Powerbag Review – Juiced Up Bag For The Android Geek On-The-Go
At this year’s CES, I had the pleasure of wandering into the Powerbag booth where I somehow managed to fall completely in love with their lineup of backpacks, slings and messenger bags, tailored for the geek-on-the-go. Before being exposed to the bags, I’ve heard all the hype I wanted to, and needless to say, I wasn’t sold. In fact, I was dead set against them. “It’s a bag. With a battery. Big deal.” Oh, how wrong I was. Yes, just as the name would suggest, Powerbags can power up and charge all of your devices thanks to a variety of mAh batteries built into every single bag but don’t let that fool you into thinking that’s the only focus. I’ll explain it more in depth in my review for the Powerbag Instant Messenger bag.
Bag
Much more than just a battery thrown inside a Jansport, like I mentioned before, these bags are tailored made for the gadget-man. Every pocket, every nook and cranny is designed to accommodate for a wide range of devices, accessories and gizmos. What surprised me the most was I found that I was able to consolidate 2 separate gadget bags — that I lug around everywhere with me — into the 1 Instant Messenger bag. It felt magical. Almost as if I somehow managed to stumble upon Mary Poppins’ famous handbag.
The outside shell is a weather resistant material to keep your gadgets dry. Inside, each bag features premium construction that not only looks good, but keeps them cozy and safe. This is, without a doubt, what really sold me on the Powerbag. Every pocket is so well thought out. Some pockets feature zippers, others have velcro, some are big, some are small and most are lined with plush and padding to prevent harsh bumps and bruises. The 2 front pouches house cable tips that are neatly tucked away so as to keep your device scratch free when not charging.
The whole bag, I found, was a wonderful symphony of pockets and pouches creating a place for everything, and making sure everything had its place. Tablet, phone, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS; throw ’em in, charge ’em up and don’t worry about a thing. But it’s not all function, the bags are super sexy and dare I say “hip” looking as well. I think about 3 girls approached me while wearing my Powerbag — granted, their phones were all low on power — although, I think it had something to do with this bag’s wicked good looks.
Battery
While every Powerbag initially comes with it’s own battery pack, extra or larger capacity batteries can be purchased via the Powerbags website according to your device need and are priced attractively. The Instant Messenger bag I reviewed came with a 6,000 mAh battery that had no trouble charging multiple devices on more than one occasion. The battery area, which is tucked away in a padded cubby hole, also features your standard USB output for charging any other devices that may have their own proprietary connection (like Samsung tablets). The bags feature an illuminated indicator along the front of the bag so you can easily see how much juice your have left in your bag and standard AC charger comes with each bag to charge it up before leaving the house.
Pricing
While not cheap, I wouldn’t classify Powerbags as super expensive either. They’re about the same price as you’d find any top of the line laptop bag — except these guys come with huge, mAh’s by the thousands. And since Powerbags come in a variety of shapes, sizes and classes, housing various sized batteries, you’re sure to find one that’s just right for you. Prices range from the reasonable high-end $180 for their deluxe line/business class line (with 6,000mAh battery packs), to the lower $140 for their slings and messenger bags (with lower 4,000mAh batteries). Not too bad for a bag that will keep you juiced up through the years. These are the Coach/Prada/Gucci bag for the truly geek and chic.
Conclusion
I know, it sounds silly for someone to get so hyped up over something like a bag, but when you carry around as many gadgets as I do, I’ve oft dreamed of a bag that could keep my life in order but never thought I’d find one that could simultaneously keep my devices juiced up as well. Powerbag, without a doubt, delivers. I can’t recommend these enough for the student, white collar worker or man-about-town. Put these on your Christmas wishlist, wedding registry, do whatever it takes. Anyone with multiple devices — Android or not — deserves to have a Powerbag in their life.
[MyPowerbag.com | Amazon Link: Instant Messenger Bag for $170]