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Waterfield Designs Staad Backpack Review

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Louie Tran Posted in Daily News, Gadgets, Geek Life, Reviews, Workspaces 3 Comments

staad-09_grande

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:
  1. Could take a beating
  2. Not weigh a ton
  3. 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.

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 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)

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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.
 

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This vintage WWII-era buckle, though such a simple concept, is extremely well thought out in making it very easy to open the flap, but keeping everything secure at the same time.

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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.

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There are two of these pockets in the inside so you can put in pens, charging cables, power brick, etc. Oh, it’s also proudly made in San Francisco.

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There’s also a clip to hold your keys

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Here’s a look at all the important things I have inside. I can fit more. As you can see there are 2 outside pockets in the body where you can put in your wallet, passport, airline ticket, or whatever you need quick access to when you’re on the go.

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This is going to be my mobile setup for now, loving it so far. I am ready to world domination.
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
backpack designs go bag gobag laptop laptop bags MacBook retina staad stravan thule waterfield
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3 thoughts on “Waterfield Designs Staad Backpack Review”

  1. thegdgteer says:
    September 30, 2015 at 11:08 am

    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!

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    • Louie Tran says:
      October 1, 2015 at 9:15 am

      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!

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  2. papers buy says:
    October 23, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    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.

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