REVIEW – I am always on the lookout for my next bag. Whether it be to carry a laptop, camera equipment or a traveling bag. I currently have a bag that I am using to carry my laptop at work. Where I work we have three separate buildings and trying to carry a laptop, mouse, power cord and water bottle is just too unwieldy without a bag. So when I was given the opportunity to review the new Mobile Edge Graphite Messenger Bag I jumped at the chance. Let’s see how it worked out for me.
Design and Features
- Exterior Dimensions – in inches 17.5 x 13 x 4.25
- Holds computers up to 16 inch widescreens
- Weight 2.1 pounds
- Has a padded computer compartment
- Has a padded shoulder strap and a grab handle
- Ballistic Nylon exterior
The picture above shows you the front of the bag. The main flap is secured with two heavy duty plastic clips. I like that Velcro is not being used to secure the main flap. It can often be really noisy to open a bag in a quiet office environment.
This next picture shows the back of the bag. You can see the grab handle at the top. It is made of some kind of thick nylon that is double stitched to the back and has a rubber grip handle at the top. You can also see there is a flap in the back that leads to a large exterior pocket. This flap is secured with Velcro. I would use this compartment to store paper documents or magazines. The second picture shows this compartment opened up where you can see the Velcro tab at the top. Another thing to note on the back of the bag is the extra padding in that black area. I assume it is there to protect the laptop since the compartment directly on the other side of the back panel is the laptop area.
The next picture above is a close up of the carry strap. The clip attaching it to the bag is heavy duty plastic but with a metal flange. It swivels which makes getting the strap in the right position really easily. You can also see they provide a nice padded piece that you can move around on the strap or even take off completely if you wish. The next picture is a closeup of the ballistic nylon. It is a nice grey color. The bag does not come in any other colors but the black/grey combination you see in this review. I think it looks really nice and professional. I love bright colors, but carrying a bright purple bag around work is not something I want to do.
The next picture is a closeup of the bottom of the bag. You can see where everything is double stitched. The bottom is not leather but some heavy weather-resistant type of canvas. It seems like it could really take a beating. I also like out they strengthened the sides of the bag by adding the extra strapping.
This next picture is a shot of the bag with the main flap open. There are multiple compartments and features in this area. Next we will walk from left to right on this part of the bag. The next picture shows the ID holder and it is detached from its Velcro holder. This is a nice feature if you want to carry your id around without having to carry your purse with you. It also has a metal key ring to attach things like keys or maybe your work badge. I like that you can just detach it completely and save a little weight if you are not going to use it at all which is what I personally did.
The next two images above try to show you how the pockets in the front of the bag are laid out. The first one on the left is a larger pocket right in the middle of the front of the bag. The picture on the right shows a smaller pocket and then the larger pocket behind it that runs the entire width of the bag. This messenger bag gives you plenty of pockets to organize your stuff.
This next picture shows my Samsung Galaxy S9 in that far right pocket. You can see it just barely peeks out of the pocket. It could easily hold something like a Note where more would be sticking out, but the front flap of the bag would protect it.
The picture above is a close-up shot of the pen/pencil storage area. I like how they provide a small pocket below the pen holder to slide the ends of your pens inside. That way you don’t have to worry about losing your pens if they are too narrow for the nylon holding slots.
Now let’s start to walk through the interior of the bag. The first thing I noticed was the material they used on the inside. It is a nice light color combo of white and light grey. It makes finding things inside the bag pretty easy. The first picture is a shot of that main pocket on the very front of the bag inside the flap. You can see it goes almost all the way across the bag. The next shot is a picture of the first storage area behind the front of the bag. The black area is a hard plastic divider. This pocket is the narrowest in the main compartment area.
The next picture shows a large compartment that is right after the black plastic and just before the main computer storage area. You can see it has a spot where a nylon flap from the computer area will attach. That will help to hold the computer in its place. This is a nice deep compartment. I use it to put my power supply and mouse inside. I have even put a water bottle in this area at one time. Picture a standard bottle of water you would buy at a convenience store. The picture on the right shows the actual computer compartment. The flap to attach over the area back to the Velcro area in the picture on is lying in the middle. This compartment is padded on all 4 sides including the bottom of the bag. I had no worries about damaging my computer by setting it down hard on a table.
This next picture shows the computer area with my Dell XPS 15 inside. I have the flap over the top to secure the laptop. You can see that I do have at least an inch more in width and maybe a quarter inch or so at the top for a larger computer.
This last picture shows a slim zippered area that is fronted by some mesh that is on the back of the main flap. This is another area to put small items you may want to carry.
What I like
I love that this bag has so many compartments. I like to try to organize my stuff and this bag gives me plenty of opportunities to do so. A lot of messenger bags I have used before tended to have a single main compartment and maybe one or two additional storage areas. I feel this bag is very sturdy and should last me a long time. The materials and double stitching make me feel secure that my stuff won’t be falling out of the bag. The colors are professional and should not show stains or scrapes like some lighter colors would.
What can be improved
Really the only suggestion I would make is to possibly make a slightly smaller bag. At least where I work, I don’t see anyone carrying around a larger 16 in laptop anymore. If anything, people have downsized to things like a Surface Pro. My 15 inch laptop is now one of the larger ones in the company. Having a smaller version that would handle up to a 15 inch bag would save some weight.
Price: $69.99
Where to buy: Mobile Edge and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mobile Edge
