When we get outdoors, WIRED’s gear-focused Review team writes about our favorite bags and EDCs. Today, reviewer Luke Larsen raves about his love for his Bellroy Laptop Caddy. You can also check other Bag Check story where WIRE authors share all their choices.
I never have a person who uses a laptop sleeve. I’ve tried many of them over the years, but the laptop compartment in my bag has always felt safe enough—especially considering I don’t travel or travel a lot for work. But then, I tried a laptop sleeve that somehow also functioned as a full bag, and it quickly became my daily carry.
The sleeve in question is the 16-inch Bellroy Laptop Caddy. Unlike most laptop sleeves, this one doesn’t just have one compartment with a few pockets here and there. The main bag is quite large and can accommodate any laptop you can think of, including most 16-inch gaming laptops.
For a laptop, like a 13-inch MacBook Airthere are many additional positions. So much space, in fact, that it’s not difficult to slide a second device in there. As a laptop reviewer, it’s not unusual for me to carry two at once, so while I enjoy the 16-inch handheld, know that there’s a smaller 14-inch option that might suit your needs. But even if you don’t find yourself carrying two bulky laptops, you might be in a situation where you’d like to slip into one tablet or as a portable accessory the keyboard or laptop stand. With this amount of space, almost anything is possible.
My biggest frustration with most laptop cases is that there is generally not a big enough pocket for the power adapter. That’s especially true if you’re carrying a laptop with a more powerful brick, such as 16-inch MacBook Pro. With the Bellroy, though, this is not an issue thanks to two large pockets in the inner flap, one of which is perfect for adapters and cables like that. I’ve used another pocket for things like my phone, external SSD, and earphones. The bags are made of stretchable mesh, making them effective for storing heavy items as well.
Between the two interior pockets are two pen holders, which can function for carrying a pen as a pen Apple Pencil. There is also a large empty area for something like a notebook, Kindle, book, or any odds and ends you can carry at the time.
