Teeny Tiny Techie Bag?

September 4, 2007 8:57 AM

Help me find a laptop bag that weighs less than me

I've been on the hunt for a laptop bag for awhile. I have a 15 inch laptop, which is kind of big I know. I'm about 5 feet tall and I have a small frame. Comfort is important to me and I'd also like to be able to carry some folders, pens, ipod, etc.

Lots of bags are made for this size, but they are all kind of overwhelming on my frame. I've tried a Jansport plain ol' bag, the Timbuk2 Hacker, and the Timbuk2 Blogger to no avail. I loved that the Hacker was convertible, since I work as tech support and need both to be able to carry the heavy computer and have easy access to the cords I'm carrying. Unfortunately, it was pretty overwhelming on me.

posted by melissam to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

I really liked booqbags PowerSleeve line for a slim laptop bag, but I see they're discontinued! Acme Made makes some beautiful and small laptop bags as well, but they're fairly expensive.
posted by Nelson at 9:06 AM on September 4, 2007

I'm your size, have a large laptop, and I have 2 bags. One has wheels, the other is more of a traditional soft leather briefcase with a padded compartment. Either works, but if I had to do it over again, I'd look into a vertical arrangement. (This one caught my eye.)
posted by desjardins at 9:13 AM on September 4, 2007

Does it have to be a messenger bag style? I got this bag from Patagonia with a laptop sleeve and it has changed my life! Looks like they have an even smaller version too.
posted by k8t at 9:20 AM on September 4, 2007

This only speaks to the actual laptop- you wouldn't be able to carry folders, pens, ipods, etc as you mentioned above, but foofs are awesome sleeve-style laptop carriers made (carbon-neutrally) in Australia. Why not slip a foofbag inside a more traditional small messenger bag- like a small Freitag? You can get the Hawaii 5-0 which will just fit your laptop with a little pouch for other small posessions. I'm speaking from enlightened self-interest: I'm the same size and have faced similar issues.
posted by arnicae at 9:22 AM on September 4, 2007

I have a Mango Tango bag and I love it - it doesn't let me carry too much extra stuff, but it is reasonably sized (I have the same sized laptop and the big sized mangotango bags work very well) and not carrying anything other than a folder or two, the cords and a slim writing notebook and the laptop is still reasonable weight-wise.

Mango Tango's website.

Downside: most are shoulder style - no backpacks that I can see.
Upside: way more stylish than the usual, and the double straps actually make it easier to carry on my shoulder (carry my real purse on one shoulder, the laptop bag on the other).
posted by Cyrie at 10:27 AM on September 4, 2007

I carry an Eddie Bauer laptop briefcase that I like quite a bit. I found it at Target last year, so it may not be available any more, but this model is probably comparable.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 11:16 AM on September 4, 2007

Response by poster: this sounds kind of nice, but who knows what it would actually look like on me
posted by melissam at 11:24 AM on September 4, 2007

Booq makes some nice and small bags, but if you have a bag that looks good on you already maybe you can just combine that with a sleeve and throw it in there with the rest of your stuff.
posted by rhizome at 12:42 PM on September 4, 2007

Try sherpani - they make a variety of backpacks, including laptop bags, made specifically for women. A friend just got the Aeris - it's small, but holds her 15" laptop and a few books, and it seems well made. The bags are all sick with cuteness.
posted by donnagirl at 8:22 PM on September 4, 2007

I use a Brain Cell by Tom Bihn - very light indeed, and very sturdy, though you can only really fit your power supply, mobile phone and a small notebook in the side pocket, so I'm not sure it'd be ideal if you need to carry folders.

That said, it's also designed to fit inside other bags as a protective sleeve (in either horizintal or vertical versions) so getting one would free you from laptop-specific bags.
posted by jack_mo at 4:58 PM on September 5, 2007