MLA-116 is a very lightweight bag. I would not trust the bag to protect a laptop from a drop of more than a foot or two. The padding is insufficient. There is nothing to secure the laptop from moving around or in the tablet pocket. With no padding on the top where the zipper is and nothing to secure it, there is no protection from that angle. Using this bag is better than nothing and does provide some storage space, but this would not be my first choice. If you just want something to hold your tablet, then this would do the trick.
Other negatives
-Back pocket has no way to keep anything inside. Items could easily fall out if bag is put down.
-Storage in front pocket is very limited. With the light padding, you could even damage a tablet on the inside with heavy items in the front pocket
-Shoulder strap is attached with plastic fasteners. The fasteners look flimsy, not sufficient to withstand heavy loads and regular use.
-You can get much better quality items for the fifty dollar price point
Positives
-It does have a nice zipper pocket that would fit a cell phone well.
-It is not heavy
-It looks easy to clean
Trust the description when it says that this is an "understated attaché." It is nice and functional, but perhaps a little too utilitarian. There is a 1/2 inch of padding for the laptop so it remains thin and it is impossible to over stuff. The tablet pocket is a nice addition, probably better for bigger tablets like the iPad, a Kindle Touch gets lost in the pocket.
The construction is ok, but the materials seem a little rigid for my tastes. The strap is workable, but not luxurious. The handle like the other materials is a little rigid and I don't know how much it will improve with age.
Also, the price seems a little high for the bag. It is listing for $50 right now. I expect that to drop appreciably in the near future, but for now it is pretty pricey for what you get.
All this being said, it is not a bad laptop bag. It does serve the purpose that I was hoping for to lug around my 13.3 macbook. It does that well enough, but it lacks elegance. So, if you are looking for function over form, this might be the bag for you.
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The description here does not offer much info, so let me delve into that:
Both the front, back and sides are padded.
Under the front velcroed flap (the photo with the logo the right) is a zippered pocket. This pocket is 15.5 inches wide by 9 inches deep. Along the back of this pocket are 3 elastic loops for pens and three smaller pockets, one 4.5 inches by 4 inches and two 3.5 inches by 4 inches. These pockets are "flat" so whatever you put in them needs to be thin.
The large middle pocket is 15.5 inches wide and 12 inches tall. The bottom is 2 inches wide. Inside this large pocket is a full length and nearly full depth divider that is flat against the side. Along the other side is a 9 inch wide by 10.5 inch pocket with a lined (fuzzy) front. I guess that fuzzy fabric is called "nylex".
Along the back outside near the handles is a small zippered pocket that is 6 inches wide and 5 inches deep, lined with the fuzzy material (would be good place for a phone or Ipod). Also along the back side is an 8.5 inch tall non closing pocket that runs the whole width of the case.
The straps are attached with plastic clip hooks to nylon webbing loops and the handle is padded.
This is a well made case, although I have some concern about the nylon webbing durability over time. However, I have had other Case Logic bags that lasted for a long time, so I will give the developers the benefit of the doubt. The zippers work smoothly and have nice pulls. I think the front long pocket should have had some sort of closure in the middle, a piece of Velcro or a snap to keep the contents from falling out. The price/value point seems a bit high as well.
Read Best Reviews of Case Logic MLA-116 15.6-Inch Laptop and iPad® Attaché (Black) Here
With the MLA-116 by Case Logic, they have created a well built, and quite useful case for tablet and laptop users. The construction is typical of Case Logic quality, meaning its not going to have any durability issues. The case is well thought out in the placement of pockets and pouches. This case sports a very handsome look to it, and a nice size carrying strap and handle that support a fully loaded case well without being too bulky or too fragile feeling. There really isn't much else to say about it, except that its a well designed case that suits a variety of purposes.
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I was looking for a laptop bag with a small footprint for air travel. This bag definitely fits the bill. I was a little concerned about padding and room for accessories though.
Once received the bag, I was immediately pleased with the thick padding on both side walls. It's by no means heavy armored or rigid, but this bag looks like it can take a bump or two without fear. I am using a Alienware Mx14 laptop and (as an artist) I also carry a Wacom Intous 4 Drawing Pad in my bag (PTK-640) and the Wacom while being a little tight fits perfectly without issue on the inside pocket next to my alienware. I also have 2x Western Digital Essential 2TB external hard drives (stacked up sideways on top of each other) that both fit on the deep inside pocket of the case next to the laptop on the opposite side. I also can fit my Razor mouse off the side of the drives inside the bag. All wires and extra power pack + accessories fit on the outer zipper pocket behind the flap.
As you can imagine, that is a lot of stuff and yes it all fits in there. I am not saying it's a lean fit, but there is still room to spare for more actually. The other side of case has a open non zipper pocket good for magazines, boarding pass or other lose documents.
In the end this is still way less bulky than my last big laptop bag. Granted the last bag was roomier and had rigid border frame to prevent heavy damage. However, if you plan on carrying your laptop with you on your person all the time... you likely will be babying your electronics anyway. I would only use that other bag again if I planned on checking my laptop bag through baggage claim (and I would never do that anyway).
This slimmer bag seems like a perfect fit for my needs. If you are in market for a slim, well padded bag with surprisingly flexible inner space, put this bag on your radar to compare with others.
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I would never expect this to be very protective as say a laptop bag would be & it is not. I travel all over the country with my hubby whom is a OTR Truck Driver & needed something simple that I could put beside my seat when traveling, without the bulk of a laptop bag. This is perfect for just the Laptop, but not the mouse. Not good protection as much as convenience that I was looking for anyways. The case is very pretty and looks just like the picture, very happy with that. The only reason this rating lost a star is because, When zipping this up, the handle is stitched on the inside and not the outside, so if you want to carry this around, you can not zip it up all the way if you need the handle. If you zip it all the way, you will have no handle. The handle should have been stitched on the outside. This is the only flaw in this product. I would buy this again!
