Bags & Cases

Choosing a laptop bag is mostly about the journey, not the laptop.

A sleeve is padding alone, meant to go inside another bag or to carry a machine between desks. A briefcase adds handles, a shoulder strap and pockets for the charger and documents — the standard choice for commuting by car or train. A backpack spreads the weight across both shoulders, which is the right answer for anything involving a real walk or a bicycle; a heavy laptop on one shoulder is a genuine cause of back and neck pain. Rolling cases take the weight off entirely for people who travel with more than one machine.

Sizing is where mistakes happen. The stated size is a maximum for the laptop, not the bag’s own dimensions, and modern machines vary — a 16in laptop with slim bezels can be physically smaller than an older 15.6in one. Compare your machine’s measurements against the stated internal dimensions.

Two features worth looking for: a trolley strap for anyone who flies, and a suspended laptop compartment that keeps the machine off the base.

The range covers Targus, Kensington, Dell, Lenovo, Hama, Belkin and PREVO.