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My iPad is cooler than I am - Review of the Platforma iPad Messenger Bag from Strotter

Platforma iPad Messenger Bag

I was hanging out at our local sports bar the other day with a few friends, as you do. I'd had a few pints and when a couple of biker enthusiasts came in, shrugging off their leather jackets, my inside voice became my outside voice and I exclaimed "I could totally be a bad ass biker gal!"

All my friends looked at me...they all know a Vespa Scooter is really more my speed.

"You mean like Pinky Tuscadero?"

"No. I was thinking more like .. what's her name? The GoDaddy girl?"

"You mean Danica Patrick? Well, she IS bad ass, but she's a race car driver not a motorcycle rider."

Aaaaand that's why I belong on a Vespa.

I may only be able to dream of being a bad ass…but at least now my iPad can live that dream, thanks to the Platforma iPad Messenger Bag from Strotter. Strotter is a new bag design company and they have got something really special going on for iPads. They sent me over a review copy of two of their cases. First, I checked out the Platforma.

The Platforma is a vertical messenger bag designed specifically for the iPad. You can wear it across the body or, with a little reconfiguring, across the shoulders like a backpack. Its exterior features a mix of sexy black pebbled leather and black nylon, solid seams, high end hardware and a sleek silhouette that can flatter any bad ass's figure. The bag fastens shut with magnets, which makes it fuss-free to get into - handy when you're on the road.

Of course, the truly unique aspect of the Platforma is that with a few quick manoeuvres, it can act like a portable desk, leaving both your hands free to actually type or play games on your iPad. The iPad doesn't just rest precariously on the bag - you put your iPad in the Platforma's special Apple Smart Case compatible case and then snap that onto the back of the bag, where it's held in place by very strong magnets. I think this is ingenious, really - you can use it standing up, sitting down, or leaning against your Harley outside the diner, waiting for Pinky to get off work. In the video below, Serge (the founder of Strotter and designer of the Platforma) demos its very cool functionality.

The Platforma's front flap features two slim zippered areas, for things you want to keep secure and get to quickly. Under the front flap, there are two more slim zippered areas, a good size for notebooks or perhaps a magazine. The bag's red interior section brings a welcome splash of colour, plus makes it easy to see what you're carrying. The interior of the bag is divided into two parts - a slot for your iPad and a wider slot for whatever else you're carrying. I try not to cram my bags too full and the Platforma's sleek design helps out in that area - there's room for your iPad and some essentials (wallet, phone, snacks, etc.) but you're not putting your gym shoes in there. Bikers know how to travel light.

The only thing I didn't find easy about the Platforma was reconfiguring the strap. At one point, I was simply trying to lengthen the strap and somehow managed to remove all the hardware from it instead - I didn't find it quite as intuitive as Serge does in the video. Note: there is a crazy sexy video of the Platforma on Strotter's homepage that you can check out as well - it might explain my Pinky Tuscadero association in addition to showcasing some great closeups of the bag and how the functionality works.

I may never actually hit the open road, wind in my hair, iPad strapped to my back - but now I could if I WANTED TO. The Platforma is compact, smart and stylish as hell - a must have for the bad ass geek in all of us.

Find out more about the Strotter Platforma on their website. The Platforma retails for $169 USD.

Photo Credit: All photos mine except for the lead image - that's sexy Serge  from the Platforma site! Yowza!

Get your city chic on with the AVA urban laptop backpack from Ice Red

Oh, winter. In theory, a beautiful season with a crisp clean blanket of snow, sunny skies, and friendly smiles from pedestrians and drivers alike. The reality, especially in downtown Vancouver, is wet slushy streets, constant drizzle and pre-occupied drivers and pedestrians just trying to get where they are going. Plus, there is only like, what, 8 hours of daylight? This is why cycling in the winter isn't my cup of tea. But then Alan from Ice Red Bags sent over his new laptop backpack, the AVA - designed for urban dwellers like me. And I thought, hmm .. maybe this could improve my commute.

The first thing you notice about the AVA from Ice Red is the bright colour palette. Alan sent me the yellow - and it is BRIGHT. Just the thing for early morning cycling commutes - it wakes you up AND helps you be seen by drivers, pedestrians and fellow cyclists. I also appreciate its slim silhouette. I'm often tempted to take more stuff than I need with me. The AVA encourages me to keep it tight - no lugging around my Game of Thrones novels.

The interior of the AVA has a padded laptop sleeve which holds my MacBook Pro 15". I can also fit my power cord, a notebook, a magazine and some files. The interior side opposite the laptop sleeve has slots for pens and various electronic gadgets. Oh, and there is one of those handy dandy key chain clips, so I don't have to go digging through the back for my office keys.

The AVA is a vertically-oriented bag which I like very much. There are two straps on the back which can be configured in a few different ways: traditional backpack, cross-body plus waist strap or simply cross-body (best when you're walking). The hardware on the straps is high quality and good looking. But here is another reason to not stuff your AVA full - the straps are not padded. So, in the winter, when you're wearing a coat, you don't notice as much - but in summer, if you overload the bag, you will notice the straps pulling a bit.

There are two pockets on the outside of the AVA. On the front, there is a deep non-zippered pocket. It is perfect for my ereader - not so much when I'm cycling but when I'm on transit. I don't have to dig around for my book - it's super easy to get to. My favourite pocket is the one on the back of the AVA - a clever zippered little side pocket where I can stow my mobile phone that I can reach if I need to when I'm on my bike. So handy!!

I think the AVA is a good choice if you are a light-packing commuter (or have a new year's resolution to reduce your bag clutter!) And if you're not into the sunny yellow, the AVA also comes in a royal blue, bright red and chic black. The AVA retails for $70 USD and is available via Ice Red's website.

Recharge with an Eco-Chic Tablet-Sized Bag: The Jen Powered Crossbody from Urban Junket

Urban Junket's new bag for tablets (in indigo)

I haven't had an Urban Junket bag in my hands since I reviewed the Urban Junket Laptop T.O.T.E. three years ago. I LOVED the T.O.T.E. - love the materials it was made from, loved the bold magenta colour and I loved how many organizational options it offered. After my glowing review, I wanted to keep it - but I get a lot of laptop bags and I reluctantly ended up gifting it to a friend. "As least she lives close by," I thought "so maybe the T.O.T.E. and I will still get to visit!" And then she moved to Newfoundland. HA ha! I was bereft.

So when Tracy from Urban Junket asked if I'd like to review the new Jen Powered Crossbody Rechargeable Bag, I jumped at the chance to get another one of these sporty chic bags. This time, I got it in violet. So pretty!

The Jen Powered Crossbody is part of Urban Junket's new PowerTrips Rechargeable Bags line. It's a tablet-sized bag, perfect for your iPad or…whatever other tablets there are. The interior lining of the bag is made from Urban Junket's signature "bottles to bags" material - each Jen bag is made with 36 reclaimed plastic bottles, which makes the bags chic AND eco-friendly. Like the T.O.T.E., the exterior fabric (coated 100% cotton canvas) is water resistant, which makes it less stressful to travel with here in rainy Vancouver.

For smaller bags like this, I prefer the messenger style and the adjustable crossbody strap on the Jen fit my larger frame nicely. The front of the bag has a separate zippered pocket, for things you might need to access quickly - bus pass, smartphone, etc. - and it also has a handy slot for pens or my ever-present lip gloss.

Next is the second exterior zippered pocket which runs the width of the bag. This pocket contains a pouch for your smartphone and also a slit that allows you sneak a cord through and charge whatever's in that front pocket. Plenty of space up front here - enough room for your wallet, e-Reader or paperback for that morning commute.

While we're chatting exterior pockets, there's also a small pocket at the back, which could offer quick access to keys, etc. This back pocket is open, however, so if your bag gets turned upside down (or is stored in an overhead bin), you might lose whatever's in there.



The main compartment of the Jen has another two smartphone sized pouches (one open, one velcroed) and a large removable clutch with a business card holder in front. You can use the clutch as a bag for your gear or, if you don't have a lot of gear, for snacks! Yay snacks! The main compartment always has the velcroed pouch that holds the battery pack.

And now for the main event of this bag - the battery pack that allows you to recharge your devices on the go. I like the idea of having a way to recharge my phone, iPad or e-Reader while I'm out and about - it would be great for travel, or for keeping your phone charged during a power outages (like the ones we've been seeing lately in these crazy fall storms). Apparently, the battery pack is also TSA friendly and doesn't need to be removed from the bag when you're going through security.

The battery pack is actually really easy to use. It comes with an accompanying micro USB to USB cord, which is a must for those of us whose devices don't use a micro USB to charge (like my iPhone). You plug the micro USB in to the battery pack to charge it - it was very quick to get fully charged. You don't have to take the battery pack out of the bag to charge if you don't want to.



Once the battery pack was charged, I had a dilemma - what to charge first? I could have charged my iPhone (the "out" on the battery pack is a standard USB) but I decided to try recharging my e-Reader instead, to see how long it would take. My e-Reader was fully out of battery and generally takes a very long time to recharge. I plugged it in to the battery pack at 10:00 a.m. and an hour and forty five minutes later, it was fully charged. Not bad for the Kobo! The battery also full recharged my half-charge iPhone very quickly and looks to still have some juice left. Pretty cool.

As with all Urban Junket bags, the Jen also features super sturdy construction and great hardware. It's pretty lightweight, even with the battery pack - and the battery pack can be removed if you prefer. Fantastic, functional design, eco-friendly materials, rich, bright colours and a great way to keep your electronics charged on the go - the Jen Powered Crossbody is pretty rad.

I learned my lesson with the first Urban Junket bag - this one will not be leaving my house unless it's with me. You can get your own Urban Junket PowerTrip bag at urbanjunket.com - the Jen retails for $228 USD.