Pros & Cons
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- Light.
- Attractive shape.
- Surprisingly roomy.
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- Cheap material.
FranklinCovey has always struck me as a business-formal brand, so it was a pleasant surprise when I got a chance to spend some time with its Chelsea Business Tote ($169 direct), a very fun and stylish yet functional piece. The more time I spent with it, the more I grew to love the bag. It has an attractive (if not too durable) exterior, black and white contrast stitching, a simple shape, and clean lines. An equally attractive interior complements the simple outer shell, with "orchid" (think pinkish-purple) polka dots adorning the chocolate brown lining.
The Chelsea is very spacious, big enough to hold a laptop up to 15.4 inches wide in its padded compartment, as well as documents and books, yet it's slim enough to fit under your arm. I especially love that the bag's curves hug naturally against my waist when I carry it close to my body.
Many little pockets are available inside for a cell phone, credit cards, keys, and so on. An important feature is the main compartment's zipper, which wraps all around the bag. This lets you open the tote up to its full width, and it's extremely useful when you need to get something at the bottom of the bag. A nice extra is the matching wristlet purse that comes with the bag.
The Chelsea's exterior compartments are a bit flat and narrow, but they seem to be there more for decoration than anything else. When I carried the bag chock-full of my belongings and—of course—a laptop, I was surprised to find the straps comfortable, despite their thinness. It helps that at just over 3 pounds when empty, it's fairly light.
The only downside I found with the Chelsea was its vinyl exterior—but it's a major one. For the $169 price tag, I expected a higher-quality material. FranklinCovey may have chosen vinyl over treated leather or ballistic nylon in order to keep the product affordable, but such skimping likely shortens the bag's lifespan. Perhaps having fewer features instead of using lower-quality material would have maintained the bag's midrange price while increasing its long-term value.
The Chelsea Business Tote can easily work as an everyday bag as well as a laptop bag because of its roominess, great looks, and comfortable shape. But it may not last as long as one would hope, because it's constructed with inexpensive material.
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