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reservedegotist

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 19, 2009
171
0
Hey guys, thought I'd like to share something that I received today. Been anticipating this product for a while now. If you are looking for a minimalist, stylish, customizable and professional-looking bag, look no further.

Have a look at their website: http://www.shinnorie.com . I am specifically reviewing their Skinny Slim Bag; I have not seen other reviews online about this bag so hopefully this review is helpful! :)

Onwards!

Quick Tech Specs
Internal Space (Main Compartment):
  • 13": W:13 x H:9.25 x D:2 (inches) / W:33 x H:23.5 x D:5 (cm)
  • 15": W:14.75 x H:10 x D:2.25 (inches) / W:37.5 x H:25.5 x D:5.8 (cm)
External Size:
  • 13": W:13.5 x H:9.75 x D:3.5 (inches) / W:35.5 x H:25 x D:9 (cm)
  • 15": W:15.25 x H:10.5 x D:3.75 (inches) / W:39 x H:27 x D:10 (cm)

Material:
  • 1680d Polyester Nylon with Water Resistant PU (External)
  • 210d Polyester Nylon with Water Resistant PU (Internal)

Weight: 1kg

First Impressions
Wow, I have to say, upon taking this bag out of the plastic wrapping, it feels very solid. I bought the version for my 13" Macbook Pro, and as you can see, it is pretty much an exact fit. It will also fit other 13" computers and below too.

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As I mentioned, the bag has a definite form. It's framed by (probably) hard plastic in its innards and the result gives the bag a sharp look. As a result, it is all-purpose when it comes to office use vs. casual use.

External
The outside is made of a tough nylon shell that seems water and stain resistant (though I have not tried it). The zipper lining is not flimsy at all and feels weather-proof. The strap, though looks simple, feels durable. According to the website, it is made of a dual-layer nylon. The buckles are made of metal, not plastic. A nice touch is the leather patch on the front of the bag. When I ordered you couldn't customize the text but the website shows that if you talk to them you can customize some additional details, though it's not that important to me.

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There are two pockets*. One is a front pocket which extends out about 1.5", to store your charger, pens and other small miscellaneous things, and the other one is located at the back. The zipper on the back pocket is simply an extension zipper, and it really doesn't help too much practically speaking. At most you can fit in a pad of paper without having the bag bulge. However, I put my charger there and wear it with the back pocket towards me so I hide the bulge.

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*A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT MY BAG: I customized mine not to include the front pocket as I wanted mine more minimalist.
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Interior
Plenty of foam lining, and lots of detail were put in designing the interior. The harness does its job of keeping the laptop in place, and there are two leather risers that keep the laptop cool. I'm not sure how effective it is, but it is a nice touch aesthetically speaking. There is a consistent layer of foam all around and combined with the hard plastic inner shell, I'd be comfortable walking around and not worrying if I accidently knock into things. There is a second pocket for more papers and small items, but it's such a tight space that I don't see much use for it sans an iPod and maybe some pen storage.

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Conclusion
A lot of attention into detail was put into creation of this bag. It is well-built, it looks great, and thanks to the color customization is also personable. At $149USD though, it's on the expensive side, but it will last you a long time.

One thing you could do if you wished to omit the front pocket as well is to get the larger version (15"), despite the fact you may have a 13" version, so that you have more room to fit in your charger if you dislike the bulging. Remember this is meant for shorter commutes and for storing nothing but your laptop and maybe a pad of paper and some pens.
 
Great review and very nice case.

I actually went to the website and try to customize. How do you actually customize yours to remove the front pocket?
 
Great review and very nice case.

I actually went to the website and try to customize. How do you actually customize yours to remove the front pocket?

Their customer service is really good; I forgot to mention that. I actually had an email exchange and asked for it because the previous iteration of the product didn't have a front pocket, which was what attracted me. This version came out the day after I looked at it so I asked if that could be done and the Shinnorie team complied :).
 
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