Review: Fashionable Loopbags Are Tough Enough For NYC
7:50 pm, August 10th, 2009, Traci Dauphin
Ibint's Messenger Loopbag is a good, sturdy laptop tote for NYC.
Because we’re all geeks these days and need bags for our laptops, the market for fashionable computer bags has mercifully grown. Gone are the days when the only laptop bag you could buy was black and rectangular.
A particularly stylish entry onto the fashion laptote market is Ibint, a company that sells a range of good-looking laptop bags called Loopbag. The Loopbags have distinctive zippers that loop around the front and back of the bags — hence the name.
We’ve been testing a pair of Loopbags in New York for the last couple of weeks, and they’ve held up exceptionally well, especially because this summer has been exceptionally wet.
Hit the jump for the rest of the review.
The Messenger bag's handle is good for grabbing the bag in a hurry.
What it is: Ibint’s Loopbags are available in a range of styles, including messenger and backpack styles. They come in several sizes and colors to fit MacBooks ranging from the 13-inch MacBook Air up to the 17-inch MacBook Pro.
The Good: I’ve been using the 14″ Vanguard Messenger Loopbag for the past three weeks while vacationing in NYC. This $110 bag can handle abuse, whether from mother nature or this mother of four kids. It can take a beating. Even with four grubby fingers continuously opening and closing the bag for gum and candy, the chunky zippers and the bag’s colorful lining remain unscathed.
Fortunately, the bag is made from waterproof nylon because this summer has been an extremely wet one. Even after sudden torrential downpours I can happily report that all the contents remained dry, including my camera and cellphone.
Because of the waterproof nylon, the bag can be easily wiped clean, which is great because dirty kids’ fingers and the even dirtier subway really take a toll.
Packracks will like this sturdy bag because it can hold a lot of items. The front of the bag has two seperate zippered compartments. The larger is where the laptop goes and there is ample room to hold paperwork and books. The bag stores your laptop in a completely-protected laptop sleeve (PVC free), which is great if you tend to throw your bag about. A separate zippered area at the top of the bag is the perfect place for a camera, while a smaller pouch at the front is good for your wallet and lipstick.
The bag is called the Loopbag because it has a pair of zippers that loop from the front to the back. This is useful to keep things hidden but accessible in a hurry, like an umbrella. It also allows for multiple access points to the main compartment — either from the front or rear, on both sides. The bag’s cotton strap is wide and comfortable, and has a useful pouch for a cell phone. There’s also a zippered pocket, which holds Metro cards and keys perfectly.
If you tend to over-pack your bags and need something bigger, there’s the $115 Loopbag Laptop Backpack, which has better weight distribution. The kids have taken the backpack out a few times and haven’t complained (too much) about wearing it. See the pictures below.
The Bad: I only wish the strap on the Messenger bag was adjustable and could be made slightly shorter. This is my only criticism of the bag. For some reason, the strap can’t be adjusted, and for someone my height (about 5′ 9″), it hangs too low.
Conclusion: Overall, Ibint’s Loopbags are sturdy and stylish bags that hold up well in the urban environment. These designer bags are a nice change from the typical generic black laptop bag. The looping zipper is a nice touch that makes it easy to get to the front or back compartments.
Where to get it: Loopbags are available for $111-$119 at Ibint’s international online store, which offers worldwide shipping.
The internal laptop sleeve is well padded and there's extra sleeves for notepads or books.
Lots of pockets: perfect for packrats.
Here’s the Loopbag Laptop Backpack, which the kids have been using to cart supplies on day trips around NYC.
The bag is big but not too big. A kid can carry it quite comfortably.
The internal sleeve holds this 13-inch MacBook nice and snug.
The looping zippers allow the bag to be opened from the back or the front.
The handy pocket at the front is seperate from the main compartment and is handy for stashing things like Metrocards.
Posted by Traci Dauphin in Clothing, Macbook, Reviews, Top stories | Comment on this article
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I’m a huge sucker for bags, so I’m always on the lookout for interesting ones. This one looks interesting, but the zippers on the back also look uncomfortable.
Any comment?
Rick
Rick Lobrecht, on August 11th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Fashion?! Looks like an oversized ‘fanny pack’ as you former colonials
call them…
belengazi, on August 11th, 2009 at 9:22 am
As a New Yorker, please let me say ….
ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE New Yawkerz-Are-As-Tough-As-Nails BULLSHIT !!!
Jesus fuckin’ Christ — it’s as if all of us all walk around chomping a cigar stub with a rolled up newspaper, a two day growth of beard & a sneer.
New York is only bottom-of-the-barrel 3rd worlders & — uh …. “Alternative LifeStyle’ practitioners now.
Just talk about the bag & not how “… it’s good enough to be used in New York !!11!!1!”
CaryMG, on August 11th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Nice design, but that bottom zip is just asking to be opened by someone looking to steal your lunch money …
ant n cleopuss, on August 12th, 2009 at 12:55 am