MixBag has all the pockets you’ll need (but you pay for every one)

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The MixBag is versatile, but it won't necessarily make you look super-cool. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
The MixBag is versatile, but it won't necessarily make you look super-cool. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

I was pretty sure I would never need to look any further than my trusty Chrome bag when it came time to be out and about with my electronics. It was a simple system, really: Just chuck everything into the bag’s cavernous pocket, buckle it in and go. It was quick, and it worked — until I needed to actually get anything out of there.

See, for all its style and the novelty of its seat-belt strap, Chromes are really only meant to transport one or two larger packages. Because they’re messenger bags. You know, for messengers.

The MixBag takes a different approach: It’s smaller, but it has a pocket for everything you might possibly need to carry around.

The MixBag can be put in many configurations. Image courtesy MixBag
The MixBag can be put in many configurations. Image courtesy MixBag

I had no trouble fitting a Nintendo 3DS XL handheld system and a PlayStation Vita — both in cases — into the main pocket of the bag, and I still had room to drop my Kindle Paperwhite into the zippered back pocket. The zippered pouch on the front of the bag was ideal for all my cords and chargers, so everything had a logical and easily accessible spot.

And that’s only half of the thing; the MixBag has a secondary section for your laptop (it comes in both 11- and 13-inch sizes), and the two sides meet at a zipper so you can just take along the amount of bag that you need. The two sides kinda-sorta stick together via very weak magnets in their backs, but I got better results in stick-together-ness by linking them with the included shoulder strap.

Inside, the MixBag has pouches that fit my iPhone 5s perfectly, but they’re actually meant for the bag’s optional, portable battery in case you find yourself stuck with a dead phone and no outlets. I didn’t receive one of those power sources for this review, so I don’t know how well it works. But the idea is solid.

The bag’s other touted feature is that it allows you to carry it 10 different ways — or so the website says. Here they are:

MixBag instructions
There are so many ways to wear a MixBag. Image courtesy MixBag

I tried them all at least once. Some are useful, but a few verge on “no way am I going outside like this.”

Options 1, 2 and 3 involve throwing the bag over your shoulder like you’re a pack mule, and while it wasn’t physically uncomfortable to wear the MixBag this way, I don’t think my fragile emotions could have handled walking around like that.

Another downside of these options is that you have to take the bag off your shoulder to access it, and I prefer to keep my stuff close at hand and reachable. And isn’t Option 1 just daring some unsavory character to run up and grab it? The bag is so tantalizingly untethered, and that handle looks so inviting.

I can’t speak for the backpack feature in Option 3 above, since mine arrived with a pretty big rip in it. But I wasn’t likely to use the thing this way anyway. What I can say, however, is that the backpack didn’t get in the way when it was stowed up inside the bag.

MixBag 10-inchAs for the rest of the configurations … you know, whatever makes you comfortable. Handle-only Options 4 and 7 work fine as long as you aren’t lugging anything too heavy and don’t need your hands free, but I’m really not sure about 9 and 10’s holster/fanny pack.

Just … no, right?

I actually went with Hidden Option 11, where I clipped one end of the strap to the handle and the other between the two halves, and then wore the thing on my hip with the belt running diagonally across my chest. This kept everything close and safe, and the best news is that I didn’t look like an asshole.

The MixBag is a pretty good and sturdy bag, other than that unfortunate business with the backpack, and I keep discovering pockets in it, like the mesh one in the bottom that you can use to transport a bottle of water if you don’t want to take your chances with it inside the bag.

If I had to complain about one thing, it’s that MixBags are expensive. Their regular asking prices are $212 for the 11.6-inch model and $237 for the 13.6-inch one. You can occasionally find sales on the company’s website, so hold out for one of those. They also offer a 10-inch model for a suggested price of $180, and that’s a bit better, but it won’t do you much good if you’re looking for a laptop bag — although it would definitely hold your iPad and a wireless keyboard, if that’s how you roll. The power pack adds another $70, or you can order it separately for a bit over $100.

It’s hard not to tell you to grab the much-cheaper STM Quantum we reviewed back in August, and then pick up your own battery for $40, tops. But if you have some money to burn and you want a lot of room and options, the MixBag is a pretty easy sell.

MixBag water bottleMixBag by MixBag ($180/$212/$237)
The good: A pocket for everything and a lot of carrying options.
The bad: Pricey; most of the options make you look dumb.
The verdict: You definitely get what you pay for; this could be the last gadget bag you’ll ever need if you can afford it or find a sale.
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