back to article Laptop bags: 15-inchers

Fed up of lugging your laptop around in a tatty old backpack? Fancy something a little more stylish? Feel your other half ought to carry a pack that's more chic? Here are five of the best bags for 15in laptops that Reg Hardware saw during 2011. We'd recommend any of the following bags, but our favourite is listed on the next …

COMMENTS

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  1. Jelliphiish

    surperised

    you haven't included the discworld bags they do over at pjsmprints.com .. your readership would appreciate the assassin's guild one.. and i can attest to the roominess and that it'll hold a large laptop quite nicely. at those prices, they're cutting their own throats..

    1. Steve Ives

      Is there a pocket suitable for a 'sausage-inna-bun'?

  2. StampedChipmunk
    Thumb Up

    Knomo bags too

    I have a Knomo Saxby - very expensive, but extremely good, especially now it has stretched out a bit (always the mark of a good product). Though the Laptop pocket isn't especially well padded (I have my beloved Macbook Pro in a protective sleeve inside the case) but it is large and would easily take all 15" laptops slim or not. There are pockets galore, space for documents and small files, pen holders and enough room for all the mice, power cables and usb dodads you could want. Oh and the wax coated canvas material is water resistant and the bag stands up on its own when your laptop is inside it, which can be a real boon. It also offers a tracking service via Knomo.com if you lose it...

    If I'm picky I'd say the bag takes a lot of stretching out before it's really useful, I would have preferred a bit more stretchy bag space for the assorted powercables I carry with me and the price is really very high for a bag, even if the quality is excellent.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No Crumpler?

    Personally, I've found them to be exceptionally hard-wearing.

  4. Voland's right hand Silver badge
    Devil

    Thule weather resistant zips actually work

    I have another "soft" item from their inventory - the roofbag. I have driven in a torrential downpour where you can barely see 20-30m ahead with it and it does not leak. So if they use the the same zip tech (and some of the same materials) the bag will be weatherproof as advertised.

  5. Anonymous John

    I'll stick with my tatty old backpack,

    rather than buy a posh bag with "Laptop inside - Mug me" written all over it.

  6. Andrew Baines Silver badge
    WTF?

    Bunch of geeks

    What a horrid selection, how about something a little stylish? Don't women carry laptops too?

    I'll stick with my Bridge briefcase thanks.

    1. Marvin the Martian
      WTF?

      Stylish, like "burgundy" coloured?

      That first Macao's not got a burgundy liner --- that's red. Virgin Media Red.

      And with the black background and the white accents/lettering, the colour scheme is perfectly reproduced... if you're some kind of design-illiterate geek.

  7. Stacy
    WTF?

    I thought you said stylish and chic?

    With the exception of the STM Scout Medium bag there isn't one there that doesn't scream nerd with a laptop! And even that is a close call thing.

    If you want something a bit non laptop bag lookinig then something along the lines of the Kippling laptop range is about the best I have found. Doesn't look anything like a laptop bag, has a removable sleve for the laptop so it gets two layers of protection and is long lasting.

    http://www.kipling.com/nl-nl/laptop-bags/all-laptop-bags/new-becky.html?show_img=K1275474000+999

    You even get the little monkey :)

  8. bigbeardygeek

    Build quality?

    I bought one of the pakuma bags from PC World (I know I know), and it turned out the clips are extremely fragile- misalign the clips even slightly, and the arms will snap off. PC World replaced the first one, but refused to replace any more, so the bag ended up in the bin.

    Using an Oakley Icon bag now, and it has stood up to many months of abuse.

    1. Alfie
      Thumb Up

      I've had one of the Pakuma bags for a few years now, and never had a problem with the clips. I can also attest to the roominess of the bag, I use it as an airline carry on with or without the laptop. Plenty of padding in the laptop compartment and never had any issues with rough treatment. Only problem I have had is the stiching frayed off one side of one of the velco patches on the main flap which I've never got around to fixing, apart from that it has worked impeccably. It also came with an extra strap to sort of go round your waist to stop it swinging around if you are on a bike, but I dont know how effective it would be having never tried it.

      Recommended

    2. David Evans

      re: Build Quality

      I had a Pakuma and the damn thing fell apart after six months (all the stitching on the straps unraveled).

      Started buying Crumpler bags and haven't bought another brand since; my laptop bag and my photo bag will probably outlast me!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    or for the ultimate in reckless extravagance can I recommend a Waterfield Designs custom laptop bag. Not only are there six different bag styles to choose from, but Waterfield Designs lets you customize to your heart's content. I have a Cargo bag, and its fab

    http://www.sfbags.com/products.htm

  10. Rob

    Bad memory...

    ... I have a laptop bag (sorry can't remember the manufacturers name and it's not with me today), they had a very roomy bag with lots of pockets and even an extra pull out pocket (A4 size) with more pockets on it. Padding around the laptop was good and also a combination of airpockets in the padding. The laptop slot also had soem adjustments on it so that you could make it a nice snug fit for 15" and lower.

    I think the thing that got me about this one was that it came with it's own asset stickers that you could put on the laptop and then register on their site, shoudl your laptop every get lost at an Airport it could easily be returned, the company would arrange pickup and delivery. I will find out the manufacturer and post it here once I get home in case anyone is interested.

    1. Andrew Woodvine

      Tech Air?

      It sounds like you're describing a Tech Air bag? I've got one of their bags, it's excellent. The asset stickers that you're on about is a service called i-Trak, which fortunately I've not yet needed.

      1. Rob
        Thumb Up

        Yup that's it...

        ... I will definately buy another should I need to, although judging by the build quality I can't see that happening for awhile.

        Also note they are perfect for carrying an xbox 360 and 2 controllers as well :) (gotta do something at the in-laws over xmas)

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ex competitor to all of these

    @Rob Bad Memory Tech Air is the name you are looking for.

    @BigBeardyGeek - not heard that about Pakuma before

    @StampedChipmunk - Knomo products are high quality and high design. Love them

  12. cupperty

    Swiss army knives

    I've found Wenger (makers of the Swiss Army knife) laptop bags to be very good ... surprised they're not included in the review.

    1. AceRimmer

      WHS

      Have to agree with this one. My Swissgear/wenger has been through 4 years constant use and still looks almost new. I even managed to squeeze 2 15" laptops into it for a period!

  13. jungle_jim

    i have a leather samsonite one that my dad gave me approaching 15 years ago.

    its probably been round the world a few times and it still looks good. Ploughed a few people down with it on the Singapore MRT since i have been here. Ideal.

  14. Craig Vaughton
    Thumb Up

    SFBags

    Have to agree with AC, Waterfield Designs from www.sfbags.com are superb. Bought one for my MacBook Air and they are top quality.

    A word of warning though, expect to get stung by UK Customs and Royal Mail! By the time they'd taxed it (a reasonable £7) and charged £23 to deliver it (which compared to $50 to do 5000 miles is a bit steep shall we say) once it arrived, I'd ended up paying as much for the postage as I had for the bag!

  15. Craig 12

    Disappointed with all those in the article, but will google a few mentioned in the comments.

    I've had a very trusty (and quite stylish IMO) grey/orange tucano bag for about 7 years, which I've often thought about replacing, but have never seen anything approaching decent. Ideally it'd be a bag for 13", but with space for all your cables, cameras, chargers and a book or two (my laptop bag is my main carry-on bag for flights as well). Suggestions welcome!

  16. ClackingCletus
    Pirate

    +1 Crumpler

    Exactly the same experience as David Evans re. Pakuma and also replaced with Crumpler which is an order of magnitude better. Expensive but money very well spent.

  17. PoorLumpyPony

    Samsonite Network laptop bag 15.6

    Personally for me has been a very good balance between weight and protectiveness (400grams and fits an MBP like a glove).

    I cant realistically use a rucksack as I work in the city, so good to have something which is not adding much weight to my left arm on the commute.

  18. TBW
    Unhappy

    Only on one side of the pond

    I've been looking for an updated backpack for travel. Rather disappointed to find the Samsonite backpack isn't sold in the States. In fact the whole Wander line isn't sold here, and no, it's not that it's simply under a different name. That design isn't sold here at all.

    Digital regional restrictions are pointless enough but, seriously, REGIONAL LAPTOP BAGS!?

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