Imagine a bag a young Steve Jobs would carry his Ipad in...

April 29, 2010 2:41 PM

So I'd like some sort of bag for my ipad but one that's not going to look like a purse. Thoughts?

I just got the ipad. Love it. But putting it in my old laptop bag is like putting a kid's foot in a clown shoe. And really, not needing all the accessories and such I really DON'T need that giant thing anymore. So I need a NEW padded bag that makes sense for it. Which would be smaller.

Only if you go MUCH smaller you get a purse.

So split the difference for me people. You're a man. You want a manly Ipad bag (and possibly a hardshell protection sleeve to boot). You want it to protect your gizmo but you don't want something bigger than it needs to be. And you want no reference to Carrie Bradshaw owning a satchel just like it.

What are you going to buy?

posted by rileyray3000 to technology (26 answers total)

I can't imagine anything that would fit your description better than this:

http://www.fatiguesarmynavy.com/store/item/SE1904/Original_Swedish_Army_Map_Case_Bag
posted by 256 at 2:46 PM on April 29, 2010

Tom Bihn comes through again.
posted by jjg at 2:46 PM on April 29, 2010

These are good. Anything more...leathery?
posted by rileyray3000 at 2:47 PM on April 29, 2010

Anything more...leathery?

Ebay is your friend.
posted by Nothing... and like it at 2:53 PM on April 29, 2010 [5 favorites]

You can take any neutral or feminine bag and make it more manly by sewing masculine patches onto it or drawing some kind of tough-looking pictures. People will pay more attention to the skulls, knives, and clenched fists (or what have you) than the bag's form.
posted by ignignokt at 2:57 PM on April 29, 2010

This bag comes up in the first Google result for "leather ipad bag".
posted by jjg at 2:59 PM on April 29, 2010

What's your price point?

Jesus-Christ-$250-for-a-bag-end: SF Bags Muzetto.
High-end: Temple Bags.
Low-end: Brenthaven, which also has a lifetime warranty.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:07 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

So map cases are roughly analogous to ipads. Who knew?
posted by rileyray3000 at 3:08 PM on April 29, 2010

In the mid-end-- $50 to $90ish-- I'd look at Token Bags' Fulton Mini, booq's Taipan Shadow XS, and STM's Scout Extra Small.

I'm waiting for my Fulton Mini to show up (probably Monday); another friend has one and likes it as an iPad bag. Mr. F's Brenthaven satchel is really awesome and fits the iPad nicely-- I needed one with a little more room for my meds and so on.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:10 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm a big fan of Fossil's bags. Their leather goods are really well made and sturdy, with very rich colors. Everything I have of theirs has weathered and definitely improved with age. That link is to what they call their "commuter bags" and I especially like the "Edge" city bag, which looks to be about the right size, I think.
posted by Mizu at 3:11 PM on April 29, 2010

I love Brenthaven bags, they are very well done and have a lifetime guarantee.
Their new iPad satchel is nice and neutral (not girly), although maybe it's too casual?
posted by clearlydemon at 3:14 PM on April 29, 2010

I'd try and find a military surplus postal musette, or map bag. Locally if possible since the quality and condition of actual military surplus goods can vary widely from piece to piece.

Of course the 'manly' aspect is subjective and largely depends on the rest of your ensemble and how you wear it.
posted by a halcyon day at 3:28 PM on April 29, 2010

How about this? Or this?
posted by Funky Claude at 3:33 PM on April 29, 2010

Leathery: m0851
posted by asuprenant at 3:47 PM on April 29, 2010

This isn't really a bag, but cool either way.
posted by Silvertree at 3:58 PM on April 29, 2010

I kinda like this one by Marware, it's good for the environment, and it isn't very expensive (<>
If you want one that looks even less like a purse, this one resembles a manila envelope and is made of tan leather, but it isn't very cheap (~$75).
posted by misha at 4:15 PM on April 29, 2010

Okay, I don't know what I did after that first link, but what I MEANT to type was that it was < $40.
posted by misha at 4:50 PM on April 29, 2010

Etsy has some nice options too. Ipad sleeve seems to be the keyword.
posted by saffry at 4:55 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm a guy. I've been carrying this Mountainsmith Bag around for the last 3 weeks and LOVE it. Your ipad would be right at home in one of the pockets. It's the perfect size for what I carry and a bit more. I tried the Timbuk2 Transit and that was just a hair smaller (well, maybe a few inches) and WAY too pursey for me.
posted by johngalt at 5:20 PM on April 29, 2010

Maybe this one from Billykirk? I have one of their bags and one of their wallets. They're fantastic.
posted by dobbs at 6:28 PM on April 29, 2010

Some camera bags will be of the right size and they are designed to hold expensive gadgets. The REI Three Million Dollar Home camera bag sits in a nice space between style and function.
posted by jeremias at 8:07 PM on April 29, 2010

Would one of the smaller Manhattan Portage bags work for you?
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 10:28 PM on April 29, 2010

You may find this link helpful: David Chartier Reviews Five iPad Bags and Packs
posted by dyslexictraveler at 12:52 PM on April 30, 2010

Also this:ipadcasefinder.com
posted by dyslexictraveler at 5:02 PM on May 3, 2010

I carry mine in a furoshiki. Weird but distinctive, and you can knot it around the circumference for padding. It can be carried by itself, or thrown in an appropriate bag.

I haven't found any actual iPad gear I like yet.
posted by grobstein at 10:44 AM on May 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

I own the small and medium postman bags from m0851. The bags are both awesome, but neither is really ideal for carrying an iPad in. The iPad (barely) fits in the small bag, and doesn't feel too protected in the larger one. Still, the bags are nice as fuck. I ended up buying a sleeve from Etsy, so I could just drop the iPad in the bigger bag if I wanted to.
posted by chunking express at 12:58 PM on June 3, 2010