1 May 2005
by Noah Kravitz
Reviews Editor

Carry Your Office on your Back

Laptops are great. Wi-Fi is great. Together, a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection mean you can work almost anywhere. Thing is, not everywhere you can hop on a Wi-Fi network with your PowerBook is going to have a nice flat, clean surface on which to physically set up shop. Coffee shop tables are notoriously grungy, trains often don't have seatback fold-out trays, and in many a Wi-Fi enabled city park you'll be lucky to find a clean place to sit, let alone a table you'd want to put your Mac down upon.

Luckily, the folks at Shaun Jackson Design / Higher Ground took all of this (and then some) into account when designing their Laptrap computer sleeves. The Laptrap product page states the designers' goal was "to create a completely portable office environment that would provide full time protection for your laptop, carry all the extra stuff that you always seem to need, yet still be compact and of course look cool." Higher Ground sent us a sample Laptrap so we could see for ourselves if they succeeded.

Higher Ground calls Laptrap a computer sleeve rather than a full-on "bag." At 5" x 12" x 3.75", it is in fact smaller than most laptop bags I've tried, but a little bit deeper than your standard sleeve. This is due in large part to Laptrap's unique folding design that provides its "portable office" functionality -- both the front and back of the sleeve open up when it's time to get to work. When the main compartment is unzipped and open, the back panel of the sleeve opens up forming a hinged bottom/back surface so you can use your computer without having to take it out of the case (and set it atop someone else's coffee spill and cookie crumbs). The bottom surface features four adjustable rubber pads that protect your laptop while in transit and raise it up to allow air to circulate beneath the computer while in use. The back panel also features a zippered exterior document pocket and interior slots for CD/DVD storage.

The front of the sleeve features two rectangular zipper pockets large enough to hold accessories as big as a hardcover book -- power supplies, portable hard drives, PDAs, cameras, and yes, hardcover books. The twin pockets buckle together when the bag is closed, and unbuckle and unfold when the bag is opened up for computer use. When you're using the sleeve on a tabletop, the twin pockets lay flat on either side of your computer, zipper-side up for easy access to the goodies stored inside. When no table's to be found, the pockets fall naturally over your lap, hanging vertically next to your thighs (see picture to left). It's a pretty ingenious design suitable for both tabletop and table-less use.

Laptrap worked great in both situations. Unfurled on a cafe table, it did in fact provide a "portable office environment" of sorts - my iBook never came in contact with the table itself, my accessories were tidily stashed away but close at hand, and the hinged rear panel provided a modicum of privay and protection. Additionally, I felt like I could pack up and go at a moment's notice, which some how encouraged me to get my work done so I could be on to other things.

Working on my lap, I really appreciated the sleeve's design. While Laptrap can't compensate for bad chairs and awkward posture, the combination of the secure rear panel, pleasant weight of the hanging side pockets, and "Gripdeck" rubber surface that kept my workspace from sliding around on my thighs -- a minor point, perhaps, but I have once or twice before noticed myself tensing my leg muscles to keep the slippery underside of my iBook from sliding down my legs. The surface also, of course, works very well on tabletops.

Laptrap is made out of sturdy, waterproof coated "expedition grade" fabrics available in black with a choice of four colors of trim; the blue-trimmed model I'm using is very sharp in a high-tech meets outdoorsy sort of way. The sleeve a very sturdy rubber handle and comes with a clip-on shoulder strap. Higher Ground also sent the optional backpack harness ($14.95), which is made from featherweight nylon mesh and clips on to Laptrap at four points. The backpack harness works well enough, but given that the part of Laptrap that actually lays against your back is a very flat surface reinforced to keep your laptop's screen safe, it doesn't make for the most comfortable of backpacks.

That's about my only complaint with Laptrap, however. This sleeve isn't for everyone, but it's a very clever solution to the very new problem of what to do for a desk when you're untethered from your desk. Laptrap is well-designed, well-constructed, and very functional. The standard model fits iBooks and PowerBooks up to 15" and a larger Laptrap Grande ($89.95) will fit 17" PowerBooks. A premium leather version of Laptrap is also available.

Priced at $59.95, Laptrap is expensive for a sleeve but it's really much more than a sleeve, and if you're in need of a compact laptop workspace it's well worth the price. Shaun Jackson Design also offers the Lapdog and Back Office bags, should you be in need of an expandable system that can carry more extras than Laptrap. All Shaun Jackson Design bags are backed by the company's 30-day money back guarantee and lifetime warranty.

Laptrap and the complete line of Shaun Jackson Design / Higher Ground products are available from retailers (compare prices at PCPrices) and direct from SJDesign.com.

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Noah Kravitz runs the Technology and Culture blog Threebase.com. He is an educator, musician, and writer who lives in Oakland, CA and is the author of Teaching and Learning with Technology.