I have a handful of bags and have been rotating between the Hard Case by Waterfield Designs and a 15-inch Thule Stravan Case. The thing is that I don’t carry around my 15-inch Retina Macbook Pro that much anymore ever since I got the 12-inch Macbook Retina so those two bags, although they do an excellent job regardless, are a little too big.
Carrying around a messenger bag is convenient going from home to office, or mainly anywhere local but for those who need to take their gear global from airport to airport, it can be a pain. So I was in the market for a good quality backpack that:
- Could take a beating
- Not weigh a ton
- Look good
It was a toss-up between Thule’s Crossover Backpack and the Waterfield Staad Backpack. I went with Waterfield because they had the thinner Slim version and I really liked the look of it.
Here’s what I carry:
- MacBook Retina 2015 1.2Ghz/8GB/512GB/Space Gray
- Grid-It
- Mini USB Cable
- Lightning Cable
- iClever Dual USB Wall Charger
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- Business Cards
- Free Pen
- USB-C to USB-A Adaptor
- USB Thumbdrive
- Chromecast
- Verizon MiFi HotSpot (Not Shown)
The bag is made of really high quality materials. The body itself is made of a waterproof black ballistic nylon and the flap is made of premium leather which you can choose between black, “chocolate” brown and grizzly. I went with the black ballistic nylon with the chocolate leather flap.
It perfectly fits everything I need to carry. The Grid It and the 12-inch Retina Macbook. The inside is bright making it easy to find your stuff.
If you are looking for a backpack and can afford the $320, definitely consider the Staad from Waterfield Designs. It definitely suits my mobile lifestyle and yes everyone has different needs but this one is a winner in my book.
Pros:
- Beautiful design, excellent quality and best of all… Made in the USA
- Well balanced, lots of room for accessories, lightweight
- Lifetime Warranty, responsive customer support
Cons:
- Might be too expensive for some
Overall Rating: 5/5
Thanks for the great review. I'm thinking of purchasing the same for my 12" MacBook. Which version/size of the Grid-It are you using in the Slim backpack? Also, I would probably pack my iPad Air 2 in this. Do you think there's room in the Slim for 12" MacBook, iPad, and Grid-It or better to go with the Stout? Thanks!
Absolutely!
I am using the medium 12×8 Grid-It
Here's a photo of all 3 in the backpack! http://i.imgur.com/1uRqISU.jpg
Hope this helps!
I am also having the same bag for carrying all my stuff that I have to use when I am having my laptop to carry along. It sure is a good idea when you are having quality bag to carry your laptop.