It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Booq Bags.  I absolutely adore their Viper sleeve for the Macbook and settled on it after finding nothing quite like it on the market.  So when I got word of a new line of bags I had to get my hands on one.

Enter the Mambe Shift Backpack.  It can hold a 13″ to 17″ laptop and includes an accessory pouch to keep all your gear neatly tucked away.  On the sides are two side pockets and like many if not of all Booq’s stuff is finished in durable ballastic nylon that has a water repellent coating.

So there isn’t much to tell when it comes to bag. But what I did notice is that the Mamba is great for toting around your laptop and your laptop alone.  But before I get into the drawbacks of the Mamba I will say that the laptop pocket is easy to access and even fit my Vyper sleeve with ease.  Alternatively, you could just toss your laptop in the bag sans case since the pocket is padded for your protection.

Now, back to the drawbacks.  While the Mamba appears large in capacity it assure it is not.  The side pockets could facility a water bottle and the middle pocket is roomy enough for a book or two, but that’s about it.  With that said, don’t buy this bag for its cubic capacity.  But do buy it for its durability and protection, surely a payoff most laptop carrying students and bloggers like myself can relate to.  Besides, I don’t want a massive bag hanging off my back.

Aesthetically, the Mamba is pretty good looking.  From a profile perspective I thought it was a bit bulky and no matter how much I tightened the shoulder straps it hung the same way. This can be attributed to the excessive amount of padding in the bag.  Which probably means I could get hit by a bus and my laptop would be intact, where as I would not – catch my drift?

Pros:

• Holds 13″ to 17″ laptops
• Specific laptop pocket with good padding
• Aesthetically cool

Cons:

• Deceiving cubic capacity
• Expensive

If you’re so inclined you can grab one through Amazon for $150.