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

Lexie Barnes Copper Classic Tote a Beach Picnic Allstar!

So, it's hot in Vancouver right now. Very hot. As in, history making heat wave hot, with a good dose of humidity to boot. One of the only places it's really pleasant to be right now, in a city that doesn't believe in air conditioning, is at the beach, lolling in the Pacific breeze. And that's where the Lexi Barnes Classic Tote comes in.

What could you ask of a beach tote? That it be lightweight? Roomy? Stylish? The Classic Tote excels in all these areas, and can take on the city as well as it takes on the beach. I toss in my beach essentials, and a few non-essentials (hellooo, picnic!) and the sand is mine to command. Also, the nylon exterior is perfectly able to brush off any accidental drips, of, say, deliciously creamy ice cream.

Seriously, we here at Funchico cannot say enough good things about this bag - the jealous stares from our fellow beachcombers don't hurt, either.

There are three sizes and three colours of the classic tote to choose from (we adore the copper!). They range in price from $79 to $119 - check these hot totes out on the Lexie Barnes site!

5th Anniversary Sale - 50% Off Coakley Bags!

Whether or not you're jetting off to some fabulous locale this summer, you really ought to have some fabulous bag to tote along - even if it's just out to grab a latte. Who says style needs occasion?

Perhaps you've been eying one of the lovely Coakley bags, like the Timeless Tweed Tote? If you've been admiring from afar, now would be a good time to show them some serious consideration. For a limited time, Coakley is celebrating their 5th anniversary by offering a 50% discount (plus special gift) on their entire line of bags!

Head to their website and enter code CBCGALS to take advantage of the limited time offer!

Expand-It Messenger from BBP Offers Slim, Chic Laptop Bag Style

I've never seen a bag with pin stripes before.  From boardroom to independent coffee house, the Expand-It Messenger Bag from BBP will keep you in style.  A good one for the gents who want something a little more upscale than a solid black bag.  Sophisticated, yet understated.  From the review ...

The Expand-It sacrifices a bit of space for style, but so long as you're not intending to carry your life in your bag, it's a good bet. In fact, for commuters who depend on public transit, the bag's low profile design is a blessing on crowded routes. The bag itself has a full-size interior compartment with a removable padded laptop sleeve for the days when the laptop stays home and the gym clothes come out. There is a nice assortment of zippered and snapped pockets under the flap.

As the name suggests, the Expand-It also expands by opening the zipper that runs along the bottom and both sides of the bag, opening up a bit more capacity. The padding on the strap is cushy enough to be comfortable for a commuter; and the adjustable strap allows a cross-body carry.

You can read the full review and see several more pics over at my Laptop Bags for Men lens.

Eenamaria Totes from CareerBags.com Sure are Sharp!

What's your bag, lady? Looking for something far out?

After spotting the Eenamaria Laptop Bags and Pencil Cases on CareerBags.com, I'm feeling the urge to channel Twiggy - cue the false eyelashes!

There's little that oozes cool quite like mod, and the Eenamaria bags have it in spades. The compact totes are perfect for netbooks, while keeping you streamlined and hip in your mini. Of course, I'm sure they'll look just as lovely without the go-go boots!

Shiny patent and bold black accents are the Eenamaria signature, designed for the gal who always knows the best place to be. So, do you want dibs?

Scott Upcycled Firehose Bags from Feuerwear

Upcycling is the name of the game with Feurwear, the German company that takes used fire hoses and turns them into the kind of über cool tech totes and accessories we live to drool over. The newest example of this is the Scott Laptop Bags, now available to fit 13", 15" and 17" models.

The company takes the battle-scarred fire hoses, marked with soot, mud, grease and other firey accoutrement, scrubs them clean and hand-pieces them into sturdy pieces that'll have no trouble standing up to the daily commute.

The laptop bags feature padded sleeves, hard-wearing straps and roomy interiors. Eco-friendly and snazzy to boot? These are ready for war, even if that's just the Starbucks line.

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!!

10% off Everything and Free Shipping Over $75 at Slappa

Looking for an excuse to pick up the Ballistix AURA, or perhaps the Velocity MATRIX to tote along on your summer adventures? Well, right now Slappa is offering 10% off all products, as well as free shipping on orders over $75.

We loved the AURA and the MATRIX, and even if you're not planning any covert ops over long summer weekends, these road warrior ready bags come highly recommended. Check out the sale here.

Proporta iPod/iPhone Cases - Now Available from Skooba

Euro-cool is now available this side of the Pacific - Skooba is now the exclusive US distributor of Proporta cases and accessories. Talk about sleek!

In addition to being the gadget-case incarnation of continental cool, the iPhone and iPod cases blend the luxe eye-candy of a leather case with the screen-protection of a hard shell, courtesy of an aluminum panel. Top-stitched and available in a range of candy hues (in addition to your standard classy neutrals), these sort of make me wish I had an iPhone or iPod Touch. But not to worry...they make them to fit the Classic and the Nano as well!

Celisling from Celi Inc.

Who says practical can't be sexy? What, don't believe me? Have a look at the Celisling from the Canadian girls at Celi Inc. and prepare to have your world rocked.

If your protective PDA case and favourite catch-all purse had a baby, they could only hope it would come out looking like this pretty little thing - with all the compartmentalized storage your case doesn't offer, in a size that's not likely to give you back strain (unlike, say, my catch-call purse).

Celi Inc. also offers the Celicase, which goes even more minimalist than the Celisling while retaining the functionality. All in all, a neat little Canadian company making some wonderfully (practically) sexy bags.