I’ve used a lot of laptop bags. I currently use a rather robust Level8 bag, but I often find it’s too large and bulky for a short day trip, or for a quick jaunt across town to help a neighbor. I found myself looking for a small, light, easy to grab bag – and Timbuk2 delivered.
First Thoughts
I think Timbuk2 has a nice answer to that with their Quickie for Laptops. It’s a simple bag, large enough to hold a MacBook or other laptop, a power adapter, and a few cables. It’s considerably slimmer and lighter than what I might otherwise carry, and makes a welcome addition to my team.
I love that it uses no more packaging than a simple thin plastic sleeve, and I really appreciate the Oxford Blue color that they sent my way (they chose it, and I’m glad they did), and in general, I am really happy with the utility, lightness, strength, and durability that the Quicky brings to the table.
Pockets
The Quicky has 3 pockets – one main pocket to hold your laptop, and two smaller pockets to hold your power brick, cables, and so forth. The inner pocket is well-padded, and has shock absorbing “bubbles”, and guards the laptop from being scratched by the zipper. Further, the bright red color stands in stark contrast to the blue exterior – something which I happen to like. The Quicky only had a few pockets because its intended as a minimalist, very light-weight bag that’s easy to load and unload.
I especially appreciated that it includes slim cutout-style pockets that can be used to stash the included shoulder strap (the bag also has handles).
How Does It All Fit?
I placed my 15″ MacBook Pro in the main pocket to see how things are situated, and was please to find that, while it did not “hug” my laptop or cradle it closely (instead offering a small amount of wiggle room), this actually made the bag more comfortable to carry, and helped it keep its form. I felt like my 15″ MacBook Pro would be well-protected in this case. The front pockets proved capable of holding my power adapter, and all the cables that I routinely use.
A Suggestion, If I Might
While I really appreciated the minimalism and light weight of this bag, and the fact that it’s great for a quick run here or there, I found myself wishing it had a small compartment – perhaps even a slit – into which I could insert a few documents, or even a folder. This one observation withstanding, I have no complaints about this bag.
Conclusion
The Timbuk2 Quickie is designed for the mobile consumer who just needs enough space for a laptop and a few extras. It’s extremely well-built, stylish, comfortable to use, and lightweight (just .73 pounds for the medium size), and while I felt it could use an extra document-carrying pocket, the Timbuk2 performs much better than expected considering its affordable price and high quality.
The Quickie comes in 4 sizes, and is priced at $45 for the extra small and small sizes (XS is the perfect size for an iPad), and just $50 for the medium and large sizes, which hold either a 15″ or 17″ laptop, respectively. I felt that, considering the exceptional build quality, the affordable price, and the pockets and features that the bag includes, that I should give it a full 5 out of 5, all things considered.
To get more information, or to purchase the Timbuk2 Quickie, visit their product page on the web.
