Professional Brenthaven Shoulder Bag (12") Review

[Pass2Yao]

Hey Mac Forum. Finally, I get to contribute something to this forum. I've been mooching off of your discussions and been posting questions for a bit of time now...now I get to return a favor.

First, I ordered this bag from apple with the edu discount...which with tax was around 135...on a Sunday, and received it Tuesday morning, on just regular ground shipping. First impressions: Extremely durable and high quality bag. The zippers are very large and promise to hold well after many years of abuse. The handle bars indeed feel very comfortable and ergonomic. The strap also rests comfortably on my shoulder. All in all, material wise, I feel like I got what I paid for. The pb fits perfectly snug into the sleeve, which has velcro strips on the back to attach inside a padded compartment of the bag. -On a side note, I feel comfortable enough with the sleeve that if I were just going down the street to the coffee house, I could put the laptop in my sleeve and just carry it in my ole trusty backpack, and not worry about anything.

I was a little concerned about how much I could bring in this bag, and I'm happy to say that I could fit an 800 page paperback (Betrayal of Trust, 8"x 6"x 2") in there, and easily fit another copy of that book, and possibly a novel or several more magazines, or a small bagged lunch. The accordian files are great, and there are a ton of pockets on the outside compartment for pens, pda, ipod, adapters, etc. Also, on the back of the bag, there is an easily accessible outside pocket for wallets, airline tickets, etc.

The bag is heavy enough to feel durable and of great quality, and light enough to carry around for a long time (the padded straps and handles help a ton). I do wish it was a couple of inches less wide, but 17 inches is not bad at all.

Now, why did I choose this bag instead of a bihn, or a crumpler, or anything else? Because of its drop protection, and the fact it was designed specifically with Apple for my notebook. I feel unbelievably secure when I put my pb into this bag, I know it's not going to get scratched or dented as long as it's in my brenthaven.

I just took three pictures of the bag...but I can't upload it b/c the files are too big...trying to figure out how to them smaller.

Although the other bags may look prettier and more "in fashion", this bag is superbly made, and its simple looks are elegant and professional...not to mention timeless.

Let me know if y'all have any questions. My humble suggestion, for those of you that are on the fence regarding this bag, is to go for the brenthaven professional.

[PHARAOHk]

Go to

www.imageshack.us

For free web hosting.

[Pass2Yao]

Thanks for your help Pharaohk.







Here are the pics.

[zelmo]

Originally Posted by Pass2Yao

Hey Mac Forum. Finally, I get to contribute something to this forum. I've been mooching off of your discussions and been posting questions for a bit of time now...now I get to return a favor.
.........Let me know if y'all have any questions. My humble suggestion, for those of you that are on the fence regarding this bag, is to go for the brenthaven professional.

I couldn't agree more. I got the Brenthaven Professional Backpack bag with my 15" PB, and it is awesome. I can't believe how much stuff I can cram in that bag - it's bottomless. I would recommend Brenthaven to anyone.

[djkny]

Originally Posted by powermac666

I couldn't agree more. I got the Brenthaven Professional Backpack bag with my 15" PB, and it is awesome. I can't believe how much stuff I can cram in that bag - it's bottomless. I would recommend Brenthaven to anyone.

I love the durability and "bottomless" feel, too, but I do feel sometime it's a little too bulky. All that Brenthaven effort on material and sleeve makes the thing heavy w/o even putting in the powerbook. I wish it was slightly lighter and that they had made sleeves like Waterfield.

[zelmo]

Originally Posted by djkny

I love the durability and "bottomless" feel, too, but I do feel sometime it's a little too bulky. All that Brenthaven effort on material and sleeve makes the thing heavy w/o even putting in the powerbook. I wish it was slightly lighter and that they had made sleeves like Waterfield.

Yeah, I have noticed that my right arm and shoulder are bulkier than my left these days. Ahh-nold on one side, David Spade on the other!

Of course, if you need to travel light, you can always pull the sleeve and essentials and drop them in any old bag. I have a beat up briefcase my wife gave me a long time ago that is perfect for it, and no one would ever guess there is a laptop in there.

[Pass2Yao]

I'm happy to say that after two weeks of carrying around my pb, the brenthaven bag has been awesome. During a recent road trip to Destin, I put the laptop in the back of a jeep. Due to a whiplash-causing braking experience, the laptop flew forward and hit the back of my seat. A quick check showed no dents or scratches.

It is certainly heavier than some other bags out there, but I also don't carry it around enough (more than 15 or 20 minutes a time) to notice it. Also, I was recently able to fit "Betrayal of Trust" "GRE Psychology" and a novel "stranger in a strange land" with room for a bagged lunch on the outside pocket. If you need to put a bunch more stuff in the bag than that...I recommend the backpack powermc666 got. It is a mite more expensive though.

[MacNut]

I agree, i own the 15" shoulder and its great, its traveled back and forth from the beach all summer. Nice and durable with great storage, well worth the hefty price.