There are two major factors I need from a gadget bag– smallest size possible to carry everything I need (and nothing more) and light weight. The latter condition is no joke, I have tried bags that weight a couple of pounds or more empty, which doesn’t make sense when you are trying to go lean and mean.

A company that has garnered quite a reputation for awesome computer bags is the Booq company. Booq is a company that makes practical bags to fit all types of mobile devices such as iPods, PDAs and notebook computers. They have a complete line of bags, backpacks and laptop sleeves to fit just about any gadget you might be carrying around. I did a lot of research and gathered a lot of user comments that indicated how good these bags are viewed by consumers so I decided recently to pick one up for myself.


Construction

The Boa.XS is nice and small yet will carry everything I need to make it through my work day and even for short trips. The dimensions of the XS are:

14.5 x 12.0 x 3.5”

This makes the bag perfect for carrying my stuff, and even those trying to carry a Tablet PC or notebook computer with a 12” screen will find the XS to be of adequate size. The laptop pocket of the XS has the following dimensions:

12.5 x 9.75 x 1.6”

The outer construction of the Boa is first rate with ballistic nylon used throughout the bag and all stitching is extremely durable. I would think it would be very hard to rip or abuse this bag. The attention to detail in the design of the Boa.XS extends to the back panel and backpack straps which together make this one of the most comfortable backpacks I have ever used. The back panel is molded with a slight curve to fit the owner’s back and the straps are wide and padded for comfort. The way the straps are designed make this bag very comfortable to wear draped over one shoulder, my preferred method to wear it during the day. I can carry the Boa over my shoulder for extended periods with no discomfort or fatigue of the shoulder at all. It is apparent Booq put a lot of thoughtful design into the usability of the Boa.

Virtual Tour of the Boa.XS

When you first take a good look at the outside of the Boa it is readily apparent the level of detail that Booq put into the design and construction of the bag. The large front pocket on the bag is covered in a nicely patterned nylon that is smooth to the touch and embellished with the tasteful silver “booq” nameplate. There is a small orange rubber tag with the Booq logo on the left side and all the various zippers have the same logo in silver on the pull tabs. All pockets on the Boa have two zippers which allows easy access to most of them without having to completely open the zipper.

The front pocket also has a black plastic loop for attaching other accessories to hang on the front of the bag. This pocket is a large area to store those items you need quick access to during the day and is nicely outfitted. The upper back of this pocket when opened has the same patterned nylon as the front of the bag except it is a tasteful orange that is only visible when the pocket is open. It is quite stylish and this pocket is the one I use all day long. The back of this pocket has a flat zippered pocket within a pocket where you can put flat items securely. There are two other smaller pockets on the back of varying sizes for business cards and the like. Two of the pockets are mesh so you can see what is in them without digging around, a nice touch. Hanging from the top of the open pocket is a clip for keys.

The next pocket you encounter as you move to the back of the bag is a very small pocket designed for an MP3 player. There is a grommet pass-through to feed the player headphone cord through the front of the bag and if you have a player with a remote control you can clip that to the loop I mentioned earlier and run your player without taking it out of the Boa. This is very useful for listening to podcasts like techADDICTION or The Tablet PC Show with your player of choice. The zipper for this little pocket is covered by a flap of durable nylon to prevent the player from accidentally falling out of the pocket.

The next pocket back is a large pocket that has more of the orange nylon on the back and is big enough to carry a small file or some magazines. There are two additional pockets on the front of this pocket to accommodate various sized items, with the front most pocket constructed of mesh so you can see what’s inside.

The last (or rear-most) pocket is the laptop compartment which in addition to the same double zippers that all the outer pockets use also has a durable nylon flap with two velcro enclosures. This has a dual purpose of keeping the two zippers from accidentally opening plus making it impossible for someone to snatch your laptop off your back without alerting you. The big pocket is completely made out of a soft velour type material that pads and protects your mobile computer from scratches. Tablet PC owners who are concerned about the exposed screen of the computer can rest assured it will not be scratched in the Boa computer compartment. The pocket keeps the notebook from flopping around while still remaining easy to take it out of the bag when you need it. The back of the pocket rests opposite the padded back molding I mentioned providing even more cushion for your expensive gadget.

The top of the Boa.XS is where the wide shoulder straps are attached to the bag with a handle bridging the two straps for stability. The handle is a padded sure-grip rubber and is easy to use to carry the bag around if needed. The shoulder straps have another orange Booq logo tag and are completely adjustable for length. There is a small strap that can connect the two shoulder straps across the chest for additional comfort if the back is loaded very heavily, but I find I don’t need that much. There is another removable waist strap which can be used to further distribute the weight evenly along the back and prevent the bag from moving around while it is being worn. I have removed this strap completely and do not find I need it but I can see a use for it for long walks.

The bottom of the Boa shows the same level of construction as the rest of the bag, from the rubberised non-slip bottom to the two “feet” that sport the Booq name in black and silver. You can safely stand the bag up to root around in the pockets without worry the bag will slip away from you. The aforementioned padded back has a large molded Booq logo that is quite clever and stylish, like everything else on the Boa.

Conclusion

It is probably apparent by now that I am quite happy with the Booq Boa.XS, and find it perfect for carrying all the stuff I need every day while still remaining light and with a low profile. The entire bag tapers narrower toward the top of the bag making it very low profile which I really like. I find the Boa to be stylish and tasteful enough to carry into any meeting without attracting undue notice from the other attendees.

Here are a couple of photos that shows how flat the bag is both empty and loaded with all my stuff:



You can barely tell the difference which suits me just fine. Here is a photo of the bag with all the stuff I carry in it piled in front of it for your reference:


The Boa.XS is available from the Booq Bags site for $109.95 and while that is normally more than I would pay for a bag such as this the construction and utility of the Boa makes that price worth paying. When I purchased my Boa a few weeks ago Booq had an online discount of $30 making this bag a real steal so check their site before buying elsewhere to make sure you’re not missing a special. If you need a bag that is larger Booq has bags that accommodate laptops with screens up to 17” so you are sure to find the perfect bag in the right size for your needs.

At first glance I thought this bag probably wouldn’t work for me. Aside from my aforementioned concern about having only one back, this bag looked too small to house all the stuff I carry with me on a daily basis. When I took it out of the box it was compressed flat. This was misleading.

The bag/backpack actually has three full length vertical pockets – each with considerable space. The center pocket comes with a variably sized laptop sleeve. You select one of eight boot sizes to fit your laptop when you order the Torq.


I typically carry two laptops and I found that both fit easily into the center pocket. I put the Toshiba I own inside the laptop sleeve and slide the Dell machine provided by my employer right in there next to it.


In the front-most vertical pocket I carry the two laptop power bricks and a mouse. There is plenty of room in there for more stuff!


The front vertical compartment also has a nice selection of mesh, nylon, and zippered pockets to help you organize your equipment.

In the rear-most vertical pocket, I carry my 6×8 Wacom tablet, a mouse pad, and a fair stack of papers, CDROMs, etc. Again, there is room for a lot more stuff here.


There is also a roomy front pocket which will expand to carry smaller items like card readers, office supplies, etc.


After you get everything packed into this expandable pack, you can bind everything together with the dual sets of straps on the sides. Each side has a permanent adjustable strap located about a third of the way up.


Each side also has another set of adjustable straps with quick disconnects located about a third of the way down from the top.

Spire has done a good job creating a flexible design which allows you to expand to contain your gear while still keeping everything tight inside so it doesn’t shift around when you are moving. I think I could reasonably double the amount of gear I am currently carrying, but this is not necessarily a good thing.


Let us talk about straps. The Torq comes with four different strap systems. You can choose which way you prefer carry the bag and stow away the unneeded straps in the pockets provided for this purpose.

The removable laptop sleeve is held in place inside the Torq by a Velcro pad on the back of the sleeve mating to the solid Velcro backside of the center vertical pocket. You can just pull it out and attach the included nylon strap to the two D-rings located at the top of the sleeve.


Of course the Torq comes with standard padded backpack straps. These straps are fastened at the bottom with quick disconnects. This allows you to quickly stow the straps away inside the gap between the bag and the rear padding.


The standard backpack straps are easily adjustable. They also come with a sternum strap which is adjustable vertically as well as for tension. Each has a small horizontal nylon strap and one has a medium sized D-ring where you could hang small items.


Spire has also included a padded waist strap with a large quick disconnect buckle which can be used to take some of the load off of your shoulders. This strap can also be stowed in the gap between the pack and the rear padding when not in use.


Finally, the Torq comes with a fairly wide, padded shoulder strap which can be connected to the bag in a number of ways. The bag has metal O-rings located at all four corners. I prefer to connect my shoulder strap to the two O-rings at the top of the bag. You could carry the bag on its side – or even upside down if you are feeling wild and crazy!

Note – carrying a fully loaded Torq backpack upside down is not recommended by either the author of this review or The Gadgeteer. Please do so at your own risk.

This shoulder strap allows me to carry my Crumpler Karachi Outpost backpack simultaneously with the Torq with minimal discomfort – said discomfort having more to do with the overall weight of my gear than any design issue with either bag. The amount of gear I carry around with me is really ridiculous and seems to grow over time. I am like the old woman in the Labyrinth who has accumulated a lifetime of junk on her back.

This is not your problem and I apologize for bringing it up.

The bag also includes two nylon mesh side pockets with synch straps. These are suitable for water bottles, cell phones, etc. I use one of mine for my PDA. At the top you will also find a round, hard rubber, nylon covered grab handle.

Now it is time for specifications. The backpack’s external material is primarily 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon. The interior pockets are lined primarily with 210 Denier light gray nylon. The bag weighs appx. 2.9 pounds and has overall dimensions of 19.5″ x 14.5″ x 9″ unexpanded (49.5cm x 37cm x 23cm). As mentioned earlier, the laptop sleeve, included in the price of the bag, is variable — based on the size of your laptop.