There’s no escaping the fact that laptops – all laptops – are essentially slabs. No matter how manufacturers dice up the parts inside, consumers are always left with relatively boring, flat rectangles, and the cases for them tend to reflect this. A trip to the local computer retailer will turn up plenty of briefcase wannabes, flat-sided messenger bags and boxy bookbags, but they all do a pretty poor job of breaking the mold.
The Loopbag Vanguard laptop backpack from Kolobags, on the other hand, shatters the conventional notebook case aesthetic. With zippers that swoop down the bag in brightly colored semi-circular arcs, and a bulbous, wavy shape, the Loopbag disguises its techie contents quite nicely. It looks more like it should carry a cargo of art supplies or gear for the beach than a notebook computer.
The Loopbag Vanguard Bag
The bag manages to pull of this masquerade by sandwiching the laptop portion of the bag in its middle, between two other odd-shaped pockets. A sleeve of EVA foam cradles a notebook there, allowing it to slide in and out through the top of the bag without disturbing the other contents on either side of it. A massive zippered flap on top peels away like a tin can lid to expose everything inside. As an added bonus of this design, the zippers can be brought around to the side of the bag that rests against the wearer, so that thieves can’t quickly dip into the bag on a subway or other crowded area and make off with its contents.
Kolobags claims the backpack weighs 2.5 pounds, which is relatively light for a backpack, but still heavier than more stripped-down briefcase-style bags. The waterproof nylon construction should keep its sensitive electronic payload dry even in less-than-ideal weather, and the shoulder straps are padded to soften the load of a heavy laptop.
Outside, the bag measures 15.4 inches tall, 11.8 inches wide and 5.75 inches deep. As a consequence of its relatively diminutive measurements, it can only handle notebooks with 14-inch screens and smaller. That means owners of the popular 15.4-inch laptop class and larger desktop replacements will have to look elsewhere.
Since aesthetics are a major part of the Loopbag’s appeal, Kolobags offers a variety of color choices. They include brown with brown accents, sand with orange accents, and grey with lilac accents. All color choices get a pale green interior lining.
At $128 USD, the Loopbag is priced well above other bags that will do the same job, but like all designer items, the value’s all in the style. Laptop owners looking for something a little quirkier than a plain black tote bag might find the Loopbag’s intriguing shape and colors worth the extra money. You can find out more on the Kolobags website.
