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Buying Guide: 6 Great Laptop Bags for Commuters
A truly great bag is hard to come by, and one that can withstand years of rugged commuting is even more rare. If you need a sturdy and reliable bag to lug your laptop, tablet, power cords, and other gear to and from the office, we found six options that are worthy investments.
What separates a great laptop bag from a mediocre one? Great bags hold electronics in place securely but without scratching them. They contain a smart and well-organized selection of compartments for stashing extra stuff, like chargers, keys, and your lunch. The best bags are also built to last years—maybe even a decade—in both durability and fashion sense. Comfort, too, is of the utmost importance. High quality bags aren't cheap, but buying the right one should payoff for quite some time. Weight and dimension of the bag could be key concerns as well. A bag that is well-padded but heavy to begin with may start to cause some shoulder soreness on a long commute. And it would do well to measure the biggest electronics you plan to cart around to make sure the bag you've got your eye on will actually be big enough for it to fit.
Whether your commute leaves you jostling other straphangers or yelling at cars to get out of the bike lane, here are six great bags to help you carry your most important tech gear where you need to go.
FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP:
Chrome Berlin - PRO Laptop Bag
$220 direct
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The Chrome Berlin - Pro easily fits laptops of any size, plus all the cords, cables, and accessories you could ever need … plus a change of clothes, your lunch, a tablet, and much more. At 15 by 20 by 10 inches (HWD), when fully expanded, the Berlin's volume measures 25 liters! The Berlin is a no-frills bag, available in black or gray, with a dark red lining. It's coolly edgy, but uncomplicated. It's a bit heavy, weighing 4.5 pounds when empty. The Berlin - PRO doesn't have a cushioned compartment specifically for a laptop, so add the cost of a protective sleeve to the already high price. Cycling commuters who carry a lot of stuff can't go wrong with Chrome's Berlin - PRO bag. Car and subway commuters will likely find the Berlin is bigger than what they need.
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Chrome Citadel Laptop Bag
$190 direct
Chrome's Citadel laptop backpack gives tech-toting commuters a reliable way to haul their gear. Its offers well organized pocket spaces and pouches for your laptop and dozens of peripherals. At 21 by 14.5 by 10 inches (HWD), the Citadel comfortably stows nearly any size laptop. While the bag isn't nearly as massive as the Chrome Berlin – PRO, the Citadel's weight (4 pounds when empty) and arm straps (fit for brawny shoulders) make it less than ideal for petite frames. Despite its bulk, this laptop bag does have a uniquely sleek profile when it's not jam packed, and the straps have good mesh padding that wick well if you have a very active commute. The Citadel feels supremely sturdy as if it will last years, making the $190 price tag a little easier to swallow. It's an outstanding bag for carrying a reasonable amount of stuff—unless you're small in the shoulders.
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Crumpler Arnold Heist Tablet Bag
$105 direct
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Stylish, sturdy, and extremely comfortable, the Arnold Heist by Crumpler is the perfect day bag. It's built to hold a tablet, like an iPad, but can accommodate netbooks up to 11 inches as well as other gear you need to get through the day. It's supremely compact (9.8 by 15.3 by 3.5 inches, HWD) and weighs next to nothing: 0.88 pounds. Because the Arnold Heist doesn't have any heft whatsoever, it's one of the most comfortable electronics bags you'll ever wear. For walking around town, it's a dream. I even managed to bicycle with it comfortably. The one downside is it's only available in black with gray accent.
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Crumpler Nhill Heist Laptop Bag
$175 direct
Crumpler's Nhill Heist laptop bag is an excellent backpack for straphangers, cyclists, and pedestrians to take to the office. This bag measures 16.9 by 12.2 by 4.7 inches (HWD), fits laptops up to 17 inches, and weighs a reasonable 1.87 pounds. The signature feature of the Nhill Heist is the design of the shoulder straps, which are extensions of the bag itself rather than separately sewn on pieces. They wrap over the top of the backpack, securing it closed even more than the zipper alone and helping to distribute weight evenly across your back and shoulders. Genius.
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Ju-Ju-Be Be Hip (Messenger Bag)
$80 direct
Busy parents will appreciate the bucket-shaped Be Hip messenger bag from Ju-Ju-Be, which offers ample room and dedicated comportments for a laptop as well as baby bottles. It even comes with a matching diaper-changing pad. The deep bag with a fold-over flap and magnetic closure measures 14 by 11 by 4.75 inches (HWD), although the weight of the bag varies by color: 2 pounds (timber) or 1 pound (slate). One neat fact about the timber model is it's made from recycled soda bottles and jute fibers, giving it a unique sheen and texture. Think patent leather meets tree bark.
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Ju-Ju-Be Micra Be Laptop Bag
$90 direct
The compact Ju-Ju-Be Micra Be Laptop bag protects tablets, ereaders, netbooks, and other flat electronics very well without weighing you down. The 1-pound bag measures 8.5 by 11.5 by 2.5 inches (HWD). An iPad fits in it perfectly, as do netbooks smaller than about 12 inches. The Micra Be's perforated foam cushioning and breathable lining help ensure your devices can cool down when you slip them into the bag. A soft inner lining in the main pouch, and in the pockets of the smaller front pouch, protects your gadgets from getting scratched. The bag also comes with a matching drawstring purse (6.5 by 5.75 inches) for storing cables, a mouse, or other small components. The only thing holding back this bag from donning your shoulder for a decade or more is that it's not available in classic prints and colors. A small selection of prints, including "fuchsia blossoms" and "jungle maze" (shown) may look dated sooner than you'd like.
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