Customer Reviews

Kensington 62210 SaddleBag Pro Computer Carrying Case

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My boss tried to convince me to buy a Saddlebag last year. I ignored him and purchased a Wagnar Swiss Army bag, which was roomy and stylish, and which I promptly lost.

I decided to go for the Saddlebag Pro. I had seen it in stores, liked the size, but disliked the drawer. When it came, it was so much smaller than I remembered (I have a slick case for commutes - the saddlebag is for flying). Luckily, everything unzips, the storage compartment becomes absolutely huge, and the drawer even velcros out and removes completely, leaving two storage compartments tucked away in the bottom.

The folks at Kensington apparently wanted to let people smuggle parrots out of the jungle in this thing. It's massive! I mean, there are tons of places to stick everything! My absolutely monstrous Toshiba (which thinks it wants to be a desktop) fits in easily, with room for textbooks, files, PDA, and everything else I could want to bring (and many things I don't).

Basically, buy the Saddlebag and leave the UHaul at home.

The bag is a bit too big; it's great if you carry a lot of papers besides the laptop PC. The snug fit drawer in the bottom is very convenient. You can carry the bag as a backpack with the backpack-straps that can hide inside a sleeve, as a briefcase or as a messenger bag, but due to is size the backpack option may be the best.
It you travel in your car this bag is a good choice, since it is very roomy; however if you commute by bus, taxi or walk a lot, you may want to consider a different option.
Good quality fabric and materials.

So I've had this bag a while, here's my experience:

1) After using the backpack straps a couple times the clasp that connects the left strap to the bottom of the bag actually broke. Emailed Kensingon, they replaced it with no problems.

2) Received replacement bag within a week or so. Same exact piece broke on this bag. I used it for MAYBE 10 minutes. I've emailed Kensington again, we'll see what they say.

Obviously the clasp that connects is poorly designed. By no means am I putting too much in the bag for weight to be causing the clasp to break.

3) The handle is fine.

4) I like a bag like this to stand up when I set it down. This one does a pretty good job. The drawer is really neat and comes in handy. It helps the bag to stand up. But also leads to a problem...

5) Inside the bag there are two main compartments. One for the laptop and one larger one for everything else. Unfortunately the drawer which is covered (you can't get into the drawer from inside the bag) takes up space in the larger compartment and the material that divides the two compartments is actually not attached to part of the drawer and so stuff can fall down in between the draw and the dividing material. Say you drop a paperback book down in the large compartment, odds are the cover will get hung and the rest of the book falls between the divider and the drawer space. I've had plenty of books and pages in books get all bent up because of this.

6) The material is really stiff. Which isn't good or bad I guess.

I got this bag off another website and fell in love with it the moment I opened the box. I was so impressed with its padding, space, compartments and the fact that I could carry the bag 3 different ways: as a "backpack," as a "briefcase," or as a "messenger bag". I also like the fact that I can hide the backpack straps if I'm not using them. My Compaq f755us fit in it without a problem and I can strap it down to keep it from bouncing around in the bag. I also like the fact that the sides somewhat fold down under the flap to keep the rain from getting in the bag if I ever get caught in a storm. My other "girlie" purse-style laptop bag doesn't have that feature, so I am always afraid it will get wet in a rainstorm.

Now for the downers. I found after carrying this bag a couple of days with the laptop in it, and very little else, it is quite bulky and heavy. Also, my neck started bothering me (on the side I carried the bag). So I decided to carry it by the handle, then my hand started hurting and then my arm started hurting. Also because it's somewhat a tall bag and I am about 5'2", it darn near touched the ground while carrying it by the handle which means I have to walk a little lopsided to keep it from dragging the ground. :-)

So for now, I've gone back to my "girlie" purse-style laptop bag to give my arms a break. I do plan to use the bag again as I do like it and its features and it does seem to protect my laptop better, but its just so darn heavy. I know that I will use it again, like when I travel out of town because of the versatility when carrying it, especially the backpack feature. The storage compartments and its expandability makes for a great travel bag. It's not very feminine bag, but then again, I didn't buy it for that reason, so all in all its a great bag, just a little on the bulky and heavy side.

I've had several versions of the Kensington SaddleBag over the years. After my cat destroyed (by scent) my last one, I decided to spring for a new SB Pro. Having not seen it in person, I took it with a leap of faith that it would be as good / better than the original. It turns out that it is in some ways better, and not so much in other ways. The new tray is cool, as it keeps certain things safe - but it creates a crevasse in the first compartment where things get wedged down into. The old version had a great front pocket system that made it handy to access pens, business cards, etc. The new one is far more protected, but at the expense of more difficult access. Overall the bag is very well made, and if you never owned the first one, you would certainly enjoy this version. Maybe in a year, I'll revise this review, but as it stands it's a great product only spoiled by over-familiarity of it's predecessor.

Had the bag five years, still looks good and performs great day to day. Looking to buy my second before they no longer make it

I have owned three of these bags. I uses one every business day. When ever I travel, I will use this bag as carry-on luggage. Of course, I will usually have my laptop in the bag.

Carrying the laptop in the bag every day does eventually take a toll on the carry straps and the stitching. However, the bag has performed fairly well through the Chicago winters. They have lasted an average of three years. I think this life span is fairly decent give the rigors of a daily train commute.

More importantly, the layout of the bag is suitable for my use. The laptop compartment has ample padding. The base storage(where a usually put my brick and my mouse)is a good use of the bag's available space. The front internal compartment provides good organization for office materials, computer thumb drives and identification. The out pocket on the over flap gives easy secure access to critical items(such and an eyeglass case). The bag also has shoulder straps for that two mile walk from the train station to the job. These shoulder straps also come in handy when handling too many bags as you are going through airports(golf club, duffle and rolling bag). Note! This bag has an over the handle attachment for rolling luggage.

I've had this bag for about four or five years, replacing a regular Saddlebag that I used for about the same amount of time. I really like the Pro, for several reasons:

1. Roomy enough for a laptop, papers, etc. Expandable zipper makes it a great travel bag but can zip down to smaller size for daily commute.

2. Junkit drawer is very convenient for carrying a travel mouse, security cable, etc. that aren't used often but are easily accessible.

3. The zipper pocket on the front flap isn't as deep as the one on the Saddlebag, making it more useful for pens, etc. that you can get to without opening the flap.

What really prompted me to write a review is my recent experience with customer service. After years of daily use and frequent travel, the top carry handle is fraying and the plastic rod that runs through the handle is coming out. I came to Amazon shoppign for a new one and noticed Kensington's "lifetime warranty." I read the warranty statement on their website and it talked about having to have the original receipt, sending the product to them at my expense for inspection, etc. so I thought I was probably out of luck but decided to send them an email anyway.

I very quickly got an email back asking for some readily available information (modle # and serial 3 which were printed on a tag in the bag, plus shipping address), and my free replacement bag is on the way.

I couldn't be happier with Kensington customer service.

I've owned this bag for about a year.

I don't carry it everyday. Perhaps twice a week i would carry it with my Dell 15.4" laptop with its power supply, mouse, 24-cd case, and other small items.

The bag is good enough size for my purpose and i like it alot.

The only thing i don't like about it is that the handle on the top is beginning to fall off. So, i carry it by the back-strap(s).

the junk it compartment is rarely used, though it can be very useful to some.

I have to give it a 3-star because of its workmanship on the handle. (i'm afraid when the back-strap might go as well)

Other than that, it's a good bag (especially the fact that it doesn't scream, 'I have a laptop within me!')

This is a great product. Good construction, excellent design, and an affordable price. This is my second of these bags. My previous one was stolen abroad and I wanted one exactly like it.
It has plenty of space. The sliding bottom "drawer" is a clever way to create space and protect the laptop if dropped. The hidden shoulder straps come in handy while carrying another bag at airports since it becomes a backpack. And the mesh pocket with top and side access is another winner.
To me, this is the "transformer" of laptop bags.

Highly recommended.