Last night I went down to the Apple Store in Soho to look at laptop bags that are good for using on a bicycle in any kind of weather. There are two that are sold there that almost fit the bill. One is a BBP Hybrid messenger bag that you can be worn as a messenger bag over the shoulder or it hangs low on the "bum". BBP stands for bumbakpak. It has a weatherproof zipper which is something you don't see on many bags. That feature is very important for me, especially where the computer compartment is.
The other one is a backpack made by a company called STM Bags. The model is called a Medium Evolution and it also has a weatherproof zipper and a rain cover which helps to keep things dry in a torrential downpour. It also has lots of pockets and a very safe, hidden compartment for the laptop.
I like them both but there is no such thing as a perfect bag. That concept seems to elude bag makers for some reason. I think the messenger bag is more comfortable to use on a bike but it's not perfect. It's not as big as I would like and the pockets on the front of the Hampton bag, which is the one that Apple carries are not weatherproof, so anything in them could get soaked. A backpack is more confining and when you need something out of the bag, you have to stop, dismount, take it off, and open it up in order to get it. With a messenger bag all you have to do is swing it around. The STM Medium Evolution backpack will hold more then the Hybrid BBP messenger bag but it is not as practical as far as commuting on a bike is concerned for me. Which one do you like?
If you are looking for a really big laptop bag (for a really big laptop - 17 to 22"), check out www.bigbadbags.com.
Posted by: Mike | 01/26/2009 at 09:55 PM