I presented my friends at eBags with a challenge last year: find me the perfect office bag.
I knew if anyone could to it, they could.
If I have one weakness, it would be bags (well, maybe bags AND pens, but that’s another story altogether). Specifically, bags with lots of pockets that serve multiple purposes.
In fact, I think my exact words to them were something along the lines of “I need help finding the perfect bag that has the versatility and storage of a diaper bag, but the look & professionalism of a briefcase.”
And with that, my “Goldilocks & the Three Bears” type tale began in quest of finding one that was “just right”:
My first suitor was the Kayla Town Square bag. Ok, I’ll admit, I was unfairly blinded by my favorite color (a deep eggplant is what I actually have) and didn’t do much research after I saw it. But I was soon equally mesmerized by the amount of pockets, compartments and thought that went into the bag. This was truly a bag made by a traveler, for a traveler.
The bag is messenger style, but doesn’t really work in the same over one shoulder method you’d expect from the name. And dare I say, there are almost too many compartments (dramatic pause for audible *GASP* from the crowd). Instead of being more organized, at times I actually found myself losing track of items because I couldn’t re-trace the original logic I’d used to put things there in the first place.
Still, from the sturdy design, convenient water bottle extension pocket on the exterior and ample room for laptop and files, this bag has served me well. My only other major hangup was the fact that at conferences it became too heavy to carry on my shoulder once loaded down with informational pamphlets and obligatory exhibit hall freebies…
<Side note, I loved the companion Terrace mini-bag that came with it in my value pack; it’s a great addition that I take with me on evening meals after meetings and use instead of a purse when traveling>.
In an effort to alleviate my shoulder wear & tear, I next test-drove the Motherlode TLS 21″ Mini Wheeled Duffle. I was disappointed to find that it didn’t come in the same brilliant purple as my tote, so I settled for a stable sapphire blue. I had hoped to take it on a 4 day weekend conference locally, but quickly realized (after my hot rollers took up half of the main compartment) that it wasn’t going to be big enough to serve as both a work bag and a suitcase.
But on a recent plane trip, I opted to switch it out for my Kayla tote as my carry on. It has a great exterior zipper compartment that had ample space for my laptop (though not padded, FYI), but yet the interior gave me all sorts of configuration options to store a change of clothes, some toiletries & vitamins, books & magazines, and even the obligatory souvenir Starbucks mug we picked up in NYC and wouldn’t dare check in our suitcase! It also fit perfectly in the overhead bin of the plane.
If I had to be critical once again, it would be that it wasn’t the ideal work bag, since it didn’t have dedicated compartments for my notebooks & file folders…nor does it have all those handy little pen straps, business card pockets and other mini compartments for cords and such that I’ve come to know and depend on in my bags from eBags.
Enter in the mobile office…
Just hearing the name of it got me excited! In theory, it seemed to possess the best of both worlds I’d just described – the space and versatility of the office bag with the wheels and handle to easily tote it around!
But I didn’t have to just use the ‘in theory’ principal before ordering it off the website. This time around, I discovered my new favorite feature about eBags.com: their videos. Yes, for many of their bags by eBags, they actually have very in-depth (yet brief) videos with an actual human being demonstrating EVERY feature of the bag in real time. I cannot tell you how helpful this was in making my final decision!
I just got the mobile office in time for my trip to LA this past weekend and so far so good. A few of my favorite highlights thus far:
-The tall, retractable handle and wheels (but also the sturdy handle for lifting it in & out of vehicles and up on to the security screening).
-The tall, retractable handle and wheels (but also the sturdy handle for lifting it in & out of vehicles and up on to the security screening).
-The a fore-mentioned mini-compartments with easy zipper access from the front of the bag.
-Separate larger compartments both for files/folders & the other for laptop and accessories.
And my favorite part: it includes both a customizable (in size) laptop carrying case/padding bag, as well as a removable file folder carrier! So insanely practical I can hardly stand it!
So there you have it. I’d like to think my quest is now complete, but I’m sure I’ll be equally enticed when eBags comes out with other new offerings. After all, how can I resist beauty and function that is so perfectly matched?
What about you, have you tried any of the above bags yet? Have you ventured to watch the informational videos? Did you even know they existed?
If you could pick your ideal bag by eBags, which would it be?
