WaterField Cargo laptop bag Laptop bags are all the same aren’t they?

Reviewer: Stuart Miles
Review Date: 7 November 2006
Manufacturer: WaterField
Price as reviewed: ££107 - £155 ($199 - $289)
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Our score

8/10

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Full review

7 November 2006 - All laptop bags are the same aren’t they? Well not according to WaterField, a San Francisco-based bag maker that exports its bags around the world.

The Cargo - one of their best selling products, is a lightweight laptop bag that will fit most 15-inch laptops. Measuring 16 x 12 inches in size, the bag is spilt into a number of medium sized pockets to store a range of things from paperwork to mobile phones. The main zip locked compartment is thankfully clutter free of lots of pouches and ideal for storing your laptop or files as it's very easy to get in and out of.

The front pouch, which is buckled shut, offers access to yet more storage areas, including further zip locked compartments although none of the zips had the ability to be locked with a padlock.

WaterField offer two choices of buckle with the Cargo; an original aluminium aircraft buckle used in today's commercial airlines, or a black anodized aluminium buckle used in para-gliding harnesses.

Our test bag had the para-gliding harness buckle option and it not only worked, but looked pretty cool to with a surprisingly large number of people commenting on both it and the bag's design (I mean when did that last happen?).

Finishing off the design are two leather handles on the top of the bag for carrying by your side and a large, long tough shoulder strap with sliding shoulder pad.

On the downside, the WaterField Cargo doesn't offer any padding for your laptop, with the company choosing to offer a separate padded SleeveCase and GearPouch to match the design as an optional extra. While some will grumble at this, it does mean that if you want to use the bag for something else, you aren't restricted by bulky padding that you aren't using.

Verdict

The WaterField Cargo is a touch on the expensive side, however it's well made, durable and very light. The pockets are of a good size, and there are plenty of them so you won't spend half your life trying to find something at the bottom.

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