LEvertigo Prune Laptop Messenger Bag
Company: Be.ez
Price: $69.99
http://www.be-ez.com
Apple’s laptops are stylish and durable – both the plastic MacBooks and aluminum MacBook Pros will shrug off plenty off abuse in daily life. But even the hardiest machine needs to be carried around, and as an Apple supporter it is nice to have stylish accessories to match the beauty of Apple’s designs.
Consequently, the type of laptop bags and sleeves that are designed to host Macs are often a cut above the nondescript black bags and rucksacks that lesser machines are toted around in. There are plenty of brands in the market, and I was sent the amusingly titled LEvertigo Prune from French manufacturer Be.ez to try.
LEvertigo is a messenger-style bag, so it is designed to be worn over the shoulder with the strap across the body, with the laptop suspended side-on vertically in the bag. LEvertigo is large enough for a 15″ MacBook Pro or PowerBook (a larger 17″ model is also available), and the laptop is held in a well-padded compartment with an adjustable velcro strap to secure it. In front of the laptop area is a slim net compartment for documents, and zippered compartments at the top and bottom of the bag – with some small pouches for pens or business cards as well.
Construction quality is excellent – the external finish is treated ballistic nylon, with additional reinforcement and plastic coverings for the sides and bottom. The bag looks like it would shrug off even a long-term rain attack without risking the contents. Strap-wise, seatbelt webbing is used throughout, with very heavy stitching and thick metal bucklework. Spring-loaded retaining clips allow the strap to be removed if desired. Inside the bag, the finish is mainly a soft-feeling microfibre material, with nylon used inside the laptop compartment and pockets. You are left with the feeling that the bag will outlast the laptop held within it!
Style-wise, the purple colour may not be to everyone’s taste, though I liked it (other colors are available). The Be.ez logo (a reversed e.) forms the velcro closure for the bag, and there is white piping around the flap and logo design accents in the strap.
So what is LEvertigo like to actually use? I lived with it for some time, using it to travel by car, rail and air with my 13″ MacBook. It is a fine way to transport your machine – but not much else. You can carry a few accessories and papers, but if you like to bring loads of stuff with you, then this is not the bag for you. Unfortunately, in long-term use a couple of issues do arise – I found that purple colour rubbing onto the white plastic of my MacBook’s power supply and cabling, and it was impossible to remove – so I ended up keeping my accessories in plastic bags to protect them from this. The webbing strap might be robust, but it can be uncomfortable and cut in to the neck if not properly placed, and if you sling the bag over a shoulder alone rather than across the body it has a tendency to slip off.
Despite those niggles, I find myself liking the LEvertigo. It has been designed and styled with a lot of thought, and it certainly stands out from the pack. Yes, there is room for improvement, but overall I feel that most Mac laptop users would find this to be a worthy accessory for their machine.
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