Best iPad musette for keyboard and ...

August 21, 2012 1:59 PM

Musette bag for iPad plus keyboard or small laptop?

I like visually interesting, well designed, durable bags. I am especially interested in musettes. Ideally one that can handle cases (1) and (2) below as needed. But at a minimum it must be good for (1):

1) iPad + Apple Wireless Keyboard + Incase Origami stand + iPad charger

2) iPad + folding stand + Mac Air 11" + iPad charger + Mac Air charger

I don't use an iPad cover. Chargers in each scenario are a must.

Top contenders are presently the Chrome Vega and SF Bag's Muzetto.

Do you have one of these and love or hate it? And are there other musettes worth checking out?

posted by zippy to grab bag (8 answers total)

I love my Tom Bihn Cafe Medium. The small would work if you weren't carrying the Air.
posted by advicepig at 2:07 PM on August 21, 2012

Hard Graft makes nice stuff, but I don't have time to wait for their site to show me images and zero in on the best option for you. Based on the last few minutes of attempting to use their site, I would just send your question to them via email. Very nice, though!
posted by rhizome at 3:00 PM on August 21, 2012

I have a Rapha musette that I often carry a small laptop in, although it basically fills the thing up. I LOVE the bag, though, and when a fastener broke Rapha repaired it for free quite quickly and shipped it back with 2 extra replacement fasteners and a bonus t shirt.
posted by broadway bill at 7:04 PM on August 21, 2012

I don't have this particular bag, but I have 9 other Freitag bags and recommend them without reservation.
posted by dobbs at 8:24 PM on August 21, 2012

I like my Tom Bihn cafe bag a lot as long as it's carrying my iPad. All the pockets are useful and it looks great. Take the iPad out however, and it turns into a floppy uncooperative, unmanageable pile of meager canvas. Then I get to realize that the strap is too thin and unavailable and does a great job of placing the bag on my shoulder where I least want it. Bend over to help a preschooler into his coat and that bag comes swinging round to whack the poor blighter in the face.

Get something made of sturdy, self supporting material with a strap design which allows you to carry that bag behind you or beside you. My old Crumpler Quarfie carried a lot and stayed put but it wasn't nice to my iPad and the auxiliary pockets were not useful. The recent design looks much better and I shouldn't have cheapskated myself out of a new one. But it's more of a mess bag than a musette.
posted by firstdrop at 8:56 AM on August 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

I love the Muzetto (I don't have one, but I'd sure like one). I also like the look of Knomo bags. They don't have a huge collection of vertically oriented bags, however.
posted by backwards guitar at 5:44 AM on August 23, 2012

Excellent suggestions, thank you.

I think I will go with the Muzetto 11"; they wrote back to say will handle (1) or (2) ... (2) as long as there's a sleeve for the iPad or Air to keep them from touching.
posted by zippy at 4:43 PM on August 23, 2012

After several days with the Muzetto as an iPad bag, here are my findings.

1) it has a zipper at the top of the main pouch. I imagine it might eventually scratch my iPad or laptop. One would probably want a sleeve or a case to protect their gear.

2) The bag feels good. The leather is good looking. But the strap that goes with it doesn't match the feel and quality of the rest of the bag.

3) The flap doesn't fasten. This is ok when you're carrying the bag, but if you set it flat in the trunk of your car or on the back seat, your stuff could slide out.

Overall, I like the bag. But it's not necessarily the best iPad tote.
posted by zippy at 8:28 PM on September 5, 2012