Tech bags to protect your gadgets
Whether you're packing a laptop, an iPad, a Kindle, a camera – or all of the above – while on the commute or on holiday, a custom-designed bag, backpack or organiser can keep your digital life in order
Do you go anywhere without gadget? You probably don't leave home without at least a smartphone, and possibly a whole lot more. If you want to stay organised, the best option is to go for a custom designed tech bag; various models are available that have properly designed sections that exactly fit the dimensions of a Kindle, an iPad, an 8-inch tablet, 11, 13 and 15-inch laptops, cables, DSLR cameras, headphones, and many other gadgets besides. Some even charge-up the gadgets stored within. As well as taking your own gadgets to work, it's likely that you also take them on holiday to link back to the office via email, talk to the family on Skype, or hook-up with friends on Facebook to boast about your travels. With these superbly designed gadget bags you can travel with tech without taking risks.
A svelte 18-litre daysack clearly designed for the commute, Osprey's Cyber Port boasts unique hands-free operation of a tablet stored within it. Any 10-inch tablet – including an iPad – can sit safe in a double-zipped, foam-backed compartment that's got both a hard cover and a transparent window. Unzip that cover and it's possible to operate the touchscreen on a tablet without taking it out of the bag. That's great news for couriers and anyone else living in rainy Blightly who needs to access a tablet while traipsing the streets. The courier-centric features continue with a die-cut foam back panel, firm but comfortable shoulder straps, and that all-important chest strap for cycling. Elsewhere it's convenience galore, with the main compartment offering a second tablet-sized zipped pocket, a laptop compartment (max size 340x228x25mm), and dedicated pockets for pens, phones and Kindles. There's also a shallow, easy access pocket on the top for a smartphone and sunglasses. Comfortable, secure, amazingly compact and with that novel tablet window, the Osprey Cyber Port is available in teal, black, orange, brown and grey.
If you travel a lot though airports while clasping a smartphone and an iPad Mini, this organiser is for you. A fold-out organiser that could be useful in keeping all of your gadgets charged-up and in one place if you're travelling to the US – where airport security staff are now checking that passengers' gadgets switch on before boarding – the Knomad Mini Power goes further than mere storage. Bundled with it is a mighty 5,000mAh battery (good for at least two complete recharges for an iPhone 5S) and both an Apple Lightning and a micro USB cable. Designed as a clutch and made from tough but soft canvas-like fabric, the flip-over lid is secured by brass poppers. Unroll the Knomad and inside is a felt-covered compartment for any 8-inch tablet. On that pocket's front are two more slip pockets, one for a smartphone and one for that battery, with a dedicated area for stowing a plane ticket. Below is another section that can take a curled-up cable, earphones and a couple of USB sticks along with a UK passport and three credit cards. There's even a tiny pocket for an SD card from a camera.
The Knomod Mini Power – which is available in black, brown, olive and blue – is a great way of keeping all of your tech in one place when on the road.
Aimed squarely at anyone carrying around a smartphone, the EnerPlex Packr solar backpack's headline act is a dual solar panel on the front that charges anything via USB.
It's not incredibly powerful – just 3W – so we're talking about a 10% top-up to a phone every 30 minutes or so of direct sunlight. Handily, there's a three-way adaptor supplied that's fitted with microUSB, miniUSB and the older Apple 30-pin connector for the iPhone 4s and older. Or you could just add your own USB cable.
That charging point is found in an outer pocket that also contains two smartphone-sized pockets and an A4-sized compartment for A4 papers.In the main compartment is a dedicated pocket for a 13-inch laptop, and plenty of room for other gadgets or even clothes (there's also two big side pockets for water bottles). At 30 litres, the EnerPlex Packr is pretty big, though exceptionally lightweight; its shoulder straps are not the comfiest ever made, and it's really all about that solar charger, but outdoor types wishing to tread lightly in all senses will adore the EnerPlex Packr solar backpack.
Incredibly well made and hard-wearing, the Boa Squeeze isn't your normal gadget bag. Shaped to have a slight bulge in the middle but otherwise extremely slimline and compact, the the Boa Squeeze's main compartment is revealed by un-zipping a lid two-thirds of the way down the front to reveal specially-sized pockets for a 10-inch tablet, a couple of smartphones, a pen and a laptop of up to 15-inches in size. There's plenty of room below for cables and chargers, though you won't get much more than a pac-a-mac and a change of underwear in if you're spending time away from home. Inside that lid is an elastic pocket to keep cables or toiletries neat. The sides sport two rather long, large zipped pockets that provide the gadgets inside with an added layer of protection, while a felt-lined pocket on the top of the Booq Boa Squeeze is ideal for storing a smartphone while travelling. With sturdy, comfy straps, the Booq Boa Squeeze also includes back padding with a gap in the middle to help avoid (or, at least, reduce) sweaty back syndrome.
Designed to take a 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro (and also available as a slightly larger version to take a 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro), the Be-ez LE Bag Pro is made-up of smart-looking and tough ballistic nylon, with a yellow flash and detail.
It looks nothing like your average computer bag, yet builds-in dozens of high-grade, custom-sized pockets for gadgets galore. Neoprene pockets for several smartphone-sized devices sit in a front section that has pockets to keep chargers and cables organised, while a main compartment includes a padded envelope – sealed by Velcro – for a laptop or tablet. There's a concealed zipped pocket nearby, while the top has a soft-lined easy access pocket for stuffing a smartphone in. As you put the bag on to your shoulders, flaps at the side wrap around it; that's a nice protective touch, but it does mean there's no room for a water bottle pocket.
To make up for that, the Be-ez LE Bag Pro includes a rain cover secretly stowed in a pocket on the undercarriage, which fits across the entire backpack without interfering with the extra-padded shoulder straps. Great design, great build, and great value.
Are you packing a DSLR camera – or two? There are camera bags a-plenty, but this is the only one we know of that has space for two DSLRs and up to four mid-size lenses, as well as one large zoom lens, a tripod and even a 10-inch tablet or iPad. Just how the designers have squeezed all that into such a compact bag is beyond us, but Python Slimpack's features don't end there.Inside a tough waterproof outer is a compartment that's divided into seven areas by Velco dividers, though rather uniquely it's opened by a zipped flap (which also contains an iPad sleeve) around the shoulder straps, not the front. There's also a quick access pocket for the camera on top.We're not convinced that two DSLRs could fit – and you can forget a big zoom lens – but landscape photographers (which this rugged, waterproof bag is surely aimed at) will find the Python Slimpack hard to resist. There are side pockets for everything from SD cards to a rain-cover and a keyring, too, while a tripod clips to the front, its feet sitting in a handy pop-out harness.The downsides are that the Pythom Slimpack is heavy even when it's empty – it weight about 1.9kg – and the straps aren't the comfiest around. That said, each strap also houses a smartphone/GPS pouch; the pockets just keep on coming on this, the most functional and compact camera bag yet.
Created in conjunction with the Financial Times, this luxury leather weekend bag is one to savour – and it adds some useful tech-sized pockets. The timeless leather holdall design is fitted with sturdy grab handles and a huge, top quality zip. Inside is mainly an empty space for clothes and trinkets, but each side has a nifty gadget pocket. On one side is a soft-lined pouch that holds onto an iPad Air tightly, while on the opposite side is a zipped area for storing cables, chargers and USB sticks. That iPad pocket is fairly snug, so definitely try before you buy if you've got a different model – and especially if you've an Android tablet – though anything around the 10-inch size ought to fit.Measuring 56x24x37cm and weighing about 2.3kg when empty, the Weekender's lush leather look makes it every bot the travel classic. The FT range also includes a laptop case and iPad case that both use a high-density foam lining used in the cockpits of Formula One cars, and go for £195 each.
Laptop, tablet, charging, cables, Kindle, smartphone… the list of gadgets you can find yourself carrying to work and back are becoming almost endless. Thule of Sweden's Crossover backpack tackles this head on by providing umpteen added pockets for storing everything you own. Inside is a padded sleeve for a full-size iPad and a section to house a laptop up to an impressive 15 inches in size. Recognising that you don't travel solely with gadgets, the Thule Crossover has plenty of room inside to take a rolled-up coat and an A4 ring binder, too, but it also provides what it calls a SafeZone, a sunglasses-shaped pocket on the top that's reinforced, and so crush-proof. What a great idea. That pocket also hides a discreet padded slot for an iPhone 5/5s (or similar size).
Two side pockets prove handy for storing a water bottle and an umbrella, while this comfy backpack also includes a rain cover. With a front pocket for stashing cables, chargers and pens, the Thule Crossover is a roomy and well-engineered backpack perfect for work trips and collage, and it's made from tough stuff.
Like the Booq Python Slimpack, the Reflexion from Case Logic is designed for photographers packing a DSLR camera, again adding an iPad compartment. However, Case Logic has gone for a vastly different approach, with the Reflexion spitting in half to reveal its storage zones. The iPad goes towards the back of the lower part of the bag, leaving the rest of the bottom half to provide padded dividers to house a DSLR, a lens and perhaps a spare battery or two. However, those dividers can come out to create a tech bag that's got nothing to do with cameras.
The top section is for storing other things, such as a book, a Kindle, an umbrella or a pac-a-mac, but the best bit? A small stash pocket on the front that's perfect for sliding a lens cap into while you're out taking photos.
Hot off the press, this is a brand new tech bag built specially for the new 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro Retina laptops just launched by Apple.
Constructed by San Francisco-based Waterfield Designs – a company with a bag for every gadget you can think of – the slim Outback Solo uses soft neoprene on the inside to protect the MacBook Pro. On the outside, there's a unique look thanks to tan-waxed canvas, with the end result a worn, vintage that's a welcome counter-point to the cold, machined aluminium look of Apple gear. Would you go camping with it? Probably not, but the use of a magnetic enclosure does add some security as well as retro good looks. You can also add a charger in one of two front pockets on the Outback Solo, the other of which can fit a smartphone or an 8-inch tablet. Although it comes as it is, there is an optional strap available to quickly transform it into a shoulder bag, which could be as useful around the office as when travelling through airports. The Outback Solo also comes in two separate, smaller sizes to fit both an iPad and a 13-inch laptop.
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