I have never been satisfied with a laptop bag. They tend to be ugly, unwieldy, and either try to pack too many ridiculous features into a tiny package or leave your cords and chargers to fend for themselves in giant pockets seemingly designed to create a tangled mess. When I got the Booq Boa S Nerve (provided to me by the manufacturer) I figured it would fall under the “too many pockets,” umbrella, but I was surprised. Somehow Booq has managed to make a bag with a pocket for everything without it becoming a cluttered mess. I never thought I would use the phrase “intuitive design” about a bag, but that’s really what it boils down to.
As you can see, the inside is packed with pockets, and that doesn’t even show another set that lean against the book you can see pictured in the pouch. The great thing is that all of the pockets have expandable profiles, so when they aren’t in use they don’t take up much space. On that lowest tier there is a set of neoprene pockets for pens and a larger neoprene sleeve I like to use for my Magic Mouse. Inside the larger pouch where the included laptop sleeve sits there are some larger utility pockets made of the same ripstop material as the rest of the inner lining. Those are perfect for chargers, cords, and battery packs. The thing is, you would know this without me telling you. It’s not that I think bags should have labels on the pockets, but when I open a bag and immediately know how to compartmentalize my gear (instead of trying to figure out the best way to store all of my cords and hope they won’t get tangled) I’m a happy guy.
The Boa S Nerve is great down to the smallest details, too. There’s a tag on the inside with a serial number that gets associated with the buyer so that, in the event of a lost bag, you can hopefully get your bag back. There’s a secondary strap on the shoulder strap that clips to the side of the bag, cinching it tight against your body for riding on a bike or if you need to run to catch your public transportation of choice. There’s a little piece of covered plastic on the back whose purpose eluded me until I set the bag on my chair the other day to load it up and just grabbed the thing by what I now recognize as a handle. No, it’s not revolutionary, and I probably should have thought of what it was, but I didn’t, and the fact that I instinctively grabbed the bag there shows me just how much thought went into the design. Right under that there’s a little pocket for your mobile device of choice.
On the whole, it’s the thought that went into this product that makes it great. If you aren’t interested in a messenger style bag, Booq has an entire line of products designed for geeks and tech professionals with a sense of style and a need for quality storage. You can find their line of products at Booqbags.com.
