NbC: UltimateAddons Netbook Messenger Bag Review
September 14, 2009 at 12:31 pm
We’ve already looked at a few netbook cases here at Netbook Choice, but we were given the opportunity to review our first netbook shoulder bag thanks to the guys at Ultimate-Netbook. They sent over the UltimateAddons netbook messenger bag that should fit netbooks with display sizes ranging from 8.9-inches to 10.2-inches. Ultimate-Netbook is a specialist retailer of netbook accessories, including bags and cases.
The UltimateAddons bags are designed in-house, which means a high level of quality assurance. The company is confident enough in their range to offer a 30-day money back guarantee as well as providing a 12-month warranty. The UltimateAddons netbook messenger bag comes in two colours, black (which we tested) and khaki green. Ultimate-Netbook ships these bags worldwide at a cost of £19.99 + p&p. Read on to find out whether it is worth the money.
The UltimateAddons netbook messenger bag is made with a high quality 1000D nylon material on the outside. It feels pleasant to the touch and you can tell it will do a good job of keeping the rain out and should be easy to clean when it gets dirty. The interior is made from a 420D nylon, keeping the bag as lightweight as possible.
According to the manufacturer, the bags are handcrafted and have reinforced panels to protect your netbook from any bumps or knocks. The case itself isn’t too big, with dimensions of 285mm (L) x 250mm (H) x 80mm (W).
The bag has three main compartments. With the bag closed, you get one zip pocket on the back of the case. Another zip pocket sits on the inside of the case as well as the main netbook compartment.
The back pouch isn’t particularly big, but is large enough to store a few netbook accessories such as memory cards or pens & paper.
The bag is attractive in design and we certainly wouldn’t be ashamed to be using it out on the road. The black bag we were sent comes with matching grey zips and a slighter darker grey trim along the perimeter of the bag.
The bottom of the bag comes with some extra leather padding to stop the bottom of the bag wearing out. This also provides extra protection for your netbook if the bag accidentally fell.
The messenger bag comes with a flap cover that stays in place via two magnetic buttons. The same durable material is used on the inside of the flap.
Opening up the flap, you can see the two remaining compartments. The front compartment is big enough for sticking in power cables and plug.
Some messenger bags we’ve seen in the past don’t even have a catch on the flap to keep it into place. However, the UltimateAddons bag keeps things tidy by having two magnetic buttons that click firmly together.
The zips and seams feel very secure and look like they’ll be able to withstand some serious abuse over time. The company claims that that all of the seams are finished with “top-quality binding for strength and durability”.
The zip fastener caries the UltimateAddons name and logo. It is large enough to get a good grip on it, which is made even easier given the fact that it is made from rubber.
The UltimateAddons netbook messenger bag comes with an adjustable shoulder strap. The default size should be fine for most people, sitting comfortably by the hip.
The middle part of the shoulder strap is cushioned to ensure comfort when carrying the bag for long periods. On our measurements, the cushioned part was around 195mm in length and 60mm in width – nice and large for most shoulders.
Much like the zippers, the shoulder strap has been securely bound with stitching that should ensure its durability over long periods.
The strap itself is black with a grey stripe running down the middle. The steel buckle should withstand even the largest strains. It is the combination of many little touches like this that shows the thought that has gone into the bag.
The front compartment on the side of the bag is larger than that of the back pocket. This makes it ideal to carry a netbooks power adaptor and plug.
This compartment was easily able to accommodate these cables, despite the fact that the UK plug is one of the largest in the world.
The inside of the main compartment contains quite a few different pouches. The netbook compartment has extra padding and a strap to ensure it doesn’t move inside. Apart from this, you’ll also find two pouch pockets (one is 12cm x 6.5cm, while the second is 12cm x 9.5cm), two mesh pockets (11cm x 12.5cm), three pen spaces and three card slots.
The inside of the bag measures 28cm (L) x 23cm (H) x 5cm (W). On a diagonal basis, the case measures approximately 33cm. The netbook compartment has soft interior padding that helps cushions the netbook against blows.
There is a Velcro strap inside the main compartment that helps you to secure your netbook into place. The strap is stretchy that means there is little difficulty in fastening it into place.
Here you can see the Toshiba NB200 netbook inside the UltimateAddons bag. It all fit in quite easily despite the fact that the 6-cell battery of the netbook sticks out of the back of the device, rather than the bottom.
Once the netbook and cables were inside of the bag, the flap of the bag remained firmly in place. This is despite the extra bulk.
The case does not compromise its durability by making it too heavy to carry. According to our measurements, the UltimateAddons Netbook Messenger Bag weighed 729g, not bad for what is a fully featured bag.
Overall, our experience with the UltimateAddons Netbook Messenger Bag was a positive one. The company is confident enough in their product to offer a 30-day money back guarantee and it’s not difficult to see why. The bag is well made with some thoughtful design considerations.
It is robustly built and I would expect it to last a long time. It should fit most 10-inch netbooks – in fact considering that it fit the Toshiba NB200, which has a protruding 6-cell battery, this bodes well for other larger models. The zippers and shoulder strap seem secure and there is enough padding in the bag to keep your netbook protected from bumps scratches and dust. Considering that you get all of this for a very reasonable £19.99 + p&p makes this bag an easy recommendation from us.
Many thanks to Ultimate-Netbook for sending through this bag for review! Ultimate-Netbook is a specialist retailer of netbook accessories and ship their products worldwide.
September 15th, 2009 10:52 AM
Good review by netbook choice, one question i notice you have a 12 inch version of the green messenger bag, will UltimateAddons be supplying a black version of the larger bag?
September 28th, 2009 4:02 PM
Agreed great review. Excellent idea to publish so many photos. It manages to give you a great idea of what the product is like before you buy one.
April 24th, 2010 2:03 PM
Jeeze, you think they could have gotten their name and logo on the bag any bigger? Looks like shite.