Laptop Bags for Girls: Review of the Brenthaven Elite Sleeve

Written by Joanna Butler on February 4, 2011 · Filed under Gadgets, Review 

As a girl geek I’ve struggled for a long, long time to find a) a laptop bag that’s isn’t made for expeditions to the other side of the world and b) something perhaps, dare I say it, a little feminine and smart that I could take to a business meeting.

No such ideal laptop bag exists.

Or so I thought.

Until, I came across the Brenthaven Elite Sleeve last month. The Mocha colour in particular caught my eye instantly – a stylish brown on the outside, with plenty of girly pink on the inside.

Looks nice from the above photo don’t you think? Well take a look at the luxurious insides:

I love the fact it has a really funky wraparound style of body with extra zips to make the bag a little bit different and sure to stand out from the humdrum of the common, sensibly-styled laptop bags:

One of the most impressive parts of the design of this bag is the ingenius placement of a mobile phone pocket at the back of the bag – safely hidden away but perfect if you’re on the move and need your phone fast without having to fuss with the bag’s main flap. (The pocket is also lined with a velvet-like material so it feels like a touch of luxury for your other favourite gadget! These small details impress us girl geeks…):

The laptop bag’s strap is also nicely designed with some pink stitching on brown to add some subtle style too. It’s not too soft, but it’s wide enough not to dig in if it gets heavy and it’s reassuringly strong. Overall, a well-designed, slim and especially lightweight laptop bag for girls! It looked ideal for holding my  modestly-sized netbook and it seemed to be roomy enough for all my extra girl geek accessories:

• Charger cable
• Mouse
• Small power extension cable for emergencies (trust me, I use this about every other day when power sockets are in short supply)
• A4 notepad for meetings / sketching ideas (nothing like good old fashioned pen to paper for extracting initial ideas)
• Perhaps a slim magazine to read when in transit
• The odd other (small) charger cable for my phone and a camera

Unfortunately, much to my despair, I had an incredible job trying to fit these bits into the bag. I think the best way I can describe my experience is through a photo:

Yes, that’s the tiny 11.1″ laptop that’s fitting in nicely inside the bag, but even the charger cable didn’t seem to fit very well after my tiny machine was inside. As you can see, my notepad, magazine, essential charger cables… all left out. I adored this bag too much to try to force them inside.

So, alas, I’m still on the search for a good laptop bag for girls that manages the impossible: to be stylish, slim/lightweight AND fits my essential gadgets inside. That said, I’m definitely keeping this Brenthaven Elite Sleeve bag for when I can afford to travel so lightly that I don’t need essential work-related bits. However, being a girl, I also have handbags big enough to fit my tiny laptop in anyway without the need for a second bag…

The journey continues!…but I’ll leave you with a photo of this gorgeous bag…

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This has been a guest post from Joanna Butler who is available to hire as a London SEO Consultant and blogs about SEO, web analytics and social media on her SEO chocolate blog..