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ECBC B8 Sparrow: The "everything bag" for business travelers
I've written a lot of reviews of cases and bags over the years, but this is the first time I've actually had the opportunity to review luggage that is electronics-friendly. ECBC recently started producing the B8 Luggage line featuring the Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag (US$399.99). Before you start wondering if you're actually reading "Luggage Daily" instead of TUAW, I need to let you know that this is perhaps the most Apple-friendly piece of luggage you'll ever find. One lucky TUAW reader is going to win this bag, so read on. To begin with, let's talk about the electronics capability of the Sparrow, since that's what will appeal to most TUAW readers. There's a front TSA-friendly fold out zippered compartment -- what ECBC calls Fastpass -- for electronics. In it is a padded foam compartment that can hold any 15-inch or smaller laptop, so the entire current MacBook line will fit with no problems. Modular inserts can be added or removed to make sure that your 11" MacBook Air isn't flopping around in that compartment Since you'd be a fool to travel without your iPad as well, there's a special padded pocket for it as well. If you happen to sport an iPad mini instead of the full-sized member of the family, you can add modular inserts to hold it in place as well. Need to give your iPhone a quick charge? No problem, since the Sparrow has a rechargeable 4,500 mAh battery for just that purpose. You'll need to provide your own iPhone charging cable, but there's a USB to micro-USB cable for recharging the battery pack. Two more small pockets for carrying your iPhone or another device as well as a cable or charging adapter round out the interior of this Fastpass pocket. Moving back from front of the Sparrow bag, we next get to a dedicated garment area, perfect for that suit or jacket for a quick one or two day trip. You can fold it up nicely to avoid wrinkles, and there is also a small area with two triangular corner zippered pockets for socks, underwear, and the like. Then we get to the main part of the bag, where all of the rest of your clothes will reside while you're flying. Like all good luggage, there are compression straps to help you cram more into the bag and keep it from flopping around in transit. This is a rollerbag -- designed to be used as a carry-on -- so there's a locking handle. Fortunately, most of the time it can be hidden inside its own zippered pocket. When you need to move, just unzip that pocket, push the button on top of the handle, and extend it to the desired length. The wheels were a little tight on the bag I reviewed, but should roll more easily with use. While playing around with this, I was not surprised to find some other niceties. There's a zippered fold-out water bottle holder and a really cool ID holder that you just pull out to show your ID, and it retracts back into its little hiding place. There are two nicely padded handles for lifting the Sparrow into the overhead bin, and -- last but not least -- the traditional "magazine pocket" on the front of the electronics compartment. All of this is miraculously packed into a space 22" x 14" x 9", weighing only 9 lbs. Like other ECBC bags we've tested, it has a 210 denier Double Diamond ripstop lining and a tough 1680 denier HD ballistic nylon exterior in either black or grey. All of the zippers are big, easy to pull, and look like they'd even put up with the overpacking I usually do. Conclusion If you are a businessperson or student who needs to travel light with both clothing and computer equipment, the ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag is an extremely well-constructed, stylish, and brilliantly thought-out piece of luggage. Pros Intelligent design for containing both clothing and electronics Handle has its own zippered pocket to keep it nicely stowed away when not in use Tough zippers open all of the compartments wide for easy and complete access Separate garment area is perfect for dress clothing on business travel Built-in battery pack is a nice touch for allowing emergency recharge of iPhones Very attractive design Lots of pockets for holding everything from ID to charging cables, both inside and out Cons Quite expensive, but then you get what you pay for Who is it for? Any person who travels both with dress and casual clothing as well as electronic gear who wants to avoid the hassle and expense of checking a bag Giveaway As much as I regret giving away this beautiful piece of luggage, it's our TUAW policy. So one of you extremely lucky people is going to be able to use the Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag on your next business trip. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before October 24, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive an ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag valued at $399.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
ECBC Harpoon Daypack carries gear in a compact package
The slim Harpoon Daypack from ECBC carries your gear in a compact, easily portable package. The black version with red accent stitching I tested includes water-resistant YKK zippers with rubber coated metal pull tabs. The durable 840D HD nylon construction and its seams are finished well, and no stray threads appeared during use. The Harpoon also comes in grey. The back panel on the backpack strap side includes medium filled protective material, and the inside is divided into pockets for your devices. The Harpoon Daypack includes a laptop pocket with a small overflap suitable for any sized MacBook. In front of the laptop sleeve lies a pocket with a velcro closure for an iPad or other tablet. Another zippered net pocket above the tablet sleeve holds cables, chargers, or any other small miscellaneous items. A three-quarter outer zipper compartment also includes a zipper net pocket with a plastic carabiner clip for keys. There are also two Velcro closure compartments and a variety of slip pockets for pens, notebooks or other items. The inside is a silver rip-stop nylon, also with red accent stitching. At the top of the compartment is another zippered closure that runs the length of the compartment. The Harpoon's nicely padded adjustable shoulder straps are attached to the pack a little too close to each other, but are wider than I've seen on other backpacks. I found, even on my small back, that they chafed slightly under my arms. However, the pack sits securely on the top of my back, so it made carrying a full load comfortable and it didn't drag on my lower back. I don't usually recommend a pack without a waist strap, but didn't miss it on this daypack. The top of the pack sports another small padded zippered pocket with a fleece lining, suitable for a phone or other item that needs scratch protection. A handle for a quick bag grab sits behind that pocket and above the backpack straps. Two water bottle zippered pockets grace the lower sides of the pack. The elastic pockets expand nicely and are so deep that a 20oz bottle sits inside securely. I appreciate that my water bottles didn't fall out and roll away every time I picked up and put down the pack. All in all the build quality and design of the Harpoon Daypack (model B7101) is impressive and its US$99 price matches other packs of similar size. I doubt this pack is suitable for a six-foot man, but is perfect for my five-foot plus frame, except where noted above. My only complaint is that the bottom of bag is soft, even though the base is 1680D HD nylon, it includes no flat surface upon which it can stand. That means when you put it down, it immediately falls over and gets dirty. I expect that the Harpoon Daypack will last a long time and withstand most abuse that we make our packs suffer through. Specifications External dimensions: 18.5″ x 12.1″ x 6.2″ (47cm x 30.7cm x 15.7cm) 840D HD nylon body with water repellent coating 1680D HD nylon base Air mesh back panel for comfort Fits 17" laptop Weight not specified
ECBC's Rolling Luggage Collection perfect for short trips, charges your devices
Techies and travelers who want the perfect luggage for a short trip don't need to look any further; ECBC has announced that they're now taking orders for the new Rolling Luggage Collection and will be shipping the products on August 12. The collection consists of three rolling bags, all of which feature a TSA-compliant fold-out storage compartment for your up-to-15-inch MacBook Pro and other tech gadgetry, as well as a built-in rechargeable charging station and a special padded pocket for your iPad or iPad mini The bags are perfect for those situations where you're stuck in a crowded airport waiting area with no access to an empty power plug, but need to give your iPhone a bit of juice. The first of the bags is the Sparrow Rolling Garment Bag Carry-On (US$399.99, at upper right), which has a fold-out garment section for organizing dress clothes. Next is the Falcon Rolling Duffle (below), which comes in 26" ($349.99) and 30" ($399.99) models, and features built-in expandability for carrying the extra stuff you inevitably pick up on a trip. Finally, there's the $399.99 Pegasus Wheeled Backpack, which provides the flexibility of being used either as a backpack or a wheeled suitcase. TUAW has reviewed ECBC products before, and they're all extremely high-quality bags. With the addition of the Rolling Luggage Collection, the company is giving tech-savvy travelers a perfect way to pack both clothes and technology into a single bag complete with a charging unit. If you purchase by August 11 and use the promo code "luggage30", you can receive 30 percent off your order and get free shipping to boot.
ECBC announces a colorful new line of laptop, backpack, and messenger bags
TUAW has reviewed a number of the high-quality bags from ECBC in the past; their Poseidon Messenger Bag was a favorite of mine, and the Dart Laptop Tote is perfect for smaller Apple laptops. Today the company announced the new K7 Color Collection, bringing the tough ECBC design to a colorful group of bags that are perfect for everyone from travelers to commuters. The K7 Color Collection is made up of the Thor Laptop Backpack (image above, US$119.99), Hercules Laptop Backpack ($139.99), Poseidon Messenger ($99.99) and Zeus Messenger ($119.99). All of the designs are available in Berry, Green, Linen, Blue and Black for shipping today. The Hercules Laptop Backpack is of special interest to frequent travelers, as it has a TSA-compliant back panel that unzips for easy inspection of your laptop.The K7 Color Collection is made of water-resistant 1000 denier Kodra for extra resistance to scratches, punctures or tears.
ECBC Dart Laptop Tote review and giveaway
There's nothing quite like the abrupt ending of a three- or four-day weekend to slap you back into reality, and that's what a lot of TUAW readers here in the US will experience this morning. One thing that might soften the blow of heading back to work would be a new laptop case courtesy of ECBC and TUAW. The case in question the new ECBC Dart Laptop Tote (US$79.99), a sleek and lightweight bag that's perfect for carrying your 11- or 13-inch MacBook Air or MacBook Pro in style, while leaving enough extra room for an iPad, a boarding pass, and your passport. Design If you read our earlier review of the ECBC Poseidon Messenger Bag, then you'll know that ECBC does a great job of designing and constructing top-notch computer bags. The Dart Laptop Tote is made at the same high quality level. The body of the case is made of 840 denier HD ballistic nylon, while the bottom gets double the density with 1680 denier material. Inside, the Dart is lined with a soft and silky 210 denier double diamond ripstop. The Dart comes in two colors -- black and grey -- and the material is coated with water repellent to keep your stuff high and dry when it's raining outside. The Dart is nice and small, not adding a lot of weight to your commute. It's just 14.75" x 11.1" x 3", and weighs a featherlight 1.52 pounds. Inside the Dart you'll find a lot of room, though. The main computer pocket is perfect for that 11-inch MacBook Air, but if you have a 13-in MBA or MBP, just pull out the modular insert that's Velcroed into the bottom of the pocket and you're set. %Gallery-189520% The other pocket is designed to hold your iPad, iPhone, a bunch of pens, and anything else you want to throw into it. All of the little items have their own pockets to go into, keeping your iPhone from getting scratched by your favorite pen. On the back side of the case is a luggage trolley handle pass-through -- this means that when you've got a rollerbag that is carrying your clothes for that business trip, you can slide the Dart over the handle and have one less thing to weigh you down. That pass-through is padded; perfect, since it's the side that normally would press against your body if you're carrying the case with the padded shoulder strap. There's also padding on the handle if that's the way you roll. There's one more pocket on the Dart in the front, designed for your boarding pass (provided you're still printing it out instead of using Passbook), passport, and any other travel papers you might need to carry. Functionality I am frankly surprised at how much I was able to cram into this bag without it bulging! For my tests, I filled it with a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, a third-generation iPad, a Quirky PowerCurl with the MacBook power cable wrapped around it, an AC adapter and charging cable for the iPad, my iPhone, and some random papers that I pulled off of my desktop. The shoulder strap is not only padded, but also has a grippy material on it so it won't slide off your shoulder. That's something that is frequently overlooked on other bags and another feature of ECBC's products that I love. With its svelte lines, the Dart isn't a replacement for one of those big bags that can hold a change of clothes as well as your computer gear. But it's perfect for the person who just needs to carry a small laptop to and from work or on a business trip. Conclusion ECBC continues to make well-designed and sturdily built laptop bags, and the Dart Laptop Tote is perfect for the 11- or 13-inch MacBook Air or Pro owner who wants a lightweight bag. Pros Lightweight, yet sturdy Water repellent exterior is perfect for rainy climes Smooth interior material keeps your MacBook from being scratched Well-padded Perfect for accompanying a rolling carryon bag on a business trip Cons Not a TSA-compliant laptop bag, so you will need to put your laptop into a bin Who is it for? The owner of an 11- or 13-inch MacBook Air or Pro who wants a sturdy, well-padded, and lightweight bag for a daily commute or business travel. Giveaway One lucky TUAW reader is going to end up with a Dart Laptop Tote courtesy of ECBC. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 31, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive an ECBC Dart Laptop Tote valued at US$79.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
