. (Read the review here.) Skooba makes great products, and now comes outside confirmation of something that we’ve known for some time: they provide great customer service. Skooba…

News & Features

If You are Looking for a New Bag for Back-to-School Booq has You Covered

Booq has just announced two new water-resistant natural fiber bags as part of their Mamba Fibre Collection. The bags are constructed from a lightweight, durable material and provide “rugged protection with unparalleled elegance”. Personally I think they look great. As the company explains, As members of booq’s sleek Fibre Collection, the Mamba daypack and courier are constructed with an innovative natural fiber developed exclusively for the series. Water-resistant and organically dyed, with a smooth yet rugged feel, its unique properties allowed booq’s design team to achieve an extremely lightweight, durable and elegant design, while conserving valuable resources. Each bag comes…

Reviews

Tenba Messenger: Small Photo/Laptop Bag Review

If I had to choose one style of bag as my personal favorite it would have to be the traditional messenger. I love the flexibility, the ability to “dress it up” or “dress it down” and I love the ability to carry “just enough” gear. Oh, and I just tend to like the way they look. That’s why I was so taken with the Tenba Small Photo/Laptop Messenger bag. It offers all of the flexibility of a traditional messenger in a bag that is well-made, roomy and looks great. At the same time, it doubles as a highly protective camera…

Reviews, Travel

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…

Reviews, Travel

Waterfield Cozmo Lets Your Gear “Go First Class” Review

So you got one of the new MacBook Pro with retina displays and love it. But there is a problem. Thanks to its thinner design and lighter weight the 15″ notebook is far more portable than its predecessor but you aren’t quite sure what you should use to carry it. Waterfield SFBags has some great options. In fact, they have a new section on the site that gather’s the best options for carrying the MBPr in one place. You can check it out here. They all look great, and I’m thinking about picking up one of the new, larger-size Travel…

News & Features, Travel

Something New from Skooba Design; Looks Great, Sneaky Too!

I like to check out the websites and social pages of some of the companies we follow regularly, to see if there is something new and not yet announced that might be worth reviewing. Once in a while I come across a quiet “soft launch,” which was the case this afternoon. I went over to Skooba Design’s Facebook page and, lo and behold, they are pre-launching a new, and as yet unannounced, bag — The Laptop Weekender V.3 Duffel. It looks awesome! If you read the site you know I love my Skooba V3 Tablet Messenger. It is a great bag…

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