An Excellent iBook Luggage Solution by Waterfield

July 10th, 2002
by Irene Tosetti
Columnist

If you're looking for the ultimate luggage solution for your iBook, look no further: Waterfield Designs has introduced the Cozmo bag and the Cozmo Suite Spot, and I'm sure they will meet your needs.

Check out my own pictures here for this review.

The manufacturing quality of these items is absolutely outstanding. When you feel the texture of the materials, the smoothness of the extra-strong zippers, when you carefully examine the stitches, the corners, the handles, the straps of these items, you just know it's stuff that will LAST for a very, very long time. Your money is definitely well spent on these products. I've seen many laptop cases in my life, bad ones, good ones, and also very good ones, but never had I found such excellent quality and attention to every little detail. These people at Waterfield do stand out above the crowd and are among the very best in the laptop-case industry.

I took the Cozmo Suite Spot on the road for a test: It's a suite made up of the Cozmo bag, the SleeveCase (12" iBook size) and the Medium GearPouch. Let's take a look at each of the items.

- The SleeveCase is a ballistic nylon laptop sleeve with an ultrasmooth 1/4" neoprene inner layer to protect your iBook from scratches, shocks, dust, and all the general trouble and strife of life on the road. Sliding the laptop in and out of the sleeve is very simple and takes a second. There's also a secure Velcro tab to keep the sleeve well closed at all times. The design is super-sleek, very elegant and stylish, and that's important too, when you are shopping for an iBook accessory, you don't want to ruin that beauty with some cheap and ugly thing, do you? We Mac users are such fanatics.. :-) The SleeveCase can be used by itself as a minimalist laptop case or you can insert it in a backpack or briefcase. In the first case, I suggest you get the version with optional D-Rings, ShoulderStrap, ShoulderPad and Ballistic Flap. You can choose between horizontal or vertical SleeveCase models, too: the horizontal one is best used in horizontal cases, like the Cozmo bag or messenger bags and briefcases, while the vertical version is the best choice if you plan to use the SleeveCase in your backpack. Bear in mind that the SleeveCase does NOT feature extra room for power adapter, cables or laptop peripherals. This is because it's primarily meant to be what it is, i.e. a sleeve, and not a full-fledged laptop bag. But it can be used in conjunction with other items and you'll get the best luggage solution for your iBook; let's see how. The 12" iBook SleeveCase finds its perfect companion in the Cozmo bag.

- The Cozmo bag provides room for storing items such as power cords, cables, adapters and an extra battery, plus all your stuff for a business day. Despite its apparently small size, there's quite a lot of room in it, as you can see in my pictures. I easily carried around my iBook in its Sleevecase, power adapter, external mouse, iPod, Palm, wallet, cellphone, A4 writing pad, a computer magazine, a newspaper, keys, pens, another magazine, passport, a small portfolio for important papers, a big case full of pens and highlighters, and I still had some free room! Yet the Cozmo bag is quite compact, just 14" long x 10" high x 4" deep (that is 35.56 x 25.4 x 10,16 centimeters) The iridium semi-rigid corners make sure the bag keeps its shape at all times, be it almost empty or very full. There are wide front and back pockets, large enough for magazines, newspapers or any wide thing you might want to carry. Two leather handles provide a safe and very comfortable grip; there's also a delightful offset shoulder strap, for perfect weight balance, that will actually make the bag feel lighter as it's got a stretchable material (right where you put it on you r shoulder) which will get shorter and longer while you walk, with a very effective *bounce* effect (you've got to try if for yourself to get the feeling). Also, the shoulder pad is excellent, with a smooth neoprene pad that will work wonders for your aching commuter's shoulder. The inside features a high quality lining in a mellow color (I'd call it a mix of yellow, orange and gold); you'll find an internal layer with lots of pockets to organize all your stuff; this is very smart because when you need extra loading ease you can just lift this layer and move it out of the way while you stuff your bag like there's no tomorrow, and then we have my favorite feature, a special place to insert your SleeveCase. When you need your iBook, you'll have one-hand easy access to it at all times, as you can see in my pictures. The main color in the Cozmo bag is black, but there are many versions with different corner colors: white, red, blue, silver, and stone. Its design makes it casual enough to be used at most times, yet elegant enough to use it in a more formal setting, too.

- The Medium Gear Pouch is the last item in the Cozmo Suite Spot. It's very light and also very stylish, and it's a perfect match with the Cozmo and the SleeveCase. It can be inserted into any bag and is very good for stowing away cables, adaptors, an external mouse, other personal items, documents, plane tickets, or even your iPod. Even in this simple piece of luggage, the quality is top level. The zippers have an auto-lock feature so you'll be sure that what's in the pouch won't get out by itself. The bigger things will fit in the main compartment, and the smaller ones will go in the front pocket. There's also a smart strap on one side. Both pockets are lined with the same high-quality material that you've just read about in the Cozmo description. The GearPouch is available in Taxi (yellow), Blueball (blue) and Lead (grey).

Last but not least, I have to say that I've never found a better customer service than the one this company provides. They're just amazing, they'll answer each and every one of your questions in no time, and they're such nice people that I'm sure you'll recommend them to your friends after you try their business.

The Cozmo Suite Spot is priced at $159. The individual prices of the items would be the following: Cozmo $139, 12" iBook SleeveCase $38, Medium GearPouch $22, so the Suite spot saves you $40.00.

All Waterfield Designs products are made in the USA, and believe me, it shows because they reach a quality level where no cheap offshore manufacturer will ever be able to get. Some might find the price a bit high, but I'm sure you'll change your mind when you receive your order; it's a very fair price for what you get.

The SleeveCase is also available for 14" iBook, Powerbook G4, and just about any laptop; just ask Gary if you have any questions about which size is best for you.

-- NOTE: this article was originally meant to be a comparison between the Waterfield Designs SleeveCase and the Jambags MacCase iBook Sleeve. Waterfield sent me their product sample in the complete Cozmo Suite Spot in three business days (shipping the sample to my address in Italy); on the other hand, Jambags refused to send us a sampleand that's NOT a good sign for a compan. If you were planning to get a Jambag product, keep this in mind.