For those of you unfamiliar with the unique story of Knomo bags, it goes along the lines of this:
“Knomo was born at Heathrow Airport, when the future owner was called for his flight in Terminal 1 when someone mistakenly picked up his laptop bag. As he looked around at the other passengers, he noticed dozens of people had bags for their computers. And every bag was virtually identical. These passengers were not without style. They were international travellers wearing designer suits and exclusive couture straight from the catwalk. So why did they all seem happy to carry the same standard laptop bag? Was it possible for a laptop bag to be functional and stylish?”
Sounds like someone was onto a niche? And about time! Picking up a Knomo bag, it is clear to see that the people behind these luxury laptop bags have nailed their objective right on the head.
I was recently asked for a review of the unique Ixopo Messenger. This bag was already a favorite of mine in the Knomo range but what is it really like? The Ixopo is a vertical computer messenger bag perfect for travel or the daily commute. What makes this particular bag in the Knomo range special is that it is specially designed to hold your laptop vertically, making for a more streamlined bag. This means that for a purpose built laptop bag, it actually wears like a comfortable designer manbag and not a bulky laptop bag.
Inside I was excited to find a quilted laptop pocket for protecting my computer plus a separate removable cable pouch. There are also a multitude of pockets for pens, iPod, phones and business cards etc i.e everything that I need to carry with my laptop.
The Knomo Ixopo is big enough for laptops up to 15″, including the 13″ MacBook and 15.4″ MacBook Pro. Whilst it can fit a sizable laptop, I found it overall light and comfortable to carry. A padded shoulder strap makes it easy and comfortable to transport, wearing it across the body or over one shoulder. Although I did find it more comfortable to carry across my body with the bag sitting comfortably on my hip.
In addition to all these features, all Knomo bags have an ID tracking code, meaning should you lose the bag you can call a phone number to send someone out to find it, how cool is that? A bag with its own tracking device!
With all this in mind, I would have to say that I give the Ixopo 2 big thumbs up, the only downside being that I have to give it back now!
The original Booq vyper laptop sleeve was released probably 2 years ago today and has been a runaway success for Booq. So popular in fact that a copy-cat brand has emerged with a direct rip off of the product. Well, whilst other companies are busy copying, Booq is busy innovating. Their tireless innovation has really paid off as they have just released one of their most exciting laptop bags yet. Ever since the original Booq vyper was released people have been crying out for a handle on this little sleeve. Well, with the release of the new Booq Vyper Exo everyone’s cries have been answered as Booq releases the next evolutionary step of the Vyper.
Vyper Exo is a 4 inch thick semi-rigid ballistic nylon laptop sleeve / shoulder bag. Whilst not designed to be used inside another bag like a traditional laptop sleeve, the Vyper Exo takes the vyper laptop sleeve and adds carry handles, a shoulder strap and an impressive array of internal pockets and features to create a compact yet roomy laptop shoulder bag.
Booq claims these bags have been designed for everyday use by fast-paced creative professionals. After a close inspection, the design and finishing touches of the bag clearly backup their claim. It’s a professional bag that’s unfailingly cool and it stands out with either a suit or with the latest street fashion, making it’s owner look all the more adventurous, ambitious and innovative.
Breakthrough new features of the Booq Vyper Exo include a bag tracking serial number. Register your new Exo online and should you lose your bag, it may easily find it’s way back to you thanks to Booq. This is the first Booq bag in the range to carry this feature that will eventually be rolled out across all Booq bags.
The Wear
The comfortable wide shoulder strap helps distribute the weight of the bag with ease whilst wearing the bag over your shoulder. Detach the shoulder strap and the Vyper Exo can be used as a standard carry bag with a comfortable carry handle. The bag looks great in either position.
The shell of the Vyper Exo is made of semi-ridgid high density foam coated with a water-repelling 1682D cross-weave ballistic nylon exterior. This makes the bag quite durable and also helps to protect the laptop should you drop or bump the bag. The high density foam will cushion the impact with much less shock to your laptop than a comparable hard case or thin nylon bag.
Where Would I Use It?
Like most Booq bags, this bag is ideal for use at work or after hours. If you’re a creative professional this bag is ideal. If you’re a business type looking to turn the right heads, we couldn’t recommend it more. It’s probably not that suitable for university students due to the lack of room for big text books. University students are better off with a Folee, Python or Boa as these bags are more economical and suitable for books.
The Laptop Protection
The Exo’s laptop compartment is lined with non-scratch fabrics and is virtually molded around a MacBook Pro for a Vyper-style snug fit. You can use it alone to protect your MacBook 13″ or 15″/17″ MacBook Pro, or you can add a Booq Vyper XS2, M2 or XL2 for extra snug protection for your 13″, 15″ or 17″ MacBook respectively. The addition of a Vyper will help when taking your laptop through airport security and most importantly will make your whole solution look so much cooler. The laptop is held in place with a seat-belt style strap. The Vyper Exo XM is suited for use with most 14″-15.4″ PC notebooks however the XL probably won’t fit a 17″ PC. To check sizes visit the Exo product page on rushfaster.com.au and select your laptop model.
The Conclusion
The Booq Vyper Exo really does live up to the expectations of a growing number of die hard Booq fans who have come to expect nothing but innovation, style and quality from the rapidly growing Sierra Madre, Californian company. It’s a stylish yet totally practical bag that is sure to generate attention from your fellow co-workers and associates. I give it 8.5 out of 10.
There are two sizes. The Booq Vyper Exo XM for 13″ & 15″ Macs & most PC’s and the Booq Vyper Exo XL for 17″ MacBook Pros. Prices are A$249 and A$279 respectively.
Pros
- Number 10 Genuine YKK Zippers for easy glide and robustness!
- Compact on the outside yet roomy internal cabin with all the right zippers.
- Attention to detail in the finishing touches.
Cons
- Although pricey, you pay for what you get. If your budget won’t allow it, I’d suggest a Booq Powersleeve.
- It doesn’t have an iPod headphone port, but seriously, who uses their iPod in their bag?
- Some customers may not fully appreciate it’s dual colour stitching, this is a fashion thing.
Ratings
Features: 8 out of 10
Style: 9 out of 10
Durability: 9 out of 10
Value: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
If you had asked me yesterday whether I you could make a full blown wallet out of duct tape, I would have told you you were crazy and that wallets need to be leather. Ha… you can’t make a wallet out of duct tape!
Well the boys at db clay sure showed me. Look how fast they can make one of their original Ductbill wallets. The reason they can do it so fast is because they’ve already made more than 30,000 of the little bi-fold miracles. Go buy a duct tape kit and post your videos of the manufacturing process on You Tube. All the cool kids are doing it!
At $35 for the pre-made wallet and $45 for the duct tape kit it’s the best value wallet in town and definitely the most unique.
It is very important to ensure that you pick the right laptop bag for you, here are 3 simple reasons:
1. Vanity: Just because you have a mobile computer it doesn’t mean that you have to look like a mobile geek.
2. Ergonomics: If you’re carrying the wrong type of bag for the job, you could injure your back and end up looking like quasi-modo.
3. Functionality: Make sure the laptop bag you are using meets your needs for protection and storage.
To find the right laptop bag, the first thing is to make sure you’re looking in the right store. Here’s how you can tell if it is a good store:
They should have a big range of laptop bags for you to choose from - this will save you a lot of time going from store to store.
Their customer service staff should have good product knowledge of the laptop bags so they can offer opinions and suggestions to you.
They should have an easy exchange and return policy so that you’re not at risk of being stuck with a bag you don’t like or have to pay a pricey restocking fee.
Once you’ve found a good store, the second question to ask yourself is what will you be using the bag for and what will you be carrying in it. If you’re carrying just a laptop and some files, then a shoulder bag may suffice. If you go to the gym after work, you may consider a roomy backpack so that you can put your laptop, files, and gym gear into one bag. If you need to carry a laptop and lots of files and books, a trolley bag will help you ease the load off your shoulders.
One of the most important things about selecting the right laptop bag for you is to make sure your laptop will fit into the bag. Whether you’re buying it online or in a shop you will still need to know your laptop size.
Rushfaster has actually made it much easier for you in this case, you can simply select your laptop brand and model from our laptop bag search to list all the bags that fit your laptop. You also have the option of specifying the type of bag and a price range. You can then simply browse that list knowing that all of the bags you’re looking at will safely fit your laptop. If your laptop dimensions are not listed in the laptop bag search , simply measure your laptop and enter in the 3 dimensions (length, depth, height) on this laptop bag search page. It would be a huge hassle to do this in a shop.
Note: Screen sizes are measured diagonally across the screen as shown in the diagram. Although you can sometimes tell whether a laptop will fit in your bag by the screen size, it is not the best way to ensure your laptop will fit. The reason is because different brands make different sized laptops, even though their screen size is the same. The best way to ensure your laptop will fit is to know the three dimensions of your laptop and compare this to the laptop compartment of the bag.
Let’s face it, if it looks like a laptop bag then you’re going to look like a geek. Or worse, you could look like a good target for muggers. In the interest of vanity and safety, don’t buy a laptop bag that looks like a laptop bag. This is why Rushfaster has laptop bags that look like stylish handbags, messenger bags and sports backpacks for you to choose from.
It’s important that the laptop bag you have selected has a well padded laptop section that provides good protection for the laptop. Some good things to know about the protection is:
Does the laptop section fully cover the laptop?
Is the laptop section suspended off the base of the bag?
Is there a latch at the top of the laptop section to prevent the laptop from inadvertently sliding out?
What you also need to consider is the exterior of the bag. For instance, if you ride a motorbike then you may want to consider getting a Boblbe-e or Axio hardpack because they have a hard shell and would most likely protect your contents more than a nylon bag in heavy rain and in the event of a fall.
The thing about price is that at the end of the day you get what you pay for. A good stylish bag with good laptop protection is obviously going to cost more than a standard issue bag with some padding in it. It would be worth paying a bit extra to ensure that you get a nice bag that you look forward to carrying and also has good protection for your laptop. You’ll also want to know what sort of warranty is covered by the price and if you’re shopping online, find out the delivery costs. Some online stores may appear to be cheaper but once you go through the checkout process, you might get a nasty surprise with the delivery fee and credit card surcharges. Rushfaster has free delivery on all orders over $50 and no extra fees or charges.
There you go, 6 simple tips you can follow to finding the right laptop bag. If you have more questions just give us a buzz on 1800 065 665 or send us an email.
I hate cables, it’s such a battle to keep them tidy. The sooner we can get everything onto wireless technology the better but in the mean time I guess I’ll just have to put up with them. The good news is that even though I can’t get rid of the cables, I can put them in their place.
Who would have thought that such a simple contraption as a Cable Turtle could make such a difference. Once I discovered these little things I went crazy with them… Kowabunga! I turtled everything.
I was going to take a photo of everything I used it for around the office and house but it would just take me too long, so here’s a list of some of the things I’ve used it for..
- My mouse cord (that was the first thing!)
- Voip headset cable
- Laptop power cable
- Laptop extension power cable
- Monitor cables
- Electric toothbrush power cable
- Hair dryer cable
- iPod earphones
- Digital camera data cable
- Nokia mobile phone data cable
If you take a look at the picture above (the ‘before’ photo), you’ll see some of the cables that I have to deal with. I actually tried to arrange them neatly so that you know I’m not just dramatising the situation. I have to carry some of those items in a bag and usually when I take them out I have to untangle them - pain.
Now if you look at the picture below (the ‘after’ photo) you’ll know why I love these things so much.
Finally someone has released a high quality neoprene laptop sleeve and better yet, it’s got style.
The Look:
When I first saw the Built NY Laptop sleeve I didn’t actually immediately think of a laptop sleeve. It didn’t have a conventional blocky shape like other laptop sleeves and it had an hourglass shape and shark like gills on the two sides! It was very interesting so I took a closer look and I was further impressed when I found that there were pragmatic reasons for the design and it wasn’t just a way to make it look interesting.
The Built NY laptop sleeve has convenient dual zipper access. The zip has large plastic teeth, this means that my laptop won’t get scratched on the way in or out of the laptop sleeve. Large teeth also means that the zip is stronger and at the end of the day, it gives the sleeve a nice finish.
The inside of the laptop sleeve has a soft fleece lining - I have yet to see another neoprene laptop sleeve with fleece lining or any sort of lining for that matter.
The Wear:
This Built NY laptop sleeve acts like a laptop glove. The shark gills pull the side of the laptop sleeve towards the center, so when I inserted my laptop, it actually hugged it. So I can also use it with a smaller laptop because it will hug it nicely anyway! Now that explains the shark gills and the hourglass shape.
The laptop sleeve has visible zig-zag stitching with high quality thread along its perimeter to reinforce the straight stitching. Again it’s pragmatic but adds to the overall aesthetics of the laptop sleeve.
The Laptop Protection:
The Built NY laptop sleeves are made of 5mm Wetsuit Grade Neoprene. Please note that the neoprene grade is a very important factor when selecting a neoprene sleeve, not all neoprene laptop sleeves available in the market are of the same quality. Most of the other neoprene sleeves use a cheaper, thinner and non-wetsuit grade neoprene material - which means the laptop gets less protection and that’s why you pay less for them. But if you think about it, the whole reason for getting a laptop sleeve is to protect your laptop - so why skimp on the quality of the sleeve, I wouldn’t.
I could definitely feel the quality of the Built NY laptop sleeve with my PowerBook inside, there is a BIG difference from other neoprene laptop sleeves. That’s why Rushfaster recommends the Built NY neoprene laptop sleeve as one of the best available.
This is an all time favourite from Rushfaster. I’ve had an All The King’s Men Midi Laptop Messenger Bag for about 2 years now and I’m still loving it, so I think it deserves a review from me. So here we go:
The Look:
The thing that makes this bag such a funky laptop bag and super stylish messenger bag, is the genuine airplane seatbelt that is used as the shoulder strap. It’s totally ingenious. I actually use this bag equally as a messenger bag and a laptop bag because it rocks! Everyone who has seen me with the ATKM has said that it’s a cool messenger bag - which is great because I love the attention
The airplane buckle is actually fastened with a screw underneath to stop it from being released. The reason for this is to stop touchy people from lifting up the flap and unbuckling your shoulder strap - as you can imagine this could be disastrous if you had a laptop inside the bag. If you really want to be able to unbuckle it then you can remove the screw at anytime, which is fine if you’re not using it as a laptop bag.
The other thing you will notice about the ATKM is that the rest of the bag has a very minimal and timeless look, it’s not full of pockets or fancy dangly bits. It has one pocket for your power pack and a laptop compartment. The laptop compartment has a padded divider which is velcro adjustable. This lets you adjust the section to hug your laptop snugly and also acts as a divider for your folders and files.
The Wear:
The ATKM has a slim design which means that there isn’t lots of room. When I put my laptop in the bag there is only room left for another folder and notepad. There is a small external pocket for the power pack which is handy. When I’m not using it with the laptop there is plenty of room for books and folders - I use the external pocket for my wallet and iPod.
As much as I loved the seatbelt strap, I didn’t think that it looked very comfortable. But after trying it on, it actually felt pretty good. Obviously padding would improve it but if you are anything like me, then you’d be more than happy to sacrifice a bit of comfort in the name of style!
The exterior of the bag is made from Superdux 300 Polyester/Cotton 300 gsm Canvas - mouthful. Basically it’s a pretty sturdy material that is water resistant and it’s true because I have been caught in the rain with it.
The Laptop Protection:
The ATKM laptop messenger bag has a good 5mm padding all around, protecting my PowerBook laptop from bumps and scratches. Having said that I am always careful when carrying my laptop around, no matter which bag I’m using. All laptop bags have different levels of protection, this laptop bag is perfectly suited for going to the office or walking around town but not riding a motor cycle. If I know that I have to remove my laptop out of the laptop bag for any reason ie. at the airport, then I usually put my laptop into a laptop sleeve. I would recommend a Built NY neoprene laptop sleeve or a Booq Vyper laptop sleeve . This means that my precious laptop doesn’t have to touch the crappy trays they use for the security check.
By the way, I have the ATKM Midi which I use for my Apple Powerbook 15, it also fits the Apple MacBook Pro 15. There are two other sizes available for the Apple MacBook 13 inch and Apple MacBook Pro 17. And of course they fit a variety of PC laptops.
Looks cool huh!? The Red Maloo wrap is a high quality felt laptop sleeve made in Germany. It opens up on all four sides to form a workstation, the arms are great to use as a mouse pad and it won’t matter if you’re left handed or right handed.
When you’re done working, simply close your laptop, fold all the arms into the center and secure them using the strong velcro tabs sewn onto the felt. This is possibly the most elegant and stylish laptop sleeve we’ve ever seen.
We have sizes for all the Macbooks and Macbook Pros, it should also fit a range of PC notebooks.
If you own a 17″ laptop, you’d probably know how hard it is to find a bag that fits your laptop. Well, feast your eyes on the Knomo Frinton 17″ laptop bag. This has to be one of the hottest 17″ laptop bags on the market right now, and here’s why.
When you first take the Frinton out of it’s box the first thing you see is it’s simplistic design. Then the new subtle green stitching down the middle of the bag catches your attention. When you take a further look you notice the polished strap buckles and the high quality Knomo branding on the side of the bag. You put the shoulder strap over your shoulder and you feel the smooth padded leather strap.
It’s time to open the bag. The first thing you notice is the magnetic buckles, these are the best thing since magnets! Open the flap fully and be amazed by the stylish bright green lining, never again will you fumble around trying to find something in your dark, black lined bag. The inside of the bag contains a quilted laptop compartment, large pocket with some smaller keyring, pen, pda and mobile holders. For total protection the bottom and sides of the bag are padded with 15mm high density shock-resistant foam.
As with all Knomo bags, the Frinton comes with a 2 year warranty, a tracking number (just in case you loose your bag) and a bundle bag for your power supply. There are two colour choices (black and tan) and there is also a smaller version available called the Lyndon for 15″ laptops.
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
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Posted by Adam in Bag Reviews 
