Customer Reviews

Targus Checkpoint-Friendly Corporate Traveler Case for 15.4 Inch Laptops CUCT02UA15S (Black)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My first impression of the Targus Corporate Traveler Notebook Case is that it is designed and constructed very well.

The idea behind the Corporate Traveler's design is that it zips down across the center to let the case open like a clam shell, isolating your notebook on one side and all your accessories and files on the other. This allows the case to pass through TSA's scanner without having to remove the laptop from the case. I travel quite a bit with my notebook, and this feature really comes in handy when I'm fumbling through the airport's check-in process.

The ballistic nylon construction and Targus' SafePort Air-Cushion padding system provide great protection for my 15" Powerbook. The padding is also adjustable, which allows for a snug fit for smaller notebooks. This case features heavy-duty zippers with metal pulls and a very comfortable non-slip shoulder strap that has metal clips as well. Additionally, the carrying handles are wrapped in leather so the case feels very comfortable in my hands.

There are a lot of compartments in this case which afford more than enough space for my laptop's accessories and personal items when I travel. There is an accordion-type section that can easily house quite a bit of paperwork. (I was able to fit a book and a newspaper, along with some other paperwork.) Next to it is a small, zipped pocket for smaller items like a phone, PDA or an MP3 player. There is a zip-down compartment (Targus calls it a workstation) that has pen loops, a business card holder, and a clip for keys. There are also smaller compartments with velcro flaps for other accessories, and there's even a small zipped compartment for loose change. On the outside of the case is a fairly large pocket that can hold things that require immediately access, like a boarding pass or a passport.

Overall, I think this is a great notebook case. It is very well-constructed and even though it's fairly light, it feels very sturdy. Aside from traveling, I use this case on a daily basis, transporting my laptop to and from work. It replaces a Kensington Laptop BackPack, and although Targus' case is similar in size, it holds quite a bit more than the backpack. I highly recommend this case.

From the outside this may seem like your average laptop case. It is made of nylon, fits up to 15.4 widescreen laptops and has features that are standard like a file folder storage compartment and a trolley strap (quite handy when traveling) in a black and elegant design. It also has a zip down workstation with enough space where you can fit many (if not all) the accessories you may have for your laptop.

What makes this product different is the "zip-thru" design, an enhancement in which the case opens right by the middle isolating the laptop from the accessories. This comes handy when traveling, as when passing through the airports x-ray scanning areas you will no longer need to remove the computer from the case, if you've been there you know how it is. Well, that's the competitive advantage this case has over others. Another nice thing it has is what they call the "Safeport" air cushion system, these are polyurethane pillows that surround the laptop protecting it from both side and vertical impacts.

This is a huge upgrade from my old laptop case and I am very happy with it. Keep in mind that the main advantages it offers are for people who constantly travel and pass through customs in the airports. Having that in mind, I highly recommend this item.

I've got to say that this is a well made bag. The design is such that the bag folds open and you can "in theory" not have to take your laptop out of the bag going through the XRay at the airport.

Let's start with the bag. You've got a very large and well padded laptop pouch. I think that you can really drop this bag from table height and your laptop would be very well protected. The bag itself is well constructed ballistic nylon (or so it appears) and is quite sturdy. Handle is well made. And it comes with the shoulder strap of course. The other half of the bag consists of a smallish compartment for papers and batteries.

I would say that this would be great for a corporate traveler who is doing short jaunts or for someone who doesn't have a ton of accessories. But by the time I threw in my laptop, charger, iPod, charger, extra battery pack, mouse, pens, business cards and the rest of my crap, I really filled the other side. Then after shoving in business papers and a book, it was stuffed. So, if you travel light, it's great.

As for the other matter of getting through the airport, I've only taken two trips. One time, no problem. The other time, security still wanted the laptop out of the bag. So I don't know if every airport will require you to take it out or not.

This high-quality bag replaces my previous cheaper bag which has served me well but wasn't the best to travel with.

First off, the Targus Zip-Thru case is quite a big larger (taller) than I expected. My Dell D610 fits easily with ample room to spare. The air cusions on the bottom and sides seem very well built.

The file compartment can take a full ream of paper, which is great for folks like me who travel with lots of handouts.

One of the most impressive features is the oversized and very comfy shoulder strap. It's probably one of the best and most comfortable I've ever seen on any bag.

The front panel, for accessories, has plenty of pockets for just about anything. I travel with a LOT of accessories including cables, adaptors, and the power adaptor. Everything fit quite well.

For someone who is looking for a step up from the average $20-30 bag, and especially someone who wants to save a little time at TSA and protect their laptop better, this is a great choice.

I was skeptical about the TSA and how they'd react to this kind of bag, but if you search on TSA's website you'll see they've authorized it as of August 2008.

I don't know what else is on the market, but I'm quite happy with this one.

This bag is too big to fit under an aisle seat of a Boeing 737, which makes it pretty useless for me. I wish I'd known that before buying it. The zip-thru feature works pretty well. Some features are not thought through very well. There is no dedicated storage for the AC adapter that all laptop users carry with them. If you carry anything with a cord in the outer zip pocket, and you also keep pens in the pocket's pen holders, the cord will get tangled up with the pens. The materials and construction seem good and sturdy.

In my view, this laptop case meets the requirements and expectations for its intended use - case and protect a laptop during transportation and provide sufficient and convenient room for the related items someone may bring along while traveling with the laptop.

Briefly, this is what you get:

- Solid, durable construction - padded ballistic nylon.
- On the heavy side - 3.25 lbs.
- Room for laptops up to 15.4" widescreen.
- Cushions inside the laptop compartment can be adjusted to fit smaller laptops.
- Full-size dual file folder storage compartment.
- Zippered 'workstation' with lots of pockets, some padded, most with Velcro locks,for various items, business cards, keys.
- Removable accessory pouch.
- One 'secret' zipped and one open pocket on the outside.
- Removable shoulder strap.
- Black fabric, gunmetal grey zipper hardware.
- Made in China.

The two gimmicks I detected have to do with the design and with the so-called lifetime warranty and they seem to serve no purpose other than 'marketing'.

The so-called 'Zip-Thru' is a zipper that, when unzipped, unfolds the case so that it can lay flat on an airport scanner conveyor belt with the laptop separated from the other half of the case. The claim is that, if you do this, you won't have to take your laptop out of the case and, therefore, if you buy this case you buy some convenience. The sad reality is that I was always asked to take my laptop out of the case at airport security points and, most of the time, I was asked to actually turn it on. In two instances, the airport detectives actually took my laptop and inserted it inside a machine supposedly capable to detect minute traces of certain substances so, Zip-Thru doesn't do much, given the current airport security practices and circumstances. I can't see any good use for this feature.

The so-called life-time warranty seems to be nothing else but a promise to replace the bag if found defective - "if after inspection we find that the product was defective in materials or workmanship". This is nice but it would be illegal not to. Amazon would take back a defective product anyway so the 'lifetime warranty' doesn't mean much.

Overall, I will grant this product 4 stars (it's 3.5 rounded up). It gets a slight demerit for being a little bit on the heavy side and a full demerit for the two somewhat misleading marketing gimmicks.

So far this is an excellent purchase for what I needed. I wanted a bag that could hold quite a few items along with my computer, and would fit under the seat in front of me. Since I was buying a new bag, I also thought I should get the "checkpoint friendly" feature.

Well I completed my first trip with it last month, and it did its job well. The Macbook was well secured in the laptop portion of the bag. With the adjustable pads they have inside that section, I don't think the computer moved at all. If anything, it makes a bit difficult to pull in and out while on the plane. I flew on an Airbus A319 and it fit underneath the seat fairly easily. This is definitely not a small bag, but I think it should fit on most "normal" size planes.

The rest of the bag was large enough for about 2.5" thick worth of work-related documents, a Kindle, an iPod Touch, chargers for the Kindle, iPod, my cell phone and Macbook, some granola bars, and a few other random things I like to keep on me while flying. The strap was comfortable to have on my shoulder for an extended period of time while making my way through the airport or outside to try and get a cab, even with my bag loaded up pretty heavily.

The checkpoint friendly design did what it was supposed with TSA. No problems flying out of DCA or PHX. Unzipping the middle to lay it flat is much superior to having to remove the laptop from the bag and put it in a separate bin. Now my computer remains protected at the checkpoint, and it is one less thing I have to do when putting my shoes back on and trying to get out of the way of other passengers after screening.

This is a nicely made laptop bag, with many storage pockets and a secure placement for your laptop. I like that it has a form fitting compartment with a strap to hold the laptop in place. So, don't think you can buy this bag to fit a laptop bigger than 15.4---there is no room to spare because of the form fitting buffers. The other large compartment has plenty of room to hold files/papers/cords/mouse, etc. There are also many smaller compartments to hold your cellphone, business cards, pens, small notepad, etc. I do like this case and it works well for someone who travels with their laptop. But for me, for everyday use, I would like something a little smaller, as I would only need room for the PC and cords, I don't need all the extra pockets/compartments. However, if you travel for business, this is a nice secure case, with a lot of room for those extras that you may have to carry around.

This is everything I needed: secure padded compartment for computer, another compart for books and such, a side area for things like iPod and mouse. The middle zipper, for the checkpoint unfolding, actually works great for files and papers since it prevents them from bending. But there is a huge design flaw: it does not stand up. It always falls towards the side pocket side.

I have now travelled enough with this bag to say that it serves my purpose: zip thru security without having to remove the computer from its bag. This works. The bag is comfortable to carry: handles are good and the shoulder belt (comes with the bag) is very, very comfortable.
I haven't rated 5 stars, because the bag is 2 or 3 inches too tall, in my opinion. If the bag was shorter, the PC pocket would still hold large laptops (my 15" floats within the pocket) and the document pocket could still hold large notebooks and folders. Being shorter, the bag would slide more easily under the seat in front of me, allowing to put my feet aside the bag, not over it.
The bag looks nice, seems built to last and is well organized, with numerous pockets and storage options.