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| Product: TripleTrek Expander |
Company: Kensington Technology Group |
| Web: www.kensington.com |
Phone: 800-280-8318 |
| Platform: Your shoulder |
SRP: US$80
Street Price: US$50 |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: |
Ever since being spoiled by the awesome Brenthaven Expandable Topload (and hearing how poorly most other bags performed in Mobile Computing's drop tests), I've looked at all laptop bags with some skepticism. It is with this new-found skepticism that I examined a bag in Kensington's TripleTrek line.
The idea behind the TripleTrek was to create a multi-purpose case: a laptop bag, a brief case and a sports bag. I had Kensington send us the Expander because it had the expansion and toploading (with inner computer bag) functions that I love about the Brenthaven and it seemed to be the most versatile of the lot. To really drive home the sports function, it even comes with a water bottle that nestles inside the cinch chords on one side of the bag.
The first bad sign: When my wife and I took it out of the box, we actually laughed. There's just something about it (or several somethings) that's not quite right: the thin, shiny black nylon fabric looks and feels cheap, the big silver oval rings around the handle attachments look like something on an old lady's handbag, the criss-crossing cinch ties on the sides look tacky...and I'm sorry, but the fully exposed water bottle just looks goofy.
As I moved beyond first impressions, there were a lot of nice things about the bag too: At 16.75" x 11.75" x 6.5", it's very roomy, with lots of zipper pockets, mesh compartments for disks, business cards, plane tickets, a place to stow the morning paper, a tennis racket, whatever, and a file folder compartment. The hardware and work quality look top notch with heavy-duty straps, weighty zipper pulls, box stitching, etc. Like the SkyRunner before it, the TripleTrek can obviously hold an impressive amount of gear and paperwork. And, at only $50 on the street, you sure can't beat the price.
But what about its ability to actually protect your computer? If you have a choice of spending a little over US$200 on a bag that's going to protect your several thousand dollar investment or $50 on a bag that offers questionable protection, which would you choose? The TripleTrek Expander is obviously (whether consciously or not) trying to offer some of the same high-end features as the Brenthaven. It boasts something called ShockFlex technology which consists of the removable inner laptop compartment (a pale imitation of the Brenthaven's) and a "honeycomb arch" and thick rubber feet on the bottom of the bag for shock absorption. I wasn't about to do any comparative drop tests (Street Tech Labs is not that wealthy or powerful yet), but a visual inspection of the two systems leaves me suspicious of the TripleTrek's protective powers. Once full, it's a bulgy mass, without the integrity of the Brenthaven, or even the other Kensington bags. One has to wonder what this teetery load would do to the protection capability as the bag's weight shifted in a fall.
I'm sure I'm asking too much from such an inexpensive and versatile bag...and others might actually like the design...but I'd still recommend that you dig a little deeper for a really good laptop bag. Get a day pack if you need a place for your water bottle, tennis racket and gym shorts.
- Gareth Branwyn [3/12/99]
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