Funchico.com - Funky, Chic & Cool Laptop Bag News

Quilted and Sporty! The Sumo Women's Laptop Purse from Mobile Edge

We are definitely in the midst of a laptop bag heyday! Another indicator - the birth of the "laptop purse" genre. Larger bags that take design cues from women's purses and smaller bags, for your netbooks, that are practically indistinguishable from purses.

A recent entry into this delightful category - the Sumo Women's Laptop Purse from Mobile Edge.  I reviewed it over on my Laptop Bag lens.  From the review ...

We've hit the post-holiday blahs pretty hard here in Vancouver. It's challenging to get excited about the new year when it's so gray and drizzly out. I was in desperate need of a pick-me-up; something to bring back that holiday cheer for the whole year. So naturally, my eyes lit up when I saw the cherry red Sumo Women's Laptop Purse that Matthew from Mobile Edge had sent over. Red! Quilted! Glory!

Of course the colour of the Sumo Women's Laptop Purse is the first thing that caught my eye, but I was also delighted by the shape of it; instead of your usual rectangular bag, the Sumo takes the edge off and curves around the top to create a softer silhouette. The quilting, accomplished with white topstitching over the high quality ballistic nylon, gives it a fun, fresh look and the leather trim and handles add a little je-ne-sais-quoi to the whole affair. Kicky!

Get all the gory details in the full review of the Sumo Laptop Purse.

Loving the elegant Lady Lindy laptop tote from Bobarra

The Lady Lindy from Bobarra is one of the most elegant bags I've seen in a long time: really simple lines, but with a touch of flair via the scalloped trim. Plus, it's checkpoint-friendly. Can't get better than that!

I've been watching The Tudors series on CBC. Up here in Canada, the season just finished and I've been wondering how I might start working more brocade, puffy sleeves, jeweled head pieces and snoods into my wardrobe. Luckily, I have found the perfect bag that Catherine of Aragon or perhaps her daughter, Mary would carry. Elegant and stylish without being over the top - a bag fit for a queen. I'm referring to the Lady Lindy laptop bag from Bobarra. Andrea from Bobarra was kind enough to send over one for review.

When I first unpacked the Lady Lindy, I was struck by two things. One - the unusual fabric pattern. When carrying it, I've had a number of people say "Great pattern - what is that, fleur de lis?" Then they look closer. "It's frogs! Frogs!?". Yes, frogs. I have the "Charlotte" pattern (named after the delightful southern city in North Carolina; Bobarra also has several other more traditional fabric patterns if you're not a ranidaphile). From a distance, it looks like an elegant, slightly Tudoresque fabric - but up close, whimsical frogs. Very clever! The second visual aspect of the bag that really stands out are the scalloped top edges. I've never seen this is a laptop bag before and to me, it really takes the finishing to a whole new level. Again, sophisticated with a touch of whimsy.

Check out my full review of the Lady Lindy from Bobarra.

The e-Pad Laptop Desk - Both a Laptop Bag and a Portable Desk!

This is pretty sweet. A laptop bag that doubles as a portable desk. From Brookstone.com - only $40 USD. Comes in three colours (uh, where's the hot pink, Brookstone?!?)

And I can't tell you HOW I know, but I do have it on good authority that both Katy Perry and Taylor Swift love their e-Pad.

Friendly and Functional - the Emily Laptop Tote from Rainebrooke Designs

I just posted a review of the new Emily Laptop Tote from Rainebrooke Designs.  One of the things I really like about Rainebrooke's bags is that they are highly functional.  Steve really thinks about what a person needs in a bag, particularly one who travels.

From the review ...

As much as I enjoy the darker months of the year, I must admit that occasionally, when I am out with the dog and the weather goes from sunny to ice pellets in mere seconds, I long for the mildness of spring. The idealized version of spring, of course, where it doesn't rain much and the trees on our street are resplendant with pink cherry blossoms for weeks on end.

So I was thrilled when Steve from Rainebrooke sent over their latest laptop bag, the Emily Laptop Tote. Not only is it a sleek, functional design, but the Emily is just the right shade of cherry blossom pink to nurture my spring fancy.

The Emily is a nicely structured tote with plenty of room for your day-to-day necessities - and your 17" laptop! For a structured bag, it's very lightweight and the padded faux leather handles are perfectly padded for easy carrying.

The Emily also comes with an adjustable, removable strap if you'd prefer to carry the bag over the shoulder or across the body, messenger-style. The strap has a nice shoulder pad attached, so even if you pack the bag full, it's comfy to tote around.

You can check out the full review or go straight to the Emily on Rainebrooke's site.

Get eco-chic with the laptop T.O.T.E. from Urban Junket

I just posted a review of the fun and fresh Laptop T.O.T.E. bags from Urban Junket (T.O.T.E. = "to observe the earth"). There are two great things about these bags: the amazing colour palette and the very smart functional design - Tracey Dyer, the designer, has fashioned one bag with three ways to carry it: over the shoulder (tote-style), across the body (messenger-style) and on the back (backpack-style).

You can read the full review of the T.O.T.E. from Urban Junket over on my lens; here's an excerpt:

Maybe I'm just feeling a little nostalgic for John Hughes this days - but I have to say that my journey with my review copy of the Urban Junket T.O.T.E. reminded me of the teen romance films of my youth.

You know the ones I mean. Those teen movies where the female protaganist is a bit of a tomboy who maybe wears glasses and she's desperately in love with the male protaganist, but he doesn't even see her! But then at the end of the film, he suddenly realizes that the perfect woman was right in front of him the whole time! Well...that's kind of how it was with me and the Urban Junket T.O.T.E.

I confess that when I first received the Urban Junket T.O.T.E., it was summer and I thought it was nice. It wasn't until the days started to get a little darker and the leaves turned that I really started to notice it - arrestingly colourful, slick and chic. How had I not seen it before? And how soon could I come up with an excuse to take it out somewhere??

The Urban Junket T.O.T.E. ("Tote" stands for "To Observe the Earth") comes in two sizes, the 15.4" and the 17", which is the one I have. Its glossy exterior is eco-friendly coated canvas made from non-toxic dyes - a definite plus in my book.

The glossy material is also water resistant - another plus in rainy Vancouver - although there is a little gap between the zipper and the edge of the bag, so you know - don't toss it in the pool or anything.

Plus, there is a great video from Tracey showing how to configure the bag in each of its three styles.  You can also skip the review and go straight to the Urban Junket T.O.T.E. over at CareerBags.com.

What's Better Than a Bag with Butterflies?

A FREE bag with butterflies! Ellen over at CareerBags.com has announced their monthly giveaway, and this one's an lepidopterist's dream come true!

Head over to the giveaway page and enter your name for a chance at a free Butterfly Touch Vintage Tapestry Bag.

Retro Cool - The Black Candy Laptop Tote from Rainebrooke Designs

What's more cheerful than shiny, red patent retro goodness? Very little, I say - would you agree? I finally had a chance to do my full review of the Black Candy laptop tote from Rainbrooke Designs...

It's summer and surprisingly hot here in coastal Vancouver. So I've been wearing my hair in a ponytail lately. And sporting rolled up jeans and oversize white oxford shirts. And I realised that I've been transported to the 50's and have become Ritchie Cunningham's little sister. Sock hops, slicked hair and poodle skirts are all the rage. And my saddle shoes are swell.

But I've got one thing Joanie didn't have - and that is the rockin' Black Candy laptop tote from Rainebrooke Designs.

The Black Candy is a split-style laptop tote. One side holds your laptop and has a removable sleeve for extra padding. The sleeve holds up to a 15" laptop - but if you remove the sleeve, a 17" will fit on the laptop side. The Black Candy is very well padded, so even if you don't have the sleeve, I don't think you need to worry about your laptop.

One of the VERY smart things about the Black Candy is that each of the sides of the tote has it's own zipper - so you don't have to have the laptop side opened when you're digging through the bauble side - and vice versa.

If you're a fan of rockin' retro styling, check out the full review of the Black Candy - in addition to the full scoop, there are some special pricing codes for an amazing discount on the Black Candy!!

Feeling Creative? Help Rainebrooke Name Their New Laptop Bag!

Rainebrooke is launching a new laptop tote in the next month or so and they need some help naming it!  The new bag is a two-compartment laptop tote that comes in both a pink and black version as well as a red and black version. 

You can get the full specs and larger pictures over at Rainebrooke's site.  Once you've got a sense of the bag, visit our contest page and submit your idea for a name for this kicky laptop tote.  The winner will get one for their very own!

50% Off Sale at Plastic People Designs - Maker of Supreme Love Story Pink Laptop Bag

Shannon from Plastic People just sent me a note to let me know that she's having a 50% off sale!

50% off! Wowsers!

Shannon makes the adorable Supreme Love Story bags that I've written about before. She has models for both 15" and 17" laptops (that's right ladies - 17" laptops!). Her bags regularly start at $165, but if you use the code FRIENDS at checkout, you'll get 50% off.

Visit Plastic People Design to check out the Supreme Love Story.

Valentine Laptop Bag Giveaway from CareerBags.com and Veronica London

I'm just about done with winter, aren't you?  And I can think of no better way to emphasize my done-ness than to start day dreaming about warmer, more pleasant topics.  Like Valentine's Day.

And what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a laptop bag (yes, yes .. I'm totally biased).

Delightfully, Ellen Hart from CareerBags.com has given Funchico.com a red version of her snazzy Veronica London business tote to give away to one of our readers! So, here's the deal:

To enter ... leave a comment telling us your favourite romantic couple from history or literature. 

Make sure your email address in the comment field is accurate - it's the only way I have to get a hold of you (don't worry, it won't appear publicly). Contest closes at 5PM PST on Wednesday Feb 4, 2009.  After that time, I'll do a random draw and announce the winner here.  Prize includes a red Veronica London and shipping of the bag to you or your significant lady.

Oh, and guys, a special shout-out to you.  If you want to score points on Valentine's Day - there's no better way that with a snazzy laptop bag :)  Seriously.  Would I lie?  Enter the contest - win a bag for your special gal.

And ladies ... you enter to win one for YOUR special gal too! Besides, then you can borrow it - Rose borrows my laptop bags ALL THE TIME!

If you want to get the scoop on the VL, I wrote a review of it a few months ago. 

Recap:

• Win an awesome laptop bag
• To enter - leave a comment with fav romantic couple
• Deadline - 5PM PST on Wed Feb 4, 2009

Good luck!

Update: Our lucky winner is Lindsay from East York, ON!  She said that Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy were her fav romantic couple from literature.  That Mark Darcy - such a cutie!  Congrats, Lindsay!  And thanks to all of you who entered - I very much appreciated the comments and commentary on your favourite couples :)