When you're traveling, it's hard to keep all of your devices charged and in place. If you dump them in a bag, you can easily lose track of them. If you keep them in your pockets, getting through security and sitting comfortably can be a problem. And, in both cases, you need to find an outlet to juice them up. Powerbag's Business Class Pack answers both problems. The $179.99 (direct) bag has plenty of pockets to hold your many gadgets, comes with all the connectors and ports to keep everything plugged in, and has enough battery power to charge four smartphones before you need to find a power outlet.

Design

When it's not charging your gadgets, the Powerbag looks indistinguishable from any other standard black backpack. At 18 by 12 by 8 inches (HWD) and 3.1 pounds, it's pretty large. There are no visible lights, buttons, or wires exposed when the pockets are closed and the charger is turned off. When you turn it on by holding the Powerbag logo button hidden on the front, a series of four lights glow up to show it's turned on. The four lights also indicate how much juice remains, with each light roughly representing a fully charged smartphone. The button and lights are well-hidden but easily accessible, making the bag both handy and inconspicuous.

Charging takes place entirely inside the bag, with two cables running through the front pocket to offer various charging options. A two-sided mini-USB and micro-USB cable lets you charge most smartphones, and a 30-pin connector keeps all your iOS devices powered. If you need another connector, the battery pack in the larger, second-from-the-front pocket has a full sized USB cable for charging other devices. A rubber cable organizer keeps your charging cable in place in the pocket while you're charging, while the front section's cables have their own snug device enclosures complete with small pouches for holding the cables' plugs when not in use.

Pockets Aplenty

The pockets themselves are several and spacious. There's a front pocket for cell phones, a pocket behind that for slightly larger devices like small tablets and handheld gaming systems, a very small pocket just above it for pens and memory cards, and a large enclosure behind it for larger devices and any other things you may need to carry. That's just the front of the backpack; behind the large pocket is a zipper that runs along three sides of the bag, letting you zip it open and fold it completely in half so the notebook computer space in the back of the bag is freed up for TSA inspection as Powerbag's "FlyFlat" design. While the bag can easily hold a laptop computer of up to 15 inches in that compartment (more if you want to use the FlyFlat fold-out area as a notebook pocket), it can't charge a notebook or any other device that needs an AC adapter and not just a USB port.

A bottle pocket on the left side and a knick-knack pocket on the right side, under the main compartments, are the last few places you can stash your things. With lots of space and plenty of pouches and loops in the different pockets, the Powerbag Business Class can easily hold your devices, chargers, media, and even a change of clothes if you need one.

The bag is comfortable, even when it's packed full. The straps are heavily padded but flexible, and the padded back of the bag ensures that nothing will dig into your shoulders. It's big, but that bulk pays off in protection for you and your gear.

Battery Power

The bag comes with a 6000mAh battery, which Powerbag claims can charge a smartphone four times. This matches the tests we've taken with smartphones and other portable devices. After charging my Droid X twice, the indicator lights still showed the battery was half-full. 6000mAh is a much higher capacity than most portable chargers, but if it's not enough you can get a 9000mAh battery from Powerbag for an additional $49. The option to switch out batteries also ensures that the bag will remain useful, even after the 6000mAh battery can't hold a charge anymore. Regardless of the battery, the bag charges through the included AC adapter, a small power brick that plugs into a port on the outside of the bag, under the knick-knack pocket. A flap and a rubber cover protect the port from water and dirt.

The Powerbag Business Class Pack does exactly what it claims to, offering spacious storage and plenty of power for your portable devices. It's bulky, but understated enough for business and leisure travel, and its many pockets and cables make it a great way to manage your smartphone, tablet, and portable game system all at once. At $180 it isn't cheap, but all that storage and the 6000mAh of power it offers make it worth the price for anyone looking for a way to keep their many gadgets organized and juiced up on the go.

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