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

The Cozmo Laptop Bag from Waterfield Designs - Sporty and Sophisticated

I do love the girly laptop bags.  The bags that scream "I don't belong to a boy!".

But sometimes you need to be a grownup and your laptop bag can help you play the part.  I recently put the Cozmo laptop bag from Waterfield Designs to the test.  From the review ...

A few years ago, I got a review copy of the WaterField Racer-X Laptop Briefcase which I totally fell in love with. It fit my laptop perfectly, had just the right amount of space for my other necessaries and it was great for travel. It was my go-to bag for quite awhile and it gave me great joy. Then my father-in-law needed a laptop bag and since the Racer-X was the only one I had at the time that wasn't overtly girly, I gave it to him. And then...then I missed it.

So you can imagine my delight when the Cozmo by WaterField in "Stone" arrived on my doorstep, all sleek and well-proportioned. It's like I'd been given a second chance at love.

The Cozmo is more of a sporty, structured handbag shape rather than strictly a briefcase. But make no mistake - this bag is still all business

Check out the full review of the Cozmo laptop bag over on Squidoo.

Review of Lexie Barnes' Stylish Echo Laptop Bag PLUS a coupon for free gift!

Lexie Barnes has updated her Echo Laptop Bag - not only with new fabulous fabrics, but with a double compartment and a secret pocket for your phone or keys! Love. It.

Check out my full review of the Echo over on Squidoo - or just hop on over to Lexie's site to order. The Echo sells for $119 USD. And as a delightful spring bonus, Lexie's given us a coupon. Use FUNCHICO at checkout and for any purchase over $100 (whether the Echo or another of her fabulous bags - her McCoy overnighter, especially in the Kiri fabric, is a winner) she will include a free Mini in matching fabric with your order.  Good til March 15, 2010.

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.

Cutest Netbook Sleeve Ever - the Lady Damask from Slappa

First of all, I'm excited that more and more laptop bag and sleeve designers are naming bags the Lady Something.  I'm holding out for someone to make the "Lady Katherine" bag :)

Second ... I simply cannot express how cute this new netbook sleeve from Slappa is.  Seriously. Slappa has started a line of both sleeves and bags for women (which I am thrilled about), but this Lady Damask (White) Netbook Sleeve is just adorable.

I wrote a full rhapsodic review of the Lady Damask over on my Squidoo Netbook Review lens.  Do check it out - Slappa is onto something good with their new line for women. I've got one of their bags in my review queue - stay tuned!

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.

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.

Love these bright coloured totes from Tepper Jackson at CareerBags.com

I just saw these on CareerBags.com - totes and carryalls from Tepper Jackson. Do you love the colours? I LOVE the colours!  This Kashmir patterned weekender/carry-all tote is my favourite. LOVE it.

Not strictly for laptops - but you could pair it with one of these crazy sleeves from Isis Dei (also at CareerBags).  I think this green polka-dot sleeve would be perfect.

A Field Guide to Laptop Bags for Journalists

Earlier this summer, I was contacted by Benét Wilson - the Online Managing Editor for Business Aviation (and on Twitter as @AvWeekBenet). Last year Benét interviewed me about check-point friendly laptop bags for her column "Towers and Tarmac". This year, Benét moderated a panel on "Becoming a Multimedia Journalist" at the annual conference of The National Association of Black Journalists. She asked me if I would send her some thoughts on what laptop bags would be good for journalists.

The following piece is what I came up with.

Journalists are a varied species – and the tools of the trade they carry are just as varied.  So when Benét asked me to put together some recommendations for bags for journalists, I got a little concerned.  But after some field research, I’ve been able to identify four sub-species of journalists and the bags that would be appropriate for each.

First up, Journalist Maximus, or the “I carry everything with me at all times” journalist. These folks were likely Boy (or Girl) Scouts and want to always be prepared – so they bring all their reporting tools with them.  And the best bags for these folks: backpacks.  Now, the type of backpack bag best for Journalist Maximus depends upon species variation:

Some JM’s are a little clumsy and need to protect their most sacred of tools – the laptop.  But they also want plenty of room for their other gear plus easy access to recorders, notebooks, granola bars, etc.  For the JM whose laptop is primary and perhaps prone to bashing themselves and their bags around, I recommend the Smart Alec backpack and Brain Cell from Tom Bihn.  I have fallen over backwards while wearing my Tom Bihn with Brain Cell, landed square on my Macbook Pro, and it emerged totally unscathed.

Say you’re the type of Journalist Maximus for whom the camera is the thing.  And your backup camera.  And your backup backup camera.  Plus tripod.  And some other gear that you like to have with you “just in case”. And that laptop you have to carry so you can file the story.  Well, the Aura Backpack from Slappa is a good choice. Slappa has a long history of making awesome bags for the toughest of gearheads – DJ’s.  They’ve now translated that expertise into bags that are perfect for camera-ladden journos on the go.  They’ve included lots of padded pockets for cameras and lenses as well as straps for tying on tripods and other misc gear.  Plus you can slide a laptop in.

Finally, there are some Journalist Maximus (Maximi?!) who are, well, a little girly – and don’t want to carry around a big, bad backpack.  These ladies are possibly a little in denial about how much they carry.  Luckily, they have a hero in Melissa Beth Designs.  Melissa Beth has created a startlingly roomy backpack, called the Piggy Back, for a laptop and other gear that has a very slim silhouette and sits well on a smaller frame that often comes with this variation of the JM sub-species.

 

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?