BlueLounge Bonobo Doesn't Monkey Around

Hauling around a laptop can be exhausting. Most of ours weigh a couple of pounds, and by the time you add the chargers and the USB mice and the other accessories, they can be a bit backbreaking. Sure, this is the year of the Ultrabook, and those carrying a Macbook Air can look smugly in our direction, except that our 17-inch laptops, like the Macbook Pro, offer serious video cards and more RAM, as well as far more connectivity options.

No matter your laptop size, though, BlueLounge offers a bag that works. We've been trying out part of their new Bonobo line, the Laptop Tote Bag, and were impressed at the interesting design. They offer traditional messenger bags, sleeves, and backpacks as well, but the Tote's vertical orientation is unusual and distinctive. It's great for tight spaces and urban environments where carrying a wider bag only serves to annoy everyone around you. Here in NYC, we've gotten smacked in the face- and plenty of other bodily regions- by people swinging their bags around and not paying close enough attention to their need for expanded personal space.

The color scheme- black- might not be inspiring. And the detachable shoulder strap was not as comfortable or solid as some bags that we've seen. We liked the included "custom aluminum carabiner" though, and definitely appreciated the fact that the bag is made of 100% recycled PET plastic bottles. The base is thick and pretty well protected so you can set the bag down without worry. Quick jaunts in the rain and snow were fine, but this isn't really a bag meant for inclement conditions- try a truly waterproof bag for that.

There are plenty of pockets, and a nice, padded compartment for your valuable computer. The grab handle is very well-made and sturdy, the zippers quite good, and overall we found it an easy to like, convenient bag, if not as comfortable as other styles might be. At $150 for the larger version as tested ($130 for the smaller model), it feels just a bit too expensive, considering the features- a lack of reflective material for instance, was unfortunate.