If you want to carry your Apple kit, or other computer related items around with you, you shouldn't have to settle for an all black affair, you know, one of those bags that lets everyone know exactly what you are carrying. Something stylish, and more importantly a bag that really works well by protecting your valuable kit. A name that always comes high on an Apple users list is Crumpler, they are well known for high quality and the fact that they are designed for us Apple fans. In the following review I was lucky enough to be able to try their Sticky Date Big Logo bag...
The Crumpler Sticky Date Big Logo is one of Crumplers larger bags and it will swallow anything from a 12-inch right up to a 17-inch widescreen MacBook Pro. Colour combinations also look great on this bag, the black/Blue combination we have here is the most understated, or you can go for the bright firebrick red/lawn or olive/yellow combo. Each bag also come with a high visibility strip on the front, so you can be seen if out and about in the dark.
Styling aside, what about the quality and carrying ability?
Well, the quality is second-to-none, made of what Crumpler call "Original 1000D Chicken Tex", it is a very strong fabric and has a waterproof lining. The buckles and shoulder strap are made of the same material that car seat belts are made from, so they are very strong, and all adjustable. The shoulder strap also has some nice padding, as does the back of the bag, so it is kind to your shoulders and back…
Open up the front flap, which is secured with some buckles and large velcro patches, you are presented with so many pockets and a lot of space. The very first pocket you encounter is zipped, this contains another zipped compartment, two velcro fastened pockets about the size of a 5th gen iPod and some pen holders.
Inside the main body of the bag, are three more velcro pockets for smaller accessories, plus two mesh fronted pockets (again fastened by velcro) where you can store yet more accessories whilst still being able to see what you have in there without having to open them. This central compartment is about big enough to fit an A4 ring binder, maybe two at a pinch.
The back compartment is where you store your laptop. It has a large velcro flap to make your laptop safe and a sleeve for your lappie that can be completely removed from the main bag. This sleeve is made of the same material as the lining and will swallow up to a 17-inch widescreen MacBook Pro. It also has a semi-rigid divider inside, which allows you to segregate some accessories, for example your mains adapter.
So what did I fit in it?
I loaded up the Sticky Date with a 13-inch MacBook, mains adapter and mains cable. Then slotted in my 5th gen iPod, cable yoyo and sync cable, my JVC Everio HDD camcorder, JVC charger, my small Canon digital camera, 4 compact flash memory cards and to top it all off, three copies of MacUser magazine. Now this was getting a little heavy, but still had room to spare... and if you are feeling brave, the bag sports some external loops, so you can hang a Crumpler pouch onto a loop for your mobile phone, few !
I found that the Sticky Date Big Logo was really easy to use. That removable laptop sleeve is really useful, and the capacity is just right for that single day trip. I was able to use the rest of the bag for lots of accessories, with the peace of mind, knowing that my expensive laptop was safe from getting bashed. This is one rugged bag and it looks great too. If you have invested in a laptop and have the need to carry it on business or perhaps on holiday, then please do not spend your hard earned cash without checking out the Crumpler Sticky Date Big Logo or if you need something a little different, you are bound to find a suitable offering from the rest of the Crumpler range.
Product: Crumpler Sticky Date Big Logo
Price: £99.00
Supplied by: Crumpler UK
Contact: crumpler@simms.co.uk