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Waterfield Designs' AirPods Max case actually protects your headphones
Despite the $550 price tag, there are a lot of things to like about Apple’s new AirPods Max headphones. One of the first comes from Waterfield Designs, a San Francisco-based company that’s been making lovely leather bags and custom cases for devices from Apple, Microsoft, Google, Nintendo and more for years. Waterfield’s AirPods Max “Shield Case” goes on sale this morning for $99, and it appears to be a huge improvement over Apple’s option.
How I nearly became hooked on a $335 laptop bag
When I was first approached about checking out the WaterField Designs $335 Rough Rider messenger bag, it occurred to me that I've never written about something as decidedly non-technical before. Let's face it: When I plop down my case and begin unloading my work stuff, my focus has always been on the contents, not the vessel. But once the bag arrived, I realized this San Francisco outfit doesn't just peddle any old type of gear; its handmade leather goods (crafted in the US, to boot) are something truly special. Still, coming from a world of ultra-padded messengers, I was worried if it would be quite good enough to do the job. So I broke up with my cushy day-to-day bag and switched to this all-leather interloper to see how I'd fare.
Waterfield Designs Rough Rider leather messenger bag: Review and giveaway (Updated)
Over the past year or so, we've seen a trend emerging from high-end laptop bag manufacturers like Waterfield Designs and Pad & Quill -- use of leather as a primary material in their products. This not only provides a beautiful finish to the products, but also ensure that your purchase of a quality bag is going to last well beyond the expected lifetime of your laptop. Waterfield Designs recently introduced the US$335 Rough Rider leather messenger bag, and as you'd expect from this San Francisco manufacturer, it's functional, durable, and downright delicious to look at. Check out the review, then have a chance to win a Rough Rider. Specifications Dimensions: 15 x 10.5 x 3.5 inches (38.1 x 26.7 x 8.9 cm) Weight: 2.9 lb. (1.32 kg) Materials: premium naturally-tanned distressed leather Accent colors: black, copper, pine, green, flame, pearl Design Highlights The best way to describe the look of the Rough Rider is to quote some of the verbiage on the SFBags.com website -- "the clean professional look exudes a 'already been around the world a couple of times' masculine confidence". The accent areas are made with what appears to be ballistic nylon, but the primary material used is leather. The inside of the Rough Rider is unlined, but the leather shouldn't cause any abrasions on that nice aluminum finish of your MacBook Pro. Also inside are two large pockets that you can stuff with accessories -- they are lined with waxed canvas. On the outside are two more large pockets into which you might want to place your iPhone or even an iPad mini. Those outside pockets are covered by the large leather flap that snaps closed to keep your stuff inside. I've always liked the way that Waterfield Designs makes shoulder straps, and the Rough Rider's strap is no exception. It has a wide padded center that has a pebbled surface on it so that it doesn't slip off of your shoulder like some competing bags. Anyone who is upset by the least little mark on something they own will obsess over the leather on the Rough Rider and should probably stay away from it. If you like your possessions to have that comfortable worn-in shoes look, then you and the Rough Rider are going to get along famously. Update: We received information from Waterfield Designs that after this review ran, they received a lot of requests for a 15-inch version of the Rough Rider. That bag is now available for pre-order. Functionality Highlights What can I say? You can pretty much stuff a lot of equipment into the Rough Rider. While writing the review, I tossed my 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, its power adapter, an iPhone 5s, and an iPad mini into the bag, and still had plenty of space left. Some folks might bemoan the fact that the four individual pockets lack any sort of closure (zipper, for example), but I find in most cases that those closures get in the way of searching for stuff in a bag -- something I find I'm always doing! Case in point, one of the bags that I use on a regular basis has leather straps that go over two interior pockets. While I love that bag (not from Waterfield/SFBags) dearly, those straps drive me bonkers and I find myself looking for a pair of shears to cut them off. The shoulder strap is comfortable, adjustable, and best of all, will not slide off of your shoulder. My other bag has a tendency to slide off, forcing me to either readjust the strap often or shrug my shoulder to get it back in place. Not so with the Rough Rider, which stays in place. Conclusion Gary Waterfield got his start as a San Francisco bike messenger, and he obviously put some of his practical experience into this classic and durable messenger bag. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- you get what you pay for. The Rough Rider might not be inexpensive (that's my only beef with the bag), but it is going to outlast a lifetime's worth of Apple laptops and accessories while looking better with age. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway Wow, this bag is nice enough that I almost wish I didn't work for the site so I could be eligible to win it! You don't have that problem, so all you have to do is enter for a chance to win a Rough Rider messenger bag. 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 April 21, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Waterfield Designs Rough Rider leather messenger bag valued at $335. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Waterfield Designs Outback Solo bag for iPad Air: Style and substance
Way back in the days of my first "tablets" -- one of many Apple Newton MessagePad models -- I found that the most convenient way to carry them was with a bag with a shoulder strap. At that time, the computer and tablet bag industry wasn't in full swing as it is today, so I ended up carrying a small black (and rather plain) Eagle Creek bag with a shoulder strap with my Newton, an extra battery pack or three and a spare stylus. Fast-forward to 2014, where we not only have bags and cases galore to protect our iPads, but they actually look good as well. The Waterfield Designs Outback Solo (US$89) is designed for Apple's newest full-size tablet, the iPad Air, and as you'd expect from Waterfield Designs, it's rugged and good-looking. Specifications Dimensions: 10.5" wide x 8.7" high x 1.0" max thickness (26.7 x 22.0 x 2.54 cm) (bag comes in two sizes; one to fit a "naked" iPad Air, the other to fit an iPad Air with a third-party slick case) Weight: 14.85 ounces (421 grams) with strap Material: The main part of the bag is made of a tan waxed canvas, while the top is made of premium leather. Inside is lined with cushioning neoprene. Brown nylon shoulder strap ($19 extra). Design Highlights If Indiana Jones had an iPad Air and wanted to carry it, I think he'd own an Outback Solo. The waxed canvas and leather will age nicely, ensuring that the rugged style of the bag gains even more character over the years. The neoprene lining cushions your iPad Air from bumps and drops, while a magnetic closure on the leather top keeps the bag shut. Two exterior pockets provide space for charging cables, pens and styluses. Functionality Highlights The Outback Solo protects and transports your iPad Air, whether used as a sleeve or a bag with the optional nylon strap. If there's anything I'm not thrilled about, it's the lack of some "rough" material on the strap to keep it from sliding off a shoulder. The iPad Air is light enough that the Outback Solo doesn't need a shoulder pad, but I found that the bag wanted to slide off of my shoulder while walking. You can adjust the strap to carry it crossways on your body to prevent slipping, but some may find that carrying method not to their liking. I tested the Outback Solo with an iPad Air equipped with a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, and it fit beautifully into the bag. This is good news to those who are using the iPad Air/Ultrathin Keyboard Cover combo as a "notebook replacement." At $89 -- or $108 with the optional strap -- the Outback Solo is also less expensive than some other options in the "luxury iPad bag" market. Conclusion Waterfield Designs is known for durable and stylish sleeves and bags, and the Outback Solo continues that tradition with an affordable design that will last for years. Rating: 3-1/2 stars (out of 4 stars possible) Giveaway Will you be the lucky TUAW reader who wins an Outback Solo? You won't know unless you enter. 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 January 10, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Waterfield Designs Outback Solo bag for iPad Air (with strap) valued at $108. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Waterfield Designs Staad BackPack carries your gear, looks awesome doing it
One of my favorite computer bag companies is Waterfield Designs of San Francisco. Its bags are not only stylish, often mixing leather, waxed canvas and ballistic nylon in ways that please the eye, but they also just plain last. A case in point is the Waterfield Travel Express bag I purchased years ago for a MacBook Air, which is still going strong as an iPad bag (it can carry two easily) and still looks like it did when I unboxed it for the first time. Well, Waterfield has introduced an amazing backpack -- the Staad BackPack (US$319-$329) -- that carries on the tradition of design and function that the company is known for. Read on for a review and a chance to win one of these beautiful backpacks. The Staad BackPack, like people, comes in two sizes -- slim and stout. The slim model is perfect for those situations where you want a backpack for carrying your laptop (up to 13 inches) and accessories hands-free, but don't want it to be so huge that it's constantly bumping into other people. The stout model is $10 more, and provides a bit more capacity for your stuff, including a laptop of up to 15 inches in size. As Gary Waterfield notes in the video that's embedded below, the idea behind the Staad is for it to be a backpack that can easily fit into a more formal working environment. The bodies are made of one of two materials -- waxed canvas or ballistic nylon. An oversized leather flap covers the top of your gear, and comes in one of three colors -- black, chocolate or grizzly. On top of the bag is a large grip handle for picking up the backpack that's made of the same flap material. Two large padded straps are used to distribute the load on your shoulders, with neoprene inserts helping to make for a comfortable ride and a moisture-wicking material on the side that's closest to your shirt. That same wicking material is used on the back of the pack, perfect for making sure that you don't get the dreaded sweaty back from carrying the bag in warm weather. On the inside are a number of smaller pockets surrounding two larger cushioned pockets -- one for your MacBook and another for your iPad. There are two angled, zippered side pockets (one on either side) for your phone, wallet and keys. Holding the big leather flap in place is a World War II-era buckle that opens with a quick pull. Like all of the other Waterfield Designs products, the construction of the Staad is first-class. You may pay a lot more for this than the typical backpack, but it's going to last for a long time. And let's face it; it also looks incredibly classy. Conclusion If you want the hands-free convenience of a backpack, but want something that will be at home in the executive suite, then pull out your wallet and buy the Waterfield Designs Staad BackPack. Using the time-honored credo "You get what you pay for," the Staad is more costly upfront, but will serve you for years to come. Pros Extremely well-constructed, and made of top-grade materials Separate padded pockets for MacBook and iPad Vintage closure buckle is surprisingly handy, and it looks great, too! Cons Not TSA-compliant, will require you to pull your laptop out of the bag during security screening Who is it for? Anyone who wants a laptop backpack that looks great and will last until they slide you into your grave Video Giveaway Oh, how I envy TUAW readers, who get a chance to win some of these amazing products. In this case, one lucky reader is going to be opening a box in the near future containing a slim Staad BackPack in black ballistic nylon with a chocolate leather flap and trim. It's valued at US$319, and I will weep to put this guy onto the FedEx truck. 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 November 5, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Waterfield Designs Staad BackPack valued at $319 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
The iPhone wallet has a place for your stuff
After spending about 10 months without an iPhone, I stayed up late to order the iPhone 4S. Then the next question occurred to me: "What am I going to do for a case?" I ordered 3 different cases for three different purposes: an AmazonBasics Silicone Case for everyday use, a Mophie Juice Pack Air Case/Rechargeable Battery for "really long day" use, and an iPhone Wallet from the folks at Waterfield Designs/SFBags.com. Back in February, I bought a bag for my MacBook Air from Waterfield Designs, and I absolutely love it. I carry my 13" MacBook Air and my iPad in it every day. When I decided to get an iPhone, I knew I'd be heading to SFBags.com to see what they had to offer. The iPhone Wallet I love this idea. You carry a wallet, you carry an iPhone, why not carry one thing instead of two? For the past several years I've had a wallet which was used mostly to carry cards. If I have cash (which I often don't) I carry it in my pocket but not in my wallet. I have also been known to walk out of the house without either my iPhone or my wallet, so having one less thing to remember seemed like a good idea. Let's start with what's good about the iPhone wallet. The first thing I noticed is that it looks and feels well made. This isn't a case that's going to start fraying around the edges after a few months. It also already feels "broken in" rather than stiff. The window in the front will allow you to see the entire screen. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I could actually use the touch-screen right through the plastic. Even the plastic window seems to be made of sturdy material that won't easily scratch and won't start to pull away from the edges. I assumed this plastic would be the "weakest link" in the case, but it seems just as good as the rest of it. The window is just a bit too small to let you see the iPhone's home button, but you should be able to judge where it is, and you can press it while it is still in the case. You can fit the iPhone in the wallet while it is in the silicone case (which I assume is about the same size as Apple's "bumper" case). It will be snug, but it will fit. However, once you do that, you have added considerable "bulk" to the iPhone (relatively speaking) and putting it inside the wallet like that will not leave room for much else. If I have the silicone case on, I can only fit 3-5 cards in the wallet before it really starts to feel "too big." (I tried the wallet with the Mophie Juice Pack on it... I did, and it does not fit. The Juice Pack extends the length of the iPhone, and the wallet does not have enough extra room to accommodate that. Nor should it; I only mention this because I assume someone else might want to know.) If you carry the iPhone "naked," then you can easily fit about 8-10 cards inside the wallet. There are two separate pockets which hold the cards securely. One unexpected detail was a divider between the "iPhone" part of the wallet and the card section. It is mentioned in the wallet description and shown in the video (see below) but it is thicker than I expected it to be, about 2-3 credit-cards, and covered in "ultrasuede." At first I thought that was intended to protect credit cards from being demagnetized, but Richard tells me that isn't much of a concern these days. I'm not sure the divider is 100% necessary, but I'm willing to bet that someone at Waterfield Designs had practical experience with another a case that led them to include it. My best guess is that it is probably intended to keep the cash or anything from the "money side" from falling out when you are taking the iPhone out of the wallet. It adds a bit of bulk, but it's not a huge deal. As Gary points out in the video, it does help keep the iPhone pressed up against the window Two minor complaints... There's one drawback to the iPhone wallet that should be fairly obvious: if it's in your pocket and you get a call, you have to get the wallet out of your pocket and then the iPhone out of the wallet before you can begin your conversation. The only other minor complaint I have with the iPhone wallet is with the placement and direction of the zipper. If you think of the "window" side of the case as the "front" then the zipper runs from top-left (when zipped) to bottom-right (when unzipped, as shown above). The headphone jack is on the top-left of the iPhone. Why is this combination a problem? Because if you are using headphones, you can't keep it in the wallet. If they had made the wallet so that it zipped from "top-right" to "bottom-left" then you could have stuck the headphones in and threaded the wire out. However, that would have made it a little more awkward for people who are right-handed. Conclusion Let's be clear: this isn't a wallet for slipping into the back pocket of your "skinny jeans" before you go out clubbing. It has a certain heft to it. But before you decide whether or not it's "too big" take a minute and walk through this next section with me. Take out your wallet, put your iPhone on the table, and stack up all of the cards that you carry around with you. Then imagine that wrapped in leather and lined with ultrasuede. Ok, now take a look at those cards again. How many of them do you really need in your wallet all of the time? I took most of my cards out of my wallet and put them into my old wallet and leave it in my office desk drawer or the glove compartment of my car. Library card? Sam's club? Prescription card? AAA? I never carry any store card if they can lookup my account by my phone number. I was able to get my total down to 5 (and could probably get by with 3 for 95% of the time), which means that I could even leave the silicone case on and still have it not feel "too big." The biggest adjustment for me is that I am used to having my wallet in one pocket and phone in the other, but I love being able to feel it in my pocket and not have to think "Is that my phone or my wallet? Do I have both?" With this I know if I have one, I have the other. If the idea of a combination wallet/iPhone case appeals to you, the Waterfield Designs iPhone wallet is a great option. A reasonable $41 ($39 + $2 US shipping) buys a great product that will most likely still look and work great even when you're thinking about the iPhone 6! If you're on the fence, Waterfield Designs has a 90 second review video available too. It shows that you can text or email through the case, and even suggests you could talk on the phone while it was still in the case. I haven't tested that theory because the only people I know who talk into their wallets are crazy people.
WaterField serves up Magic Trackpad cases: because your old sock just won't cut it
Look, we get it -- it'd be fairly easy to slice up the surface of a Magic Trackpad if thrown haphazardly into a bag full of apartment keys, ink pens and syringes, but aren't there more economical ways of protecting your investments than this? Not that we blame WaterField Designs -- who happens to make some of the best cases and sleeves in the industry -- but the Trackpad Slip and the Trackpad Socket are most certainly tailor made for a slaying on "Really? with Seth and Amy." For those who can't find a free padded compartment in their existing briefcase or laptop tote, the Socket is a dead-simple padded pouch, while the Slip is a slim ballistic nylon case with a soft, lightly padded liner and a half dozen trim options. Shipments start today, with pricing set for $12 / $25, respectively. Don't count on getting any support from fellow tree huggers should you skip over your monthly Sierra Club donation in order to get one, though.
Kindle bags its first accessories, from WaterField
While executives can blow-hard the success of their goods 'til blue in the face, one of the best measurements of market acceptance is the appearance of the third party accessory. Here's the first we've seen: Kindle Cases from WaterField. Starting February 12th you'll have your choice of a $27 slip case, $39 sleeve case, and $49 travel case offering varying degrees of protection unmatched by any dust jacket. Then again, a book doesn't require much protection does it?
Winners of our SF Bags giveaway announced
We worked our butts off to give you the best TGS coverage of all the Joystiq sites. And, we even decided to reward readers with prizes, just because we're so awesome. Did you win a PSP case from SF Bags? Well, you'll have to read on to find out...
TGS 06: PSP Fanboy gives away prizes
We've been avoiding sleep to give you the best coverage of the Tokyo Game Show possible. There's so much to go through that it may seem a bit daunting to read all the news that's pouring in. Well, don't give up! Here's a nice incentive that should provide enough motivation for you to keep it locked to the Fanboy.Post a comment in any story with "TGS 06" in the title and you'll be entered to receive one of TWO PSP gear pouches from SFBags. These bags range from $29 to $39 and let you carry your PSP, UMDs and accessories in one convenient bag. Tokyo Game Show continues all weekend long, so make sure you're always checking in.Contest ends 9/26/06. Limit 1 comment/entry per post. No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only. Thanks, SFBags!
