Gizmodo: messenger bags

2UNFOLD Laptop Bag Is Probably Too Attractive for You or Your Computer

Mark Wilson — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:40:00 EDT

Your MacBook Air or whatever is a sharp machine, sure. But it's not timeless, handcrafted Italian leather that's transformable into one of eight different styles.

The 2UNFOLD laptop works as an urban briefcase, shoulder bag, safecase, rucksack, leather courier, canvas courier (it's reversible!), leather clutch or canvas clutch. No, I don't know what all those variations mean either, but the link at the end of this post contains handy photographs.

In vertical modes, the 2UNFOLD holds laptops up to 17 inches. In horizontal modes, it's suited for 13-inch notebooks. But either way, it makes for a zippy, pockety, and stylish bag that's a bit too beautiful for us to toss haphazardly onto the airport floor. $483.

(Sorry if that price part stings a bit.) [2UNFOLD via bbGadgets]

Timbuk2 Commute 2.0 Bag Slips Your Laptop Through Airport Security Checkpoints

matt buchanan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:20:00 EDT

Timbuk2's Commute is my main bag, with the separate laptop compartment making airport security breezy—version 2.0 goes TSA compliant, so you don't have to pull your laptop out at all. Pricey at $120, like all Timbuk2 bags. [Timbuk2]

Question of the Day: What Do You Carry Your Gadgets In?

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EDT

For a long time, I just threw all of my gear into an Eastpak backpack I'd had since high school. But my laptop got all scuffy and gross like it had been hanging out in the wrong Starbucks or something, so I finally got an actual laptop bag to keep it all protected. (Also, the backpack made me feel like I was still in high school.) Now I have a couple I rotate between depending on the mission—I like Timbuk2's huge Hacker bag for trade show survival, and a smaller one for everyday. But it's messenger all the way (as it is for most of us at Giz). What do you carry all of your gear in? And what are you lugging, anyway?

[Image via geishabot]

Lightning Review: Gama-Go's High Design Laptop Messenger Bags

Jason Chen — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT

The Gadget: Gama-Go's messenger bags, which are conveniently wide enough for a 15-inch laptop, its charger plus lots and lots of other gadget accessories. It's also got a nice water resistant outer material that makes it good for light showers.

The Price: $68 for the small and $88 for the large.

The Verdict: Is it enough to replace the Timbuk2 laptop messenger as our go-to bag of choice? Not quite, but at 2/3 the price, it's good enough for toting around your laptop, camera, cellphone and other gear when your pockets just won't do.

There's no dedicated laptop compartment like the Timbuk2, and it has fewer internal pockets, but it functions just fine as a city bag or man purse. The bonus here is that Gama-Go has a more inspired and trendy design, whereas Timbuk2 has the classic three-stripe motif. (Timbuk2 does have artist-designed bags, but cost around $150 each.) Gama-Go fans should give this one (the large one—the small doesn't fit a laptop) a look, but hardcore mobile workers will want to go for the higher priced and higher quality solution. [Gama-Go]

The Original Messenger Bag Might Still Be the Best

Mark Wilson — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:58:00 EDT

While we are adorned with the latest and greatest in trendy, designer messenger bags, J.Crew has recreated and rereleased the original. Modeled after the U.S. Postal Service's standard bag from 1868 until the 1970s (before they ditched timeless style and durability for blue nylon), "the original" leather postal messenger features fine leather reminiscent of the favorite baseball glove we never had, along with a secure buckle strap to keep your valuables safe. At 15" wide, we think it will fit many 'a laptop. But for $795, a less-historical-more-practical inner lining would be nice. [jcrew via gizmodude]

Lightning Review: Timbuk2 Messenger with Specialty Fabrics

Mark Wilson — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 12:00:03 EST

The Product: Timbuk 2 is famous for their trendy, customizable messenger bags with rock solid construction. You can pick different colors for each of the three panels of your bag to create a personalized product. Now Timbuk2 has added specialty (premium) fabrics to their designs.

The Price: A custom medium sized laptop messenger runs $140, plus $23 per specialty fabric panel.

The Verdict:

As you can see, my test subject (aka wife) stuffed the bag to the brim with lady-themed folders, various tiny containers and her Macbook. The Timbuk2s expand a ton and their shape holds up pretty well considering the load.

And while the new premium fabrics look and feel nice enough, it's Timbuk2's staple internal corduroy laptop liner that sells the bag. It simply feels safe to when your laptop slips in, and a Velcro strap wraps over the top to make sure that your computer can't come loose.

The only real downside to the new fabrics are their price—$23 is a pretty steep upsell if multiplied out to three panels—and a fairly limited pattern selection with only eight choices. Sure, you can still mix and match your standard colors for no additional fee, but we really like the idea of these specialty patterns and wish there were more styles.

Either way, the new fabrics are only adding more options to the Timbuk2 line. It seems like a good thing just got a little bit better. [Timbuk2]