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What's a good "College" notebook bag?

J

JWest

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
361
0
I'm getting a new MBP for college fairly soon, and I was wondering what sort of carrying case you guys would recommend. I need something that'll hold (and properly protect) my laptop, as well as my school stuff (papers, stationary, and other school stuff). It doesn't have to hold books or anything, as I can carry those in a free hand, but I'd like it to be able to carry everything else. I was thinking about the Skooba Seventeen 2.0 from Skooba Design (formerly known as RoadWired). It has a laptop compartment that's protected with air cushions to absorb any shock that the bag might face, and it has extra compartments for my papers and such. Plus, it has a comfortable shock absorbing strap, which also has air cushions to protect your shoulder. Anywho, are there other bags that would be better for me or does this one sound good?
 
I am a student at LSU and I tried the messenger bag idea and I understand that that bag has a shock absorber strap or something but I would recommend getting a book sack with two straps. Check out the Ogio Metro. It has several useful compartments, fits my 15inch Macbook Pro perfectly, and I can carry several books at the same time. The laptop compartment is completely separate from the other compartments and can be accessed separately. My messenger bag bothers my shoulder after awhile. Anyway check it out.


http://www.ogio.com/product.php?product=442
 
toad2016 said:
I am a student at LSU and I tried the messenger bag idea and I understand that that bag has a shock absorber strap or something but I would recommend getting a book sack with two straps. Check out the Ogio Metro. It has several useful compartments, fits my 15inch Macbook Pro perfectly, and I can carry several books at the same time. The laptop compartment is completely separate from the other compartments and can be accessed separately. My messenger bag bothers my shoulder after awhile. Anyway check it out.


http://www.ogio.com/product.php?product=442
Click to expand...

Ya, I had contemplated getting a backpack-style laptop bag. To be honest though, I don't think weight will be much of an issue for me. I have to stand for 2 hours with a heavy guitar on one of my shoulders several times a week (I'm in jazz band at my school), so I'm not that worried ;)

That's something that I suppose just comes down to taste. Really all I'm worried about is how much the bag I end up with will hold. Thanks for the suggestion though, I've still got a few months to decide.

Anyone else got any suggestions?
 
JWest said:
Anyone else got any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I had a medium Timbuk2 laptop messenger that I liked a lot, but it didn't hold all the crap I need to carry with me, so I got an all black Jansport laptop backpack from REI. I really like it, especially the shock resistant latptop compartment.

Probably the BEST case I've ever had for a laptop was for my 12" Powerbook. It was an awesome & super durable bag from sfbags.com
 
I love my STM Loft bag. Room for my laptop, power charger, pads and a book (depending on size). I couldn't find the color scheme of mine though; mine is a Grey on Light Grey design (light grey in place of the orange in regards to the linked bag). It has held up very well and the padding for the laptop is great. The down side is you will not fit many books in it. Carrying books was not a concern for me as I had a office that I kept most of my books in (I was GA at the time).

Also the price for the STM bags is quite affordable, ~$55.
1044007
 
I bought the bigger incase bag and its amazing. Easily the best bag ive used. Its $130 from the apple store.
 
If it's for college, I'd recommend getting a backpack that can hold your laptop. You probably won't want to carry your books everywhere, especially if you have other things to carry. That's just my $0.02
 
Thanks for the input folks!

I should also mention that my budget is roughly ~$100 ($150 max, though I'd rather not spend that much on a laptop bag).
 
I'm using the Higher Ground...

backpack. http://www.ltgear.com/bags_cases.aspx?ID=3161 http://www.ltgear.com/bags_cases.aspx?ID=3162 and I've found it to be very compact, yet everything (cords, cables, headphones, etc.) fits nicely into the compartments. I bought the 13" Laptrap Backpack at Macworld '08 and have used it everyday commuting to school. It's really light and comfortable on the back, and has the large over-the-shoulder strap, or the backpack strap/harness. It's very sturdy and easy to put on or take off. It cost $50 plus $5 for the backpack strap/harness, I noticed they are selling pretty close to the Macworld prices. :cool:
 
i second the ogio metro. light backpack, holds my 15.4" mbp nicely (and it's easy to get in and out from the side), lots of room for books in the main compartment, very well constructed. i got one from circuit city when they were on sale for around 40 bucks.
 
I use a free nylon messenger bag to hold my Dell laptop (hopefully I will get a MacBook Pro soon, and hopefully I will like it more than the Dell). Whenever my bag gets dirty, or worn out, or boring, I just go to a career fair or trade show and pick up another free one. The key is to wear a suit, say that your degree is relevant to the particular company in question, and don't hold any other freebies when you ask for the bag. Get the other freebies later, that way you can put them in the new bag. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science majors usually get the best laptop bags, whereas chemistry majors like me get putty and toy cars. Toy cars get boring fast, so developing a Computer Science persona will serve you well.

I got a free yo-yo recently, and I am really enjoying it. Unfortunately, I don't think it is possible to do this with a free yo-yo. The dainty white gloves might also be a necessity for pro-quality yo-yoing.
 
When I was starting college last august, I checked around here asking for people's opinions on book bags for a macbook, and someone recommended the Oakley Icon 3.0 backpack. I went for it, and it has so far been an excellent backpack.

It's pretty unique, I haven't seen anyone on campus with a backpack like it. The build quality is excellent. There's a little velcro deal that straps it in to make sure it wont jostle around.

There's also about 2 or 3 inches of space between the bottom of the laptop holder and the actual bottom of the bag, so if you accidently drop the backpack on the ground from a few feet, your computer is gonna stay pretty safe because of that extra cushion.

http://oakley.com/pd/5040

It says on the site it can hold up to a 15" widescreen notebook, and after examining my bag it looks like it could fit another 2 inches or so of horizontal screen space, so the macbook pro could fit in there comfortably.

It's definitely a great choice. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.
 
OP, I'd recommend getting a backpack instead of a messenger bag; your back will thank you for it now, a year from now, ten years from now, and for the rest of your life.
 
Besides my Mac, this might have been one of the best things I've purchased.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...es/notebook_cases&nplm=TL916LL/A&mco=C955AB8F

It lets you carry as a messanger bag, or backpack for when your bag is too heavy. Seperate compartment for laptop makes it much easier to take it out and put it away. Rain Proof which is great for S.F. winters. Waterbottle holder and umbrella holder. Many compartments and fits a lot of stuff. It also has a zipper on the back compartment so you can put it through a suitcase handle if you're traveling.
 
You might also want to look into one of the small outfits that makes messenger bags, and just put the laptop in with a standard laptop sock/sleeve. I've owned a Baileyworks bag for the past several years, and it is incredible -- no matter how much it is raining, snowing, or sleeting (including horizontal rain, snow, and sleet) the bag remains completely dry inside. There have been times when I walk in the door soaked from head to toe, but the papers and the computer stuff inside the bag are still totally dry.

For a slightly different look but similar bombproof, weatherproof construction, you might also want to check out Chrome bags.
 
The best "case" i had in college was just a very high quality tom bihn sleeve. I liked how I could carry my backpack as usual, and just have my macbook in there w/ the books in a protective sleeve.
 
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