Customer Reviews

Cocoon CPG20BK GRID-IT Organizer, 15 x 9.5 Inch, Black

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is clever, handy and innovative. The product fills an organizational nitch. The product is sturdy, well thought-out and well constructed.
The straps are fabric-coated elastic with strands of (what feels like) uncoated rubber within the straps. The elastic, obviously, holds the items in place, but the rubber strands grip the items so they don't slide around or out. I switched the contents of a first aid kit onto a larger version of a GridIt and it not only helped me put to use a very flat, very vertical pocket of my briefcase that had been going to waste, but the contents of the FAK are now all immediately visible. My initial impressions are all favorable (and I have to say, you just have to admire the sheer creativity involved in this product.)

Concerns? I wonder how this elastic hold up over time? Hopefully it will hold it's stretch and not go the way of the band of the fat guys underpants!
Suggestions: The "grid" is only on one side of the panel. The "plain" side makes it easier to slide this in and out of the sleeve in my briefcase, but I envision other uses where it would be nice to have "The Grid" on BOTH sides of the panel (or maybe some velcro attachments on the "plain" side).

Kudos to a clever invention!

I purchased this along with the 12x8 version. Unlike the smaller one, the grid spacing on this one is much larger and hence you cannot fit the same sized products here. This was not readily apparent in the description. Also, the aspect ratio of this is a strange as it is wider than a typical laptop. Would not recommend this model but the 12x8 instead.

This is the product that I have been looking forever. Notice how all your "stuff" in your backpack seems to collect at the bottom, creating a pear shaped mass on your back? Well this product distributes the volume in a vertical manner and is easy to slide in and out of any bag/briefcase.
The only issues so far are its weight, being a bit heavier than I think it needs to be, durability of the bands (untested so far) and the density of objects able to be accomodated are dependent on the shapes of the objects as the grid-it system has limited flexibility.

I just bought two more of these, having bought the first two about a month ago. They are super for organizing all of the little stuff that will fall to the bottom of a briefcase or backpack. I have one in my laptop that just stores the various cords all of my devices on the go take, BUT I also use one in my briefcase to organize post-its, highlighter pens, extra pens, bulldog clips, staple remover, and other paraphernalia that goes to depositions or the courhouse with me. If you are like me and get frustrated when you know it's in the bag, but can't quickly find which of the numerous pockets you put it it, try one of these. All of the sizes are of identical quality, but just differ in the size and amount of stuff they can hold.

I do like the gray as opposed to the black because of all the black notebook cases, etc. I have. It does make things stand out quickly against the background.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

At first I wanted to get a case for my portable hard drive. I didn't want it sitting in the bottom of my bag. But for ten dollars more I purchased the Grid-It, and I am so glad I went with this instead. I've organized a bunch of iPod, iPad, and Macbook cables, and I have room to spare. I love the fact that if I find I don't have a need for something in the bag anymore, I just take it out and re-organize the Grid-It. So customizable, it's a shame I didn't find this sooner.

6+ months ago I was at a business convention with other business travelers when a fellow business person showed off one of these. It caused several of his peers - including me - to come to Amazon to order. I have used the product for a while now and I'm very pleased. It has helped me reduce the redundant parts hidden in my bag and keep my laptop accessories well organized. I no longer have that big pile in the bottom of the bag. I still occasionally fight my own laziness, but that is a personal trait, not a product flaw :)

One of the reviews complained about weight - This isn't an issue for me. If you have enough accessories to warrant an organizer, their combined weight will make the addition of the organizer a non-issue.

******* UPDATE

After 9 months I'm still using this Grid-It every day. I haven't noticed any issue with stretching or other quality issues.

And why didn't I know about this thing sooner!

The Cocoon is FANTASTIC! I just took all my cables that were cluttered in the bottom of my laptop bag, and placed them in an organized fashion on this. My sprint overdrive, my car charger usb adapters, etc. snaps in as well! Now when I need a cable, no more digging: simply pull out this board of a all my cables and snag what I need.

AN ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE CARRYING MULTIPLE DEVICES OR CABLES!

Many sizes available...i picked this size cause it was close to the size of my laptop. I'll pick up another smaller one as well for a front pouch to carry USB and SD flash drives now that I know it works.

Worth every penny.

Although I love the idea behind this product. I find that it doesn't work that well for me. I have a large backpack for my laptop, files, etc. I picked the extra large GridIT since it would fit into the backpack. However, the vertical orientation doesn't do a good job of holding in heavier items. I think it would work better oriented "shortways" using a smaller unit (but too small to make it worthwhile for me) or flattened against something as in luggage.

I got one of these at a conference last week after seeing so many people with them. It has completely revolutionized my Timbuktu bag - no longer do I just have a huge mass of cables, adapters and even my spare mobile phone. I just have them all neatly tucked into this thing.

Pros:
Really adjustable to whatever you need. Since it's the size of your notebook, it just sits in the bag nicely.

Cons:
Now I'm imagining an even more customizable setup, even wishing this was two-sided.
The smaller size unit I saw some people with didn't have really enough space to put more than a few larger devices (like notebook mice and headphones), so this is a better size.

Tips:
I took the time to actually thread the USB cable for my smart card reader through the backs of the straps, so all I have is a small exposed USB connector, and then the smart card reader is set nicely into the organizer. It's a nice way to keep it functional but hidden out of the way. (So far it hasn't been a problem in airport security, I was worried given I travel the world a lot but it's been a non-issue)

Ok, I travel quite a lot, for pleasure fortunately. So, keeping my "loose" peripherals organized in one place, helps me keep them organized, and helps prevent my loosing or forgetting them! After using my first Cocoon GRID-IT to pack for a trip, I was so pleased with having one group of items organized, I've purchased several other Cocoons. I travel with my laptop AND a digital SLR, with lots of attachments, because I want plenty of pictures of my 5 year old twin son and daughter. This way, I am able to record their enjoyment of life, seeing new places and things, and meeting people from different lands and places.

But, travel often makes keeping all the small peripherals organized difficult! After using my first Cocoon GRID-IT, I bought a couple more in different sizes. These allow me to help my wife and children organize their small gadgets, too!

One last thing. I am very happy with the cocoons so far, but knowing that the quality of elastics varies greatly, I wait to see how well the elastic in these Cocoons lasts. If it is high quality, and lasts a long time, I will be exceedingly happy with these purchases.

chefgary